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ayaghmour2 · 02-11-2025, 12:07 PM

JANUARY 7, 1963
LUBBOCK STATE CLAIMS NATIONAL TITLE WITH DOMINANT VICTORY
Hawks Overpower Mississippi A&M, 37-20, in New Year’s Day Showdown

HOUSTON, Jan. 1—The Lubbock State Hawks, behind a bruising ground attack and opportunistic defense, stormed past the Mississippi A&M Generals, 37-20, in the Oilman Classic, capturing their first national championship since 1916 and completing a perfect 11-0 season in front of 75,504 spectators at Rice Stadium.

With none other than President Kennedy looking on from the stands, the highly anticipated battle of No. 1 versus No. 2 was decided almost as soon as it began. The Generals, champions of the Deep South Conference, were undone by costly early miscues, and the Hawks wasted no time in taking full advantage, racing out to a 21-0 first-quarter lead that all but sealed the outcome before the game had even settled into its rhythm.

Mississippi A&M halfback Doug Witcher, the nation’s leading rusher and a consensus All-American, gave the Generals faithful reason for hope early. His 46-yard gallop ignited a promising drive to the Lubbock State five-yard line on his club’s opening possession. But hope turned to disaster when Gary Bender, A&M’s other star back, was met with a thunderous hit from Hawks defender Bill Paul, jarring the ball loose. Paul emerged from the scramble with the pigskin, and the game’s momentum shifted irrevocably.

The Hawks wasted no time capitalizing. On the very next play, Lubbock State speedster Rich Gingerich broke free on an electrifying 84-yard sprint before being dragged down at the A&M eight. Three plays later, Paul Coddington bulldozed his way into the end zone from two yards out, putting the Hawks ahead 7-0.

The Generals' next possession fared no better. A sophomore miscue by fullback Mike White resulted in another fumble, and once again the Hawks pounced. Gingerich, a thorn in the side of the A&M defense all afternoon, ripped off another big run—this one for 17 yards—setting up a one-yard dive by Tom Pennington that doubled the lead to 14-0.

Lubbock State’s defense continued to smother the Generals, forcing an errant field goal attempt from A&M’s Bill Wyss. The Hawks answered in familiar fashion, riding the hard-nosed running of Gingerich and Coddington to another score, with the latter powering in for his second touchdown of the opening frame. Before the first quarter was through, the scoreboard read 21-0, and the Oilman Classic had already turned into a coronation.

Witcher attempted to breathe life into the Generals with an eight-yard touchdown run early in the second period, and Wyss tacked on a field goal to narrow the deficit to 21-10. But that was as close as the Generals would get. Gingerich continued to torment the Mississippi A&M defense, finishing the day with 164 rushing yards, outpacing even the heralded Witcher, who managed 144 yards in a losing effort.

Lubbock State delivered the final dagger late in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Wayne Brown, filling in for the injured Tom Bosak, connected with All-American end Red Cuyler on a dazzling 64-yard touchdown strike, capping a masterful performance by the Hawks and extending the lead to 37-13. A late A&M touchdown proved little more than window dressing as the final seconds ticked away on a game that had long been decided.

Following their dismal showing, Mississippi A&M plummeted in the final rankings, falling from No. 2 to No. 7, while Lubbock State’s triumph secured their place atop the college football world. On this New Year’s Day, the Hawks were undeniable, unrelenting, and ultimately, undisputed national champions.

LANE STATE EXTENDS WEST COAST SUPREMACY IN SANTA ANA
Emeralds Edge Central Ohio 20-13 in Gritty Display of Power Football

SANTA ANA, Calif., Jan. 1— For the sixth consecutive year, the West Coast Athletic Association reigned supreme in the East-West Classic, as the Lane State Emeralds turned back the Central Ohio Aviators, 20-13, before a packed house of nearly 100,000 at the Santa Ana Coliseum. In a contest marked by punishing ground play and opportunistic defense, the Emeralds leaned on their workhorse back Harry Menard to keep their conference’s streak alive and deny the Great Lakes Alliance yet again.

Central Ohio, seeking its first East-West Classic triumph since 1941, fought valiantly but was ultimately undone by costly turnovers and an inability to contain Menard, who carried the Emeralds to victory with a staggering 38 carries for 156 yards. The clinching moment came with just over three minutes remaining, when Emeralds safety Warren Diehl intercepted Aviators quarterback Spencer Carr at midfield. From there, Menard methodically chewed up the clock, never allowing the Aviators another opportunity.

The game began with Central Ohio executing a meticulous 17-play drive that chewed up nearly eight minutes before Amby Bauman split the uprights with a 27-yard field goal to put the Aviators ahead 3-0. Lane State responded in kind, marching downfield on a similarly grinding possession that ended with Dan Pine’s 11-yard field goal. The Emeralds eschewed a risky fourth-and-inches attempt from the Central Ohio four, opting instead for sure points.

The contest’s decisive play occurred early in the second quarter. Attempting just his second pass of the game, Carr was intercepted by Lane State’s Dennis Baatz, who returned it 43 yards untouched to give the Emeralds a 10-3 advantage. The Aviators answered with a punishing nine-play drive exclusively on the ground, capped by a one-yard dive from Larry Spruance to level the score at 10 apiece. Yet, Lane State reclaimed the lead just before halftime when Pine converted his second field goal of the day, making it 13-10 at the break.

The waning moments of the first half provided no shortage of drama. Lane State’s ball security faltered, coughing up a fumble deep in its own territory. Yet, Central Ohio’s hopes for a go-ahead score before the break vanished just as quickly, as the Aviators fumbled the ball back on the very next play. With that, a relieved Lane State squad trotted to the locker room clutching a three-point lead.

The Emeralds delivered the decisive blow on the opening possession of the second half. A bruising 75-yard march downfield saw Menard take control, carrying nine times for 60 yards—including the final three for a touchdown—pushing the Emeralds ahead 20-10.

Central Ohio’s last gasp came with 5:44 left in the game, as Bauman’s second field goal, this one from 28 yards, trimmed the deficit to seven. The Aviators’ defense responded, forcing a crucial stop to give their offense one last chance. But Carr, under pressure and looking to rally his squad, was intercepted once more—this time by Diehl, who sealed the Emeralds’ triumph. With Menard grinding out first downs, the final minutes melted away, leaving the Aviators helpless to stop the inevitable.

Pre-game speculation suggested Lane State might struggle without star quarterback Pat Lamar, who was sidelined with an injury. Yet, the Emeralds never needed to put the ball in the air, as their relentless rushing attack proved unstoppable. Backup quarterback Rick Plummer merely directed traffic as the Emeralds attempted no passes throughout the contest. Central Ohio knew exactly what was coming—Menard, again and again—but could do nothing to slow the sophomore sensation.

Menard’s dominance made him the obvious choice for Most Valuable Player, and Emeralds fans are already buzzing about what the next two seasons might hold for their budding star. For now, though, Lane State celebrates another East-West Classic crown, another triumph for the West Coast, and another year of heartbreak for the Great Lakes Alliance.

CUMBERLAND CLAIMS CAJUN CLASSIC

If not for one stumble against Mississippi A&M supporters of Cumberland University feel the Explorers could be celebrating a national championship today. There is, of course, no guarantee the Explorers would have fair any better than the Generals did in Houston against Lubbock State but the Explorers can take solace in the fact they finished the season on a winning note and as the number two ranked team in the nation following a hard fought 13-9 victory over an underrated Cowpens State Fighting Green squad.

Ron Filas ran for 110 yards and the only touchdown of the game while his backfield mate Henry Virkler gained 104 yards on the ground to power Cumberland to the victory and complete a 10-1 season giving Cumberland its fourth top ten finish in the past five years and highest showing since the 1955 edition of the Explorers also went 10-1 and finished number two in the polls.

LAWRENCE STATE BURSTS ST. PANCRAS BUBBLE

Any possible claims out of Syracuse that the St. Pancras Lions deserve a share of the national championship were silenced quickly when the Lions bid for a perfect season came to an end in the Florida sunshine as Lawrence State proved too much to handle and outscored the Lions 30-20. Sophomore St. Pancras running back John Anderson had a huge game, rushing for 193 yards including a 73-yard touchdown gallop in the second quarter but it was not enough as the Chippewa had plenty of big plays of their own in pulling off a mild upset in the Sunshine Classic.

Despite the disappointing conclusion that saw the Lions tumble from 2nd to 9th in the final rankings it was still quite a run for a St. Pancras team that went 5-5 each of the previous two seasons and had never played on New Years Day before.

Elsewhere Chesapeake State scored 21 fourth quarter points to help the Clippers beat Texas Gulf Coast 43-27 in the highest scoring Bayside Classic ever played. In Dallas, the Georgia Baptist Gators scored a touchdown in each of the four quarters as they went on to beat Eastern Oklahoma 31-6 in the Lone Star Classic. It was the Gators second straight New Years win in the Lone Star Classic. Finally in El Paso an Al West 42-yard field goal with one minute remaining in the game lifted El Paso Methodist to a 27-24 victory over Mile High State in the Desert Classic. It was the victorious Bandits first ever appearance in their hometown classic game.

RARE TWO SPORT TITLES IN SAME YEAR FOR HAWKS

The Lubbock State Hawks completed a perfect football season with their 37-20 victory over Mississippi A&M in the Oilman Classic. It also made the Hawks part of an exclusive group of schools that had won national titles in two major team sports in the same calendar year. In fact this was only the second time that it happened and ironically, the first was accomplished by the Generals just a year ago when Mississippi A&M won both the Collegiate baseball World Championship and the AIAA national basketball tournament.

The Hawks basketball team beat Lane State 63-55 to win the school's first collegiate cage title last March. It has been quite a start to the decade for the Southwestern Alliance school as in an even rarer run of multi-sport success the Lubbock State baseball team was crowned winners of the AIAA collegiate World Series just two years ago.

Collegiate football first crowned a national champion in 1906. Basketball held its first AIAA championship tournament in 1909 and baseball followed with the inaugural Collegiate World Championship Series the following year. Here is a year by year list of AIAA football champions and of titles won by schools in the three major team sports.

DRILLERS STUN WILDCATS AGAIN, PUNCH TICKET TO AFA TITLE GAME
Bogert’s Heroics Lead Houston to 24-20 Victory

CHICAGO– If last week’s triumph was a statement, this week’s was a resounding declaration: the Houston Drillers are for real. The upstart second-year franchise, fresh off an 11th-hour playoff berth, marched into Cougars Stadium for the second straight Sunday and left with another stunning victory over the heavily favored Chicago Wildcats. This time, the prize was far greater – a berth in next week’s American Football Association Championship Game against the Boston Americans.

A year ago, the Drillers limped to a 3-11 record in their inaugural season. Now, after a dramatic 24-20 win over Chicago, they stand one victory away from completing one of the most improbable turnarounds in league history.

Leading the charge was none other than former Wildcat quarterback Miller Bogert, a man Chicago let walk in the 1961 expansion draft. On this cold December afternoon, Bogert came back to haunt his former club, authoring a masterful fourth-quarter rally that lifted Houston from the brink of defeat to the heights of glory.

The Drillers struck first, with Bogert orchestrating a methodical 75-yard opening drive, punctuated by a 12-yard touchdown scamper from Phil Patton. The Houston faithful who made the trip roared their approval, but the Wildcats quickly answered. Chicago leaned on its ground attack, with hard-nosed Fred Gunther setting the table before bruising fullback George Hornback crashed into the end zone from four yards out. Paul Chestnut’s 35-yard field goal just before halftime gave Chicago a 10-7 edge at the break.

Houston evened the score late in the third quarter with a Craig Oates chip-shot field goal, but no sooner had the Drillers settled than Jim O’Hearn electrified the hometown crowd. The Wildcats speedster took the ensuing kickoff 97 yards to the house, surging Chicago back in front, 17-10.

Chestnut’s second field goal early in the final frame widened the gap to 10 points. With the Wildcats seemingly in control and the clock dwindling, Houston’s hopes rested squarely on Bogert’s shoulders – and the former Chicago signal-caller delivered. First, he launched a 54-yard scoring strike to rookie end Randy Renbarger, cutting the deficit to three. Then, with time slipping away and the Drillers facing fourth down deep in their own territory, Bogert found Marc Hyde to keep the drive alive.

With the air thick with tension, Bogert calmly guided his club down the field, threading a critical 17-yard completion to Dan Hackbarth before capping the drive with a one-yard toss to Hyde for the go-ahead touchdown with a mere 25 seconds remaining.

The Wildcats, stunned into silence, mustered no response in their final possession. As the final whistle blew, the Drillers erupted in jubilation. Houston – a club that just last year was the league’s doormat – now stands on the precipice of a championship.

Next stop: Boston, where the red-hot Americans await. But for tonight, the Drillers will savor the sweetest victory in franchise history.

AMERICANS END STARS’ REIGN, BEAT NY IN EAST PLAYOFF
Boston Returns to Championship for First Time Since 1945

BOSTON– The New York Stars' two-year grip on the American Football Association title is no more. Before a raucous crowd at Minutemen Stadium, the Boston Americans turned back their longtime rivals with a convincing 26-10 victory, securing their first trip to the championship game in 17 years. Next week, they will face the upstart Houston Drillers, the second-year club that stunned the Chicago Wildcats in the West Division final.

Despite the final margin, Sunday’s showdown was a closely contested battle on the stat sheet. The Stars actually outgained the Americans in total offense, 254 yards to 244. Both teams struggled on third downs, with New York converting just 3-of-17 attempts and Boston faring only slightly better at 3-for-15. Neither club turned the ball over, and time of possession was nearly even. But when the game’s biggest moments arrived, it was Boston that seized them.

The opening quarter saw little movement, but the Americans edged ahead 6-0 on a pair of Dana Lawson field goals. Early in the second quarter, Boston broke through with the game’s first touchdown, a one-yard scoring pass from Bob McKoon to Steve Spanbauer. The drive was powered by a trio of punishing runs—Bob Callender ripped off gains of 13 and 16 yards, sandwiched around a 12-yard burst from Kevin Sova.

New York responded just before the half, marching downfield on the strength of their ground game but finishing due to the arm of Harris Kummer. He connected with Matt Center for 14 yards before firing a 10-yard touchdown strike to Ryne Hardy, pulling the Stars within 13-7 at the break. It would be one of only six completions for Kummer on the afternoon, as he finished 6-for-22. McKoon, however, did not fare much better, going just 5-for-16 through the air.

A scoreless third quarter kept tensions high before New York’s Cornelius McAlpin booted a 25-yard field goal early in the fourth, slicing Boston’s lead to 13-10. But the Americans wasted no time responding. Lawson drilled his third field goal of the contest, restoring the lead to six.

Then, with under five minutes remaining, Boston delivered the knockout punch. Jack Amodeo, a name long known for his game-changing speed, fielded a punt and sliced through New York’s coverage for a dazzling 65-yard touchdown return. The Minutemen Stadium crowd erupted, sensing the moment Boston had waited 17 years for.

As the final whistle blew, the Americans celebrated a long-awaited return to the AFA title game. Standing in their way now is a Houston squad riding a wave of momentum. The championship showdown is set – and Boston has been waiting a long time for it. The victory sends Boston to the league championship game for the first time since 1945, when the great Del Thomas guided the Yanks to their third AFA title in a seven year span.

The early line has the Americans as three point favourites. The two clubs did not meet this season and did not play each other a year ago so this will be the first ever game between Boston and Houston.

MAROONED
Another Awful Season for Detroit Grid Squad

Can things get any worse for the beleaguered Detroit Maroons? An late game collapse against San Francisco at home two weeks ago had fans pelting the field with projectiles and their accuracy certainly surpassed that of Art Heal, who was forced to step in at quarterback after injuries sidelined both Dee Cann and Spencer Hicks. You can't fault Heal for the loss - he is one of the best halfbacks to play the game in this city but would never pretend to be a quarterback. Blame Maroons management for failing to quickly sign a replacement when they knew both were out.

Fans exiting the stadium could be heard voicing the opinion that the time has come for a change and one at the very top. Rollie Barrell is a near legend here in the Motor City but after divesting himself of the cage Mustangs recently to focus entirely on the Maroons, there are calls for him to sell the club. Detroit used to be one of two flagship franchises of the AFA -along with the Chicago Wildcats- but the Maroons club that won five AFA titles in the first 14 years of the league have not won one since 1936 and are 0-6 in playoff games since then.

Sure they made the playoffs in two of the last three years, but they lost in the West Division final both times including last year when they went 12-2 during the regular season and were favourites against the dreaded Wildcats in a game played at Thompson Stadium.

They made the playoffs in 1958 but followed that up with a 4-8 season. This year they followed up their back to back playoff appearances with another dreadful four win season and they can't seem to even lose properly. Entering the season finale two weeks ago with a league worst 3-10 record and halfback Heal once more assigned the QB duties, all the Maroons had to do was lose in Los Angeles and they would lock up the top pick in the AFA draft. For some reason the Tigers looked like they had no interest in winning either and the Maroons escaped California with a 19-5 victory. The problem is that gives them a 4-10 record, tied with Washington and Buffalo so they quite possibly will pick third instead of first in the draft.

Rollie Barrell has done an awful lot for this city and this columnist does not feel he should go. But the Barrell family needs to make changes. Certainly General Manager John Curtis has worn out his welcome and perhaps head coach Sam Wiggins, who has held the job since 1955, also needs to depart. All that has saved their jobs in the past has been the occasional strong season, like the 12-2 campaign in 1961, that pops up only to have any hope quickly snuffed out in the playoffs. There have been too many bad seasons sprinkled into the mix: The Maroons have won 6 or less games in five of Wiggins eight seasons at the helm.

Maroons fans have watched the Dynamos become the class of FABL, the Motors win five Challenge Cups in recent years and even Barrell's Mustangs won a Federal Basketball League title. Detroiters have been spoiled in recent years, but not by their grid entry as the Maroons for far too long a time have been leaving Detroit football fans feeling blue.

Messer Joins Immortals in Hall of Fame

It may have been a little overdo, but on his third attempt, legendary Gotham slugger Walt Messer was inducted into the Hall of Fame. After getting 65% in back-to-back votes, Messer received 86.7% of the votes, becoming the 52nd player immortalized. A veteran of 2,200 games, Messer was a career .299/.363/.501 (138 OPS+) hitter with 358 doubles, 430 homers, 1,500 RBIs, 1,338 runs, and 887 walks. Worth 61.9 WAR, Messer never had a FABL season with an OPS+ or WRC+ below 100, spending sixteen seasons as one of the games most feared hitters.

An 8-Time All-Star and 2-Time World Championship winner, he was named WCS MVP in 1942, a season he hit .297/.349/.497 (144 OPS+) with 24 doubles, 27 homers, and 88 RBIs. His best year came in 1948, where Messer hit 41 homers and drove in 111 runs with a matching Fed high 111 runs scored. He hit .304/.379/.545 (147 OPS+), worth 5.5 WAR. One of four 5 WAR seasons, he also had three with a WRC+ above 150, and despite his extreme level of consistency, he was never really in the running for a Whitney. Currently the hitting coach of the New York Imperials, he was the model of consistency, not missing more then a week aside from his two years in the Navy. This allowed him to rank all over his team's leaderboard, top-10 in slugging (7th), OPS (10th, .864), WAR (6th, 61.7), games (2nd), runs (4th), hits (2nd, 2,518), doubles (4th), and walks (5th), while owning the team record for homers and RBIs.

Coming up close to the requisite 80% was 8th year man Adam Mullins, who led the rest of the pack with 68.9%. His best showing since 1959 and an improvement over 10% from last season, Mullins has two more seasons left. Getting as close as 75%, it should be a matter of time before the 11-Time All-Star gets inducted, but for now the Memphis native has to wait another year. A veteran of 1,692 games, Mullins ranks top-10 among FABL catchers in average (5th, .304), OBP (6th, .393), OPS (7th, .813), games (7th), hits (4th, 1,827), doubles (3rd, 389), walks (4th, 909), and WAR (5th, 56.02).

Voting Results:

Tales From The Den
Wolves Make A Move With Washington

Toronto enters 1963 by making a trade along with paring down their roster further after the conclusion of the recent Rule 5 draft. The trade sent OF Al Clark, 22, from Chattanooga to the Eagles in exchange for middle infielder Dick Rabkin. 23, Rabkin who is reputed to be a slick fielder who can handle either second or short. Originally drafted by the Dynamos in the first round, 13th overall, he was traded to Washington at the end of the '57 season for RP John Herron, SS Ed Patzer. Rabkin debuted in the FABL at the end of 1959 then bounced around the Eagles system before appearing in 147 games last season starting 138 with 96 at short along with 42 at second. A little stronger at second he still gives Hohlt a reliable fielding option at either position with the added bonus of hitting from the right side of the plate. He seems also to be able to contribute at the dish with a '62 line of .293/.331/.402 with 35 XBH in 550 trips to the plate.

Going the other way was Clark who came to the Wolves in a 1961 off-season trade along with Charlie Davidson that sent Les Ledbetter to the Keystones who had drafted Clark in the 9th round of the '58 draft. Clark is a superior OF defensively although his bat was slow to come around in AA last season. Front office has told Brett that when Rabkin became available they had to inquire but even with the depth they have in the minors Clark was a tough decision to make to complete the deal. In a statement released by the team the welcome Rabkin to Canada while wishing Clark success in the future. Hohlt is said to be pleased with the addition of good fielding option in the infield. He is said to be hoping that infield coach Tanza Miyake working with Rabkin in camp will add to his defensive value.

In a corresponding move with the trade the team announced that both 2B Roy Demonbreun, 34, along with LF Carl Clark, 35 have been released in what appears to be a cost cutting move. Demonbreun has been with the Wolves since 1954 mostly in a bench role appearing in 709 games most as a pinch hitter or defensive replacement never starting more than 80 games. Clark to the Wolves in a trade with the Brooklyn Kings in 1951 after being draft in the second round of the 1945 draft by the Chicago Cougars, Like Demonbruen, Clark was mainly a backup of recent after being the starter LF or CF in 1953, '54, '56. Brett has been told that these moves were considered before the Rule 5 then came to reality after not losing any players in Rule 5. The organization wishes both success in future endeavours in pro ball.

Hovering around the 50% vote for the Hall was Sal Pestilli (53.7), George Garrison (47.9), and Leo Mitchell (49.1). All three got their highest vote total, but still fall well short of the 80%. Each has legitimate cases, as Pestilli was a rare power/speed combo, Garrison was a surefire ace for 15 years, and Leo Mitchell was as consistent a hitter as it gets.
A surprise from the voting was the lack of support for Skipper Schneider, commonly believed to be one of the game's top defensive players. His 26.2% voting share was his highest in three tries, but his 88.4 ranks 8th among shortstops and he had a 96 WRC+ in over 9,000 FABL PAs.
Four players dropped off the ballot, with David Molina (7.5), Pete Casstevens (5.0), Jim Kenny (2.2), and Charlie Griffith (0.0) all failing to grab 10% of the vote. Molina dropping off is a shame, as he was the first traditional stopper and saved a FABL high 253 games in his time with the Sailors and Cougars.
The Minneapolis Millers claimed both players that the Cleveland Foresters waived. The first was Otis O'Keefe (.282, 9, 31), who should have a shot to earn a starting outfield job. A 14-year vet who's career has been spent with the Saints and Foresters, O'Keefe has hit .276/.356/.418 (114 OPS+) with 182 homers and 929 RBIs. He'll be joined by soon-to-be 38-year-old Tommy Miller, who made his FABL debut after 18 seasons in the minors. Miller started 11 of his 17 outings, going 3-5 with a 5.31 ERA (88 ERA+), 1.40 WHIP, 20 walks, and 40 strikeouts in 81.1 innings pitched.
Minneapolis was one of the few teams unaffected by the Rule-5 draft, as the expansion team did not participate by selecting or losing a player. This is despite a 40-man spot that had 12 openings, though two are expected to be filled by O'Keefe and Miller.

PACKERS CONTINUE TO SOAR

With two wins over the weekend, each by just a single goal, the Chicago Packers are now riding a ten-game unbeaten streak, one that has seen them post eight victories and moved to within three points of the Detroit Motors for top spot in the North American Hockey Confederation standings. While Ken York and Pete Bernier, who sit one-two in the NAHC scoring parade, have continued to put points up at a high level, the Packers have also benefited of late from secondary scoring with the most notable contribution coming from third year forward Randy Katic.

The 23-year-old scored over 100 points in his final season of junior but has been slow to embrace an offensive role in the Windy City, scoring just 4 times as a rookie and adding nine goals last season. He started slow this year as well with four goals in his first 31 games but over the last five games the third line winger has scored four goals including a pair in a 4-3 victory over Toronto on Saturday. His linemates have also been very productive for a third line with center John Trumbell collecting 6 points in the last eight games and right winger Mark Milot recently enjoyed a 3-game goal scoring streak which doubled his season total.

*** Player Poll Released ***

The annual NAHC player poll, where players are asked to rate their teammates and opponents in a number of categories, has been released. One notable absence, and perhaps a sign that age is catching up with him is Quinton Pollack. The Toronto captain is still having a solid season and is fourth in the NAHC in scoring, but Pollack is also now 40 years old. Here are the winners of the recent player poll.

NAHC RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK
TUESDAY DECEMBER 25

New York 1 at Boston 4: The Boston Bees scored three times in the first period to help them snap a four-game losing skid with a 4-1 victory over New York. Jean Lebel, Jack Gariepy and Mitchell Cook had staked the Bees to a 3-0 lead before the game was nine minutes old. Fred Gallatin got one back for the Shamrocks late in the frame but that would be as close as they would come. Nick Quinn rounded out the Boston scoring with a third period goal.

Montreal 1 at Chicago 1: The Valiants snapped a 2-game losing streak and only slowed the red-hot Packers, who entered the game with four consecutive wins, by earning a 1-1 tie. Both goals came in the opening period with Ken York notching his 21st of the season on the powerplay for Chicago before Tony Delvecchio tied the game. Nathan Bannister faced 38 shots in the Montreal net.

Toronto 3 at Detroit 4: The two rivals opened a holiday home and home series in the Motor City with hosts winning 4-3 behind a 2-goal, one assist performance from Hobie Barrell. Quinton Pollack scored his 9th of the season for the Dukes.

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 26

Detroit 4 at Toronto 5: A wild first period in the Boxing Day rematch as Detroit scores three times in the first 4:27 of the game but Toronto answers with three of their own in a less than 3 minute span a short time later. When the dust settled the Motors led 4-3 at the end of the opening period thanks to three goals and an assist from Alex Monette. Toronto would escape with the two points after Nick Poulin tied the game in the second period and Cody MacLeod notched the game winner in the third on a Quinton Pollack assist. Pollack also scored, giving him three goals in his last four games, as a part of a three point night for the Toronto captain. It was just the second loss in the last 11 games for Detroit.

THURSDAY DECEMBER 27

Boston 5 at New York 3: The Bees beat New York for the second time this week, as Nick Quinn scored twice in a 5-3 Boston victory. It was the first time Boston has won back to back games since the win three straight from November 7-11.

SATURDAY JANUARY 5

Detroit 1 at Montreal 3: Montreal scored all three of its goals in the opening period and handed Detroit its second straight loss. Nathan Bannister made 42 saves for the winners while Roy Forgeron scored once and added an assist. Recent call-up due to injuries Remi Robert, scored his first career NAHC goal for the Motors.

Chicago 4 at Toronto 3: The Packers outshot Toronto 48-28 but barely hung on for a 4-3 victory on the road at Dominion Gardens. Randy Katic scored twice while Conn Maguire had a goal and an assist for the Packers, who are unbeaten in nine games.

SUNDAY JANUARY 6

Boston 2 at Chicago 3: Make it 10 straight without a loss for the Packers who benefited from defenseman Guy Bernier's game winner with less than four minutes remaining. Guy's brother Pete Bernier assisted on that goal and scored once himself in the victory. The win moves Chicago within three points of idle Detroit for first place but the Motors do have three games in hand.

Montreal 3 at New York 5: New York snapped a 4-game winless streak with a 5-3 victory at Bigsby Garden over visiting Montreal. It also moved the Shamrocks back to within two points of Toronto for fourth place. Alex Kalmakoff scored once and added two assists for the Shamrocks.

UPCOMING GAMES
MONDAY DECEMBER 31
New York at Detroit

TUESDAY JANUARY 1
Toronto at Boston
Detroit at Chicago

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 2
Toronto at New York

THURSDAY JANUARY 3
Boston at Montreal

SATURDAY JANUARY 5
New York at Montreal
Boston at Toronto

SUNDAY JANUARY 6
Toronto at Chicago
Boston at Detroit
Montreal at New York

*note the online NAHC and football's AFA are taking a slightly different sim schedule than the rest of the Figment Universe to not slow the pace too much for the online baseball league.

Dukes Stumble Into 1963

Toronto's hockey team enters the New Year clinging to the final playoff spot in the NAHC after losing two of three to the top two teams. Detroit hosted a Christmas Day matchup with 13794 on hand to witness the rivalry. Dukes again started strong then fell asleep, a far too common occurrence this season. Hot handed Ken Jamieson gave the visitors the lead before the game was two minutes old. Then the Dukes began a parade to the penalty box taking 4 straight minors with Spencer Quinn tacking on a misconduct after his tripping call. After Alex Monette evened the score the Motors took a 3-1 lead with two goals by Hobie Barrell while skating with a man advantage. After the early goal the puck never seemed to leave the Toronto end in the first as Connelly faced 29 shots.

After a tongue lashing by Ari Bear his charges mounted a stronger middle frame controlling more of the play outshooting Detroit 11-5 with the only goal allowed by their old teammate Charlie Dell coming off a shot by Pollack with 72 seconds left in the period. In the third Connelly again faced a heavy workload facing 15 more shots for a game total of 49. Dukes felt they had a comeback chance until Jock Doctorow found the back of the net with 6 and a half minutes to play on a pass from Barrell who had 3 points in the game. Mitch Moran beat Dell with 69 seconds to play making the final 4-3 Detroit, a score that flattered the Dukes.

The same two teams met less than 24 hours later in the Gardens before a large Boxing Day crowd of close to 15000. The Dukes had their sleepy spell early in this game. Doctorow plus two by Alex Monette, the second while on the penalty kill, had Detroit up 3-0 before the 5 minute mark. It seems the crescendo of boos reigning down on the team from the stands where like an alarm clock going off for Toronto. Knackstedt made it 3-1 from Jamieson at 7:13 then only 12 seconds later Lou Galbraith, an almost forgotten man this season, narrowed the gap to one with his 1st of the season. Dukes completed the comeback before the period was half over when Pollack's 10th beat Goulet at 9:56. After six goals in the first 10 minutes, against a usually stingy Motors team, Monette completed his natural hattrick with a power play goal at 13:04. He had a goal at even strength, one while shorthanded, and on the power play all in the first period. Both teams continued the wide open play in the second with the goaltender facing a total of 28 shots in the second period alone, the only goal was by Poulin to tie the game at 4. That was one of ten shots the Dukes had in the second, Connelly was left unprotected often. Detroit had 34 shots on goal through 40 minutes. Detroit ran into penalty trouble in the third taking 4 of the 6 whistled by the ref. The home crowd witnessed a full comeback letting out a deafening cheer when Cody MacLeod, recently returned from injury, netted the eventual game winner at 6:07, a Dukes 5-4 victory despite being outshot 45-27.

After a moral boosting win on Wednesday night the Packers were in Toronto Saturday night. Dukes did not have the jump the fans expected after the midweek comeback. Randy Katic's two goals in the first gave the high scoring Packer the lead going into the first intermission. Knackstedt gave the fans some life early in the second before Conn Maguire. Ken York with league leading 22nd in the final minute made it 4-1 after two. Connelly again kept the score close in the third despite again facing 48 shots for the game. Mitch Moran's 3rd while up a man at 16:07 gave the crowd hope. With Connelly pulled for an extra attacker Brochu made it 4-3 with 12 seconds to play. Too little, too late as Chicago left town with 2 more points.

Coach Bear- "I am at a loss to explain our lapses game in, game out we dig a hole for ourselves every game. We were lucky to get one win in those three games giving up almost 50 shots on goal in each. Time to get back to work to bring better results in 1963."

Full Court Press: December 24, 1962 – January 6, 1963

As the regular season hits the halfway point, two teams are separating themselves from the pack. The Boston Centurions are far and away the best team in the FBL at 28-6. The Cents are 15-1 at home, hold an 11-game lead on second place New York, and are on an eight-game winning streak. The main victim has been the second-place Knights, who have fallen four times in those eight games, which has expanded Boston’s lead in the division. Remember: Boston started the season 2-3, so the Centurions are 26-3 since early November. Their scoring differential is seven points better than any other team in the league, as Boston averages 9.9 more points than it allows.
Leading the Western Division is the Toronto Falcons, who have a similar home record (14-2) as Boston, but that is where the similarities end. Toronto only leads the West by 3-1/2 games and while Boston is 13-5 away from Denny Arena, Toronto is 7-10 in America. Toronto has recently taken advantage of a bottom-dwelling Chicago team with three straight wins to push the Falcons to a four-game winning streak. St. Louis was in first place as recently as December 27th, but the Falcons four-game winning streak coincided with Rockets four-game losing skein. I have a feeling the margin will be slimmer by the end of January, as Toronto has six games during the remainder of the month against Detroit, while St. Louis has six games against last-place Chicago.
Looking at the league leaders, the amount of 20-point scorers in the league has dwindled to four, with Mustangs guard Erv Corwin and Boston forward Bert LaBrecque barely qualifying at 20.1 points a game. The scoring title is Fred Lillard’s to lose. The Toronto forward has reached 23 points a game, and only Howie Farrell of the Knights is anywhere close at 21.3 per contest. Lillard and Bill Spangler (19.5 ppg) make the most potent duo in the league. Rebounding leader Bob Christensen of the Panthers and the Statesmen’s Ossie Waid are the only player in the top ten in both scoring and rebounding. Christensen leads the way with 13.9 rebounds per game and contributes 17.6 points per game, while Waid is seventh in scoring at 18.5 a game and tenth in boards at 9.5 per contest. Frank Black of the Mustangs leads the league in assists by a country mile with his 11.0 helpers per game almost three ahead of Philadelphia guard Dave Woods (8.3). Barrell is a point guard, and while he is third in the league in assists at 8.2 per game, he boasts 14.9 points and 10.1 rebounds a game, the only guard among the eight players in double figures in rebounds.

AIAA College Basketball Weekly Recap: January 6, 1963
Lane State took over the top spot in the AIAA Media Poll, as its sterling 11-0 record helped the Emeralds zoom to the top of the charts. North Carolina Tech has mastered the polls until the last couple of weeks and the Techsters have inexplicably dropped three of four. North Carolina Tech must have overstuffed themselves on Christmas goose as its first two games after Christmas were losses to little-known Potomac State and Cache Valley, which have a combined record of 10-12.

How did Lane State leapfrog two undefeated teams? The Emeralds played slightly better competition, and the highlight of the fortnight was the overtime victory at home against Travis College, 74-71. Guard Wade Brann ran into foul trouble and only lasted 26 minutes, but his 16 points were tied for the team lead. For the season, Lane State is the only team with two wins against top-ten ranked teams. Second-ranked Central Ohio and #3 Redwood do not have a single game played against a top-ten team, while #4 Western Iowa has a victory over #9 Mississippi A&M in its second game of the year. Lane State’s wins against #7 Indiana A&M and #6 Carolina Poly came in its first two games of the season.

There are still another two weeks before the conference schedules begin, but the West Coast Athletic Association may be one of the strongest conferences in the nation. Top-ranked Lane State (11-0) and third-ranked Redwood (13-0) will have to deal with #10 CCLA (10-1), #11 Coastal California (9-2), and #13 Northern California (8-1) when conference play begins on January 23rd.

A LOOK BACK AT 1962

Here are the champions and top five contenders in each of the three major weight classes as well as the title fights contested for the American Boxing Federation World Title in the past year.

RECENT KEY RESULTS

Italian welterweight Carl Rondinelli claimed a unanimous decision in Rome over Abel Daalerop last week. The 28-year-old Rondinelli had a title shot against Lonnie Griffin early last year but was knocked out by the champ in the 14th round.
Canadian middleweight Byron Gowing knocked out Clyde Davis in the 7th round of their bout at Bigsby Garden last Thursday. Gowing is 26-6-2 with the victory while Davis, a local New York City product, dips to 25-9-1.

UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS

Jan 23- World Welterweight Champion Matt Leach makes his first title defense against John Wallace (28-3-1) in Baltimore. Leach (32-6-2) claimed the title with an unanimous decision over Lenny Shafto in September.
Feb 9 - George Galleshaw (35-2-1), back as heavyweight champion after scoring a TKO win over Walt Phillips last fall, will make a title defense in Cleveland against Will Flowers. Galleshaw,a 27-year-old native of Syracuse, NY, was world champ previously for nearly two years before falling to Bert Parks in December of 1961. Flowers (26-4-1), who hails from Phoenix, AZ., and is 26 years of age, is getting his first title shot.
Feb 27- The highly anticipated rematch between World Middleweight champion Lyman King and former champ George Quinsenberry is set for February 27 at New York's Bigsby Garden. The pair met in Los Angeles in early December and fought to a majority draw, prompting the call for a rematch. King, a 26 year old Oakland, CA., native is unbeaten with a 41-0-1 record and has held the title since he took it from Quisenberry in January of last year in a bout also held at Bigsby Garden. Quisenberry, a 28-year-old Toronto native, has held the world title twice previously and now will look to gain it a third time in his third meeting with King. Quisenberry is 39-2-4 entering the bout.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 01/06/1963

President Kennedy returned to the White House following a two week vacation and has summoned congressional leaders of both parties to meet with him tomorrow. White House Press Secretary Pierre Salinger says the President called the meeting to preview his state of the union address set for Wednesday and to discuss the legislative program he will submit to the new Congress.
The President is expected to face a hard battle from Congress in his efforts to put through the domestic part of his New Frontier program.
After UN forces stopped their advance in Katanga, President Tshombe is being given a chance to invite a bloodless United Nations occupation of his war capital of Kolwezi and thus ensure a place of power for himself in a reunified Congo.
The military government of Peru arrested 300 alleged Communists and charged Moscow and Havana with directing a subversive plot against Peru.
Soviet Premier Khrushchev will go to East Berlin this month for a Communist Party meeting. Khrushchev has called for a solution of the Berlin problem and also said a United Nations command should replace the Allied occupation forces in West Berlin.

02-11-2025, 12:07 PM	#1076
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	January 7th, 1963 JANUARY 7, 1963 LUBBOCK STATE CLAIMS NATIONAL TITLE WITH DOMINANT VICTORY Hawks Overpower Mississippi A&M, 37-20, in New Year’s Day Showdown HOUSTON, Jan. 1—The Lubbock State Hawks, behind a bruising ground attack and opportunistic defense, stormed past the Mississippi A&M Generals, 37-20, in the Oilman Classic, capturing their first national championship since 1916 and completing a perfect 11-0 season in front of 75,504 spectators at Rice Stadium. With none other than President Kennedy looking on from the stands, the highly anticipated battle of No. 1 versus No. 2 was decided almost as soon as it began. The Generals, champions of the Deep South Conference, were undone by costly early miscues, and the Hawks wasted no time in taking full advantage, racing out to a 21-0 first-quarter lead that all but sealed the outcome before the game had even settled into its rhythm. Mississippi A&M halfback Doug Witcher, the nation’s leading rusher and a consensus All-American, gave the Generals faithful reason for hope early. His 46-yard gallop ignited a promising drive to the Lubbock State five-yard line on his club’s opening possession. But hope turned to disaster when Gary Bender, A&M’s other star back, was met with a thunderous hit from Hawks defender Bill Paul, jarring the ball loose. Paul emerged from the scramble with the pigskin, and the game’s momentum shifted irrevocably. The Hawks wasted no time capitalizing. On the very next play, Lubbock State speedster Rich Gingerich broke free on an electrifying 84-yard sprint before being dragged down at the A&M eight. Three plays later, Paul Coddington bulldozed his way into the end zone from two yards out, putting the Hawks ahead 7-0. The Generals' next possession fared no better. A sophomore miscue by fullback Mike White resulted in another fumble, and once again the Hawks pounced. Gingerich, a thorn in the side of the A&M defense all afternoon, ripped off another big run—this one for 17 yards—setting up a one-yard dive by Tom Pennington that doubled the lead to 14-0. Lubbock State’s defense continued to smother the Generals, forcing an errant field goal attempt from A&M’s Bill Wyss. The Hawks answered in familiar fashion, riding the hard-nosed running of Gingerich and Coddington to another score, with the latter powering in for his second touchdown of the opening frame. Before the first quarter was through, the scoreboard read 21-0, and the Oilman Classic had already turned into a coronation. Witcher attempted to breathe life into the Generals with an eight-yard touchdown run early in the second period, and Wyss tacked on a field goal to narrow the deficit to 21-10. But that was as close as the Generals would get. Gingerich continued to torment the Mississippi A&M defense, finishing the day with 164 rushing yards, outpacing even the heralded Witcher, who managed 144 yards in a losing effort. Lubbock State delivered the final dagger late in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Wayne Brown, filling in for the injured Tom Bosak, connected with All-American end Red Cuyler on a dazzling 64-yard touchdown strike, capping a masterful performance by the Hawks and extending the lead to 37-13. A late A&M touchdown proved little more than window dressing as the final seconds ticked away on a game that had long been decided. Following their dismal showing, Mississippi A&M plummeted in the final rankings, falling from No. 2 to No. 7, while Lubbock State’s triumph secured their place atop the college football world. On this New Year’s Day, the Hawks were undeniable, unrelenting, and ultimately, undisputed national champions. LANE STATE EXTENDS WEST COAST SUPREMACY IN SANTA ANA Emeralds Edge Central Ohio 20-13 in Gritty Display of Power Football SANTA ANA, Calif., Jan. 1— For the sixth consecutive year, the West Coast Athletic Association reigned supreme in the East-West Classic, as the Lane State Emeralds turned back the Central Ohio Aviators, 20-13, before a packed house of nearly 100,000 at the Santa Ana Coliseum. In a contest marked by punishing ground play and opportunistic defense, the Emeralds leaned on their workhorse back Harry Menard to keep their conference’s streak alive and deny the Great Lakes Alliance yet again. Central Ohio, seeking its first East-West Classic triumph since 1941, fought valiantly but was ultimately undone by costly turnovers and an inability to contain Menard, who carried the Emeralds to victory with a staggering 38 carries for 156 yards. The clinching moment came with just over three minutes remaining, when Emeralds safety Warren Diehl intercepted Aviators quarterback Spencer Carr at midfield. From there, Menard methodically chewed up the clock, never allowing the Aviators another opportunity. The game began with Central Ohio executing a meticulous 17-play drive that chewed up nearly eight minutes before Amby Bauman split the uprights with a 27-yard field goal to put the Aviators ahead 3-0. Lane State responded in kind, marching downfield on a similarly grinding possession that ended with Dan Pine’s 11-yard field goal. The Emeralds eschewed a risky fourth-and-inches attempt from the Central Ohio four, opting instead for sure points. The contest’s decisive play occurred early in the second quarter. Attempting just his second pass of the game, Carr was intercepted by Lane State’s Dennis Baatz, who returned it 43 yards untouched to give the Emeralds a 10-3 advantage. The Aviators answered with a punishing nine-play drive exclusively on the ground, capped by a one-yard dive from Larry Spruance to level the score at 10 apiece. Yet, Lane State reclaimed the lead just before halftime when Pine converted his second field goal of the day, making it 13-10 at the break. The waning moments of the first half provided no shortage of drama. Lane State’s ball security faltered, coughing up a fumble deep in its own territory. Yet, Central Ohio’s hopes for a go-ahead score before the break vanished just as quickly, as the Aviators fumbled the ball back on the very next play. With that, a relieved Lane State squad trotted to the locker room clutching a three-point lead. The Emeralds delivered the decisive blow on the opening possession of the second half. A bruising 75-yard march downfield saw Menard take control, carrying nine times for 60 yards—including the final three for a touchdown—pushing the Emeralds ahead 20-10. Central Ohio’s last gasp came with 5:44 left in the game, as Bauman’s second field goal, this one from 28 yards, trimmed the deficit to seven. The Aviators’ defense responded, forcing a crucial stop to give their offense one last chance. But Carr, under pressure and looking to rally his squad, was intercepted once more—this time by Diehl, who sealed the Emeralds’ triumph. With Menard grinding out first downs, the final minutes melted away, leaving the Aviators helpless to stop the inevitable. Pre-game speculation suggested Lane State might struggle without star quarterback Pat Lamar, who was sidelined with an injury. Yet, the Emeralds never needed to put the ball in the air, as their relentless rushing attack proved unstoppable. Backup quarterback Rick Plummer merely directed traffic as the Emeralds attempted no passes throughout the contest. Central Ohio knew exactly what was coming—Menard, again and again—but could do nothing to slow the sophomore sensation. Menard’s dominance made him the obvious choice for Most Valuable Player, and Emeralds fans are already buzzing about what the next two seasons might hold for their budding star. For now, though, Lane State celebrates another East-West Classic crown, another triumph for the West Coast, and another year of heartbreak for the Great Lakes Alliance. CUMBERLAND CLAIMS CAJUN CLASSIC If not for one stumble against Mississippi A&M supporters of Cumberland University feel the Explorers could be celebrating a national championship today. There is, of course, no guarantee the Explorers would have fair any better than the Generals did in Houston against Lubbock State but the Explorers can take solace in the fact they finished the season on a winning note and as the number two ranked team in the nation following a hard fought 13-9 victory over an underrated Cowpens State Fighting Green squad. Ron Filas ran for 110 yards and the only touchdown of the game while his backfield mate Henry Virkler gained 104 yards on the ground to power Cumberland to the victory and complete a 10-1 season giving Cumberland its fourth top ten finish in the past five years and highest showing since the 1955 edition of the Explorers also went 10-1 and finished number two in the polls. LAWRENCE STATE BURSTS ST. PANCRAS BUBBLE Any possible claims out of Syracuse that the St. Pancras Lions deserve a share of the national championship were silenced quickly when the Lions bid for a perfect season came to an end in the Florida sunshine as Lawrence State proved too much to handle and outscored the Lions 30-20. Sophomore St. Pancras running back John Anderson had a huge game, rushing for 193 yards including a 73-yard touchdown gallop in the second quarter but it was not enough as the Chippewa had plenty of big plays of their own in pulling off a mild upset in the Sunshine Classic. Despite the disappointing conclusion that saw the Lions tumble from 2nd to 9th in the final rankings it was still quite a run for a St. Pancras team that went 5-5 each of the previous two seasons and had never played on New Years Day before. Elsewhere Chesapeake State scored 21 fourth quarter points to help the Clippers beat Texas Gulf Coast 43-27 in the highest scoring Bayside Classic ever played. In Dallas, the Georgia Baptist Gators scored a touchdown in each of the four quarters as they went on to beat Eastern Oklahoma 31-6 in the Lone Star Classic. It was the Gators second straight New Years win in the Lone Star Classic. Finally in El Paso an Al West 42-yard field goal with one minute remaining in the game lifted El Paso Methodist to a 27-24 victory over Mile High State in the Desert Classic. It was the victorious Bandits first ever appearance in their hometown classic game. RARE TWO SPORT TITLES IN SAME YEAR FOR HAWKS The Lubbock State Hawks completed a perfect football season with their 37-20 victory over Mississippi A&M in the Oilman Classic. It also made the Hawks part of an exclusive group of schools that had won national titles in two major team sports in the same calendar year. In fact this was only the second time that it happened and ironically, the first was accomplished by the Generals just a year ago when Mississippi A&M won both the Collegiate baseball World Championship and the AIAA national basketball tournament. The Hawks basketball team beat Lane State 63-55 to win the school's first collegiate cage title last March. It has been quite a start to the decade for the Southwestern Alliance school as in an even rarer run of multi-sport success the Lubbock State baseball team was crowned winners of the AIAA collegiate World Series just two years ago. Collegiate football first crowned a national champion in 1906. Basketball held its first AIAA championship tournament in 1909 and baseball followed with the inaugural Collegiate World Championship Series the following year. Here is a year by year list of AIAA football champions and of titles won by schools in the three major team sports. DRILLERS STUN WILDCATS AGAIN, PUNCH TICKET TO AFA TITLE GAME Bogert’s Heroics Lead Houston to 24-20 Victory CHICAGO– If last week’s triumph was a statement, this week’s was a resounding declaration: the Houston Drillers are for real. The upstart second-year franchise, fresh off an 11th-hour playoff berth, marched into Cougars Stadium for the second straight Sunday and left with another stunning victory over the heavily favored Chicago Wildcats. This time, the prize was far greater – a berth in next week’s American Football Association Championship Game against the Boston Americans. A year ago, the Drillers limped to a 3-11 record in their inaugural season. Now, after a dramatic 24-20 win over Chicago, they stand one victory away from completing one of the most improbable turnarounds in league history. Leading the charge was none other than former Wildcat quarterback Miller Bogert, a man Chicago let walk in the 1961 expansion draft. On this cold December afternoon, Bogert came back to haunt his former club, authoring a masterful fourth-quarter rally that lifted Houston from the brink of defeat to the heights of glory. The Drillers struck first, with Bogert orchestrating a methodical 75-yard opening drive, punctuated by a 12-yard touchdown scamper from Phil Patton. The Houston faithful who made the trip roared their approval, but the Wildcats quickly answered. Chicago leaned on its ground attack, with hard-nosed Fred Gunther setting the table before bruising fullback George Hornback crashed into the end zone from four yards out. Paul Chestnut’s 35-yard field goal just before halftime gave Chicago a 10-7 edge at the break. Houston evened the score late in the third quarter with a Craig Oates chip-shot field goal, but no sooner had the Drillers settled than Jim O’Hearn electrified the hometown crowd. The Wildcats speedster took the ensuing kickoff 97 yards to the house, surging Chicago back in front, 17-10. Chestnut’s second field goal early in the final frame widened the gap to 10 points. With the Wildcats seemingly in control and the clock dwindling, Houston’s hopes rested squarely on Bogert’s shoulders – and the former Chicago signal-caller delivered. First, he launched a 54-yard scoring strike to rookie end Randy Renbarger, cutting the deficit to three. Then, with time slipping away and the Drillers facing fourth down deep in their own territory, Bogert found Marc Hyde to keep the drive alive. With the air thick with tension, Bogert calmly guided his club down the field, threading a critical 17-yard completion to Dan Hackbarth before capping the drive with a one-yard toss to Hyde for the go-ahead touchdown with a mere 25 seconds remaining. The Wildcats, stunned into silence, mustered no response in their final possession. As the final whistle blew, the Drillers erupted in jubilation. Houston – a club that just last year was the league’s doormat – now stands on the precipice of a championship. Next stop: Boston, where the red-hot Americans await. But for tonight, the Drillers will savor the sweetest victory in franchise history. AMERICANS END STARS’ REIGN, BEAT NY IN EAST PLAYOFF Boston Returns to Championship for First Time Since 1945 BOSTON– The New York Stars' two-year grip on the American Football Association title is no more. Before a raucous crowd at Minutemen Stadium, the Boston Americans turned back their longtime rivals with a convincing 26-10 victory, securing their first trip to the championship game in 17 years. Next week, they will face the upstart Houston Drillers, the second-year club that stunned the Chicago Wildcats in the West Division final. Despite the final margin, Sunday’s showdown was a closely contested battle on the stat sheet. The Stars actually outgained the Americans in total offense, 254 yards to 244. Both teams struggled on third downs, with New York converting just 3-of-17 attempts and Boston faring only slightly better at 3-for-15. Neither club turned the ball over, and time of possession was nearly even. But when the game’s biggest moments arrived, it was Boston that seized them. The opening quarter saw little movement, but the Americans edged ahead 6-0 on a pair of Dana Lawson field goals. Early in the second quarter, Boston broke through with the game’s first touchdown, a one-yard scoring pass from Bob McKoon to Steve Spanbauer. The drive was powered by a trio of punishing runs—Bob Callender ripped off gains of 13 and 16 yards, sandwiched around a 12-yard burst from Kevin Sova. New York responded just before the half, marching downfield on the strength of their ground game but finishing due to the arm of Harris Kummer. He connected with Matt Center for 14 yards before firing a 10-yard touchdown strike to Ryne Hardy, pulling the Stars within 13-7 at the break. It would be one of only six completions for Kummer on the afternoon, as he finished 6-for-22. McKoon, however, did not fare much better, going just 5-for-16 through the air. A scoreless third quarter kept tensions high before New York’s Cornelius McAlpin booted a 25-yard field goal early in the fourth, slicing Boston’s lead to 13-10. But the Americans wasted no time responding. Lawson drilled his third field goal of the contest, restoring the lead to six. Then, with under five minutes remaining, Boston delivered the knockout punch. Jack Amodeo, a name long known for his game-changing speed, fielded a punt and sliced through New York’s coverage for a dazzling 65-yard touchdown return. The Minutemen Stadium crowd erupted, sensing the moment Boston had waited 17 years for. As the final whistle blew, the Americans celebrated a long-awaited return to the AFA title game. Standing in their way now is a Houston squad riding a wave of momentum. The championship showdown is set – and Boston has been waiting a long time for it. The victory sends Boston to the league championship game for the first time since 1945, when the great Del Thomas guided the Yanks to their third AFA title in a seven year span. The early line has the Americans as three point favourites. The two clubs did not meet this season and did not play each other a year ago so this will be the first ever game between Boston and Houston. MAROONED Another Awful Season for Detroit Grid Squad Can things get any worse for the beleaguered Detroit Maroons? An late game collapse against San Francisco at home two weeks ago had fans pelting the field with projectiles and their accuracy certainly surpassed that of Art Heal, who was forced to step in at quarterback after injuries sidelined both Dee Cann and Spencer Hicks. You can't fault Heal for the loss - he is one of the best halfbacks to play the game in this city but would never pretend to be a quarterback. Blame Maroons management for failing to quickly sign a replacement when they knew both were out. Fans exiting the stadium could be heard voicing the opinion that the time has come for a change and one at the very top. Rollie Barrell is a near legend here in the Motor City but after divesting himself of the cage Mustangs recently to focus entirely on the Maroons, there are calls for him to sell the club. Detroit used to be one of two flagship franchises of the AFA -along with the Chicago Wildcats- but the Maroons club that won five AFA titles in the first 14 years of the league have not won one since 1936 and are 0-6 in playoff games since then. Sure they made the playoffs in two of the last three years, but they lost in the West Division final both times including last year when they went 12-2 during the regular season and were favourites against the dreaded Wildcats in a game played at Thompson Stadium. They made the playoffs in 1958 but followed that up with a 4-8 season. This year they followed up their back to back playoff appearances with another dreadful four win season and they can't seem to even lose properly. Entering the season finale two weeks ago with a league worst 3-10 record and halfback Heal once more assigned the QB duties, all the Maroons had to do was lose in Los Angeles and they would lock up the top pick in the AFA draft. For some reason the Tigers looked like they had no interest in winning either and the Maroons escaped California with a 19-5 victory. The problem is that gives them a 4-10 record, tied with Washington and Buffalo so they quite possibly will pick third instead of first in the draft. Rollie Barrell has done an awful lot for this city and this columnist does not feel he should go. But the Barrell family needs to make changes. Certainly General Manager John Curtis has worn out his welcome and perhaps head coach Sam Wiggins, who has held the job since 1955, also needs to depart. All that has saved their jobs in the past has been the occasional strong season, like the 12-2 campaign in 1961, that pops up only to have any hope quickly snuffed out in the playoffs. There have been too many bad seasons sprinkled into the mix: The Maroons have won 6 or less games in five of Wiggins eight seasons at the helm. Maroons fans have watched the Dynamos become the class of FABL, the Motors win five Challenge Cups in recent years and even Barrell's Mustangs won a Federal Basketball League title. Detroiters have been spoiled in recent years, but not by their grid entry as the Maroons for far too long a time have been leaving Detroit football fans feeling blue. Messer Joins Immortals in Hall of Fame It may have been a little overdo, but on his third attempt, legendary Gotham slugger Walt Messer was inducted into the Hall of Fame. After getting 65% in back-to-back votes, Messer received 86.7% of the votes, becoming the 52nd player immortalized. A veteran of 2,200 games, Messer was a career .299/.363/.501 (138 OPS+) hitter with 358 doubles, 430 homers, 1,500 RBIs, 1,338 runs, and 887 walks. Worth 61.9 WAR, Messer never had a FABL season with an OPS+ or WRC+ below 100, spending sixteen seasons as one of the games most feared hitters. An 8-Time All-Star and 2-Time World Championship winner, he was named WCS MVP in 1942, a season he hit .297/.349/.497 (144 OPS+) with 24 doubles, 27 homers, and 88 RBIs. His best year came in 1948, where Messer hit 41 homers and drove in 111 runs with a matching Fed high 111 runs scored. He hit .304/.379/.545 (147 OPS+), worth 5.5 WAR. One of four 5 WAR seasons, he also had three with a WRC+ above 150, and despite his extreme level of consistency, he was never really in the running for a Whitney. Currently the hitting coach of the New York Imperials, he was the model of consistency, not missing more then a week aside from his two years in the Navy. This allowed him to rank all over his team's leaderboard, top-10 in slugging (7th), OPS (10th, .864), WAR (6th, 61.7), games (2nd), runs (4th), hits (2nd, 2,518), doubles (4th), and walks (5th), while owning the team record for homers and RBIs. Coming up close to the requisite 80% was 8th year man Adam Mullins, who led the rest of the pack with 68.9%. His best showing since 1959 and an improvement over 10% from last season, Mullins has two more seasons left. Getting as close as 75%, it should be a matter of time before the 11-Time All-Star gets inducted, but for now the Memphis native has to wait another year. A veteran of 1,692 games, Mullins ranks top-10 among FABL catchers in average (5th, .304), OBP (6th, .393), OPS (7th, .813), games (7th), hits (4th, 1,827), doubles (3rd, 389), walks (4th, 909), and WAR (5th, 56.02). Voting Results: Tales From The Den Wolves Make A Move With Washington Toronto enters 1963 by making a trade along with paring down their roster further after the conclusion of the recent Rule 5 draft. The trade sent OF Al Clark, 22, from Chattanooga to the Eagles in exchange for middle infielder Dick Rabkin. 23, Rabkin who is reputed to be a slick fielder who can handle either second or short. Originally drafted by the Dynamos in the first round, 13th overall, he was traded to Washington at the end of the '57 season for RP John Herron, SS Ed Patzer. Rabkin debuted in the FABL at the end of 1959 then bounced around the Eagles system before appearing in 147 games last season starting 138 with 96 at short along with 42 at second. A little stronger at second he still gives Hohlt a reliable fielding option at either position with the added bonus of hitting from the right side of the plate. He seems also to be able to contribute at the dish with a '62 line of .293/.331/.402 with 35 XBH in 550 trips to the plate. Going the other way was Clark who came to the Wolves in a 1961 off-season trade along with Charlie Davidson that sent Les Ledbetter to the Keystones who had drafted Clark in the 9th round of the '58 draft. Clark is a superior OF defensively although his bat was slow to come around in AA last season. Front office has told Brett that when Rabkin became available they had to inquire but even with the depth they have in the minors Clark was a tough decision to make to complete the deal. In a statement released by the team the welcome Rabkin to Canada while wishing Clark success in the future. Hohlt is said to be pleased with the addition of good fielding option in the infield. He is said to be hoping that infield coach Tanza Miyake working with Rabkin in camp will add to his defensive value. In a corresponding move with the trade the team announced that both 2B Roy Demonbreun, 34, along with LF Carl Clark, 35 have been released in what appears to be a cost cutting move. Demonbreun has been with the Wolves since 1954 mostly in a bench role appearing in 709 games most as a pinch hitter or defensive replacement never starting more than 80 games. Clark to the Wolves in a trade with the Brooklyn Kings in 1951 after being draft in the second round of the 1945 draft by the Chicago Cougars, Like Demonbruen, Clark was mainly a backup of recent after being the starter LF or CF in 1953, '54, '56. Brett has been told that these moves were considered before the Rule 5 then came to reality after not losing any players in Rule 5. The organization wishes both success in future endeavours in pro ball. Hovering around the 50% vote for the Hall was Sal Pestilli (53.7), George Garrison (47.9), and Leo Mitchell (49.1). All three got their highest vote total, but still fall well short of the 80%. Each has legitimate cases, as Pestilli was a rare power/speed combo, Garrison was a surefire ace for 15 years, and Leo Mitchell was as consistent a hitter as it gets. A surprise from the voting was the lack of support for Skipper Schneider, commonly believed to be one of the game's top defensive players. His 26.2% voting share was his highest in three tries, but his 88.4 ranks 8th among shortstops and he had a 96 WRC+ in over 9,000 FABL PAs. Four players dropped off the ballot, with David Molina (7.5), Pete Casstevens (5.0), Jim Kenny (2.2), and Charlie Griffith (0.0) all failing to grab 10% of the vote. Molina dropping off is a shame, as he was the first traditional stopper and saved a FABL high 253 games in his time with the Sailors and Cougars. The Minneapolis Millers claimed both players that the Cleveland Foresters waived. The first was Otis O'Keefe (.282, 9, 31), who should have a shot to earn a starting outfield job. A 14-year vet who's career has been spent with the Saints and Foresters, O'Keefe has hit .276/.356/.418 (114 OPS+) with 182 homers and 929 RBIs. He'll be joined by soon-to-be 38-year-old Tommy Miller, who made his FABL debut after 18 seasons in the minors. Miller started 11 of his 17 outings, going 3-5 with a 5.31 ERA (88 ERA+), 1.40 WHIP, 20 walks, and 40 strikeouts in 81.1 innings pitched. Minneapolis was one of the few teams unaffected by the Rule-5 draft, as the expansion team did not participate by selecting or losing a player. This is despite a 40-man spot that had 12 openings, though two are expected to be filled by O'Keefe and Miller. PACKERS CONTINUE TO SOAR With two wins over the weekend, each by just a single goal, the Chicago Packers are now riding a ten-game unbeaten streak, one that has seen them post eight victories and moved to within three points of the Detroit Motors for top spot in the North American Hockey Confederation standings. While Ken York and Pete Bernier, who sit one-two in the NAHC scoring parade, have continued to put points up at a high level, the Packers have also benefited of late from secondary scoring with the most notable contribution coming from third year forward Randy Katic. The 23-year-old scored over 100 points in his final season of junior but has been slow to embrace an offensive role in the Windy City, scoring just 4 times as a rookie and adding nine goals last season. He started slow this year as well with four goals in his first 31 games but over the last five games the third line winger has scored four goals including a pair in a 4-3 victory over Toronto on Saturday. His linemates have also been very productive for a third line with center John Trumbell collecting 6 points in the last eight games and right winger Mark Milot recently enjoyed a 3-game goal scoring streak which doubled his season total. * Player Poll Released * The annual NAHC player poll, where players are asked to rate their teammates and opponents in a number of categories, has been released. One notable absence, and perhaps a sign that age is catching up with him is Quinton Pollack. The Toronto captain is still having a solid season and is fourth in the NAHC in scoring, but Pollack is also now 40 years old. Here are the winners of the recent player poll. NAHC RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK TUESDAY DECEMBER 25 New York 1 at Boston 4: The Boston Bees scored three times in the first period to help them snap a four-game losing skid with a 4-1 victory over New York. Jean Lebel, Jack Gariepy and Mitchell Cook had staked the Bees to a 3-0 lead before the game was nine minutes old. Fred Gallatin got one back for the Shamrocks late in the frame but that would be as close as they would come. Nick Quinn rounded out the Boston scoring with a third period goal. Montreal 1 at Chicago 1: The Valiants snapped a 2-game losing streak and only slowed the red-hot Packers, who entered the game with four consecutive wins, by earning a 1-1 tie. Both goals came in the opening period with Ken York notching his 21st of the season on the powerplay for Chicago before Tony Delvecchio tied the game. Nathan Bannister faced 38 shots in the Montreal net. Toronto 3 at Detroit 4: The two rivals opened a holiday home and home series in the Motor City with hosts winning 4-3 behind a 2-goal, one assist performance from Hobie Barrell. Quinton Pollack scored his 9th of the season for the Dukes. WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 26 Detroit 4 at Toronto 5: A wild first period in the Boxing Day rematch as Detroit scores three times in the first 4:27 of the game but Toronto answers with three of their own in a less than 3 minute span a short time later. When the dust settled the Motors led 4-3 at the end of the opening period thanks to three goals and an assist from Alex Monette. Toronto would escape with the two points after Nick Poulin tied the game in the second period and Cody MacLeod notched the game winner in the third on a Quinton Pollack assist. Pollack also scored, giving him three goals in his last four games, as a part of a three point night for the Toronto captain. It was just the second loss in the last 11 games for Detroit. THURSDAY DECEMBER 27 Boston 5 at New York 3: The Bees beat New York for the second time this week, as Nick Quinn scored twice in a 5-3 Boston victory. It was the first time Boston has won back to back games since the win three straight from November 7-11. SATURDAY JANUARY 5 Detroit 1 at Montreal 3: Montreal scored all three of its goals in the opening period and handed Detroit its second straight loss. Nathan Bannister made 42 saves for the winners while Roy Forgeron scored once and added an assist. Recent call-up due to injuries Remi Robert, scored his first career NAHC goal for the Motors. Chicago 4 at Toronto 3: The Packers outshot Toronto 48-28 but barely hung on for a 4-3 victory on the road at Dominion Gardens. Randy Katic scored twice while Conn Maguire had a goal and an assist for the Packers, who are unbeaten in nine games. SUNDAY JANUARY 6 Boston 2 at Chicago 3: Make it 10 straight without a loss for the Packers who benefited from defenseman Guy Bernier's game winner with less than four minutes remaining. Guy's brother Pete Bernier assisted on that goal and scored once himself in the victory. The win moves Chicago within three points of idle Detroit for first place but the Motors do have three games in hand. Montreal 3 at New York 5: New York snapped a 4-game winless streak with a 5-3 victory at Bigsby Garden over visiting Montreal. It also moved the Shamrocks back to within two points of Toronto for fourth place. Alex Kalmakoff scored once and added two assists for the Shamrocks. UPCOMING GAMES MONDAY DECEMBER 31 New York at Detroit TUESDAY JANUARY 1 Toronto at Boston Detroit at Chicago WEDNESDAY JANUARY 2 Toronto at New York THURSDAY JANUARY 3 Boston at Montreal SATURDAY JANUARY 5 New York at Montreal Boston at Toronto SUNDAY JANUARY 6 Toronto at Chicago Boston at Detroit Montreal at New York note the online NAHC and football's AFA are taking a slightly different sim schedule than the rest of the Figment Universe to not slow the pace too much for the online baseball league. Dukes Stumble Into 1963* Toronto's hockey team enters the New Year clinging to the final playoff spot in the NAHC after losing two of three to the top two teams. Detroit hosted a Christmas Day matchup with 13794 on hand to witness the rivalry. Dukes again started strong then fell asleep, a far too common occurrence this season. Hot handed Ken Jamieson gave the visitors the lead before the game was two minutes old. Then the Dukes began a parade to the penalty box taking 4 straight minors with Spencer Quinn tacking on a misconduct after his tripping call. After Alex Monette evened the score the Motors took a 3-1 lead with two goals by Hobie Barrell while skating with a man advantage. After the early goal the puck never seemed to leave the Toronto end in the first as Connelly faced 29 shots. After a tongue lashing by Ari Bear his charges mounted a stronger middle frame controlling more of the play outshooting Detroit 11-5 with the only goal allowed by their old teammate Charlie Dell coming off a shot by Pollack with 72 seconds left in the period. In the third Connelly again faced a heavy workload facing 15 more shots for a game total of 49. Dukes felt they had a comeback chance until Jock Doctorow found the back of the net with 6 and a half minutes to play on a pass from Barrell who had 3 points in the game. Mitch Moran beat Dell with 69 seconds to play making the final 4-3 Detroit, a score that flattered the Dukes. The same two teams met less than 24 hours later in the Gardens before a large Boxing Day crowd of close to 15000. The Dukes had their sleepy spell early in this game. Doctorow plus two by Alex Monette, the second while on the penalty kill, had Detroit up 3-0 before the 5 minute mark. It seems the crescendo of boos reigning down on the team from the stands where like an alarm clock going off for Toronto. Knackstedt made it 3-1 from Jamieson at 7:13 then only 12 seconds later Lou Galbraith, an almost forgotten man this season, narrowed the gap to one with his 1st of the season. Dukes completed the comeback before the period was half over when Pollack's 10th beat Goulet at 9:56. After six goals in the first 10 minutes, against a usually stingy Motors team, Monette completed his natural hattrick with a power play goal at 13:04. He had a goal at even strength, one while shorthanded, and on the power play all in the first period. Both teams continued the wide open play in the second with the goaltender facing a total of 28 shots in the second period alone, the only goal was by Poulin to tie the game at 4. That was one of ten shots the Dukes had in the second, Connelly was left unprotected often. Detroit had 34 shots on goal through 40 minutes. Detroit ran into penalty trouble in the third taking 4 of the 6 whistled by the ref. The home crowd witnessed a full comeback letting out a deafening cheer when Cody MacLeod, recently returned from injury, netted the eventual game winner at 6:07, a Dukes 5-4 victory despite being outshot 45-27. After a moral boosting win on Wednesday night the Packers were in Toronto Saturday night. Dukes did not have the jump the fans expected after the midweek comeback. Randy Katic's two goals in the first gave the high scoring Packer the lead going into the first intermission. Knackstedt gave the fans some life early in the second before Conn Maguire. Ken York with league leading 22nd in the final minute made it 4-1 after two. Connelly again kept the score close in the third despite again facing 48 shots for the game. Mitch Moran's 3rd while up a man at 16:07 gave the crowd hope. With Connelly pulled for an extra attacker Brochu made it 4-3 with 12 seconds to play. Too little, too late as Chicago left town with 2 more points. Coach Bear- "I am at a loss to explain our lapses game in, game out we dig a hole for ourselves every game. We were lucky to get one win in those three games giving up almost 50 shots on goal in each. Time to get back to work to bring better results in 1963." Full Court Press: December 24, 1962 – January 6, 1963 As the regular season hits the halfway point, two teams are separating themselves from the pack. The Boston Centurions are far and away the best team in the FBL at 28-6. The Cents are 15-1 at home, hold an 11-game lead on second place New York, and are on an eight-game winning streak. The main victim has been the second-place Knights, who have fallen four times in those eight games, which has expanded Boston’s lead in the division. Remember: Boston started the season 2-3, so the Centurions are 26-3 since early November. Their scoring differential is seven points better than any other team in the league, as Boston averages 9.9 more points than it allows. Leading the Western Division is the Toronto Falcons, who have a similar home record (14-2) as Boston, but that is where the similarities end. Toronto only leads the West by 3-1/2 games and while Boston is 13-5 away from Denny Arena, Toronto is 7-10 in America. Toronto has recently taken advantage of a bottom-dwelling Chicago team with three straight wins to push the Falcons to a four-game winning streak. St. Louis was in first place as recently as December 27th, but the Falcons four-game winning streak coincided with Rockets four-game losing skein. I have a feeling the margin will be slimmer by the end of January, as Toronto has six games during the remainder of the month against Detroit, while St. Louis has six games against last-place Chicago. Looking at the league leaders, the amount of 20-point scorers in the league has dwindled to four, with Mustangs guard Erv Corwin and Boston forward Bert LaBrecque barely qualifying at 20.1 points a game. The scoring title is Fred Lillard’s to lose. The Toronto forward has reached 23 points a game, and only Howie Farrell of the Knights is anywhere close at 21.3 per contest. Lillard and Bill Spangler (19.5 ppg) make the most potent duo in the league. Rebounding leader Bob Christensen of the Panthers and the Statesmen’s Ossie Waid are the only player in the top ten in both scoring and rebounding. Christensen leads the way with 13.9 rebounds per game and contributes 17.6 points per game, while Waid is seventh in scoring at 18.5 a game and tenth in boards at 9.5 per contest. Frank Black of the Mustangs leads the league in assists by a country mile with his 11.0 helpers per game almost three ahead of Philadelphia guard Dave Woods (8.3). Barrell is a point guard, and while he is third in the league in assists at 8.2 per game, he boasts 14.9 points and 10.1 rebounds a game, the only guard among the eight players in double figures in rebounds. AIAA College Basketball Weekly Recap: January 6, 1963 Lane State took over the top spot in the AIAA Media Poll, as its sterling 11-0 record helped the Emeralds zoom to the top of the charts. North Carolina Tech has mastered the polls until the last couple of weeks and the Techsters have inexplicably dropped three of four. North Carolina Tech must have overstuffed themselves on Christmas goose as its first two games after Christmas were losses to little-known Potomac State and Cache Valley, which have a combined record of 10-12. How did Lane State leapfrog two undefeated teams? The Emeralds played slightly better competition, and the highlight of the fortnight was the overtime victory at home against Travis College, 74-71. Guard Wade Brann ran into foul trouble and only lasted 26 minutes, but his 16 points were tied for the team lead. For the season, Lane State is the only team with two wins against top-ten ranked teams. Second-ranked Central Ohio and #3 Redwood do not have a single game played against a top-ten team, while #4 Western Iowa has a victory over #9 Mississippi A&M in its second game of the year. Lane State’s wins against #7 Indiana A&M and #6 Carolina Poly came in its first two games of the season. There are still another two weeks before the conference schedules begin, but the West Coast Athletic Association may be one of the strongest conferences in the nation. Top-ranked Lane State (11-0) and third-ranked Redwood (13-0) will have to deal with #10 CCLA (10-1), #11 Coastal California (9-2), and #13 Northern California (8-1) when conference play begins on January 23rd. A LOOK BACK AT 1962 Here are the champions and top five contenders in each of the three major weight classes as well as the title fights contested for the American Boxing Federation World Title in the past year. RECENT KEY RESULTS Italian welterweight Carl Rondinelli claimed a unanimous decision in Rome over Abel Daalerop last week. The 28-year-old Rondinelli had a title shot against Lonnie Griffin early last year but was knocked out by the champ in the 14th round. Canadian middleweight Byron Gowing knocked out Clyde Davis in the 7th round of their bout at Bigsby Garden last Thursday. Gowing is 26-6-2 with the victory while Davis, a local New York City product, dips to 25-9-1. UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS Jan 23- World Welterweight Champion Matt Leach makes his first title defense against John Wallace (28-3-1) in Baltimore. Leach (32-6-2) claimed the title with an unanimous decision over Lenny Shafto in September. Feb 9 - George Galleshaw (35-2-1), back as heavyweight champion after scoring a TKO win over Walt Phillips last fall, will make a title defense in Cleveland against Will Flowers. Galleshaw,a 27-year-old native of Syracuse, NY, was world champ previously for nearly two years before falling to Bert Parks in December of 1961. Flowers (26-4-1), who hails from Phoenix, AZ., and is 26 years of age, is getting his first title shot. Feb 27- The highly anticipated rematch between World Middleweight champion Lyman King and former champ George Quinsenberry is set for February 27 at New York's Bigsby Garden. The pair met in Los Angeles in early December and fought to a majority draw, prompting the call for a rematch. King, a 26 year old Oakland, CA., native is unbeaten with a 41-0-1 record and has held the title since he took it from Quisenberry in January of last year in a bout also held at Bigsby Garden. Quisenberry, a 28-year-old Toronto native, has held the world title twice previously and now will look to gain it a third time in his third meeting with King. Quisenberry is 39-2-4 entering the bout. The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 01/06/1963 President Kennedy returned to the White House following a two week vacation and has summoned congressional leaders of both parties to meet with him tomorrow. White House Press Secretary Pierre Salinger says the President called the meeting to preview his state of the union address set for Wednesday and to discuss the legislative program he will submit to the new Congress. The President is expected to face a hard battle from Congress in his efforts to put through the domestic part of his New Frontier program. After UN forces stopped their advance in Katanga, President Tshombe is being given a chance to invite a bloodless United Nations occupation of his war capital of Kolwezi and thus ensure a place of power for himself in a reunified Congo. The military government of Peru arrested 300 alleged Communists and charged Moscow and Havana with directing a subversive plot against Peru. Soviet Premier Khrushchev will go to East Berlin this month for a Communist Party meeting. Khrushchev has called for a solution of the Berlin problem and also said a United Nations command should replace the Allied occupation forces in West Berlin. 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