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Tiger Fan · 10-26-2023, 12:18 PM

DECEMBER 27, 1948

WINGS TAKE FLIGHT! SAN FRANCISCO CROWNED CONTINENTAL CONFERENCE CHAMPION

San Francisco, Dec 27, 1948 -- A new reign dawns as the San Francisco Wings soared to glory on Sunday, toppling the two-year dominion of the Kansas City Cowboys to clinch the Continental Football Conference championship, sealing a decisive 26-10 victory. In a gridiron spectacle that sent fans at Hawks Stadium into a frenzy, San Francisco's robust defensive effort, coupled with Kansas City's star quarterback Pat Chappell's costly turnovers, scripted a championship tale that will long be recounted.

Chappell, often hailed as the game's finest passer, demonstrated his mettle by amassing over 200 passing yards. Still, it was the four interceptions and two fumbles at crucial junctures that handed San Francisco the key to the championship, with 17 of the Wings' 24 points stemming from Chappell's turnovers.

The contest began with the Cowboys forging ahead 3-0 through Reuben Walston's 27-yard field goal. However, the Wings swiftly counterbalanced, capitalizing on Chappell's pass intended for Ernie Orr, which was intercepted by Sam Gerst at the Cowboys' 40-yard line. An apparent touchdown pass from Sam Metcalf to Roy Stanton was negated by a holding call, but the Wings converted this opportunity into a 24-yard field goal, gracefully executed by Russ Gilliam.

In a turn of events, Chappell was intercepted once more, and at the outset of the second quarter, Metcalf orchestrated a 13-yard touchdown pass to Doug Murphy, as Gilliam's extra point propelled the Wings to a 10-3 lead. Despite his earlier miscues Chappell still has plenty of confidence in his throwing arm and he and the Cowboys were rewarded when the Cowboys gunslinger found the blazing fast Bill Tammaro with a 17-yard pass, forging an equalizing touchdown. The scoreline now stood at 10-10.

Before the halftime whistle, the Wings recaptured their lead with an effective 8-play, 54-yard drive, characterized by a 25-yard aerial connection from Metcalf to Wes Mula. This drive culminated with Metcalf finding Mula for a 2-yard pass into the end zone, closing the first half with the Wings in the ascendancy at 17-10.

Chappell's turnovers persisted in the second half. While orchestrating a promising drive and reaching the San Francisco 33-yard line, he fumbled the snap, conceding possession to the Wings. Metcalf then guided the Wings on a 67-yard drive, scoring a 3-yard touchdown himself, enlarging their lead to 14 points.

Subsequent turnovers, including two more Chappell interceptions, dashed any prospects of a Cowboys' resurgence. The Wings effectively sealed the victory with a sack on Chappell in his own end zone, elevating the lead to 26-10. That final crushing blow was also made possible by Metcalf, who is often overshadowed by his West Division rival from Kansas City. It was Metcalf's foot, not his arm, that drew the accolades this time as a picture-perfect punt bounced out of bounds at the Cowboys 1-yard line, setting the table for the strong San Francisco line to lay claim to the final two points of the contest.

The jubilant 24,000-strong crowd at Hawks Stadium inundated the field, and in a fevered display of jubilation, they brought down both goalposts and carried off sections of the turf from an end zone, likely as mementos as they look forward to the inaugural season at the new 50,000-seat Golden Gate Stadium next year.

While the result was a blow for the Cowboys, Johnny Boyland emerged as a shining beacon for the Kansas City squad. A force to be reckoned with on defense, Boyland tallied an impressive 13 tackles and caused two crucial Wings' fumbles. In recognition of his standout performance, Boyland was crowned the Most Valuable Player of the game, marking the second time in the Continental Conference championship that this honor was bestowed upon a member of the losing team.

Code:

    CONTINENTAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME HISTORY
YEAR    SCORE                               VENUE            MVP
1948  San Francisco 26 Kansas City 10   Hawks Stadium    Johnny Boyland, KC
1947  Kansas City 42 New York 13        Packer Park      Pat Chappell, KC
1946  Kansas City 20 New York 14        Packer Park      Ken Hale, NY

CFC COMMITTEE OF FIVE SET TO CONFER WITH AFA

Rapidly breaking developments in overtures of several Continental Football Conference club owners to the American Football Association has a meeting scheduled between representatives of the two-grid loops in Philadelphia later this week.

Reports persists that the quintet of CFC magnates will try to negotiate a plan whereby Kansas City and San Francisco, along with possibly Los Angeles and one other team would be taken into the American Association. News of the new 50,000 seat stadiums set to open next year in the two west coast cities certainly piqued the interest of the long-standing American loop. Jack Kristich, President of the American Association and Ben Montgomery, the retired Navy Lt Commander and head of the Continental circuit, are also expected to be in attendance.

All AFA owners refused to discuss the situation until after the session, but it is generally believed that loop would jump at the chance to expand by two teams and add both California clubs. The sticking point would then be the fate of the Kansas City Cowboys, and to a lesser degree the New Orleans Crescents. The Cowboys are loaded with talent and would be a great attraction on the road, but their tiny stadium holds only 15,000 fans and would not be suitable for the AFA. The major roadblock to accepting 4 new entries is the American Association is not keen on a 14-team league and feels two divisions with 7 clubs each would be next to impossible to schedule properly.
*** Tigers May Be The Key ***

The perfect scenario for the AFA would be to have the Kansas City Cowboys relocate to Los Angeles and replace the Lobos in the new Bigsby Stadium with only the transplanted Cowboys and the San Francisco Wings joining the AFA next season. There is expected to be loud opposition from Dee Rose, the owner of the Lobos and also baseball's St Louis Pioneers, if he is frozen out and possibly the New Orleans Crescents magnate may not be willing to take a payout to dissolve his franchise. Like New Orleans, the New York Gothams may also wish to remain active which could create another stumbling block.

A solution for one of those problems may be the decision to shutter the Cincinnati Tigers. The club has been dreadful with an 18-37 record since its inception in 1944 including an awful 1-11 season that was just completed. Folding the Tigers would allow the AFA to admit three teams from the Continental circuit and still remain at a dozen clubs -the preferred total for the league going forward.

The timing appears right for such a merger. Certainly, the recent move to join the two professional basketball leagues under one umbrella caught the attention of football magnates and both sides in the grid war are awash in red ink. The CFC owners are generally businessmen with fortunes earned outside of the sport and most may be quite willing to walk away from a football league that has become a losing proposition, and folding up shop might net them a hefty tax credit, which may prove very beneficial in light of President Truman's new tax plan. This week has the potential to be a historic one for the sport.

CARSON NAMED TOP AFA PLAYER

Cleveland Finches end Roy Carson was named the best player in the American Football Association, the league announced this week as it unveiled its all-star team for the 1948 campaign. Carson had a dominant season for the Finches, leading the AFA in touchdowns, catches and receiving yardage. He was one of 5 Finches named to the offensive all-star team, joining fellow end Dave Nicholson as well as backs Tommy Thompson and Mark Revellette along with lineman Wayne Carroll. Carroll also earned a spot on the new defensive all-star team.

The defensive squad marks a major change for the AFA as for the first time the loop separated its all-stars into two units, one for each side of the ball. The unlimited substitution rule, which is cause of great debate in the college ranks, is the proponent for the change as more and more AFA clubs are beginning to embrace the notion of distinct offensive and defensive units. Many players continue to play on both sides of the ball, and as such Carroll, along with Chicago Wildcats center Bus McLean, were named on both the offensive and defensive squads. However, specialists who strictly perform on offense or defense, are starting to become commonplace in the pro game.

The offensive team perhaps marked the start of a new era in the sport as none of the seven so-called skill position players had ever been named all-stars before although among the lineman McLean, John Michaels of the Stars and Philadelphia's Justin Thomas had all been selected to the All-Star team in past years.

ST MAGNUS, NC TECH, NOBLE JONES AND TEXAS PANHANDLE FAVOURED IN BIG CLASSIC GAMES

Following a season of record crowds across the nation for collegiate football, more of the same is expected as the year 1949 kicks off with 11 Classic games. The big one, of course, is in Santa Ana as St Magnus makes its first appearance in the famous East-West Classic. The Vikings finished second in Great Lakes Alliance play but claimed the trip west as new league rules made Detroit City College, despite its national championship season, ineligible to compete on New Years Day for the third year in a row.

The Vikings are running through their final workouts in the Los Angeles area this week and feel the club is in top physical shape for the 33rd edition of the grand game. St Magnus, which went 7-2 during the season, will square off against the Northern California Miners, who sport a record of 8-1-1. The bookmakers rate the Vikings as anywhere from 7 to 14 point favourites over the Miners.

Clear weather and a field that may range from slightly soft in spots to fast was promised, and a sell-out crowd of 92,500 fans, some of whom paid scalper prices as high as $60 for a pair of tickets, are expected at kickoff.

With both #1 Detroit City College and #2 St Blane not competing in a Classic Game, the highest ranked squad that will see action is South Atlantic Conference champion North Carolina Tech, which puts its perfect 9-0 record on the line against Oklahoma City State. The Wranglers were 8-2 this season and are decided underdogs against the Techsters mighty offense that features All-American junior halfback Jackie Charles.

Deep South Conference co-champions Mississippi A&M and Noble Jones College headline the two other major classic games. The Generals, who were 9-0 and finished the season ranked 4th in the polls, are in Houston preparing for the Oilman Classic against Texas Panhandle after the Cowboys completed a 9-0-1 season with a section title in the Southern Border Association.

The Colonels, who won the Lone Star Classic a year ago, are in Miami preparing for the Sunshine Classic against Travis College. Noble Jones College was 9-1 on the season and ranked 5th in the polls and is a slight favourite over the Bucks.

The other major game of note is the Lone Star Classic which will treat fans to a showdown between All-American quarterback Tommy Norwood and his Portland State Magpies and Wally Dotson, the talented junior back from Texas Gulf Coast. Both feature high-powered offenses with Dotson and the Hurricanes rated as a slight favourite.

DUKES LOOK STRONG AS NAHC HITS ITS HOLIDAY BREAK

The Christmas parties are over and after a rare weekend off for the holiday, the NAHC begins a busy week with action on two fronts as a very rare occurrence takes place: games on a Monday evening including Detroit at Montreal and Chicago hosting New York.

The Detroit Motors are off to a surprisingly solid start with a youthful offense led by a quintet of rising young talents in 24-year-old center Adam Vanderbilt, who trails only Toronto's Quinton Pollack in the loop scoring parade, along with a pair of 22-year-olds in Nick Tardif and Louis Rocheleau and two 21-year-olds in Ben Witt and Francis McKenzie. They rank 1 thru 5 atop the Motors scoring chart and have accounted for 50 of Detroit's league best 96 goals so far this season. The new offensive approach has Detroit third in the loop with 28 points after 27 games.

The Montral Valiants have had their challenges keeping the puck out of their net and will try to slow down the Motors offensive engine this evening. Montreal beat Detroit twice early in the season, but the Motors have won each of the last three meetings, outscoring the Valiants 18-7 in the process. The Vals had hoped that Tom Brockers would be the answer to their netminding woes, but results have been mixed from the 33-year-old 4-time Juneau Award winner and the Vals enter the game on a three-game slide.

The Shamrocks had high hopes for the month of December as they won 5 of six games over a stretch that started in late November but since then have gone 2-5-2 but they are coming off a pre-Christmas win over Montreal. The big gun in New York remains veteran pivot Orval Cabbell, who has 17 goals and 28 points and is the only Shamrock with at least twenty points.

Chicago's big gun is Tommy Burns and the 3-time McDainels Trophy winner is likely still at least a week away from returning to the lineup after suffering a shoulder injury at the beginning of this month. Even before Burns went down the season was turning into a nightmare for the Packers, who have collapsed to last place after posting the best regular season record in the NAHC a year ago. A small glimmer of hope is the Packers are on a two-game winning streak and have played .500 hockey in December with a 5-5 record...quite a step up from their 4-12-1 start to the season.

That leaves the league's top two teams in the Boston Bees and Toronto Dukes. The Bees are enjoying a well-deserved five-day break after playing 4 games in five nights last week and will not return to action until Wednesday when they host Detroit. Second place behind Chicago a year ago, the Bees continue to play consistently strong hockey but have stumbled a bit of late with a 2-4-1 showing since December 11. They are banged up with a bunch of minor injuries and are still waiting for veteran defenseman Bryant Williams, who was acquired last month in exchange for Tom Brockers, to find his stride.

The Dukes finished third a year ago and then blazed a path to their 7th Challenge Cup win, tying Boston for the lead in that category. Coach Jack Barrell is demanding and refuses to take his foot off the gas the Dukes continue to thrive, owning the best record in the league as we approach the midway point of the 60-game season. Quinton Pollack is having a dominant season and there is plenty of secondary scoring as well as the dependable veteran Gordie Broadway between the pipes. The Dukes had a full week off for the holidays and will not return to action until they host Montreal on Thursday evening.

Code:

  NAHC STANDINGS
          GP  W  L  T  GF  GA  PTS
Toronto   27 15  8  4  94  71  34
Boston    27 14 11  2  82  74  30
Detroit   27 12 11  4  96  80  28
New York  25 11 10  4  67  69  26
Montreal  23  9 13  3  67  85  21
Chicago   27  9 17  1  71  98  19

SCORING LEADERS GP  G  A  PTS
Pollack, Tor    27 16 18  34
Vanderbilt, Det 25 16 14  30
Sauer, Tor      27 14 15  29
Galbraith, Tor  27 13 16  29
Cabbell, NY     25 17 11  28
Tardif, Det     27 11 16  27
Carlson, Tor    24  5 21  26
Rocheleau, Det  25  5 21  26
Witt, Det       27 10 15  25
T Burns, Chi    19 17  7  24
Parker, Tor     27 12 12  24
Hart, Bos       26 11 10  21
McKenzie, Det   27  8 13  21
Walker, Bos     26  7 14  21

GOALIE LEADERS   GP  W  L  T ShO GAA
Chasse, Det      11  6  4  0  1  2.26
Broadway, Tor    23 12  7  4  2  2.57
Tremblay, NY     23 10  9  4  2  2.63
James, Bos       22 10 10  2  3  2.79
Brockers, Mon    15  5  8  1  2  3.00
Hanson, Chi      19  5 13  1  1  3.33
Touhey, Det      14  5  7  2  1  3.48

LAST WEEK'S RESULTS

TUESDAY DECEMBER 21

Boston 1 at 6 Detroit: A busy stretch of 3 games in 3 days did not begin well for the Bees, who fell to a Detroit club that has just one loss in its last six games. The young stars again led the way for the Motors, who's offense has really picked up this year. Adam Vanderbilt scored twice and added an assist while Louis Rocheleau earned 3 helpers. The game marked the return of Millard Touhey to the Detroit net after being sidelined almost a full month due to a virus.

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 22

Chicago 4 at 1 New York: The New York Shamrocks have just 1 win in their last 8 games after falling 4-1 at home to the Chicago Packers. Jeremy MacLean had a big night for the visitors with a goal and two assists.

Montreal 2 at 7 Boston: Joe Morey scored three times and added an assist while Ray Gustafson and Robert Walker each enjoyed a 3 point night in leading Boston to a 7-2 victory over former Bees goaltender Tom Brockers and the Montreal Valiants.

THURSDAY DECEMBER 23

Boston 2 at 3 Chicago: The Packers give themselves a nice Christmas present in the form of just their second 2-game winning streak this season. It was a comeback win as third period goals off the sticks of Jarrett McGlynn and Mike Van Tol lifted the Packers to the victory after Wilbur Chandler staked Boston to a 2-1 lead midway through the second frame.

Montreal 2 at 3 New York: Three first period goals, from Adam Greenham, Orval Cabbell and Alfie Dennis, stood up as the Shamrocks held off the visiting Montreal Valiants 3-2. New York outshot Montreal 31-19 to hand the Vals their third loss in the past four games.

Toronto 3 at 3 Detroit: Toronto and Detroit skate to a tie for the second time in five days. Arnold Singleton scored the only goal of the opening twenty minutes to give the Motors the lead but Toronto roared back with 3 in the second frame including Quinton Pollack's 16th of the season. Trailing 3-2 entering the final frame, Vincent Arsenault salvaged a point for the hosts when scored with just over 7 and a half minutes remaining in the game.

UPCOMING GAMES
MONDAY DECEMBER 27
Detroit at Montreal
New York at Chicago

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 29
Detroit at Boston

THURSDAY DECEMBER 30
Montreal at Toronto

FRIDAY DECEMBER 31
New York at Boston

SATURDAY JANUARY 1
Boston at New York
Chicago at Detroit
Toronto at Montreal

SUNDAY JANUARY 2
Detroit at Chicago
New York at Toronto

AROUND THE LEAGUE

The injuries continue to pile up for the Boston Bees with Mark Dyck the latest to go down. The 24-year-old winger will miss at least two months after being hurt in a game against Detroit last week. Dyck, who is in his second season with the Bees, has 5 goals and 13 points in 22 games this season. The Bees are also coping with minor injuries to defenseman Willis Bean and a pair of right wingers in Jacob Gron and Garrett Kauffeldt.
Despite missing the past 8 games with an injury, Tommy Burns still is tied for the NAHC goal lead with 17. New York's Orval Cabbell finally pulled even with Burns, who has played just 19 games this season, when the Shamrocks star scored his 17th Thursday against Montreal. It was Cabbell's 25th game of the season. Burns still leads the Packers in points with 24. His brother Wes is second with 18 despite playing 7 more games than Tommy.
Archie Irwin of the Chicago Daily News senses some optimism in the city that stretches well beyond the football field at Cougars Stadium, home of the AFA champion Wildcats. "Don't look now, but the Packers have won two in a row! It's something the team has done just once before, but in back-to-back days Chicago beat New York (4-1) and Boston (3-2) and are within two of fifth place Montreal. Jeremy MacLean scored once and assisted twice in the win over the Shamrocks while backup goalie Michael Cleghorn turned away 29 of 31 shots from the second place Bees. With Tommy Burns' return set for next week, perhaps things are finally turning around on the ice in the Windy City."
Looking at the minors the Springfield Hornets, led by HAA scoring leader Jimmy Backus- a Montreal prospect- lead the Hockey Association of American with 27 points, two more than East Division rival Rochester but the Robins, who won the league title a year ago, have two games in hand. The West is a tight race with only 4 points separating the four clubs. The Pittsburgh Rovers are a point up on Cleveland and Philadelphia with 21 points on the season.
The Tacoma Lions have been a long-time powerhouse in the Great Western Hockey League and are holding a slim 1-point lead on the Portland Ports at the holiday break. The Lions had won three straight Yeadon Cups before last season when, despite dominating once more in the regular season, they were upset by the second place Seattle Emeralds in the league playoff.
The best record in the CAHA, which is the new junior league sponsored by the NAHC, belongs to the Sherbrooke Industrials, who were the preseason favourite. The Industrials top the Eastern Division with 34 points, five more than the second place Halifax Mariners in the six-team division. The St Thomas Pachyderms lead the Western Division with 30 points, two more than the Kitchener Roosters. Ian Beukeboom, a 15-year-old center iceman for the Roosters, tops the scoring parade with 39 points, five more than Sherbrooke's William Lavigne and Hunter Hamilton of Trois-Rivieres.

Dukes Will Enter 1949 Atop the NAHC - Toronto went into the Christmas break with another tie in Detroit 3-3 on Wednesday night at the Thompson Palladium in front of 10,563. The teams showed their distaste for each other in a hard hitting, bordering on dirty, first period which featured two bouts. Alex Lavalliere and veteran Detroiter Garrett Ferrar squared off, exchanging pleasantries in the Detroit zone after Lavalliere took exception to some of Farrar's stickwork. About 4 minutes later Les Carlson and Graham Comeau dropped the mitts after Carlson upended Comeau in front of Gordie Broadway with what appeared to be a stiff cross check. Before the teams retreated to their respective dressing rooms for ice packs, Arnold Singleton opened the scoring when he was found uncovered in front of the Dukes net on passes from Francis McKenzie and Joe Todd.

The hard hitting continued in the second but in more clean, tough, bone jarring style. Dukes tucked three behind Millard Touhey on markers by Quinton Pollock, Bobbie Sauer and Trevor Parker with a solitary reply from the Motos Marsh Spencer to enter the third leading 3-2. The final period was a more wide-open affair with the goaltenders being tested 24 times in total. For the second game in a row the Motors salvaged a tie with a third period tally, by Vincent Arsenault while the Dukes could not solve Touhey on 13 shots on goal in the period.

The point ensured that the Dukes will enter the New Year in no worse than a tie for first in the league. Boston plays two games next week while Dukes only play once hosting Montreal on Thursday. After a dismal start to December, Toronto will finish the month with at least a .500 record.

Coach Barrell: "Christmas is generally regarded as the halfway point of the season even if the teams have not played exactly half their games. Overall, the team has done well to end 1948 but I continue to think of how good they could have been had we not slipped into a funk a few times. The team was given 4 full off days to visit with family, friends then back to work to prepared for the Vals and the second half. Some of the staff will be going to follow the Eries for a couple of games. We are getting good reports on some players, want to see them in action. We have been very lucky on the injury front thus far, look at the Bees, they have been strung hard by the injury bug. We, as a staff, want to know what our options are if injuries become a factor."

Great to see the sport of basket ball getting some recognition as the shining example of how to solve the multiple pro leagues problem. Rollie Barrell's takeover of the American Basketball Conference looks to have been prosperous for all including the Brooklyn Red Caps and even despite Daniel Prescott's bruised feelings. His club is drawing some decent crowds to the Flatbush Gardens, so perhaps that will help soothe Prescott's anguish over the demise of the ABC.
The Philadelphia Phantoms are back on track, riding a five-game winning streak that including Sunday's thrilling win over the Washington Statesmen. Ivan Sisco had 31 points for the Statesmen, but it was not enough and allowed the Phantoms to regain top spot in the East Division by a half-game, although Washington does own a slightly better winning percentage at the moment. Renowned Philadelphia sportswriter Johnny Bologna noted that "Washington must have stuffed themselves with Christmas Goose because they only managed 8 points in the first quarter on its way to a 17-point deficit in Philadelphia."
Prior to the December 16 win in Hartford that started the streak, the Phantoms had lost 5 of their previous six games.
In the West, it is the Cleveland Crushers that well, crushing it. They stretched their winning streak to 8 games with an overtime win over Detroit on the 24th and are now just a game and a half back of the front-running Chicago Panthers.
Not a lot to cheer about in Toronto, although the Falcons are celebrating a dominant 95-75 victory over the Chicago Panthers on Boxing Day, but one big story has been Lon Porter. Porter had 30 points and 25 boards in the Chicago win and leads the Federal League in scoring, averaging 23.0 points per game.
It was a rare loss for the Windy City quintet as the Panthers were perfect in preseason play and opened the regular season with 10 straight victories but have dropped three of their last six.
Is Detroit rookie Ward Messer beginning to slow down, perhaps wearing out under the strain of a long pro schedule. Twice in the past dozen days Messer established career lows for points, scoring just 11 in a 92-88 win over Pittsburgh and then just getting 10 points in the Christmas Eve 85-76 overtime loss in Cleveland. Messer is still second in the FBL in scoring average and rebounds per game with 21.4 ppg and 19.1 boards.
And we save the best for last. Santa Clause gave the suffering cage fans in Syracuse an early Christmas gift when the Titans beat Baltimore 90-74 on Thursday. The victory, just the second of the season for the club which moved from Toronto over the summer, snapped a 16-game skid. First overall draft pick Darren Fuhrman, who has faced some challenges with the woeful Titans, set career highs in points with 22 and rebounds with 18 in the victory.

Code:


FBL STANDINGS
EAST           W  L  PCT  
Philadelphia  16  7  .696
Washington    14  6  .700
Brooklyn      14  7  .667
Rochester     12  8  .600
Baltimore     10  9  .526
Hartford       8 12  .400
Boston         8 15  .348 
New York       6 14  .300
Syracuse       2 19  .095 

WEST         W  L   PCT  
Chicago     15  5  .750
Cleveland   13  6  .684
Detroit     11  7  .611
Cincinnati  10 10  .500
Buffalo      8 10  .444
Toronto      7 13  .350
Pittsburgh   7 13  .350

BALTIMORE DISCONTINUES BASKETBALL TELEVISION

Darryl Croy, president of the Baltimore Barons professional basketball team, says he will discontinue televising the court games. Croy says there has been a noticeable reduction in attendance for games at Chesapeake Arena involving the Barons that are telecast. He says the telecasts will be stopped on January 3 but notes the halt may be temporary, depending on attendance.

The Barons cite early November numbers when a game not televised drew 4,943 spectators but one five days later that was shown had an attendance of just 3,627 show up at the 13,000 seat Chesapeake Arena.

BELLS RING AS NEW NUMBER ONE ON WEEKLY CAGE CHART

A belated Christmas present for Luther Gordon and the Liberty College Bells basketball team as they received word today that they are now considered to be the number one team in the nation. The latest collegiate rankings put the 12-1 Bells in the top spot, edging out unbeaten Western Iowa which had been had the top since the second week of the season.

The Bells had two more victories last week, beating 4-5 Wisconsin State at home before travelling to Rhode Island on Christmas Eve to dump Narragansett by 15 points. Because they are an independent school and do not have a section schedule the Bells have played nearly half of their 29 games already this season and that added exposure must have convinced a number of the voters to switch allegiances from Western Iowa to the Bells.

The Canaries did nothing last week to dissuade voters, as they improved to 6-0 on the campaign with another victory. That came a week ago as last Monday they thumped the 3-6 Boulder State Grizzlies 66-39 in Sioux City. Charlie Maynard led the way for Western Iowa with 17 points while Willy Ludwick, a candidate for the first overall selection in the June pro-draft, chipped in with 15 and Darryl Baugher added a dozen. The homestand continues for the Canaries with Poweshiek (5-6) visiting tonight followed by a date with Eastern Kansas (4-4) on Wednesday. Section play in the Great Lakes Alliance for Western Iowa begins January 20th at Indiana A&M (7-1).

Little else changed in the top ten last week with St Blane, Frankford State which is now 15-0, and Carolina Poly remain in the 3,4 and 5 slots. Utah A&M, which snuck into the 9th spot a week ago after six straight wins, dropped completely out of the top twenty-five after the Aggies were beaten twice last week. On Monday Idaho A&M (5-5) nipped them 70-68 behind a 21-point effort from Pirates sophomore forward Charley Scott and the day after Christmas Portland Tech beat the Aggies 62-55 to improve the Magpies record to 6-3 on the season.

In their place Coastal California makes its first appearance in the top ten this season. The West Coast Athletic Association power fell in late November to Baton Rogue State but the Dolphins have not lost since and are coming off an impressive 62-55 win over St. Patrick's yesterday.

LAST WEEK'S RESULTS INVOLVING TOP 10 TEAMS
MONDAY DECEMBER 20
#2 Western Iowa 66 (Charlie Maynard 17 points) Boulder State 39
#8 Coastal California 47 (Chris Martines 19) Brooklyn State 38
#10 Lane State 71 (Carl Casswell 20) Grant (IN) 53

TUESDAY DECEMBER 21
#1 Liberty College 62 (Luther Gordon 15) Wisconsin State 41
#3 St Blane 48 (Josh Samuels 17) Bronx Tech 40
#4 Frankford State 45 (David Aponte 15) Tinker 37

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 22
#6 Mississippi A&M 66 (Erwin Wendel 18) Campion 37
#8 Coastal California 65 (Chris Martines 13) College of San Diego 46

THURSDAY DECEMBER 23
#4 Frankford State 53 (David Aponte 13) St Gordius 45
#7 North Carolina Tech 65 (Mike Carter 17) College of Cairo 43

FRIDAY DECEMBER 24
#1 Liberty College 63 (Simon Buchanan 18) Narragansett 48
#5 Carolina Poly 55 (Bill Florence 20) Kansas Agricultural 41
#10 Lane State 57 (Carl Casswell 18) Wisconsin State 51

SATURDAY DECEMBER 25
#4 Frankford State 68 (Bookman, Stofer 14 each) Elyria 62

SUNDAY DECEMBER 26
#6 Mississippi A&M 56 (Greg Randle 14) Freemont State 41
#7 North Carolina Tech 48 (Chris Hermann 9) Piedmont University 22
#8 Coastal California 62 (Tony Lincoln 17) St Patrick's 55

CUBAN WINTER LEAGUE BASEBALL

It was a quiet week before Christmas in the ring but that did not stop Cannon Cooper from getting in his third fight of the year. The heavyweight ran his record to 25-4-1 with a one-sided decision over Ron Wilson at Denny Arena Thursday evening.

UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS

Jan 8 - Bigsby Garden: MW Frank Melanson (33-2-2) vs Edouard Desmarais (42-2)
Jan 28- Dominion Gardens, Toronto: World MW champ Adrian Petrie (18-1-1) vs Danny Morse (35-8-1)
Feb 19- Paris, France: World HW champ Hector Sawyer (59-3-1) vs Alain Noel (44-11-2)
Mar 18- Detroit: World WW champ Mac Erickson (18-0) vs Rudy Perry (27-4)

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 12/26/1948

In his Christmas address Pope Pius XII -drawing a sorrowful balance for 1948- declared that once again the world is menaced by war. "The forces of the world," he said, "are moving toward two opposed poles both desiring peace but both placing it in danger."
The United Sates, Britain and France announced a three-power government for Berlin without Russian participation.
Former Premier Hideki Tojo and six other Japanese warlords were hanged for Japan's crimes against humanity.
The US suspended Marshall Plan aid to the Netherlands Indies in a move believed to discourage Dutch military action against the Indonesian Republic after the Dutch launched what they termed "police action" in Indonesia. UN investigators called it a violation of the truce agreement.
Fighting broke out between Jewish and Egyptian forces along the Negeb front after a cease fire broke down.
Heavy fighting continues in North China between Communist forces and the Nationalist government.
Quentin Roosevelt, grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt, was feared dead following the crash of a Chinese airliner off Hong Kong with a possible loss of 33 persons aboard.

10-26-2023, 12:18 PM	#813
Tiger Fan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 9,873	December 27, 1948 - Merry Christmas DECEMBER 27, 1948 WINGS TAKE FLIGHT! SAN FRANCISCO CROWNED CONTINENTAL CONFERENCE CHAMPION San Francisco, Dec 27, 1948 -- A new reign dawns as the San Francisco Wings soared to glory on Sunday, toppling the two-year dominion of the Kansas City Cowboys to clinch the Continental Football Conference championship, sealing a decisive 26-10 victory. In a gridiron spectacle that sent fans at Hawks Stadium into a frenzy, San Francisco's robust defensive effort, coupled with Kansas City's star quarterback Pat Chappell's costly turnovers, scripted a championship tale that will long be recounted. Chappell, often hailed as the game's finest passer, demonstrated his mettle by amassing over 200 passing yards. Still, it was the four interceptions and two fumbles at crucial junctures that handed San Francisco the key to the championship, with 17 of the Wings' 24 points stemming from Chappell's turnovers. The contest began with the Cowboys forging ahead 3-0 through Reuben Walston's 27-yard field goal. However, the Wings swiftly counterbalanced, capitalizing on Chappell's pass intended for Ernie Orr, which was intercepted by Sam Gerst at the Cowboys' 40-yard line. An apparent touchdown pass from Sam Metcalf to Roy Stanton was negated by a holding call, but the Wings converted this opportunity into a 24-yard field goal, gracefully executed by Russ Gilliam. In a turn of events, Chappell was intercepted once more, and at the outset of the second quarter, Metcalf orchestrated a 13-yard touchdown pass to Doug Murphy, as Gilliam's extra point propelled the Wings to a 10-3 lead. Despite his earlier miscues Chappell still has plenty of confidence in his throwing arm and he and the Cowboys were rewarded when the Cowboys gunslinger found the blazing fast Bill Tammaro with a 17-yard pass, forging an equalizing touchdown. The scoreline now stood at 10-10. Before the halftime whistle, the Wings recaptured their lead with an effective 8-play, 54-yard drive, characterized by a 25-yard aerial connection from Metcalf to Wes Mula. This drive culminated with Metcalf finding Mula for a 2-yard pass into the end zone, closing the first half with the Wings in the ascendancy at 17-10. Chappell's turnovers persisted in the second half. While orchestrating a promising drive and reaching the San Francisco 33-yard line, he fumbled the snap, conceding possession to the Wings. Metcalf then guided the Wings on a 67-yard drive, scoring a 3-yard touchdown himself, enlarging their lead to 14 points. Subsequent turnovers, including two more Chappell interceptions, dashed any prospects of a Cowboys' resurgence. The Wings effectively sealed the victory with a sack on Chappell in his own end zone, elevating the lead to 26-10. That final crushing blow was also made possible by Metcalf, who is often overshadowed by his West Division rival from Kansas City. It was Metcalf's foot, not his arm, that drew the accolades this time as a picture-perfect punt bounced out of bounds at the Cowboys 1-yard line, setting the table for the strong San Francisco line to lay claim to the final two points of the contest. The jubilant 24,000-strong crowd at Hawks Stadium inundated the field, and in a fevered display of jubilation, they brought down both goalposts and carried off sections of the turf from an end zone, likely as mementos as they look forward to the inaugural season at the new 50,000-seat Golden Gate Stadium next year. While the result was a blow for the Cowboys, Johnny Boyland emerged as a shining beacon for the Kansas City squad. A force to be reckoned with on defense, Boyland tallied an impressive 13 tackles and caused two crucial Wings' fumbles. In recognition of his standout performance, Boyland was crowned the Most Valuable Player of the game, marking the second time in the Continental Conference championship that this honor was bestowed upon a member of the losing team. Code: CONTINENTAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME HISTORY YEAR SCORE VENUE MVP 1948 San Francisco 26 Kansas City 10 Hawks Stadium Johnny Boyland, KC 1947 Kansas City 42 New York 13 Packer Park Pat Chappell, KC 1946 Kansas City 20 New York 14 Packer Park Ken Hale, NY CFC COMMITTEE OF FIVE SET TO CONFER WITH AFA Rapidly breaking developments in overtures of several Continental Football Conference club owners to the American Football Association has a meeting scheduled between representatives of the two-grid loops in Philadelphia later this week. Reports persists that the quintet of CFC magnates will try to negotiate a plan whereby Kansas City and San Francisco, along with possibly Los Angeles and one other team would be taken into the American Association. News of the new 50,000 seat stadiums set to open next year in the two west coast cities certainly piqued the interest of the long-standing American loop. Jack Kristich, President of the American Association and Ben Montgomery, the retired Navy Lt Commander and head of the Continental circuit, are also expected to be in attendance. All AFA owners refused to discuss the situation until after the session, but it is generally believed that loop would jump at the chance to expand by two teams and add both California clubs. The sticking point would then be the fate of the Kansas City Cowboys, and to a lesser degree the New Orleans Crescents. The Cowboys are loaded with talent and would be a great attraction on the road, but their tiny stadium holds only 15,000 fans and would not be suitable for the AFA. The major roadblock to accepting 4 new entries is the American Association is not keen on a 14-team league and feels two divisions with 7 clubs each would be next to impossible to schedule properly. * Tigers May Be The Key * The perfect scenario for the AFA would be to have the Kansas City Cowboys relocate to Los Angeles and replace the Lobos in the new Bigsby Stadium with only the transplanted Cowboys and the San Francisco Wings joining the AFA next season. There is expected to be loud opposition from Dee Rose, the owner of the Lobos and also baseball's St Louis Pioneers, if he is frozen out and possibly the New Orleans Crescents magnate may not be willing to take a payout to dissolve his franchise. Like New Orleans, the New York Gothams may also wish to remain active which could create another stumbling block. A solution for one of those problems may be the decision to shutter the Cincinnati Tigers. The club has been dreadful with an 18-37 record since its inception in 1944 including an awful 1-11 season that was just completed. Folding the Tigers would allow the AFA to admit three teams from the Continental circuit and still remain at a dozen clubs -the preferred total for the league going forward. The timing appears right for such a merger. Certainly, the recent move to join the two professional basketball leagues under one umbrella caught the attention of football magnates and both sides in the grid war are awash in red ink. The CFC owners are generally businessmen with fortunes earned outside of the sport and most may be quite willing to walk away from a football league that has become a losing proposition, and folding up shop might net them a hefty tax credit, which may prove very beneficial in light of President Truman's new tax plan. This week has the potential to be a historic one for the sport. CARSON NAMED TOP AFA PLAYER Cleveland Finches end Roy Carson was named the best player in the American Football Association, the league announced this week as it unveiled its all-star team for the 1948 campaign. Carson had a dominant season for the Finches, leading the AFA in touchdowns, catches and receiving yardage. He was one of 5 Finches named to the offensive all-star team, joining fellow end Dave Nicholson as well as backs Tommy Thompson and Mark Revellette along with lineman Wayne Carroll. Carroll also earned a spot on the new defensive all-star team. The defensive squad marks a major change for the AFA as for the first time the loop separated its all-stars into two units, one for each side of the ball. The unlimited substitution rule, which is cause of great debate in the college ranks, is the proponent for the change as more and more AFA clubs are beginning to embrace the notion of distinct offensive and defensive units. Many players continue to play on both sides of the ball, and as such Carroll, along with Chicago Wildcats center Bus McLean, were named on both the offensive and defensive squads. However, specialists who strictly perform on offense or defense, are starting to become commonplace in the pro game. The offensive team perhaps marked the start of a new era in the sport as none of the seven so-called skill position players had ever been named all-stars before although among the lineman McLean, John Michaels of the Stars and Philadelphia's Justin Thomas had all been selected to the All-Star team in past years. ST MAGNUS, NC TECH, NOBLE JONES AND TEXAS PANHANDLE FAVOURED IN BIG CLASSIC GAMES Following a season of record crowds across the nation for collegiate football, more of the same is expected as the year 1949 kicks off with 11 Classic games. The big one, of course, is in Santa Ana as St Magnus makes its first appearance in the famous East-West Classic. The Vikings finished second in Great Lakes Alliance play but claimed the trip west as new league rules made Detroit City College, despite its national championship season, ineligible to compete on New Years Day for the third year in a row. The Vikings are running through their final workouts in the Los Angeles area this week and feel the club is in top physical shape for the 33rd edition of the grand game. St Magnus, which went 7-2 during the season, will square off against the Northern California Miners, who sport a record of 8-1-1. The bookmakers rate the Vikings as anywhere from 7 to 14 point favourites over the Miners. Clear weather and a field that may range from slightly soft in spots to fast was promised, and a sell-out crowd of 92,500 fans, some of whom paid scalper prices as high as $60 for a pair of tickets, are expected at kickoff. With both #1 Detroit City College and #2 St Blane not competing in a Classic Game, the highest ranked squad that will see action is South Atlantic Conference champion North Carolina Tech, which puts its perfect 9-0 record on the line against Oklahoma City State. The Wranglers were 8-2 this season and are decided underdogs against the Techsters mighty offense that features All-American junior halfback Jackie Charles. Deep South Conference co-champions Mississippi A&M and Noble Jones College headline the two other major classic games. The Generals, who were 9-0 and finished the season ranked 4th in the polls, are in Houston preparing for the Oilman Classic against Texas Panhandle after the Cowboys completed a 9-0-1 season with a section title in the Southern Border Association. The Colonels, who won the Lone Star Classic a year ago, are in Miami preparing for the Sunshine Classic against Travis College. Noble Jones College was 9-1 on the season and ranked 5th in the polls and is a slight favourite over the Bucks. The other major game of note is the Lone Star Classic which will treat fans to a showdown between All-American quarterback Tommy Norwood and his Portland State Magpies and Wally Dotson, the talented junior back from Texas Gulf Coast. Both feature high-powered offenses with Dotson and the Hurricanes rated as a slight favourite. DUKES LOOK STRONG AS NAHC HITS ITS HOLIDAY BREAK The Christmas parties are over and after a rare weekend off for the holiday, the NAHC begins a busy week with action on two fronts as a very rare occurrence takes place: games on a Monday evening including Detroit at Montreal and Chicago hosting New York. The Detroit Motors are off to a surprisingly solid start with a youthful offense led by a quintet of rising young talents in 24-year-old center Adam Vanderbilt, who trails only Toronto's Quinton Pollack in the loop scoring parade, along with a pair of 22-year-olds in Nick Tardif and Louis Rocheleau and two 21-year-olds in Ben Witt and Francis McKenzie. They rank 1 thru 5 atop the Motors scoring chart and have accounted for 50 of Detroit's league best 96 goals so far this season. The new offensive approach has Detroit third in the loop with 28 points after 27 games. The Montral Valiants have had their challenges keeping the puck out of their net and will try to slow down the Motors offensive engine this evening. Montreal beat Detroit twice early in the season, but the Motors have won each of the last three meetings, outscoring the Valiants 18-7 in the process. The Vals had hoped that Tom Brockers would be the answer to their netminding woes, but results have been mixed from the 33-year-old 4-time Juneau Award winner and the Vals enter the game on a three-game slide. The Shamrocks had high hopes for the month of December as they won 5 of six games over a stretch that started in late November but since then have gone 2-5-2 but they are coming off a pre-Christmas win over Montreal. The big gun in New York remains veteran pivot Orval Cabbell, who has 17 goals and 28 points and is the only Shamrock with at least twenty points. Chicago's big gun is Tommy Burns and the 3-time McDainels Trophy winner is likely still at least a week away from returning to the lineup after suffering a shoulder injury at the beginning of this month. Even before Burns went down the season was turning into a nightmare for the Packers, who have collapsed to last place after posting the best regular season record in the NAHC a year ago. A small glimmer of hope is the Packers are on a two-game winning streak and have played .500 hockey in December with a 5-5 record...quite a step up from their 4-12-1 start to the season. That leaves the league's top two teams in the Boston Bees and Toronto Dukes. The Bees are enjoying a well-deserved five-day break after playing 4 games in five nights last week and will not return to action until Wednesday when they host Detroit. Second place behind Chicago a year ago, the Bees continue to play consistently strong hockey but have stumbled a bit of late with a 2-4-1 showing since December 11. They are banged up with a bunch of minor injuries and are still waiting for veteran defenseman Bryant Williams, who was acquired last month in exchange for Tom Brockers, to find his stride. The Dukes finished third a year ago and then blazed a path to their 7th Challenge Cup win, tying Boston for the lead in that category. Coach Jack Barrell is demanding and refuses to take his foot off the gas the Dukes continue to thrive, owning the best record in the league as we approach the midway point of the 60-game season. Quinton Pollack is having a dominant season and there is plenty of secondary scoring as well as the dependable veteran Gordie Broadway between the pipes. The Dukes had a full week off for the holidays and will not return to action until they host Montreal on Thursday evening. Code: NAHC STANDINGS GP W L T GF GA PTS Toronto 27 15 8 4 94 71 34 Boston 27 14 11 2 82 74 30 Detroit 27 12 11 4 96 80 28 New York 25 11 10 4 67 69 26 Montreal 23 9 13 3 67 85 21 Chicago 27 9 17 1 71 98 19 SCORING LEADERS GP G A PTS Pollack, Tor 27 16 18 34 Vanderbilt, Det 25 16 14 30 Sauer, Tor 27 14 15 29 Galbraith, Tor 27 13 16 29 Cabbell, NY 25 17 11 28 Tardif, Det 27 11 16 27 Carlson, Tor 24 5 21 26 Rocheleau, Det 25 5 21 26 Witt, Det 27 10 15 25 T Burns, Chi 19 17 7 24 Parker, Tor 27 12 12 24 Hart, Bos 26 11 10 21 McKenzie, Det 27 8 13 21 Walker, Bos 26 7 14 21 GOALIE LEADERS GP W L T ShO GAA Chasse, Det 11 6 4 0 1 2.26 Broadway, Tor 23 12 7 4 2 2.57 Tremblay, NY 23 10 9 4 2 2.63 James, Bos 22 10 10 2 3 2.79 Brockers, Mon 15 5 8 1 2 3.00 Hanson, Chi 19 5 13 1 1 3.33 Touhey, Det 14 5 7 2 1 3.48 LAST WEEK'S RESULTS TUESDAY DECEMBER 21 Boston 1 at 6 Detroit: A busy stretch of 3 games in 3 days did not begin well for the Bees, who fell to a Detroit club that has just one loss in its last six games. The young stars again led the way for the Motors, who's offense has really picked up this year. Adam Vanderbilt scored twice and added an assist while Louis Rocheleau earned 3 helpers. The game marked the return of Millard Touhey to the Detroit net after being sidelined almost a full month due to a virus. WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 22 Chicago 4 at 1 New York: The New York Shamrocks have just 1 win in their last 8 games after falling 4-1 at home to the Chicago Packers. Jeremy MacLean had a big night for the visitors with a goal and two assists. Montreal 2 at 7 Boston: Joe Morey scored three times and added an assist while Ray Gustafson and Robert Walker each enjoyed a 3 point night in leading Boston to a 7-2 victory over former Bees goaltender Tom Brockers and the Montreal Valiants. THURSDAY DECEMBER 23 Boston 2 at 3 Chicago: The Packers give themselves a nice Christmas present in the form of just their second 2-game winning streak this season. It was a comeback win as third period goals off the sticks of Jarrett McGlynn and Mike Van Tol lifted the Packers to the victory after Wilbur Chandler staked Boston to a 2-1 lead midway through the second frame. Montreal 2 at 3 New York: Three first period goals, from Adam Greenham, Orval Cabbell and Alfie Dennis, stood up as the Shamrocks held off the visiting Montreal Valiants 3-2. New York outshot Montreal 31-19 to hand the Vals their third loss in the past four games. Toronto 3 at 3 Detroit: Toronto and Detroit skate to a tie for the second time in five days. Arnold Singleton scored the only goal of the opening twenty minutes to give the Motors the lead but Toronto roared back with 3 in the second frame including Quinton Pollack's 16th of the season. Trailing 3-2 entering the final frame, Vincent Arsenault salvaged a point for the hosts when scored with just over 7 and a half minutes remaining in the game. UPCOMING GAMES MONDAY DECEMBER 27 Detroit at Montreal New York at Chicago WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 29 Detroit at Boston THURSDAY DECEMBER 30 Montreal at Toronto FRIDAY DECEMBER 31 New York at Boston SATURDAY JANUARY 1 Boston at New York Chicago at Detroit Toronto at Montreal SUNDAY JANUARY 2 Detroit at Chicago New York at Toronto AROUND THE LEAGUE The injuries continue to pile up for the Boston Bees with Mark Dyck the latest to go down. The 24-year-old winger will miss at least two months after being hurt in a game against Detroit last week. Dyck, who is in his second season with the Bees, has 5 goals and 13 points in 22 games this season. The Bees are also coping with minor injuries to defenseman Willis Bean and a pair of right wingers in Jacob Gron and Garrett Kauffeldt. Despite missing the past 8 games with an injury, Tommy Burns still is tied for the NAHC goal lead with 17. New York's Orval Cabbell finally pulled even with Burns, who has played just 19 games this season, when the Shamrocks star scored his 17th Thursday against Montreal. It was Cabbell's 25th game of the season. Burns still leads the Packers in points with 24. His brother Wes is second with 18 despite playing 7 more games than Tommy. Archie Irwin of the Chicago Daily News senses some optimism in the city that stretches well beyond the football field at Cougars Stadium, home of the AFA champion Wildcats. "Don't look now, but the Packers have won two in a row! It's something the team has done just once before, but in back-to-back days Chicago beat New York (4-1) and Boston (3-2) and are within two of fifth place Montreal. Jeremy MacLean scored once and assisted twice in the win over the Shamrocks while backup goalie Michael Cleghorn turned away 29 of 31 shots from the second place Bees. With Tommy Burns' return set for next week, perhaps things are finally turning around on the ice in the Windy City." Looking at the minors the Springfield Hornets, led by HAA scoring leader Jimmy Backus- a Montreal prospect- lead the Hockey Association of American with 27 points, two more than East Division rival Rochester but the Robins, who won the league title a year ago, have two games in hand. The West is a tight race with only 4 points separating the four clubs. The Pittsburgh Rovers are a point up on Cleveland and Philadelphia with 21 points on the season. The Tacoma Lions have been a long-time powerhouse in the Great Western Hockey League and are holding a slim 1-point lead on the Portland Ports at the holiday break. The Lions had won three straight Yeadon Cups before last season when, despite dominating once more in the regular season, they were upset by the second place Seattle Emeralds in the league playoff. The best record in the CAHA, which is the new junior league sponsored by the NAHC, belongs to the Sherbrooke Industrials, who were the preseason favourite. The Industrials top the Eastern Division with 34 points, five more than the second place Halifax Mariners in the six-team division. The St Thomas Pachyderms lead the Western Division with 30 points, two more than the Kitchener Roosters. Ian Beukeboom, a 15-year-old center iceman for the Roosters, tops the scoring parade with 39 points, five more than Sherbrooke's William Lavigne and Hunter Hamilton of Trois-Rivieres. Dukes Will Enter 1949 Atop the NAHC - Toronto went into the Christmas break with another tie in Detroit 3-3 on Wednesday night at the Thompson Palladium in front of 10,563. The teams showed their distaste for each other in a hard hitting, bordering on dirty, first period which featured two bouts. Alex Lavalliere and veteran Detroiter Garrett Ferrar squared off, exchanging pleasantries in the Detroit zone after Lavalliere took exception to some of Farrar's stickwork. About 4 minutes later Les Carlson and Graham Comeau dropped the mitts after Carlson upended Comeau in front of Gordie Broadway with what appeared to be a stiff cross check. Before the teams retreated to their respective dressing rooms for ice packs, Arnold Singleton opened the scoring when he was found uncovered in front of the Dukes net on passes from Francis McKenzie and Joe Todd. The hard hitting continued in the second but in more clean, tough, bone jarring style. Dukes tucked three behind Millard Touhey on markers by Quinton Pollock, Bobbie Sauer and Trevor Parker with a solitary reply from the Motos Marsh Spencer to enter the third leading 3-2. The final period was a more wide-open affair with the goaltenders being tested 24 times in total. For the second game in a row the Motors salvaged a tie with a third period tally, by Vincent Arsenault while the Dukes could not solve Touhey on 13 shots on goal in the period. The point ensured that the Dukes will enter the New Year in no worse than a tie for first in the league. Boston plays two games next week while Dukes only play once hosting Montreal on Thursday. After a dismal start to December, Toronto will finish the month with at least a .500 record. Coach Barrell: "Christmas is generally regarded as the halfway point of the season even if the teams have not played exactly half their games. Overall, the team has done well to end 1948 but I continue to think of how good they could have been had we not slipped into a funk a few times. The team was given 4 full off days to visit with family, friends then back to work to prepared for the Vals and the second half. Some of the staff will be going to follow the Eries for a couple of games. We are getting good reports on some players, want to see them in action. We have been very lucky on the injury front thus far, look at the Bees, they have been strung hard by the injury bug. We, as a staff, want to know what our options are if injuries become a factor." Great to see the sport of basket ball getting some recognition as the shining example of how to solve the multiple pro leagues problem. Rollie Barrell's takeover of the American Basketball Conference looks to have been prosperous for all including the Brooklyn Red Caps and even despite Daniel Prescott's bruised feelings. His club is drawing some decent crowds to the Flatbush Gardens, so perhaps that will help soothe Prescott's anguish over the demise of the ABC. The Philadelphia Phantoms are back on track, riding a five-game winning streak that including Sunday's thrilling win over the Washington Statesmen. Ivan Sisco had 31 points for the Statesmen, but it was not enough and allowed the Phantoms to regain top spot in the East Division by a half-game, although Washington does own a slightly better winning percentage at the moment. Renowned Philadelphia sportswriter Johnny Bologna noted that "Washington must have stuffed themselves with Christmas Goose because they only managed 8 points in the first quarter on its way to a 17-point deficit in Philadelphia." Prior to the December 16 win in Hartford that started the streak, the Phantoms had lost 5 of their previous six games. In the West, it is the Cleveland Crushers that well, crushing it. They stretched their winning streak to 8 games with an overtime win over Detroit on the 24th and are now just a game and a half back of the front-running Chicago Panthers. Not a lot to cheer about in Toronto, although the Falcons are celebrating a dominant 95-75 victory over the Chicago Panthers on Boxing Day, but one big story has been Lon Porter. Porter had 30 points and 25 boards in the Chicago win and leads the Federal League in scoring, averaging 23.0 points per game. It was a rare loss for the Windy City quintet as the Panthers were perfect in preseason play and opened the regular season with 10 straight victories but have dropped three of their last six. Is Detroit rookie Ward Messer beginning to slow down, perhaps wearing out under the strain of a long pro schedule. Twice in the past dozen days Messer established career lows for points, scoring just 11 in a 92-88 win over Pittsburgh and then just getting 10 points in the Christmas Eve 85-76 overtime loss in Cleveland. Messer is still second in the FBL in scoring average and rebounds per game with 21.4 ppg and 19.1 boards. And we save the best for last. Santa Clause gave the suffering cage fans in Syracuse an early Christmas gift when the Titans beat Baltimore 90-74 on Thursday. The victory, just the second of the season for the club which moved from Toronto over the summer, snapped a 16-game skid. First overall draft pick Darren Fuhrman, who has faced some challenges with the woeful Titans, set career highs in points with 22 and rebounds with 18 in the victory. Code: FBL STANDINGS EAST W L PCT Philadelphia 16 7 .696 Washington 14 6 .700 Brooklyn 14 7 .667 Rochester 12 8 .600 Baltimore 10 9 .526 Hartford 8 12 .400 Boston 8 15 .348 New York 6 14 .300 Syracuse 2 19 .095 WEST W L PCT Chicago 15 5 .750 Cleveland 13 6 .684 Detroit 11 7 .611 Cincinnati 10 10 .500 Buffalo 8 10 .444 Toronto 7 13 .350 Pittsburgh 7 13 .350 BALTIMORE DISCONTINUES BASKETBALL TELEVISION Darryl Croy, president of the Baltimore Barons professional basketball team, says he will discontinue televising the court games. Croy says there has been a noticeable reduction in attendance for games at Chesapeake Arena involving the Barons that are telecast. He says the telecasts will be stopped on January 3 but notes the halt may be temporary, depending on attendance. The Barons cite early November numbers when a game not televised drew 4,943 spectators but one five days later that was shown had an attendance of just 3,627 show up at the 13,000 seat Chesapeake Arena. BELLS RING AS NEW NUMBER ONE ON WEEKLY CAGE CHART A belated Christmas present for Luther Gordon and the Liberty College Bells basketball team as they received word today that they are now considered to be the number one team in the nation. The latest collegiate rankings put the 12-1 Bells in the top spot, edging out unbeaten Western Iowa which had been had the top since the second week of the season. The Bells had two more victories last week, beating 4-5 Wisconsin State at home before travelling to Rhode Island on Christmas Eve to dump Narragansett by 15 points. Because they are an independent school and do not have a section schedule the Bells have played nearly half of their 29 games already this season and that added exposure must have convinced a number of the voters to switch allegiances from Western Iowa to the Bells. The Canaries did nothing last week to dissuade voters, as they improved to 6-0 on the campaign with another victory. That came a week ago as last Monday they thumped the 3-6 Boulder State Grizzlies 66-39 in Sioux City. Charlie Maynard led the way for Western Iowa with 17 points while Willy Ludwick, a candidate for the first overall selection in the June pro-draft, chipped in with 15 and Darryl Baugher added a dozen. The homestand continues for the Canaries with Poweshiek (5-6) visiting tonight followed by a date with Eastern Kansas (4-4) on Wednesday. Section play in the Great Lakes Alliance for Western Iowa begins January 20th at Indiana A&M (7-1). Little else changed in the top ten last week with St Blane, Frankford State which is now 15-0, and Carolina Poly remain in the 3,4 and 5 slots. Utah A&M, which snuck into the 9th spot a week ago after six straight wins, dropped completely out of the top twenty-five after the Aggies were beaten twice last week. On Monday Idaho A&M (5-5) nipped them 70-68 behind a 21-point effort from Pirates sophomore forward Charley Scott and the day after Christmas Portland Tech beat the Aggies 62-55 to improve the Magpies record to 6-3 on the season. In their place Coastal California makes its first appearance in the top ten this season. The West Coast Athletic Association power fell in late November to Baton Rogue State but the Dolphins have not lost since and are coming off an impressive 62-55 win over St. Patrick's yesterday. LAST WEEK'S RESULTS INVOLVING TOP 10 TEAMS MONDAY DECEMBER 20 #2 Western Iowa 66 (Charlie Maynard 17 points) Boulder State 39 #8 Coastal California 47 (Chris Martines 19) Brooklyn State 38 #10 Lane State 71 (Carl Casswell 20) Grant (IN) 53 TUESDAY DECEMBER 21 #1 Liberty College 62 (Luther Gordon 15) Wisconsin State 41 #3 St Blane 48 (Josh Samuels 17) Bronx Tech 40 #4 Frankford State 45 (David Aponte 15) Tinker 37 WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 22 #6 Mississippi A&M 66 (Erwin Wendel 18) Campion 37 #8 Coastal California 65 (Chris Martines 13) College of San Diego 46 THURSDAY DECEMBER 23 #4 Frankford State 53 (David Aponte 13) St Gordius 45 #7 North Carolina Tech 65 (Mike Carter 17) College of Cairo 43 FRIDAY DECEMBER 24 #1 Liberty College 63 (Simon Buchanan 18) Narragansett 48 #5 Carolina Poly 55 (Bill Florence 20) Kansas Agricultural 41 #10 Lane State 57 (Carl Casswell 18) Wisconsin State 51 SATURDAY DECEMBER 25 #4 Frankford State 68 (Bookman, Stofer 14 each) Elyria 62 SUNDAY DECEMBER 26 #6 Mississippi A&M 56 (Greg Randle 14) Freemont State 41 #7 North Carolina Tech 48 (Chris Hermann 9) Piedmont University 22 #8 Coastal California 62 (Tony Lincoln 17) St Patrick's 55 CUBAN WINTER LEAGUE BASEBALL It was a quiet week before Christmas in the ring but that did not stop Cannon Cooper from getting in his third fight of the year. The heavyweight ran his record to 25-4-1 with a one-sided decision over Ron Wilson at Denny Arena Thursday evening. UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS Jan 8 - Bigsby Garden: MW Frank Melanson (33-2-2) vs Edouard Desmarais (42-2) Jan 28- Dominion Gardens, Toronto: World MW champ Adrian Petrie (18-1-1) vs Danny Morse (35-8-1) Feb 19- Paris, France: World HW champ Hector Sawyer (59-3-1) vs Alain Noel (44-11-2) Mar 18- Detroit: World WW champ Mac Erickson (18-0) vs Rudy Perry (27-4) The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 12/26/1948 In his Christmas address Pope Pius XII -drawing a sorrowful balance for 1948- declared that once again the world is menaced by war. "The forces of the world," he said, "are moving toward two opposed poles both desiring peace but both placing it in danger." The United Sates, Britain and France announced a three-power government for Berlin without Russian participation. Former Premier Hideki Tojo and six other Japanese warlords were hanged for Japan's crimes against humanity. The US suspended Marshall Plan aid to the Netherlands Indies in a move believed to discourage Dutch military action against the Indonesian Republic after the Dutch launched what they termed "police action" in Indonesia. UN investigators called it a violation of the truce agreement. Fighting broke out between Jewish and Egyptian forces along the Negeb front after a cease fire broke down. Heavy fighting continues in North China between Communist forces and the Nationalist government. Quentin Roosevelt, grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt, was feared dead following the crash of a Chinese airliner off Hong Kong with a possible loss of 33 persons aboard. __________________ Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles Last edited by Tiger Fan; 10-26-2023 at 12:21 PM.