[Tiger Fan]

DECEMBER 31, 1951

DOTSON CARRIES PALADINS TO AFA TITLE

Pittsburgh Upsets Kansas City 21-16

Wally Dotson delivered the greatest rushing performance an American Football Association title game has ever seen and was the difference as the Pittsburgh Paladins found the end zone three times in a wild opening quarter and then hung on to beat the Kansas City Cowboys 21-16 in the AFA championship game. Dotson ran for a championship game record 176 yards with all but five of them coming in the opening half to make the difference in the game.

The win allowed the Paladins a measure of revenge after being knocked off 30-21 by the Cowboys in last year's championship showdown. While Dotson was certainly the deciding factor, the Cowboys loss can be almost entirely attributed to the fact that quarterback Pat Chappell, who threw for a 179 yards and 2 touchdowns in last year's championship game, was forced to watch this one from the bench with his sprained finger taped up after being knocked out in the first half of the Cowboys semi-final victory over the Detroit Maroons last week. Rookie Michael Barth filled in and completed just 4 of 17 passes for 80 yards.

Dotson became the story of the game very early as the former Christian Trophy winner from Texas Gulf Coast bolted 75 yards for the game's opening touchdown on the Paladins first play from scrimmage. Kansas City would reply with a field goal seven minutes later but moments later another big play led to a second Pittsburgh touchdown. This one was courtesy of quarterback Dusty Sinclair who combined with Craig Kramer on a 61-yard scoring toss to increase the Paladins lead to 14-3.

The Cowboys answered with their best drive of the opening half, an 11-play, 71 yard march that culminated in a one yard touchdown run for Ted Armstrong to cut the deficit to 14-10. Kansas City fans that packed Prairie Park for the game might have thought their club was ready to take over just as it always seems to do but Dotson once more had other ideas. With just 42 seconds remaining in the quarter and immediately after Bobby Leonard's 33-yard return of Adam Nelson's post-touchdown kick-off, Dotson broke through the Kansas City defensive line and dashed 58 yards for his second touchdown of the game. The first quarter line for Dotson was 4 carries for 154 yards and two touchdowns putting his club ahead 21-10 after 15 minutes.

The rest of the game Dotson would gain just 20 yards on 20 carries and be held to 5 yards on 12 rushes in the second half once the Cowboys had adjusted to deal with him. Unfortunately for Kansas City the damage was done and while the Cowboys had opportunities, they could not capitalize on them and overcome their slow start.

*** Missed Opportunities Doomed Cowboys ***

Despite the terrible start, the Cowboys really could have and likely would have won the game had Chappell been available. Kansas City special teams did everything it could to give the team a chance to win and the defense, once it solved Dotson in the second quarter, was terrific.

Kansas City had two glorious opportunities for touchdowns in the second half but without Chappell to ignite the offense the Cowboys never found the end zone again and managed just three points after the break. The Cowboys will be kicking themselves after being gifted two late Christmas presents, both in the form of blocked punts deep in Pittsburgh territory, but coming away with only three points.

The first came at the start of the fourth quarter when, trailing 21-13, Cowboys linebacker Jim Taylor blocked a Pittsburgh punt giving Kansas City the ball on the Paladins 15 yard line. They actually lost ground as after a pair of Pat Hill runs went nowhere and quarterback Barth was sacked by Bob Williams for a six yard loss on third down. To make matters worse Adam Nelson shanked his 27-yard field goal attempt and the Cowboys were left with nothing but a squandered opportunity.

Nelson did make a 23-yard field with just under six minutes to play, cutting the Pittsburgh lead to five points at 21-16, but that came after another blocked punt set up terrific field possession once more for the Cowboys. This time they started at the Pittsburgh 16 and once more ended up going the wrong way as Barth was sacked for an 8-yard loss on third down after the first two plays generated nothing.

TANK TIPPETT'S NOTES:

• Pittsburgh was a six and a half point underdog even with Kansas City quarterback Pat Chappell out. One has to think had Chappell been healthy the Cowboys would have rallied for the win.
• Clearly a game that was there for the taking for Kansas City and the two blocked punts in the fourth quarter should have yielded far more than the 3 points the Cowboys had to settle for. Twice they had the ball inside the Paladins 15 yard line thanks to their special teams and they went backwards on both possessions. Tough to call rookie quarterback Marlon Barth the player that cost Kansas City a title but Pat Chappell has made it a habit of winning games with late scoring drives and Barth, seemingly set up for a pair of easy scores, stumbled.
• The Kansas City ground game did very little but because Barth was just 4 for 17 and not really a passing threat at all, Pittsburgh just loaded up to stop Mason Matthews and Pat Hill, holding the duo to a combined 57 yards.
• Give Cowboys coach Pete Walsh and his defense credit for adjusting but one has to wonder why they struggled early to stop Wally Dotson. Of course the Paladins back gave opposing defenses fits all year when he was healthy but he gained 154 yards on 4 first quarter carries but added just 20 more yards on 20 carries the rest of the way.
• Dotson's 174 yards rushing is a new AFA championship game record and just the third time a back has surpassed 100 yards on the ground in a title game.

FORESTERS ACE CZERWINSKI TOP ATHLETE OF 1951

Adrian Czerwinski won his third consecutive Continental Association Allen Award this summer while becoming the only FABL pitcher this season to reach the twenty victory plateau. The Cleveland Foresters ace added one final piece of hardware to his mantle this season when he was voted as This Week in Figment Sports' Athlete of the Year. A poll of contributors to the weekly sports magazine favoured Czerwinski with college three-sport star Charlie Barrell and Chicago Wildcats basketball sensation Luther Gordon finishing second and third.

Czerwinski will not turn 27 years of age for another two weeks but he already owns three Allen Awards and a World Championship Series ring. His Cleveland Foresters won back to back Continental Association pennants during his first two Allen winning seasons but despite winning 92 games this summer, the Foresters had to settle for second place in the Continental Association four games back of the Philadelphia Sailors. Czerwinski went 22-7 with a 3.26 era and was a clear choice as his loop's Allen Award winner for the third year in a row, appearing at the top of 14 of the 16 ballots to easily outpoint Duke Bybee of the Chicago Cougars. It was a historic award for the Pittsburgh native, who joins Hall of Famer Tom Barrell as the only pitchers to win three straight Allen Awards.

Born in Pittsburgh to Polish immigrants, Czerwinski was the middle of three baseball playing sons but education was a priority in the household as their father, a college professor who did work during the war on the atomic bomb project, insisted school came first. A baseball star at Carrick High School in Pittsburgh who followed in the footsteps of his older brother Paul, who is now retired but also pitched in the Foresters organization, Adrian went to the prestigious Whitney College on an academic scholarship where he earned his nickname "The Mad Professor."

He was a second team All-American selection as a sophomore and led Whitney College to its only appearance in the AIAA College World Championship Series. His draft year was a bit of a struggle with a heavy school workload perhaps being a factor but despite his 6-5 college record that year the Cleveland Foresters, who had drafted his older brother Paul in the 11th round in 1939, selected Adrian in the second round of the 1946 draft. He peaked at #67 on the OSA prospect pipeline and struggled as a rookie with the Foresters in 1948, going 4-11 with a 6.04 era as Cleveland won just 60 games and finished dead last in the CA.

1949 was a much different story, a breakout year for both Czerwinski and the Foresters, with the Mad Professor winning 26 games and his first Allen Award and then winning one more in the World Championship Series but his Foresters lost to the Chicago Chiefs. He would go 3-0 in the WCS the following season as Cleveland won it all, topping the New York Gothams in the WCS.

While older brother Paul retired last year after 11 seasons in the minors, there may be a third Czerwinski brother joining the Foresters as the third brother, 17-year-old Stan, is a two-time High School All-American catcher and stands a very good chance of being selected in the opening round of the upcoming FABL draft.

WEST SEEKING FOURTH STRAIGHT WIN IN SANTA ANA

After its struggles for much of the past decade, including a string of six straight losses beginning in 1942, the Western half of the East-West Classic is seeking its third straight victory. The Northern California Miners, who finished with a 9-1 record and celebrated a West Coast Athletic Association title, are looking to win on New Year's Day for the third time in the past four years. The Miners, led by junior quarterback John D'Anna, all American lineman Ewell Jessop and a ballhawking defense keyed by back Dick Davis, are a four point favourite over Great Lakes Alliance champion Lincoln College despite the fact the Presidents finished third in the polls and plowed through an unbeaten season with a fine junior passer of their own in Derek Ridenour leading the way.

Tomorrow will mark the 36th annual installment of the original classic game and the sixth involving the Miners. Northern California is 4-1 all-time with wins in 1921 and 1922 and well as in 1947 over St. Magnus and two years ago over Wisconsin State. It will be strange territory for a Lincoln College squad that has never played on New Years Day before.

UNBEATENS SET TO TANGLE IN NEW ORLEANS

The biggest showdown outside of Santa Ana tomorrow will take place in New Orleans where the national champion Cumberland Explorers and the South Atlantic Conference co-winners from Maryland State each put perfect records on the line in the Cajun Classic. It marks the second consecutive season the national champion will play in the Cajun Classic with the Explorers following Central Kentucky. The Tiges prevailed over Oklahoma City State last January to retain their unbeaten record.

Cumberland will be making its second appearance in the Cajun Classic as the current band of Explorers will look to follow in the footsteps of the 1942 club, which downed Payne State 34-26. It will also give Cumberland All-American halfback Billy Kirkwood, a Baton Rogue native, a chance to close out his collegiate career in his home state. The Explorers paly on New Year's Day for the second straight year, following up on their 20-3 victory over Iowa A&M in the one and down Ozark Classic. This will be Maryland State's first appearance in a Classic game.

DE-EMPHASIS FRENZY MAY PUT AN END TO CLASSIC GAMES

While there is excitement across the country for the feast of eight Classic games on the slate tomorrow, many university presidents are calling for at the very least, a de-emphasis on the New Years Day tradition, and in some cases suggesting that all classic games be abolished.

Athletic officials from ten leading schools met recently and have recommended that this should be the farewell appearance for most, if not all the classic games. Athletic officials have been genuinely alarmed over revelations of "point-shaving" in basketball, "fixing" of entrance requirements and "cribbing" in the classroom - and a general retrenchment in the holiday hoopla is their suggestion.

Contracts have already signed, which may preserve some of the traditional contests, most prominently the longest running game, the East-West Classic. NBC has paid well over $1 million for tv and air rights to the annual showcase in Santa Ana for the next three years and similar, although less lucrative deals have been made with several other classic games.

However, on December 13, ten university presidents, appointed by the American Council on Education to study the sports situation, unanimously agreed that the elimination of post-season games, specifically football classic and the collegiate basketball tournament which has been contested annual for more than forty years, would materially improve the situation.

In addition, the group decided that (1)Freshman should not be permitted to play on varsity teams; (2) Athletic scholarships should be handled by the schools through the same committees that would handle other student aid; (3) High school graduates should not be lavishly entertained by colleges hunting prize athletes, and (4) in order to compete, an athlete should have to make steady progress toward a degree.

Reaction to council's recommendations, particularly the ban on classic games, was swift but also ran from one extreme to the other. Some players, such as All-American Redwood University end Bob Hoover was, perhaps surprisingly, in favour of the idea, saying "I agree. It would be for the general good of the game." On the other hand there was very negative reaction from others including a statement from the athletic director of Georgia Baptist, which is preparing for Lubbock State in the Sunshine Classic, that read "I feel that classics are fine, if brought under the supervision of the colleges or conferences. Financial games from the classic games enable colleges to do much good for their institutions."

FORESTERS ADD VETERAN ARM IN DEAL WITH ST LOUIS

The last time the Cleveland Foresters and St Louis Pioneers made a major trade it led to multiple pennants for each of the clubs with the deal that sent Hiram Steinberg to Missouri and Sherry Doyal to the shores of Lake Erie. The frequent trade partners were at it again last week with a move that certainly looks to have enhanced the 1952 flag chances for both clubs.

Cleveland adds a veteran to its very deep and young collection of pitchers with the move to bring 34-year-old southpaw Danny Hern to the club in exchange for 26-year-old shortstop Eddie Morris, who enjoyed a breakout season in Cleveland last summer. Hern, who won the 1947 Federal Association Allen Award and had a strong 17-12 season with a 4.34 era this season, joins a deep Foresters rotation headed by 3-time Continental Association Allen Award winner Adrian Czerwinski and also includes a rising star in 23-year-old Larry Beebe and dependable veterans Ducky Davis and Ollie White. Cleveland was already an early favourite to contend for what would be its third pennant in the last four years and the addition of Hern just further strengthens Cleveland's chances.

The trading of Hern breaks up the famous Three H Club, of Hern, Hal Hackney and Hiram Steinberg that led the Pioneers to three pennants, including last season, and a pair of World Championship Series titles. It seems like a costly price to pay for a shortstop that may not necessarily address their needs. The Pioneers had been torn between using the all glove, no bat Win Hamby or a solid hitter but shaky fielder in Homer Mills at shortstop. Morris will certainly provide an upgrade on Hamby at the plate and he is coming off a career year (.301,6,51) but his defense may be even more suspect than that of Mills.

Hern may well be expendable, well as expendable as any 17-game winning pitcher can be, as St Louis added Joe Potts (16-11, 3.34) from Brooklyn in an October deal that perhaps left their rotation with one too many arms with Hackney, Steinberg, Tom Buchanan and Ben Fiskers as holdovers to join Potts.

Archie Irwin's Take: If the Foresters weren't already your pick to runaway with the Continental this coming season, they should be now, as the top lineup in the game upgraded their biggest weakness. Pitching kept the Foresters from winning a third straight pennant, as behind three-time Allen Winner Adrian Czerwinski (22-7, 3.26, 127), there wasn't anyone to be scared of. Sure, Ducky Davis (11-10, 4.19, 102) was average, but Larry Beebe's (14-13, 4.53, 90) sophomore slump saw more walks then strikeouts as his ERA swelled a run, and they couldn't find any reliable arms at the back of their rotation to pitch the starts "The Professor" couldn't cover. Now, that will be far less of an issue, as Cleveland added another Allen Winner to their stable of arms for a cost that shouldn't impact them in the slightest.

In yet another trade between St. Louis and Cleveland, Danny Hern got an interesting 35-year-old birthday gift, as he'll leave the organization he threw 2,575.1 innings with since his debut in 1940. A former 14th Round selection and top 100 prospect in the Cougars organization, Hern was the centerpiece in a Freddie Jones trade that was widely criticized at the time, despite the fact it ended up winning the Pioneers a pair of titles. The '47 Allen Winner finished his Pioneer career 152-131 with a 3.72 ERA (105 ERA+) and 3.35 FIP (85 FIP-), striking out 1,076 hitters with just 747 walks. He has the 3rd most strikeouts and 4th most wins in Pioneer history while his 54.5 WAR surpasses any hurler in team history. This is a huge get for a Foresters team that's rotation ranked in the bottom half of the association, even if he wasn't quite the ace that once led the 3-Hs in St. Louis. Depending on what stats you look at, Hern was average or well above, as his 4.34 ERA (98 ERA+) wasn't great but his 3.69 FIP (86 FIP-) was sixth among pitchers who only pitched in the Fed. If you're like the award voters and like win-loss record, he was 17-12, working to a strong 1.38 WHIP with 69 walks and 101 strikeouts. Early indications from the Foresters manager have Hern slotted into the third spot, but scouts still see him as an ace, and to me he's clearly better then Ducky Davis.

Now if you got this far and thought this was an awful deal for the Pioneers, you'd be sorely mistaken, as I view this as a huge win-win. Sure, Hern could still be an ace and the 3-Hs should never have been broken up, but they picked up one of the game's best pitchers in Joe Potts (16-11, 3.34, 85) from Brooklyn earlier in the offseason and even after the trade they boast one of the top rotations in the league. What they didn't have is a quality shortstop, and Eddie Morris may be that. The 26-year-old had a nice season at the plate, hitting .301/.386/.406 (103 OPS+) with a 111 WRC+, 23 doubles, 6 homers, 51 RBIs, 57 walks, and 70 runs scored. Even if the glove isn't any good (-18.5 ZR, .903 EFF), his offense is way better then his eventual defensive replacement Win Hamby (.219, 3, 36), and when Hamby went down, Homer Mills (.272, 3, 32) didn't impress at the plate or in the field. I don't think Morris has the glove for short, and perhaps the Pioneers may want to give him a look at second and put his former teammate Frank Kirchner (.297, 5, 79) at short. All the Pioneers need to do now to form an all Cleveland infield is pickup Lorenzo Samuels (.264, 26, 91) for first base, but we may have to wait until next season for the annual trade between these two teams.

I know I said this could be a win-win for both teams, and it could, but today it looks like a massive win for Cleveland and a regular win for St. Louis. Cleveland won't miss Morris one bit, he was already pushed to the bench in favor of 22-year-old shortstop John Low (.308, 1, 9), who ranks as the league's 34th prospect after his debut in September. He's already a better defender then Morris and his 126 WRC+ in 60 FABL PAs was better then what Morris posted in each of his five seasons in Cleveland. He's out in Cuba and absolutely mashing, hitting .371/.413/.629 (163 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 6 homers, and 15 RBIs, further solidifying that he's ready for regular playing time in FABL. They basically improved their lineup, pitching, and defense in one fell swoop, with the only real cost a minor reduction in depth. For St. Louis, they were able to make a trade from a strength to patch a hole, and even if they are getting the "worse" end of the deal, I don't think there was much of a market for the veteran Hern, and Morris might have been the best middle infielder available. It's always fun seeing two of the top teams link up for a trade that's allowed to go through, and these two clubs could easily meet again this Fall in a game that could be decided with a Morris vs. Hern at bat.

Foresters Gamble on Hern; Pioneers Snag Morris in Cross-League Blockbuster

In a move that has the entire baseball world buzzing, the Cleveland Foresters of the Continental Association have sent their 26-year-old shortstop Eddie Morris packing to the Federal Association’s pennant-winning St. Louis Pioneers. In return, Cleveland receives 35-year-old veteran southpaw Danny Hern, a former Allen Award winner with plenty of gas left in the tank.
This trade could shake up the CA standings, as Hern’s arrival in Cleveland might just be the final piece needed to propel the young and talented Foresters to a 1952 pennant. Hern, a seasoned moundsman, brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record to a Foresters squad hungry for glory.

On the other side of the ledger, the Pioneers nab a lively and popular infielder in Morris. Though he has yet to fully realize his defensive potential, his bat has been more than serviceable. The Pioneers are betting that a change of scenery might unlock the star within.

For Cleveland, this deal seems to come from a position of strength. With John Low penciled in as the future at shortstop and veteran Glenn White capable of holding down multiple infield positions, the Foresters felt they could afford to part with Morris to land a southpaw of Hern’s caliber.

As the dust settles, fans and analysts alike will be watching closely to see if this bold move pays off for both clubs. The race for the pennant just got a whole lot more interesting.

ANNUAL NAHC PLAYER POLL RELEASED

NOTES FROM AROUND THE NAHC

Chicago Daily News: No wins this week, but the Packers are even with the Shamrocks. Tommy Burns is dealing with another nagging injury, and he's scored in just one of his last eight games. He's now in a three-way tie for the goal scoring lead and an assist behind Lou Galbraith, while Quinton Pollock sits a point behind him for the NAHC lead.

Detroit Times:Despite lacking a truly elite scorer, although 25-year-old Nick Tardif is trending in that direction, the Detroit Motors lead the NAHC in goals with 97 a game shy of the midway point of the season. It has been a streaky season so far for Palladium crew, which is currently riding a 7-game unbeaten streak after enduring a string of four games without a victory. Detroit management is watching very closely the progress of Gordie Thomas. The 20-year-old, who was Detroit's second round choice in the 1950 NAHC draft, is presently leading the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association with 72 points in just 33 games.
[*]Boston Globe:[/b] The Bees are two points back of Detroit for fourth place and the final playoff berth but have gone seven games without a loss after blanking the Dukes 2-0 in Toronto Saturday. It was a Merry Christmas for Boston rookie forward Luc Fournier as the 20-year-old who was selected in the second round of the 1950 draft picked a perfect time for his first career NAHC goal. Fournier scored the only goal of the third period to allow the Bees to overcome a 2-0 deficit and tie Chicago 2-2 on December 25. Fournier had 10 goals in 29 games with Springfield of the HAA but was recently promoted to the big club when Craig Simpson went down with an injury.

NAHC RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK
TUESDAY DECEMBER 25

Chicago 2 at 2 Boston: The Packers and Bees skated to a 2-2 tie on Christmas Day but there was worry after Tommy Burns, the Packers captain and NAHC scoring leader, left early with a hamstring injury. Fortunately, it is not serious and Burns will likely play through the injury. Mark Geiger and Bert McColley gave the Packers the lead but with 2 seconds left in the opening period Mike Brunell got the host Bees on the scoresheet. Luc Fournier, Boston's recently called up 20 year old rookie, notched what would prove to be the tying marker with the first goal of his career early in the middle frame. The Bees outshot the Packers 44-35 to extend Boston's unbeaten streak to five games.

New York 2 at 2 Detroit : It was 2-2 ties all around as the Detroit Motors and New York Shamrocks also skated to a 2-2 draw. Jim Macek scored both New York goals thirty seconds apart in the opening period but Adam Vanderbilt and Lou Barber replied for the Motors. New York is unbeaten in six games and Detroit is unbeaten in five.

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 26

Detroit 4 at 2 New York : Lou Barber scored twice and added an assist while Henri Chasse made 33 saves in a rare start to lead Detroit past the New York Shamrocks 4-1 in the back half of their holiday home and home series. Rusty Mullins scored the lone Shamrocks goal and it was the only first period marker before Derek Veysey evened things for Detroit early in the middle stanza. Barber scored twice in just over a minute in the third period and Adam Vanderbilt sealed the win with an empty net goal.

Montreal 3 at 3 Toronto : A boxing day battle between the two Canadian clubs ended in a 3-3 tie thanks to a pair of third period markers from Dukes star Quinton Pollack. Lou Galbraith assisted on all three of Toronto's goals, with Doug Zimmerman being the other Dukes lamplighter. Paulie Mosca, Ed McRae and Wayne Augustin scored for the Valiants who are now winless in 10 games and have only one victory since November 10.

SATURDAY DECEMBER 29

Chicago 0 at 2 Detroit : Millard Touhey made 35 saves to backstop the Detroit Motors to a 2-0 victory over the Chicago Packers. The Motors are now unbeaten in their last seven games. Tyson Beddoes and Moe Treadwell were the Detroit goal scorers.

New York 2 at 3 Montreal : A huge sigh of relief was emitted from the Montreal Arena after the defending Challenge Cup champions ended their 10 game winless drought with a 3-2 victory over the New York Shamrocks. Tom Brockers made 41 saves in one of the veteran's best outings of the season while Adam Sandford scored once and set up a second goal for the Valiants. For New York, which also lost at home to Detroit on Wednesday, it is only the second time all season they have lost back to back games.

Boston 2 at 0 Toronto : The Bees are unbeaten in seven after blanking Toronto 2-0. Jacob Godin scored his 8th goal of the season in the first period and Conn Cundiff added some insurance in the third. Oscar James stopped all 23 Dukes shots he faced for his second shutout of the season.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 30

Toronto 5 at 3 New York :A three game losing streak for the Greenshirts, their longest of the season after falling 5-3 to the visiting Toronto Dukes. Lou Galbraith and Miles Norman paced the Toronto offense with a goal and two helpers each while Jocko Gregg also had three points, but in a losing effort for New York.

UPCOMING GAMES
MONDAY DECEMBER 31
Montreal at Detroit

TUESDAY JANUARY 1
New York at Boston
Montreal at Chicago

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 2
Detroit at New York

THURSDAY JANUARY 3
Toronto at Montreal

SATURDAY JANUARY 5
Boston at Montreal
Chicago at Toronto

SUNDAY JANUARY 6
Boston at Detroit
Chicago at New York

DUKES ENTER 1952 IN THIRD PLACE

Brett looks at the team at the midway point of the season.

Toronto will bid farewell to 1951 sitting in third in a highly competitive NAHC where the champions of the last two years, Montreal, is in last place and last season's doormats, Chicago, are leading the league. The Dukes along with Coach Barrell are probably glad that 1951 will soon be in the rear mirror. The team got off to an incredible start not losing until their tenth game of the season and threatening to run away with the league title. Since Remembrance Day the team has struggled, since opening 9-1-3 the team has gone 4-11-7 to enter 1952 with 35 points at the halfway point of the campaign. The team's record by month is October 6-0-2, November 4-6-3, December 3-6-5 showing a marked decline that has to turn around in 1952.

The team came into the year with a different focus. Instead of the Barrell's Boys trying to check the team into submission then make the most their goal scoring chances Barrell opened up the offense which seemed to surprise their opponents in October and early November. Teams changed their plans when playing the Dukes which has to led to the abysmal finish to 1951.

Toronto is only giving up 2.80 goals per game which in most seasons would be a top of the heap performance. Not during 1951-52, the teams ahead of them in the standings Chicago is giving up 2.12 while New York is a little better at 2.06. Chasing the Dukes are the Motors, trailing Toronto by a point with a game in hand, are surrendering 2.50 goals per game, Boston, three point in arrears with 2 games in hand, at 2.45 goals against per game. Only Detroit has scored more goals, 97, four more than Toronto but the Dukes have given up the second most goals against. Brett feels that the team must go back to old style to move up in the standing during 1952.

Coach Barrell- We have obviously had an awful last six weeks after a great start out of the blocks. In the second half we have to cheat less breaking out of our zone, we are getting caught far too often on turnovers in the neutral zone then being forced to scramble to pick up our checks. Our goaltenders have bailed out the team time and again, you cannot be giving up 33 shot on goal a game in this environment. We also are taking far too many lazy stick penalties, many caused by turnovers.

Our scoring leaders are jumping the gun to flee the defensive zone. Pollack, 16-20-36, is minus 4, Galbraith, 9-22-31, is also minus 4, Carlson, 13- 16-29, has been on the ice for 5 more goals by the opposition than we have scored. That is unacceptable, we have tightening up, I have told the team that if you jump early, you will be part of the pinewood gang. We have a few nagging injuries that have not helped but that is part of the game. We also have to figure out Boston. Since winning the first game in October 4-3, we have gone 0-4-2 being outscored 25-15 that is not winning hockey. we will go back to tighter game in '52.

• The Chicago Panthers are sinking in the Western Division standings. Their losing streak has reached seven games, of which six have been on the road. But you cannot excuse Chicago for a lack of home cooking. The closest games of the lot were a 106-98 loss to Cleveland, in which the Crushers pulled away in the fourth after a game that was up in the air after three quarters. Luther Gordon scored 38 in the game, but Cleveland matched him with Ziggy Rickard's 35 points with teammates that held on to the ball. Cleveland won the turnover battle in the game, forcing 30 turnovers while only coughing up the ball 16 times.
• Chicago also played Rochester down to the wire on Friday night, losing in the end, 74-71. Chicago had a fourth quarter lead against a Rockets team who have only lost at home once all season. Billy Bob McCright outscored Gordon, 22-19, and beat him on the boards, 14-9. Gordon topped 30 points three teams during the losing streak and has averaged 24.9 points a game. However, secondary scoring was sorely lacking. Gordon accounted for exactly one-third of Chicago's offensive output since their last win.
• Rochester has extended to a 2-1/2 game lead over Detroit in the West, but the Rockets week was rickety. They were surprised in a 93-81 loss in Toronto, the second time the 7-17 Falcons have defeated Rochester, before narrowly avoided a winless week in the win against Chicago. In the Toronto game, Rochester shot only 28.7% from the floor and Marlin Patterson managed just 10 points after getting into foul trouble. Kevin Kennard stepped up for Toronto and led the Falcons with 20 points on 20 shots, while Lon Porter hoisted 37 shots, making nine of them for 18 points.
• Washington is on a new streak, winning four straight, but when you widen the lens, the Statesmen have taken 10 of 11 and 12 of 14. The Knights played Washington tough on Thursday night, as Washington survived, 77-75. The game was tied at halftime, but the stalwart starting lineup for Washington prevailed, with four starters in double figures and three of them played 39 or more minutes. The big matchup that has been the talk of the league for the last few weeks is the New Year's Day matchup tomorrow with Rochester traveling to the National Auditorium to take on the Statesmen in a best-on-best matchup that will kick of the 1952 schedule.

NO CHANGES AT TOP OF POLLS AS SECTION PLAY APPROACHES

The beginning of a new calendar year means that conference play is fast approaching for AIAA collegiate basketball teams. The first section games are still a couple of weeks away and as usual the big four conferences, in terms of representation in the weekly top twenty five rankings belongs to the big four sections: the West Coast Athletic Association, Great Lakes Alliance, Deep South and South Atlantic Conferences.

WCAA schools Coastal California, the defending national tournament champion, and Rainier College still lead the way after each returned to action yesterday following a week long break for Christmas. The topped ranked Dolphins extended their perfect record to 9-0 with a 57-46 win in Los Angeles over Brooklyn State. Rowdy Becker, Herm McShane and Gary Moore each had 10 points in the win to pace the Coastal California offense. Meanwhile, second ranked Rainier College is 9-1 after T.J. Grimm scored 17 points to lead the Majestics to a 61-53 win over visiting Boulder State.

Western Iowa, despite being Kansas Agricultural 74-51 on the strength of Leo Beck's 19 points yesterday, dipped from third to fifth in the latest rankings with Great Lakes Alliance rival Whitney College taking the Canaries spot. The 7-1 Engineers played twice last week, dumping Central Kentucky and Chicago Poly. Liberty College, the top ranked independent in the nation, also moved ahead of the Canaries as the Bells ran their record to 11-0 with a Christmas Day 66-51 win over Commonwealth Catholic and a 72-55 triumph in New York over Henry Hudson three days later.

Two schools that were ranked in the top ten the previous week suffered losses yesterday and have tumbled in the polls. Indiana A&M slipped from 6th to 12th in the rankings after absorbing a 59-58 overtime loss at home against Pittsburgh State while Redwood, which had been ranked 8th, is now 13th in today's poll after the Mammoths were shocked 72-62 in Stanford by Western State.

Our weekly Charlie Barrell watch continues as the Noble Jones College three sport star and first overall draft pick of FABL's Cincinnati Cannons a year ago, had 11 points in a Christmas eve 64-36 victory over Chicago Poly and then added 12 in Wednesday's 65-52 victory over Cowpens State. After dropping their opener to Indiana A&M, the Colonels have won each of their last six games but face a stiff test this week with a trip to Raleigh to face 5-2 North Carolina Tech. Barrell is average 9.9 points through the first 7 games despite dividing his focus for the opening month between football and basketball.

WEEKLY RESULTS FOR RANKED TEAMS
MONDAY DECEMBER 24
at #9 Noble Jones College 64, Chicago Poly 36
at #10 Perry State College 56, Northern Mississippi 30
at #13 Redwood 56, Eastern Virginia 39
at #20 Lubbock State 63, South Valley State 54
American Atlantic 48, at #23 Spokane State 44

TUEDAY DECEMBER 25
at #4 Liberty College 66, Commonwealth Catholic 51
#8 Detroit City College 56, at Cuyahoga University 36
at #12 Indiana A&M 81, Boulder State 59
#18 Berwick 43, at Piedmont University 42
at #25 Ohio Poly 48, NW New York State 20

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 26
at #9 Noble Jones College 65, Cowpens State 52
#11 CC Los Angeles 57, at Quaker College (CA) 48
#16 Carolina Poly 58, at Central Maryland 26
at #19 Annapolis Maritime 67, St. Patrick's 52
at #22 Great Plains State 59, Eastern Kansas 50
at #24 Elyria 58, Cleveland 31

THURSDAY DECEMBER 27
at #3 Whitney College 65, Central Kentucky 39
at #10 Perry State College 49, Alabama Baptist 41
at #17 Central Ohio 74, Commonwealth Catholic 52
at #21 Frankford State 54, Troy State (NY) 50
#23 Spokane State 57, at Utah A&M 44

FRIDAY DECEMBER 28
#4 Liberty College 72, at Henry Hudson 55
#6 Lane State 60, at Huntington State 48
#7 Opelika State 66, at Eastern Virginia 46
at #11 CC Los Angeles 54, Topeka State 34
at #14 Lexington State 52, St. Matthew's College 34
#15 Northern California 66, at Iowa A&M 40
Michigan Lutheran 56, at #16 Carolina Poly 52

SATURDAY DECEMBER 29
at #5 Western Iowa 74, Kansas Agricultural 51
#10 Perry State College 78, at Cumberland 71
at #23 Spokane State 55, Western Montana 43

SUNDAY DECEMBER 30
at #1 Coastal California 57, Brooklyn State 46
at #2 Rainier College 61, Boulder State 53
at #3 Whitney College 64, Chicago Poly 53
at #6 Lane State 59, Henry Hudson 50
at #8 Detroit City College 51, Maumee State 43
at #11 CC Los Angeles 49, Minnesota Tech 37
Pittsburgh State 59, at #12 Indiana A&M 58
Western State 72, at #13 Redwood 62
#14 Lexington State 58, at Glover (GA) 42
at #17 Central Ohio 59, St. Martin's College 49
#18 Berwick 57, at University of New Jersey 55

RECENT KEY RESULTS

• A quiet Christmas week as far as North American boxing goes but there was a fight of note in Britain. Top European heavyweight Joe Brinkworth was in action, fittingly enough, on the English Boxing Day holiday, and ran his record to 27-3 with a fifth round TKO victory over Frenchman Nicolas Arnould (22-3-2)

UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS

• Tonight- Pittsburgh, PA: a pair of former middleweight champs in Millard Shelton (32-6) and Canadian Adrian Petrie (21-5-3) meet.
• Tonight - London, ENG: Heavyweight Ben Budgeford (24-5), who once fought Hector Sawyer for the world title, meets Scotland's Scott McKellar (21-5).
• January 7 - St Louis, MO: veteran middleweights Bob Hinkle (32-10-1) and Owen Shepherd (29-10) meet.
• January 10 - Thompson Palladium, Detroit: Middleweights Davis Owens (25-3-1) and John Edmonds (34-4-1) stage a rematch of their draft in Chicago in October.
• January 16 - Los Angeles, CA.: Highly touted welterweights Brian Pierce (19-4-1) and Artie Neal (31-10-1) meet.
• January 20 - Newark, NJ: veteran welterweight Rudy Perry (32-7-1) faces Paul Coleman (33-19-2)
• January 25 - Keystone Arena, Philadelphia: WW contender Ira Mitchell (29-6) vs Seth Murphy (9-3-2)
• January 26- Denny Arena, Boston: Heavyweights Max Bradley (22-2-1) and Tommy Cline (20-4) will meet with the winner earning a title shot in May or June.
• January 31 - Richmond, VA: veteran welterweight Heinie Verplanck (23-8-1) meets Fred Morris (12-4)
• February 2- Keystone Arena, Philadelphia: Heavyweights Lewis Jones (26-4-1) and Joey Tierney (24-1) meet with the winner earning a title shot in May or June.
• February 22, 1952, Lakeside Auditorium Chicago: World Welterweight champion Danny Rutledge (25-1-1) defends his title against Dale Roy (40-9-1)

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 12/30/1951

• A mandate from President Truman to keep the Nation's steel mills producing aroused speculation whether the powerful Steelworkers Union will bow to the Chief Executive. The strike deadline is set for January 1 and while talks continue, a settlement does not appear to be close.
• A Senate subcommittee blasted the Army for what it calls "inexcusable and indefensible waste" but added that it is clear that "no one branch of the service is more prodigal or more prudent that the others." They found the waste was not intentional, but rather resulting simply from unconcern with the economy and a lack of any real "cost consciousness."
• A representative of the Senate and House Small Business Committee says that five large oil companies have plan that will threaten to destroy competition and wipe out the independent oil industry in the United States.
• The Communist high command rejected a request to permit the Red Cross to inspect but Red and United Nations prisoner of war camps. Chinese Gen. Peng Ten-Huai said inspections were not necessary because of the "humanitarianism" shown Allied prisoners in Red camps.
• Four American airmen jailed for 40 days in Hungary after being forced down by Soviet planes were finally freed after the United States paid $120,000 in what the Hungarians called "fines" for violating Hungary's airspace.
• Violent anti-Western demonstrations and violence once more in Egypt after King Farouk made it known that he wants alignment with the West in the cold war with Russia.
• A bomb at his home in Miami killed Harry Moore, a prominent official in the NAACP.