DECEMBER 1, 1947
IS '48 DRAFT CLASS VERY WEAK OR WAS '47 GROUP JUST EXCEPTIONAL?
Projecting how high school and college players will perform as they mature (hopefully) into major leaguers is a difficult task in the best of times but the 16 FABL Scouting Directors preparing for the 1948 draft day feeding frenzy have another wrinkle to contend with this season. OSA, the league's centralized scouting service has made a change in the system it uses to grade players (translation we have switched to OOTP24) and there have been wild fluctuations with many of the names on the prospect pipeline. It just stands to reason that those fluctuations have also impacted the crop of high school seniors and college juniors waiting to be drafted in early January.
TWIFB uses a grading system to make its mock draft list every fall and we assign players a round based upon on we assess their talent. It is not a true round assignment as we do not require 16 players in each round. Instead, it is based on talent level, and we try to keep it consistent from year to year so we can compare draft classes.
What we have discovered is the 1948 crop appears to be very weak. Only 13 players, including just a single pitcher, have garnered "first round" status by our system. A year ago, that total was 22 players. However, our 1946 draft board only had 12 names as first round talent. So the question is was the 1947 draft just that much better than the two years around it or is the current 1948 crop being adversely downgraded because of a new bias that appears against pitcher.
Code:
PROJECTED FIRST ROUNDERS BY POSITION
P C INF OF TOTAL
1946 4 0 2 6 12
1947 9 2 7 4 22
1948 1 0 6 6 13
It is on the mound where we see the biggest difference.
1946 Pitchers Given 1st round status: 4
Bob Allen, Larry Beebe, George Reynolds and John Stallings
1947 Pitchers Given 1st round status: 9
Hank Aldrich, William Benns, Tony Britten, Jim Heitzman, Billy Kiley, Les Ledbetter, Ralph Lefebvre, Steve Talley and Chick Trilman
1948 Pitchers Given 1st round status: 1
sorry name is redacted until after the draft
The numbers for pitchers get no better as the rounds progress. In total, TWIFB counts just 15 pitchers it considers worthy of consideration for selection in the first 5 rounds of the draft. How does that compare to the previous two years?
Code:
RD 1 2 3 4 5 TOTAL
1946 4 2 2 3 4 = 15
1947 9 4 6 9 5 = 33
1948 1 2 7 4 2 = 16
Perhaps the 1948 class is really not that far out of the ordinary. It is the 1947 group that may well prove to be the outlier and there was some speculation a year ago that the '47 group may just rival the great 1925 crop -the one that delivered Al Wheeler, Bud Jameson, Bill Ashbaugh, Doug Lightbody and Jack Cleaves in its first round- as perhaps the greatest draft class of the modern era.
It is strictly what looks like a real absence of elite level arms that is giving the impression that the 1948 class is weak. Could this be the first draft in the modern era that not a single pitcher is selected in the opening round? We only had 3 selected last year despite the high grades from TWIFB for many, although that was very much due to the fact that there were so many highly skilled position players in the group.
*** Charlie Barrell Likely Going College Route ***
The draft is always buzzing whenever a member of baseball's royal family -the Barrell's- is eligible. However this season the buzz is for an entirely different reason as Charlie has reportedly informed all 16 FABL clubs not to select him as he is 100% committed to playing baseball, along with football and basketball, at Noble Jones College next year. Whether a team does select him, or perhaps FABL President Sam Belton declares Barrell ineligble for selection, remains to be seen but you have to suspect that given his talent -and his last name- if allowed a FABL club will call Charlie Barrell's name in the first round and make an all out effort to try and convince him to at least play pro baseball in the summer and restrict his collegiate endeavours to the grid and hardwood.
It is rare that any member of the extended Barrell family survives the first round and 3 of them -Tom, Harry and Deuce- were first overall draft picks. However, it is quite possible Belton will issue an edict that FABL clubs will have to wait until 1951 before they will get a chance to select Charlie, and even that is assuming he is willing to skip his senior year of football and basketball -two other sports he potentially could excel at as a professional- at Noble Jones College.
Barrell was born in Los Angeles, the son of former football star Joe Barrell and movie star Dorothy Bates, but is living with his uncle Dan Barrell - who also happens to be the head of OSA's baseball division- and attending Capital Academy in Washington D.C. He not only captured the attention of FABL scouts but has been heavily recruited by most of the top AIAA schools with the idea of him competing in 3 sports at the collegiate level. The OSA basketball rankings list Charlie as a top 50 recruit in that sport and he recently committed to Noble Jones College for next season.
High school baseball stars do regular committ to colleges and then change their mind when FABL clubs come calling with big bonus cheques, but Charlie appears to be set with his decision to the point where there is talk that OSA may remove him from it's baseball rankings. It seemed just a short time ago that Charlie would be set to join the long list of Barrell's to be selected high in the FABL draft but now it appears that might just be delayed until his college days are over.
The Montreal Saints have revealed plans to retire the jersey #5 worn by Vic Crawford, who hung up his glove last month after 17 big league seasons with the Continental Association club. The 39-year-old former first baseman is only surpassed by Hall of Famer Joe Ward in nearly every major offensive career stat for the Saints and has been the face of the franchise for what feels like forever. A two-time all-star, Crawford will join Hall of Famers Charlie Firestone and Joe Ward as former Saints who have had their numbers retired.
A 3-time collegiate All-American and winner of the 1939 Christian Trophy with Commonwealth Catholic, Crawford was selected 3rd overall by the Saints in the 1929 FABL draft. He made his big league debut in Chicago on June 8, 1931 and collected his first hit, a single off of the Cougars Steve Castellini, a day later. He became a full-time player in Montreal beginning with the 1933 season, when he led the Continental Association in doubles and was named to participate in the inaugural all-star game.
Crawford would fittingly hit a double in his only plate appearance in the '33 all-star game. He would make another all-star appearance in 1935 and would go on to lead the CA in doubles five times in his career. His 546 career two-baggers are tied with Hall of Famer Powell Slocum for the 7th most all-time. In all Crawford played 2,071 big league games -all with Montreal- and leaves with 2,148 career hits.
MAROONS SUFFER FAMILIAR HEARTBREAK
Once more, dear readers, we find ourselves grappling with a bitter case of déjà vu, as the Detroit Maroons stumble down the stretch for the second year in a row, shattering our hopes for a championship bid in the American Football Association.
Ah, the agonizing frustration of witnessing back-to-back losses against teams that should have been dispatched with ease! Alas, it appears that our beloved Maroons have once again faltered when it truly mattered, casting a dark cloud over our gridiron dreams.
Cast your eyes upon the woeful record of the Detroit eleven when it matters most:
1941 - Oh, the promise of a blazing 6-0 start, only to be dashed by three losses in the final five games, including a humbling 45-24 defeat to the Chicago Wildcats at Thompson Field, leaving the Maroons at 8-3 and a mere game shy of those wild Wildcats.
1943 - Despite our hopes rising once more, the 1943 season proved a cruel echo of the past, with three final defeats sealing their fate as the perennial runner-up to those tenacious Wildcats.
1944 - In a less-than-stellar year for the Wildcats, our beloved Maroons managed to secure a 7-3 record. But alas, in a grim continuation of Frank Yurik's title game woes, they faltered again, this time to Philadelphia, with a disappointing 30-14 loss, courtesy of three ill-fated second-half interceptions thrown by Maroons quarterback Rich Coleman.
1945 - A solid 7-3 record sees local eleven emerge victorious in the West, only to be met with a crushing defeat at the hands of Boston, who pummeled us 56-24 in the title game, leaving us with a heart-wrenching 1-4 record in AFA championship contests.
1946 - Just last year, the Maroons held a 5-3 record, firmly in control of the West Dvision with only three weeks remaining. But alas, a trio of successive losses tore our dreams asunder, snuffing out our championship aspirations.
And now, here we stand once again, a victim of three losses in the last four weeks. True, the schedule proved a formidable adversary, with six final games on the road following the opening six at home. Nonetheless, a triumphant victory over Cleveland not long ago had us soaring with hope, perched atop the standings, tied for first place. Games against feeble New York and St. Louis lay before us, a golden opportunity to cement our supremacy.
Yet, our hopes were cruelly shattered, as the Maroons stumbled to a lackluster 17-7 defeat at Dyckman Stadium against a team that had only won once before and would be mercilessly trounced by Cleveland the very next week. Then, to add pour salt in our festering wounds, the Maroons followed up with a bumbling performance, succumbing to a 21-10 loss to the St. Louis squad, a team that was blanked 27-0 by the Wildcats merely two weeks earlier. The cycle of falling short continues, and we find ourselves haunted by all-too-familiar heartbreak that seems to invade the Maroons clubhouse near the conclusion of every campaign.
***Better News From Palladium ***
There is some good news for Detroit sports fans as both of our winter warriors are having some success at Thompson Palladium. The Motors have spent nearly the entire season in the basement of the NAHC but a win over Boston and tie with Montreal on the weekend have allowed Detroit to leapfrog the slumping New York Shamrocks and move up to fifth place.
On the hardwood, I can't help but feel like I am just waiting for the Mustangs, despite a 5-2 start to crash after finishing in last overall in the FBL a year ago. The local quintet has a strange schedule with 6 in a row against the Cleveland Crushers. The good guys took two of the first three and also beat them two weeks ago. It is a crazy setup as the Mustangs will have played 7 against Cleveland before we get our first look at the defending champion Chicago Panthers on December 13th. That is when we will find out if Mustangs are actual contenders.
There is something going on this week in the offices of the Dynamos as well with the club preparing to participate in the annual rule five draft. The Dynamos are still in the process of sifting through the available talent but it appears unlikely Detroit will select a player in the draft of minor league veterans.
- Woody Stone, the former Philadelphia Sailors catcher now able to shop his services to the highest bidder, is certainly taking his sweet time in agreeing on a contract. All reports indicate that a coast league outfit -long rumoured to be Dallas but also perhaps Portland or Los Angeles- would be the destination but Stone has not signed anywhere yet. Someone jokingly suggested Stone is trying to get the Japanese League involved in the bidding to further up the price, but Leland Kuenster of the Chicago Herald-Examiner quickly shot that down, noting in his column that he does not believe "baseball is a valid line item the Marshall Plan."
- A few minor deals in recent days included the Brooklyn Kings sending 27-year-old lefthander Jim Kenny to the Chicago Cougars for 19-year-old class C outfielder Fred McHenry. Kenny won 18 games for the Kings in 1944 but spent last season in AAA. The other move also involved the Kings, who acquired 35-year-old third baseman Jim Beard from Pittsburgh in exchange for minor league lefthander Dave Low. Beard hit .282 in 115 games with the Miners last season and is a veteran of 1,438 FABL games with stops in Washington, with the Sailors and Cougars before joining the Miners last season. He was twice an all-star early in his career with the Eagles.
- Finally the Kings deal a third round pick and 18-year-old minor league 1B Gilbeto Ocasio to Montreal in exchange for 29-year-old infielder Charlie Woodbury. A member of the Saints for the past six years, Woodbury hit .281 last year while starting 153 games at second base. Ocasio was Brooklyn's third round selection last year and is considered to be a top 100 prospect.
BIG LINE HAS PACKERS ON THE RISE
The Chicago Packers offense is in full gear now that the high scoring trio of the Burns brothers and Marty Mahoney are back together. Injuries and some early season experimenting by Packers coach Ed Hempenstall had briefly separated the three, but it is going to be hard for the Chicago bench boss to consider doing that again as the club is unbeaten in its last six games and his hot on the heels of the first place Montreal Valiants for the NAHC lead.
Tommy Burns -the league scoring leader a year ago- is riding a 7-game goal scoring streak and has amassed 14 points in that stretch. His big brother Wes Burns, the Packers captain, has 13 points in the past six games including a record setting 7-point evening in a game against Detroit last week, totals that helped Wes be named NAHC player of the month for November. The right winger on that line, Mahoney, has 15 points in the last six games and sits atop the NAHC scoring parade with 25 points on the season -two more than each of the brothers.
There is a real logjam at the top of the standings as four clubs are separated by just 3 points as they begin to distance themselves from the Detroit Motors -who are at least starting to show signs of life- and the slumping New York Shamrocks, who have lost 4 straight and 7 of their last 9 games after a 4-2 start to the season.
Code:
NAHC Standings
TEAM GP W L T PTS GF GA
Montreal 18 10 7 1 21 57 59
Chicago 17 9 7 1 19 59 46
Boston 17 9 7 1 19 56 46
Toronto 18 9 9 0 18 55 59
Detroit 17 6 10 1 13 44 58
New York 15 6 9 0 12 47 48
SCORING LEADERS
NAME GP G A PTS
Mahoney, Chi 16 10 15 25
T Burns, Chi 17 13 10 23
W Burns, Chi 17 8 15 23
Chandler, Bos 17 8 12 20
Lanceleve, Mon 18 9 7 16
Skinner, Mon 18 7 9 16
Carlson, Tor 18 5 11 16
Albers, NY 15 2 14 16
Cabbell, NY 14 11 4 15
Gregg,, NY 10 8 7 15
Pollack, Tor 18 8 7 15
Sauer, Tor 17 7 8 15
Lynch, Mon 15 5 10 15
GOALIE LEADERS
NAME GP W L T ShO GAA
Brockers, Bos 14 7 7 0 0 2.72
Tremblay, NY 11 5 5 0 1 2.73
Hanson, Chi 14 6 7 1 0 2.87
Broadway, Tor 16 7 9 0 1 3.41
Touhey, Mon 16 9 7 0 0 3.45
Chasse, Det 13 5 7 1 0 3.48
Sorrell, NY 6 1 4 0 1 4.01
LAST WEEK'S RESULTS
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 26
Boston 2 at 2 Chicago: It is always exciting to see the Challenge Cup finalists from a year ago square off and the Packers entered this one on a high, riding a 4-game winning streak. Chicago did not win its 5th in a row but the Packers did come out of it with a point as the loop had just its first tie-game of the season. The Burns brothers each scored once as the hosts lead 2-1 after 40 minutes but rookie defenseman Charlie Rittinger's first NAHC goal midway through the third period for Boston forced each club to settle for a single point in a game in which even the shots -at 32 apiece- were deadlocked.
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 27
Boston 3 at 4 Detroit : It has been a rough start to the season for the Motors, but they claimed their fourth win in six games with a hard fought 4-3 win over the visitors from Boston. Joe Todd's third period goal was the difference as Henri Chasse made 39 saves in the Motors cage while Garrett Ferrar scored twice for the home side. With the loss the Bees are just 2-5-1 in their last 8 outings.
Toronto 3 at 6 Montreal: The Toronto Dukes are in a bit of a slump as well, with the 6-3 loss to Montreal being their fourth loss in the last five games. The Valiants continue to lead the NAHC and continue to score as Max Ducharme led the way with 2 goals in this one.
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 29
Montreal 3 at 7 Toronto: The rematch at Dominion Gardens went much differently as the Dukes, trailing 2-1 after twenty minutes, scored 4 unanswered goals to take the lead before finishing with a 7-3 victory in what can only be described as a rough outing for Montreal goaltender Millard Touhey. The 31-year-old stopped just 22 of the 29 shots he faced in allowing multi-point games to 8 Dukes led by Bobbie Sauer and Herb Burdette with 3 each.
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 30
Toronto 5 at 7 Boston: The Bees got back in the win column with a high scoring win at Denny Arena that saw Boston erupt for 4 goals in the final 11 minutes to pull out the victory. Wilbur Chandler scored twice for the winners with Waldemar Rupp and Jacob Gron each collecting 3 helpers. Quinton Pollack replied twice for Toronto to give the former Brooklyn Eagles star 8 goals on the season.
New York 2 at 6 Chicago: A clash of two teams heading in opposite directions the surging Packers extended their unbeaten streak to 6 games while the sinking Shamrocks -who have not win since topping the Packers 4-2 on November 15th- lost their fourth straight. Marty Mahoney and Tommy Burns each had 3 points for the winners.
Montreal 2 at 2 Detroit: A surprising result in the Motor City allowed Detroit to escape last place for the first time since the opening weekend of the season as they Motors played the first place Montreal Valiants evenly. Wayne Augustin and Max Ducharme had the Vals up 2-0 early in the third period but goals by Alex Viens and Graham Comeau, each assisted by rookie Adam Vanderbilt, allowed the Motors to claim a point.
UPCOMING REGULAR SEASON GAMES
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 3
Chicago at Boston
Toronto at New York
SATURDAY DECEMBER 6
New York at Boston
Detroit at Montreal
Chicago at Toronto
SUNDAY DECEMBER 7
Montreal at Boston
Toronto at Chicago
Detroit at New York
BOTH RACES WIDE OPEN FOR AFA DIVISION CROWNS
Things tightened up considerably in the battle for supremacy in the American Football Association's East Division after weekend action saw the Washington Wasps beat Boston while the Philadelphia Frigates were upset by the Pittsburgh Paladins. The result leaves the Wasps -who beat Philadelphia two weeks ago- just a game back of the Frigates with two remaining for each club.
Ed Watson was the hero for the Washington eleven as he returned a punt 78 yards for one score and added another one on the ground to lift the Wasps to a 21-13 victory over struggling Boston. Washington at 6-4, is a game behind the Frigates and in pursuit of the franchise's first-ever trip to the championship game. The Wasps nearly won the East a year ago but came up a game short.
Philadelphia was a surprise loser, falling 38-13 to Pittsburgh for the Frigates second straight loss and first defeat at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Stadium. Ken Marston threw for 227 yards and a touchdown while also running for a pair of majors to lead the 4-7 Paladins to the victory.
The West Division is still Chicago's for the taking after the 8-2 Wildcats and 7-3 Cleveland both won last week. The Wildcats needed 21 third quarter points to rally past Cincinnati 28-27 on Thanksgiving Day while Cleveland kept pace with 42-7 pounding of the struggling New York Football Stars. The other game saw Detroit drop 2 games back in the West race with just two to play after the Maroons were upended 21-10 by the St Louis Ramblers.
Code:
AMERICAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION STANDINGS
East Division W L T PCT
Philadelphia 7 3 0 .700
Washington 6 4 0 .600
Pittsburgh 4 7 0 .364
Boston 3 7 0 .300
NY Stars 2 8 0 .200
West Division W L T PCT
Chicago 8 2 0 .800
Cleveland 7 3 0 .700
Detroit 6 4 0 .600
St Louis 4 6 0 .400
Cincinnati 4 7 0 .364
WEEKEND RESULTS
Chicago 28 Cincinnati 27
St Louis 21 Detroit 10
Washington 21 Boston 13
Pittsburgh 38 Philadelphia 13
Cleveland 42 New York 7
UPCOMING GAMES
SUNDAY DECEMBER 7
Boston at New York
Washington at Pittsburgh
St Louis at Chicago
Cleveland at Philadelphia
Detroit at Cincinnati
Code:
AFA LEADERS
SCORING PTS
Balfour, Bos 87
Chick, Cin 65
Watts, Cle 65
Watson, Was 60
Gipson, Chi 60
Holt, Pit 60
PASSING COMP-ATT YDS TD INT
D Thomas, Bos 188-333 2773 23 13
Marston, Pit 175-313 2502 13 35
Brown, Chi 161-266 2321 21 30
Colvin, Cle 100-238 1427 14 17
Beard, Det 93-218 1339 9 17
RUSHING YDS TD
LePage, Phi 1010 8
Mellette, StL 716 5
Belles, Det 468 1
Ponder, Was 444 3
Herndon, Phi 439 3
RECEIVING CAT YDS TD
Gipson, Chi 57 918 10
Holt, Pit 44 699 2
Ericksen, Bos 44 614 6
Tisdale, Pit 38 673 3
Gilbert, Cin 38 608 2
INERCEPTIONS #
Neilsen, Cle 11
Thompson, Cin 8
Coleman, Det 7
Chick, Cin 7
Wynkoop, Det 7
GOTHAMS CLINCH EAST WITH WIN OVER BUFFALO
The 1947 Continental Football Conference championship game will be a rematch between the Kansas City Cowboys and New York Gothams. The defending champion Cowboys had already clinched the West Division berth and they were once more joined by the Gothams after the New Yorkers held off Buffalo 21-14 to claim top spot in the East with one more weekend remaining on the schedule.
Ken Hale, who is making a serious challenge to Cowboys quarterback Pat Chappell for the league's Most Valuable Player award, had another big game as the dual threat quarterback ran for 129 yards and a touchdown will also throwing for 68 more yards and another score. Hale leads all of professional football with 1,423 yards rushing on the season.
In Los Angeles, Chappell threw for 210 yards as the visiting Cowboys built a quick 21-0 lead and then went on to beat the hometown Lobos 31-10 to run their record to an CFC best 11-2. Elsewhere a pair of fourth quarter scores lifted New Orleans to a 21-7 victory over the visiting Chicago Comets while a late San Francisco turnover allowed the Brooklyn Kings to score the only touchdown of the game with just over two and half minutes remaining in the fourth quarter to clip the Wings 7-3.
Code:
CONTINTENTAL CONFERENCE STANDINGS
EAST W L T PCT[/b]
NY Gothams 9 3 1 .750
Buffalo 7 6 0 .538
Brooklyn 5 8 0 .385
New Orleans 3 10 0 .231
WEST W L T PCT
Kansas City 11 2 0 .846
Los Angeles 6 6 1 .500
San Francisco 6 7 0 .462
Chicago 4 9 0 .308
WEEKEND RESULTS
Brooklyn 7 San Francisco 3
Kansas City 31 Los Angeles 10
New Orleans 21 Chicago 7
New York 21 Buffalo 14
UPCOMING GAMES
SUNDAY DECEMBER 7
Kansas City at New Orleans
Buffalo at San Francisco
Chicago at Los Angeles
New York at Brooklyn
END OF REGULAR SEASON
Code:
CFC LEADERS
SCORING PTS
Penna, LA 108
Wade, NY 103
Hale, NYG 90
Karaszewski, Buf 84
Walston, KC 82
Higman, Buf 63
PASSING COMP-ATT YDS TD INT
Chappell, KC 164-301 2701 29 16
Fuchs, LA 143-291 2400 10 24
Boettcher, NO 178-361 2241 13 25
Monday, Buf 151-313 2088 19 20
Walker, Chi 120-257 1703 9 17
RUSHING YDS TD
Hale, NYG 1423 13
Garner, SF 832 3
Matthews, KC 821 4
Rose, NYG 784 6
Karaszewski, Buf 753 12
Stone, SF 688 2
RECEIVING CAT YDS TD
Mula, SF 55 692 7
Pruitt, NO 54 587 3
Mandish, NO 47 740 7
Tammaro, KC 46 766 8
Orr, KC 45 810 9
Breig,Chi 44 670 4
INERCEPTIONS #
Dutton, Chi 8
Yardley, Bkn 6
Carroll, SF 6
Alexander, Buf 6
Annapolis Maritime's battered football team, floored under the impact of a brutal, murderous schedule, attempted to struggle from the canvas Saturday in Philadelphia and with one might blow salvage some success from a distressing season. The Navigators accomplished just that, beating a struggling Rome State eleven 27-21 to claim bragging rights in their annual tussle for the first time since 1943.
Rome State was a mere shadow of the well-oiled machine that ran over anything and everything in posting a 28-1-1 record over the previous three seasons. This incarnation of the Centurions limped home with three straight defeats, falling to St Blane, Pierpont and now most shockingly an Annapolis Martime eleven that tasted victory for just the third time this season.
President Truman, who's front row seat behind the Rome State bench afforded him a blocked view of the proceedings -and perhaps it was better that way considering the quality of football on display but Soliders & Sailors Memorial was still jammed full for the annual football frenzy.
With the season winding down many of the top clubs were off for the week. Travis College was one exception as, a day after officially accepting an invite to the Cajun Classic where they will play Alabama Baptist, the Bucks went out and improved their record to a perfect 10-0 with a 38-21 victory over Darnell State. Dusty Sinclair once more keyed the Travis College attack in running for two touchdowns and passing for two more.
Georgia Baptist spoiled Noble Jones College's Deep South section title hopes with a 13-10 win over the Colonels. Both will play on New Year's Day but Gators win allows Alabama Baptist and Mississippi A&M to nose out Noble Jones and share the section bragging rights. The Panthers blanked Miami State 13-0 in a non-section game while the Generals earned their share of the title with a 17-7 win over rival Northern Mississippi. Elsewhere, Mile High State claimed the Rocky Mountain Athletic Alliance title with a 20-6 win over Boulder State after each entered the season finale unbeaten in section play.
Code:
AIAA COLLEGIATE FOOTBALL TOP TEN
RK SCHOOL LW WEEKEND RESULT
1 St Blane (8-0) 1 idle
2 Detroit City College (9-0) 2 idle
3 Travis College (10-0) 3 W 38-21 over Darnell State (2-8)
4 CCLA (8-0-1) 4 idle
5 Pierpont (8-0) 5 W 34-0 over Brunswick (4-4-1)
6 Alabama Baptist (8-1-1) 6 W 13-0 over Miami State (3-6-1)
7 Coastal California (6-1-1) 7 idle
8 Richmond State (9-1) 8 W 33-7 over Petersburg (3-6-1)
9 Huntington State (8-2) 10 W 35-7 over Pittsburgh State (1-8)
10 Mississippi A&M (8-1-1) NR W 17-7 over Northern Mississippi (4-6)
DROPPED OUT
Rome State (6-3) 9 L 27-21 to Annapolis Maritime (3-4-2)
WEEKEND RESULTS
MAJOR GAMES
Travis College 38 Darnell State 21
Pierpont 34 Brunswick 0
Lawrence State 41 Valley State 7
Annapolis Maritime 27 Rome State 21
Richmond State 33 Petersburg 7
Alabama Baptist 13 Miami State 0
Huntington State 35 Pittsburgh State 7
Georgia Baptist 13 Noble Jones College 10
Mississippi A&M 17 Northern Mississippi 7
St. Patrick's 21 Commonwealth Catholic 7
Garden State 34 Ellery 17
North Carolina Tech 30 Eastern State 6
Arkansas A&T 21 Payne State 17
San Francisco Tech 20 Golden Gate University 7
Texas Gulf Coast 14 Amarillo Methodist 7
Cumberland 21 Bluegrass State 21
OTHER SCORES
Bulein 23 Central Carolina 7
Mile High State 20 Boulder State 6
Potomac College 35 New York Maritime 3
Western Tennessee 21 McKinney State 7
Laclede 48 Strub College 14
Cowpens State 14 Columbia Military Academy 3
Provo Tech 23 Cache Valley 14
Alexandria 17 Chesapeake State 16
Mountainview State 31 Topeka State 30
Boston State 34 Empire State 7
Western Florida 20 Eastern Kansas 7
St. Ignatius 41 Kamehameha College 0
Colorado Poly 9 Custer College 3
Kit Carson University 31 Tempe College 10
Bigsby College 38 Brooklyn State 16
Maryland State 7 Charleston Tech 6
Eastern Oklahoma 14 Oklahoma City State 0
College of Omaha 15 Lane State 14
Red River State 17 Lubbock State 0
College of Waco 24 Abilene Baptist 20
Canyon A&M 37 South Valley State 14
NO SLOWING BARONS DOWN
The Baltimore Barons continue to dominate the competition in the Federal Basketball League as the Barons picked up two more victories to run their record to a perfect 8-0. Both came on the road and the trip began with a visit to Toronto and a 84-77 triumph over the still winless Titans. Jack Hirst, who is second in the league scoring race, led the way for the Barons with 21 points while Sam Alvis chipped in 19.
The next stop was a much more challenging opponent as the Barons headed to Philadelphia to meet the second place Phantoms but the result was much the same as Baltimore scored a 78-70 victory behind 22 points from Hirst and 18 from Alvis.
In the West the Detroit Mustangs continue to surprise as the worst club in the loop a year ago is leading the way, a half game up on the Chicago Panthers. In strange scheduling quirk the Mustangs are in the midst of six straight games against the Cleveland Crushers. Detroit beat Cleveland 93-84 early in the week despite a 27-point showing from the Crushers George Kelley but Cleveland rebounded with a 94-85 win Friday evening with Herb Hobbs and John Banks scoring 25 points each. The Chicago Panthers, who won the league title last year, split a home and series with Cincinnati last week.
Code:
FEDERAL BASKETBALL LEAGUE STANDINGS
EAST W L PCT GB
Baltimore 8 0 1.000 -
Philadelphia 6 3 .667 2.5
Buffalo 3 5 .375 5.0
Toronto 0 10 .000 9.0
WEST W L PCT GB
Detroit 5 2 .714 -
Chicago 5 3 .625 0.5
Cincinnati 4 5 .444 2.0
Cleveland 2 5 .286 3.0
SCORING LEADERS PPG
Danny Hendon, PHI 21.7
Jack Hirst, BAL 21.6
David Reed, DET 20.7
Lary Yim, BUF 19.8
Richard Campbell, CHI 19.4
Ryan Wilkes, CIN 17.2
Herb Hobbs, CLE 16.6
The American Basketball Conference looks to be very evenly matched in the early going. The traditional power in the east is the Brooklyn Red Caps and they are sitting in first place, but with just a 6-4 record after going 36-8 a year ago. The Red Caps most recent outing was a 95-79 loss at home to the much improved Boston Centurions, who were led by Gerald Carter's 31 point effort. Like the Red Caps, Richmond leads the West Division with a 6-4 record but defending league champion Washington is just a half back, as are the Pittsburgh Falcons.
AMERICAN BASKETBALL CONFERENCE STANDINGS
EAST W L PCT GB[/b]
Brooklyn 6 4 .600 -
Boston 5 4 .556 0.5
Hartford 4 5 .444 1.5
New York 2 5 .286 2.5
WEST W L PCT GB
Richmond 6 4 .600 -
Washington 4 3 .571 0.5
Pittsburgh 5 4 .556 0.5
Rochester 3 6 .333 2.5
SCORING LEADERS PPG
James Phillips, HAR 20.2
Stewart Hurlburt, RIC 19.3
Augie Scheicher, PIT 19.0
Gerald Carter, BOS 19.0
Morgan Melcher, BOS 18.4
Don Marlow, NY 18.4
Ivory Mitchell, BKN 18.1
Max Lucia, PIT 17.8
Tom Dwyer, NY 17.7
Norm Yates, RIC 17.6
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DISMAL START FOR FIGHTING SAINTS
This was supposed to be the year the St Blane collegiate basketball team finally rivaled the Saints grid squad for AIAA excellence. Coming off the first ever tournament game victory in school history and loaded with an experienced roster of returning players, there were high expectations but everything that could go wrong seems like it has gone wrong for the Fighting Saints.
The first thing that went wrong was news that senior center Josh Samuels, a preseason All-American selection, was lost for the season with a knee injury suffered in the second game of the year. The 21-year-old averaged 10.9 points per game a year ago and his absence was only compounded by the news that junior forward Cy Worley -who scored at a 9.6 ppg clip last season- was injured and missed 3 of the team's first five games.
With those two out of the lineup it is much easier to understand how the Fighting Saints are just 3-3 to start the season and coming off back to back losses to Wisconsin State and Commonwealth Catholic on their home court in Tyrone, Pa. The good news is the Worley should be back soon, perhaps as early as Wednesday when the Saints head to Gary, In. to face defending National Champion Whitney College. It will be hard to imagine St. Blane challenging for a National Title with Samuels out of the lineup long-term but the play of junior Bruce Gard, who was forced into a starting role with the absence of Worley, has been a big boost. Gard led the team with 11 points in each of the two losses last week and likely will retain his starting role with Brian Threadgill moved to center to replace Samuels.
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AIAA COLLEGIATE CAGE RANKINS
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
1. Western Iowa (65) 3-0 1792 1 Great Lakes Alliance
2. Carolina Poly (4) 4-0 1697 2 South Atlantic Conference
3. Rainier College (3) 5-0 1689 3 West Coast Athletic Association
4. Lane State 4-0 1527 4 West Coast Athletic Association
5. Coastal California 3-0 1505 5 West Coast Athletic Association
6. Detroit City College 2-0 1422 6 Great Lakes Alliance
7. Whitney College 3-0 1366 7 Great Lakes Alliance
8. Garden State 3-0 1301 8 Liberty Conference
9. CC Los Angeles 3-0 1231 10 West Coast Athletic Association
10. Indiana A&M 2-0 1178 9 Great Lakes Alliance
11. East Missouri Seminary 4-0 867 NR Indy Midwest
12. Central Ohio 3-1 850 16 Great Lakes Alliance
13. Great Plains State 3-0 784 14 Major Indy
14. Alabama Baptist 3-0 731 15 Deep South Conference
15. Bayou State 1-1 538 18 Deep South Conference
16. Needham 4-0 498 NR Indy Midwest
17. Northern Minnesota 4-0 495 NR Indy Midwest
18. Columbia Military Academy 2-0 476 NR South Atlantic Conference
19. Mississippi A&M 4-1 405 20 Deep South Conference
20. Central Kentucky 2-0 351 NR Deep South Conference
21. St. Ignatius 2-0 335 NR Great Lakes Alliance
22. Lambert College 5-1 309 NR Midwestern Association
23. Bardney 3-0 305 NR Indy East
24. Western State 3-0 217 NR Central Athletic Alliance
25. University of New Jersey 2-0 216 NR Eastern Six
Others Receiving Votes:
Brunswick 4-1 185 Academia Alliance
Redwood 2-1 184 West Coast Athletic Association
Holland 3-0 183 Central Athletic Alliance
Chesapeake State 1-0 173 South Atlantic Conference
Central Carolina 1-0 154 South Atlantic Conference
Oklahoma Bible College 2-0 100 Indy West
Wisconsin State 1-0 92 Great Lakes Alliance
Rose Point (PA) 0-0 65 Keystone Alliance
Amarillo Methodist 1-0 47 Southwestern Alliance
Wichita Baptist 1-0 37 Midwestern Association
Wisconsin Catholic 1-0 35 Indy Midwest
Liberty College 4-2 29 Major Indy
LAST WEEK'S RESULTS INVOLVING TOP 25 TEAMS
MONDAY NOVEMBER 24
#22 Lambert College 44, at Cumberland 41
#8 Garden State 38, at Hartford Wesleyan 28
at #7 Whitney College 39, Grafton 28
at #20 Central Kentucky 51, Grange College 31
at #17 Northern Minnesota 36, Arkansas A&T 28
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 25
at #9 CC Los Angeles 39, Ohio Poly 17
at #23 Bardney 42, Penn Catholic 41
at #6 Detroit City College 44, Pierpont 36
#5 Coastal California 48, at California Catholic 36
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 26
#8 Garden State 52, at Caesar Rodney 29
#3 Rainier College 42, at NW Pennsylvania 23
at #11 East Missouri Seminary 43, Eastern Kansas 41
at #7 Whitney College 62, St. Patrick's 41
#2 Carolina Poly 46, at Three Rivers State 35
at #18 Columbia Military Academy 42, Opelika State 30
at #16 Needham 54, North Shore 53
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 27
#14 Alabama Baptist 42, at Dudley 25
#22 Lambert College 39, at Harper College 27
#12 Central Ohio 60, at Canton State 40
at #9 CC Los Angeles 39, Dickson 32
at #15 Bayou State 56, Sunnyvale 49
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28
#21 St. Ignatius 40, at Ferguson 37
#17 Northern Minnesota 51, at Bliss College 50
#4 Lane State 64, at Western Florida 48
at #25 University of New Jersey 59, St. Pancras 37
#6 Detroit City College 49, at Grafton 36
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 29
#24 Western State 45, at Penobscot State 40
at #11 East Missouri Seminary 54, Lubbock State 53
at #13 Great Plains State 51, Boulder State 46
#10 Indiana A&M 50, at Sunnyvale 29
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 30
#16 Needham 43, at Cumberland 33
at #12 Central Ohio 49, Henry Hudson 31
at #5 Coastal California 53, Ellery 48
#25 University of New Jersey 45, at Pueblo State 35
UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS- 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 15- Philadelphia: HW Scott Baker (15-3-2) vs Chris Sullivan (19-4-4)
- Jan 19- Portland, Oregon: WW contenders Mark Westlake (22-2-1) vs Carl Taylor (22-4-2)
- Jan 24 - Lake Erie Arena, Cleveland, OH: World Welterweight champion Harold Stephens (20-3-2) defends his title against Ira Mitchell (19-1)
- Jan 29 - Bigsby Garden, New York: HW contender Mark Fountain (22-4-1) vs Dave Kennedy (28-11-4) and HW contender Roy Crawford (25-3) vs Glenn Hairston (25-8-2)
- Jan 31- Detroit: rising HW Lewis Jones (14-1) vs Marvin Martin (18-10-4)
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 11/30/1947
- Patitioning of Palestine into Jewish and Arab countries was approved by the United Nations by a vote of 33 to 13, prompting Arab nations to threaten general opposition and uprisings against any attempt to carry out the Assembly's decision.
- Allied unity that won the war has "fallen apart." That is the declaration made by the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in a strong appeal to the Senate for speedy approval of the $597 million emergency aid for Europe to defeat "lurking tyranny" and "Communist aggression."
- But the Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee predicts that if food shipments to France, Italy and Austria are carried out as contemplated and the United States has a bad wheat crop next year "the American public will be subject not only to rationing but possibly to meager rations."
- Senator Taft blames the Truman administration's policies as being "largely responsible" for the economic chaos in Europe, but says he will vote for the emergency European relief measure.
- The House cited 10 Hollywood screenwriters of contempt for their refusal to co-operate with the House Committee of Un-American Activities.
- France announced the expulsion of 19 Russians for "interference in French affairs" during the current labor crisis, which has erupted in new violence after police clashed with strikers in the streets of Lyon.