THE PILOT
PAGE FIVE
ON THE BENCH
With BOB HOFFMAN
SPLINTERS PICKED UP T)URING ’48 ’49
The sports program at Gardner-
Webb got off to a Bulldoggish start
in September and has continued to
go at a roaring pace through the
year.
The “eleven men and a pigskin”
supporters remember the hard-hit-
ting, fast-charging football squad.
The team had a few bad breaks anu
ended a rather shabby season with
3 wins, 5 losses, and 1 tie record.
The G.W. Bulldogs, after putting
the football togs away for awhile,
started the basketball season with a
small but fast squad.
After a few shaky games, the
Bulldogs really turned on the steam
to romp in ahead of all the Wes
tern Conference teams, except Lees-
McRae. The season ended with Lees-
McRae ahead of the G.W, boys by
just a few percentage points.
In the state tournament at Enka,
the Bulldogs won the first game
but dropped the next two to end
the season 4th In the state.
This brings us up to the present
side of the sports picture. Baseball
time is here! The G.W. team has
shown in the first two games of
the yeir that the rest of the junior
college teams are in for a fight
in the state championship race.
G.W. took the first two games
by an 8-3 and 12-7 margin. Unless
something happens to the Bulldogs,
they should be perched in the top
spot at the end of the season.
Now let’s flash back to middle
September and see just how our
sports calendar looked:
Sept. 18 — G.W. bows to Asheville-
Biltmore 7-0 in the first game of
the year. This was a nip and tuck
affair until the final period, when
Asheville hit pay dirt with a pass.
Sept. 25 — G.W. vs Lees-McRae at
Banner Elk; this game resulted in
a 0-0 tie. Two evenly matched teams
marched back and forth for 60
minutes without scoring. This was
G.W.’s best game of the year since
Lees-McRae turned out to be the
state champions.
Oct. 2 — Bulldogs put the pressure
on Belmont Abbey’s Crusaders to
get a 7-0 victory. The G.W. Boys
battered a worn out Abbey team in
to submission.
Oct. 9 — The Pembroke Indians
got a good look at G.W.’s offensive
power as they went down in de
feat 52-0 before the Baptists. Coach
Bradburn used every man on his
squad in this game.
Oct. 16 — Baptists vs Baptists, as
G.W. journeyed to Mars Hill to en
gage the Lions. The final gun found
ohe G.W. boys on the short end of
a 13-6 score. Lady Luck smiles on
Hill as Bulldogs roll up 28b
yards to Lions 94.
Oct. 30 — Gardner-Webb again took
-0 the road, traveling to Brevard
where they again went down in a
close 14-13 game. Brevard’s hard
charging line blocked a try for an
extra point to clinch the contest.
Nov. 6 — The Campbell College
“Camels” posted a 28-6 defeat on
the Bulldogs at Buies Creek. Camp-
oell controlled the ball from start
Nov. 13 — The P.J.C. “Scotties” put
G.W. back in the victory column
by going down before them 14-0.
“Buddy” Gantt racked up two
touchdowns from a fake punt for
mation.
Nov. 27 — In the final game of the
season, Belmont Abbey beat the
Bulldogs 7-0 on a wet, muddy field
at Gastonia.
Now for a review of the basket
ball season. Let’s all gather at the
gym and see what happened on;
Dec. 9 — Bulldogs defeated Tyner
Motor 81-23 in an impressive pre
season game. Team looked great
for coming season. Moon had 17,
Willis 15.
Dec. 11 — Gardner-Webb won their
first conference game 40-30 from
Mitchell College of Statesville. Wil
lis had 11, Bush and Hullender 6.
Jan. 5 — In another non-confer
ence game, G.W. defeated the Lo
well All-Stars 39-28. Willis had 12,
Shook 8.
Jan. 7 — The Bulldogs made it two
in a row over Mitchell by downing
the Statesville boys r" '■ ”
der had 19, Willis 17.
Jan. 11 —
G.W. their second trouncing of the
year 54-49. Moon had 13, Willis 13.
Jan. 15 — Gardner-Webb knocked
off Brevard 65-55 to get back or
their feet. Hullender had 18, Wil
lis 13.
Jan. 20 — Spartanburg romped on
G.W. for their third defeat of the
year 61-41. Hullender had 12, Moon
and Willis 9.
Jan. 21 — Applachian’s “B” team
Hi’llen- ' downed the Bulldogs 63-50 in a non
conference game. Willis had 13,
ne G.W. boys made it Moon 8.
by knocking ofl C.C. Jan. 22 — Again the Bulldogs were
U.N.C. 57-45. Moon had 22, Willis defeated, this time by Lees-McRae
16. 43-32. Willis had 15, Moon and F
Jan 13 — Mars Hill set Gardner- rick 5.
Webb back 52-43 for their first loss Jan. 24— Gardner-Webb got revenge
of the year. Shook had 11, Ham- by defeating Spartanburg 52-44.
rick 9. Moon had 22. Hamrick and Willis 9.
Jan. 14 — Asheville-Biltmore gave Jan. 27 — The Appalachian “B”s
Here are Gardner-Webb’s battling basketeers, who made a name for themselves and for the school by their
spirit good sportsmanship. The Bulldogs, left to right are: Tom Key, Ervin Shook, James Moon, Ervin
Willis - Captain, Jim Hullender, Price Bush, Jim Whittington. Back row; Scott Uzzel - Manager, George
MeSwain, David Feeler, Reeves (Chick) Wallace, Joe Hamrick, H. L. Cline, Leonard Keever, and Coach
Wayne Bradbnriu
Champions of Sportsmanship
President, Student Body
Gardner-Webb College
Boiling Springs, N. C.
Dear Sir:
We, the undersigned, had the honor of visiting your
school Thursday, February 3. We would like at this time to
thank you and the other students for making our visit so
pleasant. Congratulations to your basketball team. We hope
to meet them again in the state tournament. If both of our
respective teams are lucky, this may be possible. We would
especially like to commend your Captain Willis, a very good
sport. You of Gardner-Webb may well be proud of him.
Also we would like to thank your students for inviting
us in for your Vesper Service. It was the best we have ever
heard held by college students, either of junior or senior
colleges. The speaker was simply grand, and we only wish
that we had some like him. If we did. I’m sure attendance at
our Vesper Services would pick up. We would like for you
to tell this boy how much we enjoyed his talk, since we did
not get a chance to before the game and did not know his
name or whereabouts. Here’s hoping your team enjoyed their
visit to our school as much as we did ours to yours. Thank
you all again for a wonderful time.
Sincerely yours,
Wallace Nelson .lack Duncan
Floyd Yelton Ben Frazier
Charles Bullion Roy Hoover
Printed above is a letter received last February from the leading
members of the Lees-McRae basketball team,T'he spirit and the
tribute of the letter speak for themselves.
again defeated the Bulldogs. This
time it was 77-65. Willis had 19,
Cline 17.
Jan. 31 — The Belmont Abbey
“Crusaders” defeated the Bulldogs
60-43. Willis had 18, Cline 9.
Feb. 2 — Gardner-Webb knocked
off the Gaston All-Stars 72-57. This
started an 11 game winning streak
for the Bulldogs. Willis had 21,
Moon 20.
Feb. 3 — Lees-McRae was the next
victim of the Bulldogs, bowing 55-
39, Moon had 23, Hullender 10.
Feb. 5 — The G.W. Baptists knock
ed off the Mars Hill Baptists 61-
47. Willis had 23, Moon 22.
Feb. 7 — Belmont Abbey was the
fourth team in a row to go down
before the Bulldogs. This time it
was 61-36. Willis and Cline both
had 17.
Feb. 8 — Tlie Wingate team had the
misfortune of being the 5th vic
tim of the Bulldogs. The score was
53-48. Moon had 19, Willis 11.
Feb. 10 — Again Wingate was troun
ced by the G.W. boys. This time it
was 70-54. Willis had 21, Cline 12.
Feb. 12 — Brevard was the next in
line on the list of defeated foes.
The Bulldogs beat them 57-48. Wil
lis had 22, Moon 17.
Feb. 17 — Gardner-Webb ended the
regular conference play by knock
ing off Asheville-Biltmore 63-48.
This gave them a 11-5 record. Moon
and Willis had 17.
Games at Enka for State Cham
pionship :
Feb. 21 — Gardner-Webb’s Bull
dogs eliminated Wingate by beat
ing them 51-31. It was the third
time G.W. had defeated Wingate
this year. Moon had 18, Willis 14.
Feb. 22 — Gardner-Webb was elimi
nated by Campbell College 61-41.
Cline had 14, Willis 11.
Feb. 23 — In the consolation game,
r.W. was defeated by Lees-McRae
i-53. Moon had 17, Cline 10.
This brings us up-to-date on the
)orts at Gardner-Webb.
Freedom has been defined as
man’s volimtary loyalty to the
highest Ideals of life.