NOVEMBER 29, 1948
TOP PROSPECT HANSON OFF TO HOT START IN CUBA
Shortstop Ralph Hanson has been considered the top prospect in baseball ever since the New York Stars selected the then 18-year-old out of a Pennsylvania high school with the second pick of the 1945 draft. Now 21, and off to a hot start in the Cuban Winter League, Hanson appears to be trying to tell the New York Stars he is ready for the big leagues.
OSA feels perhaps 1950, rather than the upcoming season, is a more suitable time for the talented shortstop to make his big-league debut, but Hanson certainly had a breakout season as a minor leaguer in 1948 and appears to be continuing that success in Cuba, where he went 7-for-12 at the plate in his first 3 games with the Manzanillo Palms.
There may have been some worries in the Stars front-office when Hanson struggled in his first three seasons, spent almost exclusively at the lowest minor league level. It appeared the Stars were content to give the top prospect a fourth year of Class C when he stayed in the Florida training centre as the higher minor league levels began their seasons in late April. Class C, which does not start until after the incoming draftees complete their high school and collegiate level in late June, did not seem to be something Hanson enjoyed, as he hit just .203 at that level in 1947.
Finally, the Stars decided to push the youngster and just before the Class C slate was set to open the Stars moved him up to Scranton, which is two levels above. It was Hanson's Class A debut, and it did not last long as he hit .432 in 11 games and was quickly promoted to AA Harrisburg. The time with the Red Wings also proved to be a resounding success as Hanson hit .318 in 58 games at AA and helped lead Harrisburg to a second-place finish in the Eastern Association.
AAA Syracuse is the likely destination for the rising star this season but if he continues to dominate in the Caribbean and happens to have a strong spring Hanson may well be replacing Joe Angevine at shortstop in Dyckman Stadium even sooner than anticipated.
CHIEFS PRESENT YEARLY AWARDS
By Leland Kuenster, Chicago Herald-Examiner
It was a dismal (and somewhat unexpected) 93-loss season for the Chiefs, but that will not stop this newspaper from launching a new feature: annual awards for the best Chiefs performers as voted on by the writers.
Best Bat
Pete Casstevens had a terrific season behind the plate (.279/.342/.797, 26 HR), and Tim Hopkins slugged another 35 home runs, but the vote here went to Joe Rutherford. The outfielder--in his first season back from Brooklyn--established himself as the offensive leader by the end of the season, slashing .272/.395/.413 with 70 runs scored and 39 extra-base hits (10 HR, 23 2B, 6 3B).
Best Pitcher
Even though he lost 18 games, veteran Charlie Bingham (12-18, 4.26) received strong consideration for simply going out and giving the Chiefs 224 innings. In the final tally, however, John Stallings (12-12, 3.48) was named the winner. Though he faded down the stretch, you could find Stallings near the top of the league leader boards through much of the first half of the season. Stallings led the Chiefs in starts, quality starts, strikeouts, ERA, and (unfortunately) walks.
Most Improved
Stallings is also the winner here. It was due to the improvement he showed in his second full FABL season that he was named Best Pitcher. Stallings increased his strikeout rate (10.1% to 13.2%), lowered his walk rate (15.16% to 13.68%), and cut his home runs allowed in half (1.8% to 1.0%).
Best Defensive Player
The nod here goes to Pete Casstevens for his stellar work behind the dish. Casstevens was charged with just 3 errors and 5 passed balls, and he threw out 46% of the runners trying to steal.
POWERFUL COWBOYS BUCKED FROM HIGH HORSE
Shocking news from the coast this weekend as the Kansas City Cowboys are suddenly in danger of losing their two-year hold on the Continental Football Conference title. The Cowboys were certainly done no favours by the CFC schedule-maker, who had them playing in Los Angeles on Thursday and then back on the field just three days later with a game in San Francisco. It started badly, with a 14-14 tie with the Lobos, and quickly became much worse as the Wings dumped the Cowboys 41-17 to take over top spot in the Western Division.
The first signs of trouble for the Cowboys came in the Thanksgiving Day game when Jackie Wendt led the Los Angeles Lobos to a surprising 14-14 tie with the mighty Cowboys. Wendt was all over the field, throwing for 159 yards and a score while also rushing for a game high 108 on just 13 carries.
The game at Knights Stadium in Los Angeles started very much like any other contest involving the Cowboys. Their opponent would turn the ball over, giving the Cowboys excellent field position and they would capitalize. This one saw back-to-back Lobos miscues leading first to a Pat Chappell to Bill Tammaro short touchdown pass to open the score late in the first quarter and then another quick turnover allowed Tommy Cohan to plunge over the line for a 1-yard score to make it 14-0.
Shortly before the break on a seemingly innocent first down play from near midfield, Wendt broke free for a 53 yards touchdown scamper and the Cowboys lead at the half was just 14-7. The game may well have turned on the Cowboys first series of the third period. Once more a turnover gave the ball to the Cowboys although this time it was near midfield. Pat Chappell navigated the Cowboys to the Lobos 9-yard line, but the Lobos defense held forcing a Reuben Walston 19-yard field goal attempt. It missed and the Kansas City lead remained at a touchdown.
That lead would vanish in the closing moments of the third frame when Wendt completed a long drive with an 11-yard scoring strike to Johnny Littlejohn and the game was tied. Neither team could sustain much in the way of a drive and the Lobos fans celebrated the 14-14 draw like it was the biggest win of the season.
It was clearly a worn-out Cowboys club that took the field in San Francisco just 3 days later and when the dust settled the hometown Wings were alone in first place after a convincing 41-17 victory over the Kansas City eleven. Wes Mula caught a pair of Sam Metcalf throws for scores while Rich Garner ran for 108 yards to pace the Wings, who need only to win in Los Angeles on December 12 to dethrone the Cowboys as kings of the CFC Western Division. The Cowboys will need to win in Brooklyn and hope for a San Francisco loss against the Lobos to have a chance to win their third consecutive league title.
*** Buffalo Wins a Pair ***
The busy extended holiday weekend did not hurt the Buffalo Bulls as Mark Monday's crew rang up 82 points in back-to-back wins over Chicago and New York. On Thanksgiving Day in the Windy City Monday threw 4 touchdown passes as the Bulls blasted the Chicago Comets 41-10 while yesterday it was Dave Karaszewski who was the star of the show in a 41-30 triumph over the New York Gothams. The Bulls back barreled for 201 yards in what was just the second time a CFC back had ever topped the double-century mark in a game. The two victories move the Bulls ahead of the Gothams and into second place in the CFC Eastern Division.
The New Orleans Crescents, who had previously clinched the Eastern title, outlasted Brooklyn 30-19 in the final game of the weekend. Vince Gallegos threw for 242 yards and 2 scores while Crescents also intercepted a pair of Bill Howlin passes and returned both for touchdowns.
AFA PLAYOFF PICTURE TIGHTENS
Finches, Yanks Lose While Wildcats, Stars Win
With just two weeks remaining in the American Football Association season there is plenty left to be decided after a wild week that saw each of the division leaders replaced. The biggest upset came at Pittsburgh's Fitzpatrick Park where the Paladins nipped the previously unbeaten Cleveland Finches 28-27 to open the door for the Chicago Wildcats in the Western Division. The Finches, who started the season with 9 straight victories, had a hard time Thanksgiving Day in the Steel City but did manage to take a six-point lead with 7 minutes remaining in the game when Steve Watts was successful with an 18-yard field goal. It took barely a minute for that lead to vanish as Albie Stallworth, who had a strong game passing the ball for Paladins, used his fleet feet to scramble for a 41-yard touchdown run that would prove the difference in a 28-27 Pittsburgh victory.
On Sunday, clearly fired up by the news their rivals had fallen in Pittsburgh three days earlier, the Chicago Wildcats blasted the Boston Americans 38-0, amassing 306 yards on the ground in the process while limiting the great Yanks quarterback Del Thomas to just 97 yards through the air. The win leaves the Wildcats and Finches tied at 9-1. Chicago is in Pittsburgh next weekend while Cleveland hosts Detroit before the two clash in a season-ending contest at Cougars Park in two weeks time.
The loss, coupled with the New York Stars 28-0 shutout at home over Cincinnati vaults the New Yorkers into first place in the Eastern Division, a half game better than Boston. They also have a final weekend showdown -in the Big Apple- with a championship game berth potentially on the line but they each need to get through next week first. The Stars travel to St Louis to face the Ramblers while the Americans entertain the Washington Wasps.
The Wasps were winners yesterday, handing Detroit its 9th loss of the season in a 34-10 victory at Columbia Stadium while the final game of the weekend saw Jim Taylor pass for 214 yards and two touchdowns to pace Philadelphia past St Louis 31-7.
ANNAPOLIS SQUAD JUBILANT OVER SUPERB PLAY IN LAST GAME
Hold Mighty Rome State to Tie in Philadelphia
The annual Rome State-Annapolis Maritime football game ended in a 14-14 tie but you never would have guessed it from the bedlam that broke loose in the Navigators dressing room. It was Forty-second and Broadway on New Year's Eve, V-E day and the Fourth of July all rolled into one as the shouting back slapping Annapolis players rushed into the room. Behind them, also pushing and shouting, came Navy brass led by John L. Sullivan, Secretary of the Navy, to join in the festivities.
There was little to cheer about prior to this contest for the Navigators, who suffered through an excruciating 1-7 start but all was forgotten thanks to the tie that knocked unbeaten but now twice-tied Rome State down a peg or two in the polls. Annapolis Maritime has not defeated Rome State since 1943, but it certainly felt like they did on Saturday as the Navigators, who were thought to have as poor prospects of victory as President Truman, who was in attendance, was conceded in the recent election, fought their way to a draw.
SAINTS TROUNCE RAINIER COLLEGE, MOVE TO SECOND IN POLL
St Blane will not win its third national title, but the Fighting Saints had little trouble with an overmatched coast club from Rainer College, claiming a 34-3 victory and improve to 8-1 on the season. The only blemish was a shocking early season loss to St Ignatius, which ended a two-year stretch without a loss and back-to-back national titles for the Saints. St Blane still has one game remaining, a pseudo-classic game as they make the trek to Los Angeles to face Coastal California at gigantic Santa Ana Stadium, but the final poll has been cast as the Dolphins encounter will be treated as a post-season game. St Blane has, for the second year in succession, declined any and all invitations to participate in a New Year's Day game.
North Carolina Tech will finish third in the rankings after the Techsters completed a perfect 9-0 campaign with a 17-9 victory over Eastern State shortly before finalizing an agreement to play Eastern Oklahoma in New Orleans on New Year's Day in the Cajun Classic. Jackie Charles, the 165-pound Cherryville (NC) marvel, whirling and fading out of reach, who staggered the overflow crowd with touchdown runs of 80 and 50 yards to cap the best season in Techsters football since the national champion 1938 squad.
Mississippi A&M and Noble Jones College each finished unbeaten in Deep South Conference section play. The Generals had their troubles but eventually outlasted Northern Mississippi 16-9 to finish with a perfect 9-0 record overall while the Colonels, who's only loss came to North Carolina Tech in early October, had little trouble claiming state bragging rights in Georgia with a 27-0 shutout of the Georgia Baptist Gators. Both will play on New Year's Day with Mississippi A&M likely ticketed Houston and the Oilman Classic against Southwestern Alliance champ Texas Panhandle while the Colonels are off to Miami for the Sunshine Classic against a yet to be determined opponent.
GLA OFFICIALLY SELECTS ST MAGNUS FOR EAST-WEST CLASSIC
St Magnus' second-place Vikings unanimously were named to represent the Great Lakes Alliance in the East-West Classic on New Year's Day. The entirely expected selection was made in a telegraphic poll of the league's nine faculty representatives. Unbeaten and nationally ranked #1 Detroit City College was the GLA champion for a third consecutive season, but new GLA rules made the Knights ineligible for a return trip to Santa Ana. A new conference restriction bans any team from making back-to-back appearances in the East-West Classic. Thus St Magnus, beaten only by Detroit City College in six league starts, received the bid to face the West Coast Athletic Association representative.
WEEKEND RESULTS
EAST
Rome State 14 Annapolis Maritime 14
St. Blane 34 Rainier College 3
Pierpont 14 Brunswick 7
Liberty College 20 Spokane State 13
Penn Catholic 20 Charleston Tech 7
Commonwealth Catholic 6 St. Patrick's 3
Bigsby College 21 Brooklyn State 6
SOUTH
North Carolina Tech 17 Eastern State 9
Noble Jones College 27 Georgia Baptist 0
Mississippi A&M 16 Northern Mississippi 9
Alabama Baptist 37 Western Florida 10
Baton Rouge State 21 Bayou State 6
Bluegrass State 27 Cumberland 6
Central Kentucky 16 Miami State 13
Maryland State 10 Huntington State 0
Lexington State 9 Petersburg 6
Alexandria 38 Chesapeake State 14
Columbia Military Academy 21 Cowpens State 20
Coastal State 27 Opelika State 10
Bulein 7 Central Carolina 0
Western Tennessee 16 Cleveland 7
MIDWEST
St. Ignatius 30 Sunnyvale 17
Daniel Boone College 41 Lawrence State 3
Eastern Kansas 16 Laclede 13
Payne State 34 Northern Minnesota 34
SOUTHWEST
Texas Gulf Coast 33 Amarillo Methodist 7
Travis College 31 Darnell State 7
Lubbock State 10 Red River State 0
Arkansas A&T 14 Richmond State 14
College of Waco 44 Abilene Baptist 20
Oklahoma City State 37 Eastern Oklahoma 14
Texas Panhandle 50 El Paso Methodist 10
FAR WEST
Lane State 20 College of Omaha 10
Kit Carson University 50 Topeka State 21
Salamanca State 34 San Francisco Tech 23
Provo Tech 40 Cache Valley 14
Tempe College 41 Utah A&M 27
Golden Gate University 34 Minns College 7
Valley State 20 Wisconsin Catholic 17
Wyoming A&I 16 Mile High State 16
Canyon A&M 21 South Valley State 21
Quaker College (CA) 21 Flagstaff State 21
BIG GAME FOR TOMMY BURNS, BUT TOO RARE FOR PACKERS
It is no surprise to see Chicago's Tommy Burns battling for the NAHC goal scoring and points lead but what is a surprise is just how inconsistent the winner of each of the last three McDaniels Trophy's has been this season. Yes, Burns has 22 points in 16 games this season but 10 of them have come in two games and the Packers scoring star has been held completely off the scoresheet seven times already this season. His brother Wes is also struggling with just 1 goal in 16 games -although Wes does have 12 assists including 4 from Saturday evening's 8-4 drubbing of Detroit in which Tommy enjoyed his second 5-point night of the season. A day later against the same Motors, the duo was held scoreless, and the Packers fell for the 11th time in 16 games, dropping a 4-2 decision to the Motors.
No one expected the Packers to be last in the six team loop as the season hit its quarter mark, but the Packers have endured major struggles in all facets of the game this season. Tommy Burns is still getting his points, but even he needs to be more consistent if the club wants to avoid going from first place a year ago to the cellar of the NAHC this campaign.
Code:
[b] NAHC STANDINGS
GP W L T GF GA PTS
Toronto 17 11 5 1 70 47 23
Boston 15 9 6 0 49 44 18
New York 14 7 5 2 44 40 16
Detroit 16 7 8 1 59 58 15
Montreal 16 5 8 3 45 56 13
Chicago 16 4 11 1 44 66 9
SCORING LEADERS GP G A PTS
Pollack, Tor 17 10 15 25
T Burns, Chi 16 16 6 22
Sauer, Tor 17 11 10 21
Galbraith, Tor 17 10 11 21
Carlson, Tor 14 4 15 19
Vanderbilt, Det 16 12 6 18
Parker, Tor 17 9 9 18
Rocheleau, Det 16 5 13 18
Cabbell, NY 14 9 7 16
Sandford, Mon 16 8 8 16
Witt, Det 16 6 10 16
Tardif, Det 16 5 11 16
Skinner, Mon 16 5 10 15
GOALIE LEADERS GP W L T ShO GAA
Tremblay, NY 13 6 5 2 2 2.70
Beliveau, Mon 6 3 2 0 1 2.70
Broadway, Tor 14 9 4 1 1 2.72
James, Bos 14 8 6 0 3 2.82
Brockers, Mon 6 1 3 1 0 2.91
Hanson, Chi 10 2 7 1 0 3.52
Touhey, Det 12 4 7 1 1 3.73
Carter, NYS 7 2 3 2 0 4.11
LAST WEEK'S RESULTS
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 24
Detroit 2 at 8 Boston: Joe Morey and David Scarpone each scored once and added two assists while Craig Simpson and Robert Walker enjoyed two-goal games as the Bees hammered the visiting Motors 8-2 in what was Detroit goaltender Millard Touhey's worst outing of the season.
Toronto 2 at 2 Montreal: Toronto's 4-game winning streak came to an end but the first place Dukes still salvaged a point in a 2-2 draw in Montreal. Quinton Pollack, the league's leading scorer, assisted on both Toronto goals while Alex Peters scored once and set up the other Montreal marker. It was new surroundings for one of them but the game had familiar foes in net as Gordie Broadway made 38 saves for the Dukes while the newest Valiant netminder Tom Brockers turned aside 29 Toronto offerings.
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 25
Chicago 0 at 1 New York: Another tough loss for the struggling Packers as Etienne Tremblay turned aside all 26 Chicago shots for his league-leading third shutout of the season. Orval Cabbell scored the game's only goal late in the opening period.
Montreal 6 at 3 Toronto: Back at it again a day later the Valiants prevailed over their biggest rivals with a 6-3 victory thanks to a strong outing from Vals reserve goaltender Pat Beliveau, who stopped 37 of the 40 Toronto shots on goal. Defenseman Glen Whitley had 3 assists for the Vals who had 6 different players beat Gordie Broadway.
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 27
Detroit 4 at 8 Chicago: After being shutout twice in their previous four games the Packers offense broke out with a dominant 8-4 victory in Detroit. It was the Burns show as Tommy had a hat trick and two assists while Wes earned 4 helpers. Detroit led 4-2 early in the second stanza but the Packers scored the final six goals of the game.
Montreal 0 at 3 Boston: Oscar James had a quiet evening in the Bees cage, turning aside each of the 14 shots he faced. His former mentor, Tom Brockers, was busy at the other hand, as the Bees peppered their former teammate with 42 shots, scoring once in each frame. Robert Walker, Craig Simpson and James Smart, with just his second career NAHC goal, lit the lamp for the winners.
Toronto 2 at 3 New York: Back-to-back wins for the Shamrocks and back-to-back losses for the first-place Dukes as the Greenshirts prevailed 3-2 on home ice. Sam Furr's powerplay goal midway through the third period was the difference. Orval Cabbell scored for the 5th game in a row for New York, giving him 9 on the season.
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 28
Boston 2 at 3 Toronto: A pair of streaks ended as the Bees three game winning run and the Dukes 2 game losing streak each were snapped in a 3-2 Toronto victory. Boston lost despite outshooting the Dukes 35-19.
Chicago 2 at 4 Detroit: The Packers still have not secured points in consecutive games this season after being doubled at the Thompson Palladium 4-2 by the Motors last night in a much different game from the night before. Miles Barfield and Adam Vanderbilt each had two points to lead the Detroit attack while Henri Chasse got the victory after being called on in relief of a struggling Millard Touhey the previous night.
UPCOMING GAMES
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 30
New York at Chicago
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 1
Boston at Chicago
Detroit at Toronto
SATURDAY DECEMBER 4
Boston at Detroit
Montreal at New York
Toronto at Chicago
SUNDAY DECEMBER 5
Boston at Montreal
Chicago at Toronto
New York at Detroit
AROUND THE LEAGUE
- The Chicago Packers will have to do without defenseman Jerry Finch for the next 3 weeks after the 27-year-old defenseman suffered a sprained knee. The Packers assistant captain has been with the club since coming over from Montreal during the 43-44 season and has 5 points in 14 games this year.
- Montreal will be down a forward for two months. Rey Sclisizzi broke his hand in a game last week. It has been a trying campaign for the 26-year-old who has struggled offensively with just 2 goals and 3 points in 13 games. He was injured much of last season as well, which limited Sclisizzi to just 40 games. He had 21 points a season ago.
- The Detroit Motors locked up young forwards Louis Rocheleau and Vincent Arsenault with contract extensions. Rocheleau, 22, is having an impressive rookie campaign with 18 points in 16 games.
- The Motors are reeling a bit. More injuries and Millard Touhey must think it is the second half of the season already because he had a rough week, getting shelled in back-to-back losses to Boston and Chicago. Touhey was outstanding to start the season but now there are concerns of a collapse similar to what he went through last season in the second half with his former club: the Montreal Valiants.
A disappointing 1-2-1 week for the Dukes. Coach Barrell lamented the fact the team had fallen back into some of their old bad habits.
Barrell: "As I said it is still early, but we began to believe we were as good as the press clipping said we were. The back half of the back to back with the Vals was probably the worst game I have seen the team play in over a calendar year. Too many players were soft, the Dukes have to play with an edge. There are no off nights in this league. If you don't show up with your 'A' game you are going to get rinsed. It was a tough loss in Bigsby Saturday when Charlie (defenseman Chalie Brown) got caught out of position taking a lazy penalty allowing the Shamrocks to capitalize on the power play.
We rebounded a little at home Sunday against the Bees thanks to (goaltender Gordie) Broadway standing on his head. We tried to give that one away when again (Quinton) Pollock took a lazy penalty resulting in another power play goal bringing the Bees within one with about 6 minutes left.
As we prepare to go into December, our practices again will stress responsibilities without the puck. Players will tire of me talking, working on this but I will continue to harp on this until it becomes second nature for the all players. We have good goaltending, you rely on him to steal 3 or 4 games a year when you get outplayed, not 3 or 4 in a week! Back to basics."
Hello out there, Press Jumper here. In this space, we will take a quick whip-around the slate of professional and amateur basket ball each week to highlight some of the captivating stories and interesting happenings in the game of the fastest rising sport in America. We'll start today by focusing on the pro game and I'll start in my own backyard:
- The Washington Statesmen are finding their footing, now on a four-game winning streak after a home-and-home sweep of Hartford and the two games could not have been played any differently by Washington. The Statesmen salvaged the game in the second half, but shot 28.1% from the field. The only saving grace was Hartford's anemic 25.5% showing. Washington played much better throughout and thumped Hartford, 100-72, out rebounding the Patriots, 71-49. The inside game is crucial for Washington in order to succeed and Hartford were the league leaders coming into the week in rebounding.
- Cincinnati PF David Honey averaged 29.5 points and 16.5 rebounds in two games this week to earn Western Division Player of the Week honors. The Cyclones split the week, but the win was a thrilling 116-112 overtime victory against Toronto. Honey led the way in the win with 31 points, including six points in the extra session. The rest of the team deserted Honey in the 92-70 loss later in the week at Cleveland. Honey had 28, but the rest of the team scored 42 points on 18-for-74 shooting (24.3%).
- There is still one undefeated team in the FBL and it is the Chicago Panthers, who have whistled their way to an 8-0 record. Of course, we have not entered into the inter-divisional portion of the schedule and three Eastern teams -- Philadelphia, Rochester, and Washington -- have a better record than second-place Detroit in the West. But, Chicago can only play the teams on its schedule and the Panthers have dominated the competition. How so? They do not lead the league in every category, but they lead in several crucial categories. They distribute the ball (21.1 assists/game), protect the ball (15.6 turnovers/game), they shoot with precision (34.1 field goal percentage), they attack on defense (6.4 steals and 4.8 blocks per game) and they defend well (76.3 points allowed/game, 27.9 opposing field goal percentage). All of those stats lead the division.
Code:
FBL STANDINGS
EAST W L PCT
Philadelphia 9 2 .818
Rochester 8 2 .800
Washington 7 3 .700
Brooklyn 6 4 .600
Hartford 5 4 .556
Baltimore 4 6 .400
New York 2 7 .222
Boston 2 9 .182
Syracuse 1 10 .091
WEST W L PCT
Chicago 8 0 1.000
Detroit 6 3 .667
Buffalo 5 3 .625
Cleveland 5 5 .500
Toronto 4 5 .444
Cincinnati 3 6 .333
Pittsburgh 2 8 .200
ST BLANE WINS EARLY SEASON SHOWDOWN WITH CAROLINA POLY
A rare game this early in the collegiate cage season involving a pair of top ten clubs did not disappoint Saturday in Tyrone, Pa. as the St Blane Fighting Saints toppled the Carolina Poly Cardinals 59-53. The Cardinals were ranked #2 entering the matchup and the Saints held down the #7 spot in the AIAA poll but when the dust settle St Blane moved up to 3rd and the Cards first loss of the season knocked them down to 7th.
The game was even at the break and just a two-point lead for St Blane with as little as 5:30 remaining in the contest but that is when the Fighting Saints went on a 9-point run, including a pair of Jim Canady baskets, to earn the victory. Reserve guard Buster Reynolds led the way for the winners with 13 points nullifying a terrific showing from Carolina Poly junior guard James Halle, who had a career best 26 points.
The win is the fourth in a row for the Fighting Saints after they lost their season opener in a surprise upset by Bardney. The Cardinals, with early wins over Chicago Poly and Sadler, fall to 2-1 with the defeat.
GORDEN LEADS BELLS TO PAIR OF WINS
Liberty College improved to 5-1 and moved up to number two in the rankings with victories over Pierpont and Tinker College. Once more it was junior college transfer Luther Gordon leading the way as he had 17 points and 8 rebounds in the 79-57 drubbing of Pierpont. Gordon was even more impressive in the all-Philadelphia showdown against Tinker, who had no answer for the 6'11" center, who scored 24 points while Edgar Stillwell chipped in 19 in a 75-44 win over the Blues, who compete in the lightly regarded Eastern Six Conference.
There are now just 25 unbeaten teams, including Noble Jones College which does not start its season until tonight, out of the 216 schools that compete at the AIAA level. That is noteworthy only because, in the history of AIAA basketball, which is celebrating its 40th season, no club has ever gone unbeaten the entire season including winning the year end championship tournament. The 1924-35 Whitney College Engineers came closest, going 34-1 that season which culminated in a championship game win over Coastal California.
THE CAJUN CRUSHER'S NEXT CHALLENGE: A FRENCH ENCOUNTER
PARIS- World Heavyweight Champion Hector "The Cajun Crusher" Sawyer, amid his European exploits, took a pause from his sightseeing escapades through the charming French landscapes, allowing the boxing world a glimpse into his next title defense. Alongside his ever-present manager, Chester Conley, the champ revealed that he is primed to step into the ring for his 13th consecutive title defense on February 19 of the upcoming year.
Sawyer, the venerable pugilist with a lifetime record boasting an impressive 59 wins, 3 losses, and a solitary draw, recently etched history in his illustrious career with a resounding 4th round TKO triumph over the valiant Englishman, Grant Knowles, in London marking his record 12th consecutive defense of the heavyweight crown, snapping his tie with the standard of 11 established by Alvin Carbey in 1922.
Conley, the formidable manager whose figure looms large in Sawyer's entourage, detailed their game plan. The ensuing weeks will witness the champ indulging in the leisurely exploration of Europe, absorbing the rich tapestry of cultures and reveling in the joie de vivre of the continent. Yet, come the crackling days after Christmas, Sawyer will embark on an ardent training regimen, preluding his face-off against the French contender, Alain Noel.
Noel, a 31-year-old heavyweight, has carved his mark in the boxing realm with a career record boasting 44 victories, 11 defeats, and 2 draws, a significant portion of which materialized post the cataclysmic war that engulfed the world. While he holds the mantle of the premier heavyweight in France, boxing aficionados opine that he is unlikely to present a formidable challenge to the champ.
As the questions veered toward the conclusion of his European expedition, Sawyer glanced at Conley, the maestro behind the scenes, awaiting his cue. With the spirit of a true champion, Sawyer remarked, "At this point, I don't think we have made a firm decision. All I know is I am enjoying life here in France, meeting many great people, and readying myself for my next fight." The world remains on tenterhooks, eager for the next chapter in this transatlantic boxing odyssey while at the same time wondering when, or if, the now 34-year-old Sawyer will next fight on American soil.
ERICKSON WILL DEFEND WELTER TITLE IN MARCH
Welterweight champion Mac Erickson will put his title and his perfect 18-0 record on the line March 18 of the coming year against Philadelphia battler Rudy Perry. Erickson, who will turn 28 next week, beat Harold Stephens in April to win the title before making a successful defense in Chicago against John Gregory in September. Perry has been on the cusp of a title shot for years, including being one of the four fighters who squared off immediately after the war in an effort to determine a holder for the title that had spent more than five years without an owner. The 32-year-old owns a professional record of 27-4-1 and last fought in late September when he scored a unanimous decision over Billy Boyd.
SANDERSON SHINES IN BALTIMORE
Pete Sanderson, who had a title shot against Hector Sawyer back in 1945, is still in the fight game despite now approaching 38 years of age. The veteran heavyweight has not seen a topflight opponent since losing a decision to Tommy Cline nearly two years ago, but reports say he looked good in Baltimore Saturday evening when he knocked out Jerry French in the 6th frame of their bout slated for 10 rounds. It was Sanderson's 35 career victory against 9 losses and a pair of draws.
UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS- Nov 30- Portland, OR: rising WW Danny Rutledge (15-0) vs Scott Sorensen (23-9-2)
- Nov 30- St Louis: former WW champ Harold Stephens (21-5-2) vs Dale Roy (31-6)
- Jan 8 - Bigsby Garden: MW Frank Melanson (33-2-2) vs Edouard Desmarais (42-2)
- Jan 28- Dominion Gardens, Toronto: World MW champ Adrian Petrie (18-1-1) vs Danny Morse (35-8-1)
- Feb 19- Paris, France: World HW champ Hector Sawyer (59-3-1) vs Alain Noel (44-11-2)
- Mar 18- Detroit: World WW champ Mac Erickson (18-0) vs Rudy Perry (27-4)
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 11/28/1948
- Poland blames the United States and Britain for Palestine's chaos and war with the Polish delegate to the United Nations claiming "Defense of an old and now crumbling empire on one hand, the expansionist drive toward the establishment of a new empire on the other hand, are responsible for the present situation in Palestine."
- The American delegate to the UN reaffirmed its position that the Security Council needs to find a solution of the Berlin crisis.
- A top administration official estimated that it would cost the United States around five billion dollars to try and save China from the Communists. The Chinese Ambassador has appealed to President Truman for American moral and material aid for the hard-pressed Chinese Nationalist government, however as the week ended it appears the US is leaning towards rejecting the appeal for more aid.
- Dr Edwin Nourse, chairman of President Truman's Council of Economic Advisors, has been tasked with coordinating the anti-inflation program the President will present to the new Congress in January.
- A 10-month strike of National Airlines pilots has ended and a break through has been made in negotiations with east dock workers in efforts to end that costly strike, which has lasted 18 days.