JANUARY 1, 1951
CENTRAL OHIO, CENTRAL KENTUCKY AND CUMBERLAND ELEVENS FAVOURITES IN CLASSIC ACTION
100,000 To Watch Santa Ana Classic
Santa Ana-- East-West Classic excitement clamped its annual hold on this overcrowded city as 100,000 persons will swarm into Santa Ana's old football dueling pit to watch the struggle between Central Ohio and Rainier College. This is the 35th game in the history of East-West Classic post-season contests and the fifth in the five year pact between the Great Lakes Alliance and the West Coast Athletic Association.
Central Ohio's Aviators, a gritty outfit led by All-American halfback Jack Kress and boasting the usual stout defense of GLA teams, will be seeking to snap a 2-year losing streak for its conference as Northern California prevailed in each of the last two contests after Detroit City College had a similar streak for the Midwest section.
The game is considered a near toss-up, and Rainier College, making its first appearance in Santa Ana on New Year's Day in a decade, will certainly have plenty of supporters travelling down from Washington State. However, Kress as the backbone of a tremendous ground attack makes the Aviators a slight favourite. Central Ohio's last trip to Santa Ana was in 1944 when the Aviators completed a perfect season that year with a 24-17 victory over Coastal California. This will be their third appearance as Central Ohio's first trip was in 1921 when they were thumped 61-7 by Northern California. Rainier College is 2-2 in East-West Classics.
*** All Eyes on the Bayou ***
While nothing matches the East-West Classic for tradition, the major focus today will be centered on New Orleans as this year's national champion Central Kentucky (10-0-1), whose only blemish was a tie with second ranked Cumberland, squares off against last year's number Oklahoma City State. The Wranglers were 9-1 this season and finished 5th in the polls.
The game will feature four All-Americans with Ipswich Trophy winning lineman Gene Trickle and touchdown passing king Pete Capizzi representing the unbeaten Tigers and they will face a Wranglers team led by fullback Ned Hanshaw and tackle Preston Rich. It promises to be battle of contrasting styles with the Wranglers superb running attack hoping it can be enough to offset Capizzi's aerial tactics.
Cumberland, which feels they and not Deep South Conference rival Central Kentucky, should have been the number one team in the nation, will carry a chip on their shoulder as they head to Austin to tussle with a 7-3 Darnell State Legislators team that many question why they are in the game. The Legislators finished third in the Southwestern Alliance this season but were invited over section winner Lubbock State to play in the game against the Explorers. Defensively, Cumberland was a shining light - most pass interceptions in the nation with 22, best pass defense (59.2 yards allowed per game) and most recovered fumbles with 28. The knock on the Explorers was they had a lot of soft opponents on their schedule and while they showed very well against Central Kentucky in their late November 21-21 tie, some feel this game could provide an upset despite the Explorers being three and a half point favourites.
HAPPY NEW YEAR IN CINCINNATI AS CANNONS LAND TOP FABL DRAFT PICK
Charlie Barrell Expected to Join His Brother in Cincinnati
The draft lottery gods were smiling on Cincinnati today as the Cannons landed the first overall pick in the upcoming FABL draft. That ensures the Cannons will have the right to select Charlie Barrell, the three sport star from Noble Jones College who is reported to have decided to enter the FABL draft. Barrell, is a two-time All-American second baseman as well as a preseason All-American selection at guard for the Colonels basketball club that won the National cage crown a year ago and, in case that wasn't enough, he is also the quarterback of the Noble Jones College football team.
In addition, Charlie Barrell is the half-brother of Cannons ace pitcher Rufus "Deuce" Barrell and it is quite likely the fact that Deuce's team landed the top pick factored heavily in Charlie's decision to enter the draft.
***Barrell Turned Down FABL Before ***
Only once before has a player projected to be a high first round pick in the annual FABL draft opted out of the draft entirely by announcing his school commitment would be honoured. That would have been Charlie Barrell, after the high school All-American completed his senior season at a Washington DC high school. Many had felt that Barrell would do the same this year and put FABL off for one more season so he could complete his senior season of college but the draw of playing alongside his brother Deuce probably was too strong.
the three-sport star who led the Noble Jones College basketball team to a national championship last April and then went on to be a key player on the Colonels baseball team that reached the finals of the Collegiate World Championship Series in June, says he will sign with the team that drafts him but only if they are willing to allow him to return to school in the fall and play both football and basketball as a senior at Noble Jones College. Having signed a pro contract, Barrell will be ineligible for the Colonels baseball program as a senior but since he will not sign until June he will be allowed to complete his junior season of baseball.
FABL, unlike professional football and basketball, drafts collegiate players during their junior season and virtually all players selected in the opening ten rounds of the draft sign contracts and turn pro, foregoing their senior campaign. Charlie Barrell is not most players. First off, Barrell is part of sports royalty as a son of the late Joe Barrell -the former pro football star and movie Tarzan- and has numerous, half-brothers, cousins and uncles playing or have played professional sports including current star Deuce Barrell and the great Bobby Barrell.
Charlie is something that few can match. A gifted all-around athlete he excelled at all sports in high school and was projected by TWIFS to b the number one pick in the 1948 FABL draft after being a 3-time baseball High School All-American and twice a finalist for the Adwell Award will a student and Washington DC's Capital Academy. He opted out of the 1948 FABL draft -something no top prospect had ever done before- telling FABL General Manager's he had accepted a scholarship to Noble Jones College where he would play second base on the baseball team, guard on the basketball squad and quarterback of the Colonels grid eleven.
As a college freshman Barrell did not see much action for the football team, was a reserve on the basketball team that went all the way to the AIAA tournament championship game before falling to Lexington State in the finals and started at second base for the Colonels ballclub that advanced to the semi-finals of the Collegiate World Championship Series. As a freshman Barrell hit .316 and was one of two freshmen to be named first team All-Americans that year. Barrell was also a finalist for the Frank Christian Trophy as the top collegiate baseball player
Last year as a sophomore he once again was a Collegiate All-American in baseball and a finalist for the Christian Trophy, helping Noble Jones College to the finals of the CWCS but they were swept two straight by Eastern State. He had even more success on the basketball court, starting as a reserve but moving to a starting role just prior to the beginning of the AIAA basketball tournament. It was a dream season for the Colonels cagers, who became the first team in AIAA basketball history to have an unbeaten season and Barrell was the hero with a game high 15 points in a 65-60 victory over a Liberty College team led by collegiate cage legend Luther Gordon. Back in the fall that season Barrell took over as the starting quarterback on the Noble Jones College football team, guiding them to a pedestrian 4-6-1 record.
This season his basketball stock rose to the point where he is considered a candidate for the first overall selection in the 1952 Federal Basketball League draft. At this writing the Colonels are 10-2 and ranked solidly in the top twenty with certainly a strong chance of returning to the AIAA tournament. Barrell was named a preseason All-American by this publication and has not disappointed in the early going, leading the Colonels in scoring with a 11.7 points per game average. He is a marginal pro prospect at best in football but still one of the leaders of a struggling Colonels eleven that suffered through a 3-8-1 season although for Barrell there was a personal highlight at the end of the grid campaign when the Colonels played in the Capital Classic, a new early December game that was held not far from where Barrell dominated as a high school athlete not all that long ago.
The announcement of the first overall selection will not be made official until the draft begins next week but it is considered a certainty that the Cannons will select Charlie Barrell with that pick and will certainly accept the fact that he will be playing football and basketball at Noble Jones College next winter.
VETERAN GM RETURNS TO GOTHAMS
In a surprise almost as shocking as his sudden departure, former and future GM, Tom Ward has returned to take over the reins of the Gothams front office. In what has been described as a "leave of absence" for health reasons Ward removed himself from all connection to the ballclub for the past season and a half. Now returning, "refreshed and ready to resume full duties", Ward takes over a team that fell just short in 1950. Known for his impatience and willingness to make bold, aggressive moves in the past, one has to wonder whether the time away has mellowed the sometimes volatile front office leader.
Ward was previously in charge of the Gothams from 1926 until 1949, guiding the club to 6 Federal Association pennants and World Championship Series titles in 1935 and 1942 while compiling a record of 1788-1848 over that span.
"We're close to claiming another championship. I don't think we need to do much. Bud has done a tremendous job leading the team on the field. I don't see any major changes in the near future. Still, I'm always listening. Times have changed in FABL and we'll have to navigate the new rules to build a lasting competitive ballclub."
Looking over the team's roster you can't help but note the age in the rotation and at key positions. Indicators in past seasons that changes could be coming. We shall see as the off season moves along.
MOTORS HEAD INTO NEW YEAR ON A ROLL
Forgive the Detroit Motors for not wanting December to come to an end. The Motors enter the new year as the hottest team in the North American Hockey Confederation as the pass the halfway point of the campaign on an eight game unbeaten streak. Despite the hot play of late that includes a 7-2-6 record for the month, the Motors head into their New Year's Day encounter with Toronto still looking up at the first place New York Shamrocks, who lead the Motors by 3 points with a game in hand.
What may be more important to the Motors right now than first place is the fact that the Detroit club, which missed the playoffs a year ago after challenging for top spot until Christmas, hold a 14 point advantage on fifth place Boston in their pursuit of a playoff berth. Playoff appearances have been in short supply in the Motor City in recent years with Detroit missing the post-season four of the past six seasons including the aforementioned second half collapse a year ago. The Motors are in a good position but Coach Badger Rigney knows first hand how quickly things can turn around for the club.
The Shamrocks, who finished with the best regular season record in the league last season but fell to the Montreal Valiants in the Challenge Cup Finals, show no signs of slowing down with four wins in their last five games and an 11-2-2 December record that overshadows the Motors fine month.
NAHC RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK
MONDAY DECEMBER 25 Quinton Pollack scored twice in the first period but it was not enough to ruin Christmas for the 12,467 Bigsby Garden fans who saw their club pull out a 3-2 victory. Orval Cabbell and Geoff Hartnell each had a goal and an assist for the Shamrocks.
Montreal 2 at 2 Detroit : Nick Roch scored with just over two minutes remaining in the third period to salvage a point for the visiting Montreal Valiants after Detroit had taken a 2-0 first period lead on goals from Graham Comeau and Nick Tardiff. Clarence Skinner had the other Montreal marker.
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 27[/center]
Montreal 1 at 3 Detroit : A scheduling quirk had the Valiants and Motors playing twice in three days in the Motor City and this time the home side came up with a 3-1 victory. Nick Tardif, Vincent Arsenault and Hank Walsh had the Detroit goals while Paulie Mosca was the lone Montreal shooter to beat Millard Touhey.
Chicago 1 at 1 Toronto : A rare streak for the struggling Packers who have tied two straight games with a 1-1 draw in Toronto. Both goals came just 33 seconds apart early in the final frame with Max Ducharme scoring for Chicago before Rob Painchaud answered quickly for the Dukes.
THURSDAY DECEMBER 28
Boston 1 at 3 New York : Despite an outstanding game from Oscar James in the Boston night the Bees came out on the short end of a 3-1 score in New York. The Shamrocks peppered James with 41 shots. Rusty Mullins, Sam Coates and Mark Theriault into an empty net scored for the Greenshirts after Mickey Bedard gave Boston an early lead.
SATURDAY DECEMBER 30
Montreal 2 at 5 Boston : The Valiants are winless in six games after falling 5-2 in Boston while the Bees snapped a two game losing streak in what was the final game of 1950 for each of them. Craig Simpson scored twice to lead the Boston attack.
New York 1 at 3 Chicago : The last place Packers upset the first place Shamrocks and are now unbeaten in three straight games. Norm Hanson had a huge night in net with 39 saves for the Packers who got goals from Marty Mahoney, Michael Di Guiseppe and Bert McColley.
SUNDAY DECEMBER 31
Chicago 1 at 3 New York : After losing in Chicago 3-1 the Shamrocks returned the favour with a 3-1 home ice win of their own in the rematch. Jim Macek was the big star with all 3 New York goals while league scoring leader Orval Cabbell picked up a helper on each of them. Tommy Burns was the Chicago goal scorer, with just his 3rd in 15 December games and 11th of the season.
Detroit 6 at 1 Toronto : A 6-1 road win in Toronto made for a wild train celebration home on New Year's Eve as the Motors, powered by 4 points from Graham Comeau and three each from Ben Witt and Tyson Beddoes set off plenty of fireworks behind Toronto netminder Gordie Broadway.
UPCOMING GAMES
MONDAY JANUARY 1
Toronto at Detroit
Boston at Montreal
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 3
New York at Toronto
THURSDAY JANUARY 4
Montreal at New York
Detroit at Boston
SATURDAY JANUARY 6
New York at Boston
Toronto at Chicago
SUNDAY JANUARY 7
Detroit at New York
Montreal at Toronto
DUKES LIMP INTO 1951
Toronto begins 1951 barely hanging on to final playoff spot in the NAHC with a record of 11-13-10. They currently lead the fast charging Boston Bee by one point with a game in hand while trailing the Montreal by 3 points for third.
The disappointing holiday week began at Bigsby Gardens on Christmas Day before a smallish crowd of 12,467. It was a slow paced game from start to finish with players seemingly just going through their paces especially the Dukes. Geoff Hartnell open the scoring less than four minute in pouncing on rebound off a Sam Coates shot. Quinton Pollack after arriving late last night from the All-Star game in Montreal, knotted the game after the ensuing face off 36 seconds after the Hartnell goal. Pollack scored again at 18:47 when he was sent in alone after stepping out of the penalty box giving the Dukes a 2-1 lead at the first intermission.
That would be the last lead that Toronto held. New York tied the game early in the second with Simon Savard's 12th of the season. The score remained tied at 2 until Dukes killer Orval Cabbell scored on the power play just over a minute after Lou Galbraith was sent off for roughing making the final 3-2. Dukes were listless managing only 10 shots on Alex Sorrell over the final 40 minutes for a game total of 17.
Returning home Wednesday night to host Chicago the 13,000 on hand were treated to a fast paced, low scoring, highly entertaining game. Once again the goaltenders, Broadway for the Dukes and Michael Cleghorn in the Packers cage stole the show. The first 40 minutes were scoreless with both teams delivering a number of bone jarring bodychecks to the opponent, tensions boiled over at the end of the second when Les Carlson and Packers defenseman Bert McColley dropped the mitts to exchange Christmas wishes with their fists. The game's only two goals came in the span of 33 seconds, Max Ducharme tipped in a Jeremy MacLean shot at 3:21 only to have Rob Painchaud's point shot elude Cleghorn at 3:54. The game ended with each team gaining a point in the 1-1 tie.
The Dukes ended 1950 with a New Year's Eve game in the Gardens with Detroit. In a game where many fans started to believe the Dukes began their ringing in of 1951 too early, Detroit embarrassed the Dukes 6-1. First period goals by Ben Witt and Adam Vanderbilt before the game was 5 minutes old gave the home fans of what was to come for the Dukes. Graham Comeau made 3-0 before the end of the first with Detroit up a man. Comeau's second of the night made it 4-0 before Kenny Woolley beat Millard Touhey, his 3rd of the season, with only 8 ticks left on the clock in the second 20. If fans thought the goal would inspire a third period comeback they were wrong, Motors scored the only 2 in the third to complete a 6-1 shellacking of the Dukes.
Coach Barrell- "My comments will be short. A listless effort Christmas Day in which a 3-2 loss was flattering to us, only goal against a team that has allowed the most goals in the league, getting rinsed on last day of year by the Motors. It is simple we have to be better, it may be time to for a shakeup in the lineup we obviously are not getting it done with what we are sending out on the ice. Everyone on the roster has to be better."
WEEKLY RESULTS FOR RANKED TEAMS
MONDAY DECEMBER 25
at #2 Rainier College 47, Great Plains State 33
at #4 Whitney College 64, St. Matthew's College 51
at #9 St. Ignatius 75, Fond du Lac 45
at #14 Coastal California 62, Boulder State 45
TUESDAY DECEMBER 26
at #1 Carolina Poly 78, Chicago Poly 48
at #10 Maryland State 60, Brookland 32
Kansas Agricultural 57, at #12 CC Los Angeles 44
at #13 Central Ohio 56, Dickson 35
at Western Florida 60, #16 Annapolis Maritime 57
#20 Detroit City College 59, at #23 St. Blane 50
#21 Valley State 56, at #22 Northern California 48
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 27
at #2 Rainier College 61, Colorado Poly 51
at #6 Brunswick 61, St. Pancras 41
at #7 Frankford State 61, Narragansett 46
at #11 Central Kentucky 46, Henry Hudson 37
Western State 48, at #14 Coastal California 37
at #17 Redwood 64, Commonwealth Catholic 55
#18 Opelika State 64, at Rome State 56
at #19 Pittsburgh State 59, North Shore 43
THURSDAY DECEMBER 28
at #1 Carolina Poly 49, Michigan Lutheran 41
#3 Western Iowa 68, at North Central (NE) 40
at #5 North Carolina Tech 63, #23 St. Blane 43
Ferguson 52, at #25 Coastal State 46
FRIDAY DECEMBER 29
at #2 Rainier College 61, Boulder State 49
at #20 Detroit City College 64, Huntington State 57
SATURDAY DECEMBER 30
at #11 Central Kentucky 49, Western Montana 38
at #13 Central Ohio 52, Chicago Poly 38
#16 Annapolis Maritime 50, at Flagstaff State 39
at #23 St. Blane 64, West Corners (NY) 56
SUNDAY DECEMBER 31
at #2 Rainier College 60, Cowpens State 40
at #4 Whitney College 72, Central Carolina 56
at #7 Frankford State 67, #24 Ellery 47
at #8 Noble Jones College 53, St. Matthew's College 31
at #19 Pittsburgh State 47, Armstrong 38
at #20 Detroit City College 60, Ohio Poly 49
- Tonight - New Haven, CT: Top middleweight contender Davis Owens (24-1) meets Damon Nielsen (11-4-1)
- January 5, 1951 - Miami, FL: veteran middleweight Bill Boggs (21-4-1) squares off with Dean Bowen (10-3-3)
- January 12, 1951 - Bigsby Garden, New York: #5 HW contender Max Bradley (19-1-1) faces HW John Jones (18-1-1)
- January 19, 1951- Lakeside Auditorium, Chicago: Former welterweight champion Mac Erickson (22-3) meets George Gibbs (28-6)
- January 25, 1951- Keystone Arena, Philadelphia - #4 welterweight contender Brian Pierce (18-3) faces British Welterweight Danny Julian (29-3-1)
- January 25, 1951 - New Orleans: Former MW champ and current #5 contender Adrian Petrie (21-3-2) meets Don Henderson (31-8-1)
- January 25, 1951 - Frankfurt, Germany: Jorge Cuellar (54-6-3), 41 year old former middleweight great faces Hubert Biebow (5-4-2) in what will be the final fight of his career.
- January 27, 1951 - Lewiston, ME: #2 ranked MW contender Jim Ward (27-3) vs Richard Pounds (25-8)
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 12/31/1950
- Fierce fighting between South Korean and Chinese Communist troops began Christmas Day just south of the 38th Parallel and Seoul itself was being emptied by citizens fleeing the gathering storm of combat.
- President Truman was forced to cut short a Christmas holiday in Missouri, returning ahead of schedule for pressing defense strategy talks.
- Gen. MacArthur warns that more than 1.35 million Communist Chinese troops are poised to strike at United Nations forces in Korea.
- The White House announced that "it is positively certain that a much broader and expanded tax program will be necessary" to meet the cost of defense.
- The Army issued a draft call for 80,000 men in March bringing the number that it has asked Selective Service to deliver since the start or inductions in September to 450,000.
- The Army, which three years ago was selling surplus gloves and combat shoes as surplus, now admits it does not have sufficient quantities of those items to furnish all its troops in training.
- A new electron microscope has opened a strange new world to science, exposing microbes 200-fold smaller than the smallest which can be seen with any optical microscope.