NOVEMBER 10, 1947
BIG APPLE BOUND!
ALLEN & CLEAVES JOIN GOTHAMS IN MAMMOTH DEAL
The New York Gothams have been involved in more major trades that most other organizations, but the deal announced with Pittsburgh last night is gigantic even by Big Apple standards. The New York Gothams have jumped to the top as Federal Association flag favourites next season with the addition of both Lefty Allen and George Cleaves from the Miners. Heading the other way is a treasure trove of 2 first round picks, two young major league players including promising catcher Dino Robinson and six minor league prospects, including a pair ranked in the top 50 by OSA and three more between 75 and 150 on the scouting service prospect pipeline.
There have been some huge deals in the past such as Al Wheeler and Frank Vance from Detroit to Brooklyn for five prospects and five draft picks, or several blockbusters involving Max Morris and Rabbit Day but this one just might top them all as two players, both potentially on a path to the Hall of Fame, relocate from Pittsburgh to Queens.
Cleaves gives the Gothams arguably the most dangerous lineup in baseball with Red Johnson, Walt Messer and another former Miner in Mahlon Strong -when healthy- joining their new addition. Allen is perhaps not the pitcher he was before the war when he won two Allen Awards, but may just have a resurgence and get back to the form he displayed in the late 1930s when he looked like one of the best pitchers in the game.
The Miners have been on a downward spiral the past three seasons and felt the timing was right to fast track a rebuild by dealing their two most valuable assets. They also made a minor deal earlier in the week sending 34-year-old outfielder Pinky Pierce to Montreal in exchange for mid-level pitching prospect Joe Horvath, 20, and 25 year old AAA hurler Gene Madison, a former second round pick.
The big haul clearly was for Cleaves and Allen with many expecting the duo that have been teammates since 1934 to be broken up. That was until the Gothams agreed to the mammoth deal sending the following to the Steel City:
- A pair of 1948 first round draft picks (originally belonging to the Chicago Chiefs and Chicago Cougars)
- 23-year-old catcher Dino Robinson. Orginally a 1945 8th round selection of the Keystones this will be the third time he has been traded but let's take that because there is a high demand for him. He has played 158 big league games over the past two seasons with the Chicago Chiefs and Gothams, batting .269 with a .313 on base percentage. He likely will inherit the starting job in Pittsburgh to replace Cleaves. OSA calls him a sure-handed and reliable catcher, noting he is an acceptable starter right now, so perhaps there is still some room for growth.
- Lou Hooker is a 23-year-old shortstop who was dealt from the Chiefs to the Gothams at the deadline in the move that sent Pete Casstevens to the Windy City. He peaked at #88 on the OSA prospect list after originally being selected by the New York Stars in the fifth round of the 1942 draft. OSA feels he can be a second division starter in the big leagues and a solid contact hitter. Hooker is batting .258 in 72 FABL games over the past two seasons with the Chiefs and Gothams.
- At #47 on the OSA prospect list, 19-year-old righthander Chuck Briggs was the top pitching prospect for the Gothams at the time of the deal. Another piece in the deal with the Chiefs for Casstevens, Briggs was a 1946 7th round selection who split last season between Class A and B, going 8-10 with a 3.52 era. OSA says he won't be the kind of guy to anchor a rotation, but could develop into a solid #2 starter.
- centerfielder Ernie Campbell is the highest ranked prospect included in the deal at #23 on the OSA list. Selected in the second round out of Tallmadge State, the 21-year-old had a quick stint in A before being elevated to AA where he slashed .285/.335/.407 in 52 games. OSA loves him and feels he could be the replacement for former Miners star Pablo Reyes as an all-star centerfielder.
- outfielder Dick Steel is a 19-year-old selected 14th overall by the Chiefs in 1946 before being part of the Casstevens trade. OSA presently has him at #77 on its prospect pipeline and raves about his power potential, noting Steel projects to be an above average big league outfielder. He is young and will certainly need time to develop if he is going to reach such lofty expectations. Stell hit just .225 with 2 homers in 116 games split between Class B and C last summer.
- Dick Mills slots just outside the top 100 prospects and OSA is not sold on the 20-year-old ever being able to hold a spot in a big league rotation. A lefty, Mills was a former first round pick of the Chiefs and yes he was another piece in the Casstevens trade to bring him to the Gothams. He made 23 starts at Class B in his second full season as a professional, going 7-5 with a 5.57 era.
- At #148 on the OSA list is third baseman Harry Lorello. The 19-year-old was the Gothams 4th round selection in June and struggled at Class C, batting just .185 in 56 games while also having some issues in the field. Despite that OSA has some confidence in Lorello and feels he projects to be an above average big league third baseman.
- Joe Roberson has almost been an afterthought his whole career. He just turned 23 last week and ranks outside the OSA top 300 prospects after being a 22nd round selection by the Gothams in 1943. He started in A ball last season but was moved up quickly to AA, where he went 4-7 with a 3.97 era in 14 starts. OSA sees Roberson as a spot starter at best.
JIGGS McGEE's TAKE: I like this deal for both teams. Let's start with the Miners. It is clear the team in its present form was not good enough to compete and the decision to move its two most marketable assets, while a tough one, seemed necessary in order to try and jump start a minor league system that already had a decent base with top fifty prospects like Irv Clifford and Bill Newhall. If the draft lottery goes their way the Miners -with three first round selections- could add a lot of talent. I like Campbell as their centerfielder of the future and Steel might develop into a big time power bat. Briggs won't replace Lefty Allen ever but should be a solid rotation piece down the road.
That is a nice collection of talent but there are going to be some rough years ahead for the Miners waiting for them to develop. Had they hung on to Cleaves and Allen I still don't see them contending over the next 3 season but perhaps they sneak into the first division. Now it likely guarantees at least 3 years near the bottom of the Fed but in the long run -assuming they draft well- the Miners will be much better off because of this deal.
After this move, the New York Gothams should be the favourite in the Federal Association right now. There is a lot of competition so they are not a clear-cut favourite, although another major pitching acquistion -and they still have their own first round pick to dangle- might get them there. They gave up a lot of assets for a pair of players over the age of 30 -something I am not sure the Gothams have ever done before. Now the key is for management to stay out of the way and not panic if they happen to get off to a slow start. It will be interesting to see if the Pioneers -with a new General Manager on the way- or any of the other contenders for the Fed crown make a big move in response.
BIG WEEK FOR DUKES, WHILE SHAMROCKS SLIDE
Jack Barrell has certainly made his presence felt behind the bench of the Toronto Dukes. Hired after a wildly successful but brief stint in the coast league following his falling out with owner Jack Connelly in Detroit, Barrell has quickly turned around a Toronto team that endured its worst season in well over a decade a year ago.
After fininish dead last in what was a 7-team loop a year ago, Barrell's charges are riding a 3-game winning streak and have a share of the lead as the current NAHC nears the end of its opening month. Toronto won all three of its contests this week thanks to some dependable goaltending from veteran Gordie Broadway and a balanced offensive attack that has already seen a dozen players score at least once and half of them have already found the net three times on the young season.
The leader of course remains veteran captain Bobbie Sauer, who even in the rough times of last season still managed to score at just a shade under a point a game clip. The British Columbia native has been the Dukes captain since 1940 and has led the club to a pair of Challenge Cup wins while also being named the winner of the Al McDaniels Trophy as league MVP twice. The return of Herm Burdette (4-5-9), who missed most of last season with an injury has been a big boost as has the arrival of last year's top rookie Quinton Pollack (2-5-7) from Brooklyn and two early candidates for the McLeod Trophy this time around in youngsters Dick Zimmerman (3-4-7) and first overall draft pick Larry Galbraith (2-5-7). Toronto faces a big week ahead with a home and home series with the Chicago Packers, who have struggled in the early going, as well as another matchup with last place Detroit, a club the Dukes have already beaten three times this season.
At the other end of the spectrum last week was the New York Shamrocks who, after a strong start to the season, suffered three straight losses last week. To make matters worse for the Greenshirts there are worries that veteran pivot Orval Cabbell, who leads the NAHC in goals with 8, may miss Wednesday's game against the defending champion Boston Bees due to a jaw injury.
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NAHC Standings
TEAM GP W L T PTS GF GA
Boston 8 6 2 0 12 26 17
Toronto 10 6 4 0 12 30 24
Montreal 9 6 3 0 12 31 28
New York 9 4 5 0 8 30 27
Chicago 8 3 5 0 6 23 26
Detroit 10 2 8 0 4 19 37
SCORING LEADERS
NAME GP G A PTS
Lanceleve, Mon 9 8 3 11
Albers, NY 9 2 9 11
Cabbell, NY 9 8 2 10
Gregg,, NY 6 6 4 10
Sauer, Tor 10 5 5 10
Doyle, Mon 9 4 6 10
Burdette, Tor 10 4 5 9
Carlson, Tor 10 3 6 9
Mahoney, Chi 7 2 7 9
T Burns, Chi 8 5 3 8
Lynch, Mon 7 3 5 8
Seguin, Chi 8 2 6 8
Chandler, Bos 8 1 7 8
GOALIE LEADERS
NAME GP W L T ShO GAA
Brockers, Bos 8 6 2 0 0 2.13
Tremblay, NY 7 3 3 0 0 2.39
Broadway, Tor 8 4 4 0 0 2.63
Hanson, Chi 8 3 5 0 0 2.89
Touhey, Mon 9 6 3 0 0 3.12
Chasse, Det 8 2 6 0 0 3.77
NAHC RESULTS
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 5
Boston 5 at 3 Chicago - Another win for the Bees over their Challenge Cup foe from last season. A couple weeks ago Boston doubled the Packers 4-2 at home and they followed that up with a 5-3 victory in the Windy City for their 3rd straight win. Defenseman Willis Beane, who scored just 4 goals all of last season, notched a pair of first period tally's and Craig Simpson scored with 1 second left in the period to give Boston a commanding 3-0 lead after twenty minutes despite the fact the Packers outshot Boston 13-10 in the stanza. The overall shot total would be very lobsided with the Packers coming up short on the scoreboard despite firing 41 shots at Tom Brockers. It was rough day for Norm Hanson in the Chicago net as he made just 17 saves. Tommy Hart in the second period followed by Garrett Kauffeldt's empty-netter secured the Boston win after Chicago threatened with goals from Jarrett McGlynn, Jereme MacLaean and Wes Burns -who finally got his first of the season.
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 6
New York 3 at 6 Detroit - The Motors jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead and held on to win for just the second time this season s they doubled the Shamrocks 6-3. Dave Bradley had a goal and 2 assists for the winners in what was a very rough second start for rookie New York back-up netminder Alex Sorrell. After shutting out Toronto in his debut, the 21-year-old was pulled early in the third period after surrendering 6 Detroit goals on just 20 shots.
Toronto 6 at 2 Montrel -Toronto bounced the Montreal Valiants 6-2 to snap a 2-game losing skid. Rookies Dick Zimmerman, with a goal and an assist, and Larry Galbraith, with two helpers, led the way for the winners in a game Toronto outshot Montreal 41-26.
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 8
Detroit 1 at 4 Montreal - The Valiants bounced back from their home loss to Toronto with 4 first period goals including a pair off the stick of Ian Doyle en route to a 4-1 win over the Motors. Adam Sandford with his first of the season and Brett Lanceleve, who is tied for the league lead with 8, were the other Montreal goal scorers while Miles Barfield replied for Detroit.
New York 2 at 3 Toronto - Toronto and New York continued their treks in opposite directions this week as the Dukes get a third period goal from Bobbie Sauer to scratch out a 3-2 victory. New York scored twice in the first on goals by Orval Cabbell and Gil Corbeil but the Dukes responded with markers from Lou Galbraith and Quinton Pollack in the middle frame.
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 9
New York 4 at 6 Chicago - The overnight train ride from Toronto might have left the Shamrocks at a loss for rest but they did hold Chicago scoreless for the first period. Chicago scored three times in each the second and third period including one from Tommy Burns in each frame while the Greenshirts could only manage two each period. The visitors did make it interesting when Laurel Albers cut the Packers lead to 5-4 with 1:11 remaining but Jarrett McGlynn iced the win with an empty-net goal.
Toronto 5 at 1 Detroit - Another win for Coach Barrell over his former team as Toronto easily handles the Motors at Thompson Palladium. Bobbie Sauer led the way with a 3-point night for the winners who gave Gordie Broadway the night off, allowing Terry Russell to claim the victory in net by stopping 22 of the 23 shots he faced.
UPCOMING REGULAR SEASON GAMES
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 12
Boston at New York
Chicago at Toronto
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 13
Chicago at Montreal
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 15
Boston at Montreal
Chicago at New York
Detroit at Toronto
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 16
Detroit at Boston
Toronto at Chicago
Montreal at New York
CONTINENTAL LOOP THRIVING ON EXCITING GRID PLAY
I fully intended to write in today's column how the Continental Football Conference is throwing the ball far more often and with greater success than the stalwarts in the American Football Association and it has created a very exciting brand of football. The level of excitement in the CFC game is clear but surprisingly, as much as it may seem that way, as a league the CFC is not out passing the AFA by any great margin.
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PASSING COMPARISON: AVERAGE PER TEAM/GAME
ATT COMP% YDS/G
AFA 25.7 46.6 155.5
CFC 22.9 48.3 145.8
I set out to praise the CFC for its aerial acrobatics, yet to my astonishment, the AFA stands neck-and-neck in the passing game. Both leagues average 14.4 yards per catch, and the AFA even attempts more passes on average. However, the thrill of CFC games makes it feel like a more aerially-charged spectacle, brimming with heart-stopping finishes.
The AFA boasts Del Thomas, a pass master without peer, and the powerful yet unpredictable arms of Gus Brown in Chicago and Ken Marston in Pittsburgh. There's no denying the excitement when those two hurl the pigskin, for even they know not where it shall land.
But let us not overlook the wave of quarterbacks in the CFC, week in and week out, making magic happen. Pat Chappell proved his mettle last year, and even under the intense scrutiny, the former St. Magnus star continues to shine. If you crave the unpredictability of Brown and Marston, the CFC has John Fuchs and Sam Boettcher to offer. Plus, there's Glen Metcalf, making waves in San Francisco, and the awe-inspiring dual-threat of the Gothams' Ken Hale, a gifted runner and skilled thrower, amassing over 1,100 rushing yards in just 10 games and passing for a similar number.
And let me not forget the most exhilarating squad of them all, the Buffalo Bulls, guided by St. Blane dropout Mark Monday. So many of their games this campaign felt like epics, decided in the final minutes, delivering thrilling entertainment to the masses.
*** The CFC's Small Stadium Dilemma ***
The CFC is rapidly carving its niche, with New York being a prime example, where the exciting Gothams led by Hale outshine the dismal showing of the AFA's New York Stars. In what seems like a blink of an eye, the CFC has garnered tremendous interest and, if not equaling, at least rivalling the AFA's longstanding quality.
Wouldn't we all relish a World Championship Series-like battle between the CFC and AFA champions? However, AFA's chief, Jack Kristich, continues to don blinders and ignores the existence of the CFC. But, mark my words, sooner or later, he'll have to face the truth that the CFC's brand of football is just as captivating, if not more so, than the AFA's showcase.
But hark, my fellow fans, for there's a lingering question that might spell trouble for the Continental circuit. Access to large stadiums beyond a few select markets is scarce. Can the CFC's magnates rake in enough revenue from minor league baseball parks to sustain their endeavors? Kristich and the AFA may bide their time and ponder the depths of the CFC's coffers. After all, can teams like the Kansas City Cowboys thrive in a stadium with less than 15,000 seats? The fate of the CFC hangs in the balance, and only time shall reveal its destiny but for now sit back and enjoy the ride. CFC football is clearly an entertaining spectacle.
WILDCATS WIN KEY WEST SHOWDOWN
The two traditional powers in the American Football Association West Division hooked up at Whitney Park over the weekend. The Detroit Maroons prevailed over the Chicago Wildcats in the season opener for the two clubs in the Motor City but yesterday afternoon the Wildcats evened things up with a convincing 41-10 victory. You have to go back to 1938 to find the last time that neither Detroit not Chicago won the West Division title but this season each are now a game behind the 6-1 Cleveland Finches after the Lake Erie eleven survived a trip to Cincinnati with a 21-14 victory over their in-state rivals.
Mark Ravellette scored on a pair of rushing touchdowns to Cleveland to its victory over the Tigers despite the fact Cincinnati had a sound advantage in both time of possession and total yards. At Whitney Park it was all Chicago as a pair of second quarter interception returns for touchdowns in a 30 second span by the Wildcats broke open a tight game and led the Chicago eleven to victory.
Elsewhere Jim Taylor threw four touchdown passes to lead East Division leading Philadelphia to a 42-14 victory over the last place New York Stars. Del Thomas went one better with 5 touchdown throws and 265 yards passing in Boston's 37-21 victory over the Paladins in Pittsburgh while in St Louis the Ramblers, key by Tom Mallette's 121 yards and two touchdowns on the ground plus a touchdown pass to Ken Kirby helped the hosts surprise Washington 35-16. The Ramblers blew open a tight game with three touchdowns in the final 10 and a half minutes.
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AMERICAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION STANDINGS
East Division W L T PCT
Philadelphia 6 1 0 .857
Washington 4 3 0 .571
Boston 2 5 0 .286
Pittsburgh 2 6 0 .250
NY Stars 1 6 0 .143
West Division W L T PCT
Cleveland 6 1 0 .857
Detroit 5 2 0 .714
Chicago 5 2 0 .714
Cincinnati 3 5 0 .375
St Louis 2 5 0 .286
WEEKEND RESULTS
Cleveland 21 Cincinnati 14
St Louis 35 Washington 16
Chicago 41 Detroit 10
Philadelphia 42 New York 14
Boston 37 Pittsburgh 21
UPCOMING GAMES
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 16
Washington at Philadelphia
Chicago at St Louis
New York at Pittsburgh
Detroit at Cleveland
Boston at Cincinnati
Code:
AFA LEADERS
SCORING PTS
Chick, Cin 49
LePage, Phi 48
Balfour, Bos 46
Gipson, Chi 42
Krohn, Was 40
PASSING COMP-ATT YDS TD INT
D Thomas, Bos 131-230 1920 19 7
Marston, Pit 130-239 1845 10 30
Brown, Chi 116-201 1589 14 24
Morrison, NY 61-158 927 7 18
Krohn, Was 70-165 925 9 14
Colvin, Cle 67-162 923 8 12
RUSHING YDS TD
LePage, Phi 752 8
Mellette, StL 487 4
Ponder, Was 354 2
Orlosky, Det 329 2
Horan, Cin 319 0
RECEIVING CAT YDS TD
Gipson, Chi 36 523 7
Ericksen, Bos 34 482 5
Tisdale, Pit 30 518 3
Holt, Pit 28 442 0
Bowens, Det 27 388 5
INERCEPTIONS #
Neilsen, Cle 8
Coleman, Det 7
Chick, Cin 6
Thompson, Cin 5
Watson, Was 5
COWBOYS EXTEND WEST LEAD
The defending Continental Football Conference champion Kansas City Cowboys extended their lead atop the CFC's West Division to 3 full games over both San Francisco and Los Angeles following weekend action in the second-year loop. Pat Chappell completed 14-of-21 passes for 251 yards and 3 scores as the Cowboys blanked Brooklyn 42-0 at Packer Park. The Wings and Lobos both headed east yesterday, and each will return to the west coast on a down note. At Gothams Stadium the visitors from San Francisco did hold Ken Hale -star Gothams back- out of the endzone but the Wings still came up on the short end of a 24-6 score in falling to the East Division leaders. Second place Buffalo kept within two games of the Gothams after the Bulls-who have become known for their dramatic finishes- scored a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns to trim the Lobos 21-16. The other CFC game took place at Cougars Park in Chicago on Friday evening with the Sam Boettcher passing for 226 yards -more than half of which was on 5 catches by Bo Mandish- to lead the New Orleans Crescents to a 21-7 victory over the host Comets.
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CONTINTENTAL CONFERENCE STANDINGS
EAST W L T PCT[/b]
NY Gothams 8 2 0 .800
Buffalo 6 5 0 .545
Brooklyn 3 7 0 .300
New Orleans 2 8 0 .200
WEST W L T PCT
Kansas City 8 2 0 .800
Los Angeles 5 5 0 .500
San Francisco 5 5 0 .500
Chicago 4 7 0 .364
WEEKEND RESULTS
New Orleans 21 Chicago 7
Kansas City 42 Brooklyn 0
New York 24 San Francisco 6
Buffalo 21 Los Angeles 16
UPCOMING GAMES
SUNDAY NOVEMER 16
New Orleans at Brooklyn
San Francisco at Kansas City
Los Angeles at New York
Code:
CFC LEADERS
SCORING PTS
Penna, LA 82
Wade, NY 81
Hale, NYG 78
Karaszewski, Buf 78
Watson, KC 62
Higman, Buf 59
PASSING COMP-ATT YDS TD INT
Chappell, KC 124-233 2151 22 12
Fuchs, LA 116-230 2012 8 22
Monday, Buf 130-270 1821 16 18
Boettcher, NO 143-292 1744 8 19
Walker, Chi 99-203 1421 8 14
RUSHING YDS TD
Hale, NYG 1167 11
Rose, NYG 697 6
Garner, SF 694 3
Matthews, KC 632 3
Karaszewski, Buf 632 11
Stone, SF 609 2
RECEIVING CAT YDS TD
Pruitt, NO 48 544 3
Mula, SF 46 528 7
Breig,Chi 42 658 4
Orr, KC 39 726 8
Tammaro, KC 34 622 2
Mandish, NO 34 509 4
INERCEPTIONS #
Dutton, Chi 8
Yardley, Bkn 5
J Smith, Chi 5
many with 4
FIGHTING SAINTS EDGE ROME STATE IN SERIES FINALE
Rome State's first courtesy call to Latrobe, Pa., resulted in disaster today as the curtain was lowered on the most famous of all football rivalries. Thirty-four years ago, in the game that launched the intersectional relationship on the campus of Rome State, unheralded St Blane startled the football world with a history-making aerial display engineered by All-American back Nelson Wesley that threw the heavily-favoured Centurions into confusion. Today, in the first time the two met on the Saints campus, St Blane discarded their favored instrument of attack and tore Rome State's defenses apart with a running offense that left the experts in confusion.
St Blane leader Ricky McCallister and a collection of halfbacks merely had to march through holes big enough to drive a jeep through as the "O-Line" of Finn O'Boyle and Jack O'Sullivan simply overwhelmed the Rome State line. The Centurions made a game of it with a late score but McCallister, who ran for one touchdown and passed for another, helped the Fighting Saints win the battle of unbeaten foes 23-21. There are no plans in the works for the rivaly to resume, meaning this was the end of a stretch that has seen a St Blane-Rome State game every year since 1913 with the exception of 1918.
***Unbeaten Ranks Slim to Eight ***
The Rome State loss and Eastern State coming up on the short end of a 27-14 score against Pierpont lowers the number of teams that remain perfect this campaign to eight. Academia Alliance power Pierpont is one of those as the Purple, touted by many as being two touchdowns better than the Monitors proved to be just that and kept their slim hopes of a National Title alive with a convincing 13 point victory. Pierpont joins the Fighting Saints, Detroit City College, Travis College, Liberty, CCLA, Lawrence State and San Francisco Tech as elevens that have yet to lose or tie a game this season.
Detroit City College secured its second straight trip to the East-West Classic with a 19-3 victory over Indiana A&M on a Thompson Field left slick with a mix of rain and snow but that did little to deter the Knights brilliant halfback Bill Howlin, who handled much of the pitching duties as well as running the ball. With Howlin in a leading role, DCC piled up 248 yards running and another 113 by passing, showing the weather could do little to slow the Knights down.
Travis College moved up two spots in the polls following the Bucks 8th straight win, this one in convincing fashion over Lubbock State. The Texas school leapfrogged both falling Rome State and a CC Los Angeles team that was lucky to escape Eugene, Or. with its undefeated record intact following a narrow 16-13 victory over the Emeralds. Perhaps it should have been anticipated as despite their dismal 1-6 record, Lane State nearly upset Coastal California just three weeks ago. The Dolphins handled Redwood 26-6 in a West Coast Athletic Association section meeting Saturday but they still slid a spot in the polls to #8 because Pierpont was so impressive in Virginia Beach over the weekend.
Georgia Baptist dropped out of the top ten after the Gators had to settle for a 14-14 draw with Annapolis Maritime over the weekend. North Carolin Tech, with only an early season loss to Travis College, and coming off a recent impressive victory over Richmond State that put them in the catbird seat in the South Atlantic Conference, cracked the top ten with a 31-0 win over section rival Charleston Tech.
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AIAA COLLEGIATE FOOTBALL TOP TEN
RK SCHOOL LW WEEKEND RESULT
1 St Blane (6-0) 1 W 23-21 over Rome State (6-1)
2 Detroit City College (7-0) 2 W 19-3 over Indiana A&M (4-4)
3 Travis College (8-0) 5 W 27-3 over Lubbock State (2-5)
4 CCLA (7-0) 4 W 16-13 over Lane State (1-6)
5 Rome State (6-1) 3 L 23-21 to St Blane (7-0)
6 Liberty College (7-0) 6 W 23-0 over Conwell College (2-4-1)
7 Pierpont (6-0) 8 W 27-14 over Eastern State (6-1)
8 Coastal California (6-1) 7 W 26-6 over Redwood (2-5)
9 Lawrence State (7-0) 10 W 41-19 over College of Omaha (1-6)
10 North Carolina Tech (6-1) NR W 31-0 over Charleston Tech (4-2)
DROPPING OUT
Georgia Baptist (5-0-2) 9 T 14-14 with Annapolis Maritime (1-4-2)
WEEKEND RESULTS
MAJOR GAMES
St. Blane 23 Rome State 21
Detroit City College 19 Indiana A&M 3
Liberty College 23 Conwell College 0
Pierpont 27 Eastern State 14
Dickson 21 Sadler 13
St. Patrick's 7 Empire State 3
Henry Hudson 14 Grafton 3
Brunswick 7 St. Pancras 7
George Fox 31 Ellery 6
Minnesota Tech 30 Whitney College 27
Central Ohio 7 St. Magnus 7
Wisconsin State 31 Western Iowa 20
Lincoln 44 Bliss College 0
CC Los Angeles 16 Lane State 13
Coastal California 26 Redwood 6
Northern California 30 Rainier College 3
Portland Tech 13 Spokane State 0
Noble Jones College 23 Western Florida 10
Annapolis Maritime 14 Georgia Baptist 14
Mississippi A&M 55 Cumberland 16
Opelika State 16 Northern Mississippi 14
Huntington State 17 Central Kentucky 9
Chesapeake State 47 Lexington State 17
Cowpens State 20 Commonwealth Catholic 14
Maryland State 26 Strub College 7
Richmond State 35 Alexandria 9
North Carolina Tech 31 Charleston Tech 0
Carolina Poly 16 Daniel Boone College 6
Lambert College 20 Iowa A&M 7
Lawrence State 41 College of Omaha 19
Texas Gulf Coast 16 Darnell State 14
Travis College 27 Lubbock State 3
Oklahoma City State 47 Eastern Kansas 3
Eastern Oklahoma 7 Payne State 7
OTHER SCORES
Canyon A&M 34 Abilene Baptist 10
Custer College 14 Idaho A&M 10
Columbia Military Academy 26 Mobile Maritime 0
Boston State 30 Brooklyn State 28
Western Tennessee 34 Alliance (TN) 6
Queen City 10 Miami State 9
Coastal State 27 Bulein 14
Petersburg 17 Central Carolina 17
Mile High State 20 Wyoming A&I 14
Kit Carson University 38 Northern Minnesota 30
Bethlehem College 34 New York Maritime 3
St. Ignatius 30 Sunnyvale 13
Western Montana 27 Stratton 10
South Valley State 31 San Clemente 17
El Paso Methodist 40 Flagstaff State 3
Red River State 17 Arkansas A&T 3
Garden State 24 Eastern Virginia 11
Utah A&M 20 Minns College 0
College of Waco 27 Valley State 24
Texas Panhandle 28 Tempe College 0
Provo Tech 21 Colorado Poly 6
Cache Valley 23 Boulder State 10
Bluegrass State 31 Cookeville State 0
Penn Catholic 26 Wisconsin Catholic 14
Topeka State 45 Laclede 31
CAGE SEASON UNDERWAY
BARONS, MUSTANGS OFF TO QUICK START
The opening week of the second season for the Federal Basketball League is underway and Detroit owner and one of the driving forces behind the league's inception Rollie Barrell has to be happy with the start. Barrell's club, which won just 19 games a year ago and finished with the worst record in the 8-team loop, is off to a quick 2-0 start after wins in Cleveland and at home over Buffalo to start the season.
Leading the way for the Mustangs in the early going has been fan favourite Manuel Nelson. It is the towering 38-year-old Nelson - a star at Detroit City College long ago and the oldest players in the league who has led the club to its season starting wins, averaging 13.5 rebounds and 16 points in the two contests.
The only other team to start the season off without a loss was the Baltimore Barons, who also sit at 2-0 after double-digit victories over Cleveland and Buffalo. Sam Alvis led the way in the opener in Clevland, scoring 22 points and adding 20 rebounds -both game highs- in an 89-75 victory last Tuesday before center Larry Yim took over in Staturday's 96-64 thrashing of Buffalo. The former CC Los Angeles star scored 22 points to lead the way in the home opener before 3,659 fans at the Chesapeake Arena. Yin was also named the FBL's player of the week.
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FEDERAL BASKETBALL LEAGUE STANDINGS
EAST W L PCT GB
Baltimore 2 0 1.000 -
Buffalo 2 1 .667 0.5
Philadelphia 1 1 .500 1.0
Toronto 0 3 .000 2.5
WEST W L PCT GB
Detroit 2 0 1.000 -
Chicago 2 1 .667 0.5
Cleveland 1 1 .500 1.0
Cincinnati 0 3 .000 2.5
SCORING LEADERS PPG
Richard Campbell, CHI 24.0
Lary Yim, BUF 23.7
David Reed, DET 22.5
JohnBanks, CLE 20.5
Danny Hendon, PHI 20.0
The Richmond Clippers and Hartford Patriots are the surprise early leaders as the American Basketball Conference tipped off its 11th season. The Clippers had a busy 3-game week that started with a pair of victories over Rochester with each coming by just a single point. Norm Yates led the way in both games for Richmond with 23 points in the opener and 26 in the second game. There was far less suspense in the Clippers final game of the week as they hammered Pittsburgh 112-75 behind 27 points from Yates.
The Hartford Patriots also had a close call in their opener, nipping Washington 99-98 before improved to 2-0 with a 95-87 win over the New York Knights at the Bigsby Garden.
Code:
AMERICAN BASKETBALL CONFERENCE STANDINGS
EAST W L PCT GB
Hartford 2 0 1.000 -
Boston 2 1 .667 0.5
Brooklyn 1 1 .500 1.0
New York 0 1 .000 1.5
WEST W L PCT GB
Richmond 3 0 1.000 -
Rochester 1 2 .333 2.0
Washington 0 2 .000 2.5
Pittsburgh 0 2 .000 2.5
SCORING LEADERS PPG
James Phillips, HAR 28.0
Norm Yates, RIC 25.3
Don Marlow, NY 25.0
Terry Flowers, ROC 24.0
John Rodrigez, HAR 22.5
HOST KNIGHTS WIN EASTON TIP-OFF
Homecourt advantage was used to its fullest by Commonwealth Catholic over the weekend as the Knights won the prestigious Jack Easton Tip-Off Classic. The event, the oldest pre-season tournament in AIAA history and named after the man credited with inventing the sport of basketball, is held annually at Boston's famous Denny Arena so it is not actually the Knights home court, but the Boston school had plenty of fan support all weekend. It also marked the first time the Knights participated in the local preseason tournament since 1922.
JACK EASTON TIP-OFF
QUARTERFINALS
Commonewealth Catholic 35 Kansas Agricultural 32
Cache Valley 54 Noble Jones College 45
Lambert College 50 Elyria 41
Richmond State 44 Brooklyn Catholic 36
SEMIFINALS
Commonwealth Catholic 49 Richmond State 40
Lambert College 33 Cache Valley 32
FINAL
Commonwealth Catholic 42 Lamber College 41
In Portland, Oregon it was also the local five that came out on top as Lane State rode a surprising upset victory over Liberty College in the opener to the title. The Emeralds are usually overshadowed by Rainier College to the north and several good California schools to the south in section play, but they certainly made others take notice with the opening game 54-43 dismantling of the Liberty College Bells.
Ward Messer, the All-American senior, did everything he could for Liberty College in the contest, including scoring 18 points and hauling in 13 rebounds -both game highs- but it was not enough to stop Lane State. Sophomore forward Carl Casswell was the story the next two days for the Emeralds, scoring 17 points in a 60-53 win over Mississippi Tech in the semi-final contest and then coming up with an incredible 22 point effort in Saturday's 52-36 thumping of Quaker State to claim the banner.
WEST COAST CLASSIC
QUARTERFINALS
Lane State 54 Liberty College 43
Flagstaff State 39 Bronx Tech 38
Quaker College 55 North Central 52
Mississippi Tech 43 West Corners 41
SEMIFINALS
Lane State 60 Mississippi Tech 53
Quaker College 38 Flagstaff State 36
FINALS
Lane State 52 Quaker College 36
HAROLD STEPHENS WILL FACE IRA MITCHELL
World welterweight champion Harold Stephens has confirmed his next title defense will be against top ranked contender Ira Mitchell. The 15-round title bout will take place on January 24 in Cleveland, Ohio at the Lake Erie Arena. It will be Stephens second title defense since beating Mark Westlake last February to claim the welterweight crown. He followed that up with a 6th round TKO of Carl Taylor in Boston last August.
Stephens is a 29-year-old native of Providence, RI, who made his professional debut as an 18-year-old in 1936. Like most of the top boxers he missed much of his prime due to the war, returning to the ring in August of 1945 after a four year absence. Since then he has won all six of his bouts to improve his overall record to 20-3-2. The last time Stephens was defeated in the ring was in June of 1938 when Jamie Rotz, who had also topped Stephens two year prior, claimed a TKO victory.
Mitchell, also 29, hails from Chicago and may well be the hardest puncher in the welterweight division. A decorated Marine for his heroism in the Pacific, Mitchell knocked out Kevin Jackson two weeks ago to run his record to 19-1. His lone loss was a unanimous decision to Steve Landry in 1945 -his second fight back after being out of the ring since November, 1941. Mitchell was one of the first to enlist after the attack on Pearl Harbor and spent more than 3 years serving in the Pacific theater. Each of his last six wins have come by either knock our or TKO and overall 17 of his 19 victories did not go to the scorecards.
UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS
- Nov 13: Lewiston, Me: Rising heavyweight Joey Tierney (9-0) vs Tony Herring (2-2) in a 6 round bout.
- Nov 15: Paris, France: Edouard Desmarais (38-1) defends his European Middleweight Title against Yohan Revel (13-0)
- Dec 12 - Lakeside Auditorium, Chicago: World Middleweight Champ John Edmonds (23-2) rematch with Frank Melanson (32-1-2)
- Jan 10 - Santa Ana Stadium, Los Angeles: World Heavyweight Champ Hector Sawyer vs Dan Miller
- Jan 24 - Cleveland, OH: World Welterweight champion Harold Stephens (20-3-2) defends his title against Ira Mitchell (19-1)
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 11/09/1947
- In the UN, Russia rejected American suggestions on methods of partitioning Palestine and instead demanded that the British withdraw all troops no later than May 1 and a transition of no longer than 1 year until complete independence is given for the projected Jewish and Arab States.
- After disappearing over a week ago, the leader of the opposition in Poland arrived in London by an RAF plane telling that the Moscow-sponsored Polish government planned to sentence him to death.
- Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov accused the United States of establishing new naval and air bases close to Russia "as a prepartion for aggression." He also declared that the A-Bomb is no longer a secret.
- The Republicans will run into a third Truman veto if they pass their $4 billion income tax cut again this fall. That is the prediction of North Carolina representative Doughton, dean of the Democrats on tax matters who notes GOP leaders would have to "show that we can meet our domestic needs, pay for foreign relief and pay on the debt" in order to prevent the need for another veto.