North Carolina Newspapers

Thursday. September 29. 1955 MAROON AND GOLT) PAGE THKEE Christians Battle Appalachian In First Home Game STAUFFEINBERG INJURED IN OPENER Elon Trampled 111 Mississippi Tilt, 39 To 0 By BILL WALKER Mississippi Southern's heavy and experienced gridders romped more or less at will to swamp the Elon Christians 39 to 0 before a crowd of 13,500 fans in Hatties burg. Miss., on Saturday night, September 17th. It was an aus picious debut for the Southerners, but it gave scant comfort to the followers of the Christians. The Elon squad, with a veteran backfield combination that had been thought one of the best small- college crews in the South and perhaps in the country, found it self virtually unable to move against Southern’s trenuendoiis line, a forward combination that averaged better than 230 pounds from tackle to tackle and over 210 pounds from end to end. HOHCOOI) I. EADS 195.-, (;kii) s,)i Ai) Atteiidaiice Records May Fall As Old Rivals Meet h ?■ > " itli'-i Elon football hopes received a sharp set-back when Bob Stauf- fenberg. a rugged sophomore fullback from Morea. Pa., received a fractured arm in the opening battle with Mississippi Southeni on September 17th, an injury which may “bench” him for the rest of the season. Stauffy, who smashes into enemy lines with bulldozer force, came to Elon last fall after starring at Mahonoy Township High School, where he was chosen for participation in Pennsyl vania’s eighteenth annual "Dream Game.” During his freshman sea son at Elon he was rushing leader for the Christians with a net of 478 yards and an average of 4.3 yards per carry. This record won for him All-Conference honors ir his first season. HOW IT HAPPENED Elon Miss. Souihern 3 First Downs 21 48 Yards Gained Rushing 376 72 Yards Lost Rushing 6 8 Passes -Attempted 14 ■24 Net Yards Rushing 370 1 Passess Completed 4 29 Yards Gained Passing 101 5 Net Yaards Scrimmage 471 1 Opp. Passes Intercepted « 16 Runback Intercepted Passes 0 10 Number of Punts 3 34.7 Ave. Yards Punts 35.3 165 Runback .\II Kicks 65 0 Fumbles Lost 0 40 Yards Lost Penalties 105 Score by Periods; Elon 0 0 0 0- — 0 Miss. Southern 12 7 14 6 —39 .a ! ' ? r A, » > . Mlssl Touchdowns—Smallwood. Arban, Whitfield. Cardenas 2, Richardson. Points after—Herring, Whitfield, Meeks. Walking Tlie Clialk-Liiies By BILL WALKER Llou F(>)ti)all There are no words to express v.as above reproach, and it is little the feeling one has after his team loses, especially when he is con vinced that his team is two touch downs better than the victorious opponent, I felt just that way after that Citadel game last Sat urday night. Guided by the expert quarter- backing of Richard Bradham and behin(J some unbelievably bril liant line play, the Christians moved with bafautiful precislion against the Citadel Bulldogs, who relied heavily on a freshman ^luanerback named Bob Schwarze, who played LAST YEAR at West Point and then donned a Bulldog uniform this year without waiting for a year of “red-shirting.” When Shakespeare wrote that thing about “the slings of ill for tune,” he must have been think ing about the things that happened to Elon in that first half. I hesi tate to name them, but suffice say that they should not happen to a dog—not even to a Bulldog. Elon lost the first game of the season to a fine Mississippi South ern team, but it didn’t hurt half as much as that “official defeat” '*hich they suffered in Charles ton last Saturday night. Contrary to the belief of some people, this “defeat” on the Elon ■’seord books did not destroy team spirit. Quite the contrary. It built the spirit to a new high, and the Christians learned more in that one game than they ever could in practice. Richard Bradham, quarterback- ">8 his first complete game, play- somewhat on the light-fantastic cirder, calling what seemed an al- Host perfect coatest Except for four intercepted passes, hia pLa/ j the honors. wonder that he was named the game’s outstanding player. However, we must not sell the rest of the backfield and the line short, for they all played a fine offensive and defensive game and displayed more “heart and guts” than most people can realize. It took them just one defeat and one creditless victory to find them selves, but you can look out for them now, * * « Hat’s off to the Elon cheer leaders, who went at their own ex pense to The Citadel to give Elon some badly needed suport. Last year the cheerleaders could not go to many of the games away from home, because they could find no arrangements for the night nor way to finance the trips. It seems a pity that some way could be provided for accommodations and meals for the cheerleaders, especially if they are interested enough to pay their own transpor tation for these long trips. t * * Intramural football is about to get underway on the campus, with eight teams participating. This of fers a chance for all you students who do not play varsity football to display your talents. Coach Scott Boyd, who heads the intra mural program, says that he ex pects the largest turn-out and the keenest competition in years. Last year’s champions from ITK will be out to repeat, but North, East, South-Kappa Psi, Carlton-Sigma Phi, and the Alpha Pi-Club House- Mooney combines show plenty of potential to give ITK a race for On the first play from scrim mage, J. C. Arban, flashy fresh man halfback for the Southerners, took a hand-off on his own thirty- four and sprinted 57 yards to the Elon eight, where Whitney Brad ham brought him down from be hind, Two plays later Fred Small wood sprinted untouched for the touchdown. Homer Hobgood, Elon's All-State center, blocked the kick. Kerry Richards, taking the next kick-off on his own twenty-six, sprinted 21 yards for a nice re turn, but Bill Snyder had to punt four plays later when the Christ ians found themselves unable to move the ball. Late in the first quarter, after neither team had been able to move the ball for substantial gains, the Southerners took over on the Elon twenty when the Fighting Christians failed to get off a fourth down punt. Two plays later Arban carried the pigskin over for the TD and 12-0 lead. In the second quarter both teams found their offenses stymied until the final four minutes, at which time Mississippi Southern took over on her own forty-three where Dallas Whitfield broke into the open for 33 yards to the Elon twenty-six. Two plays later Doug Barfield tossed 22 yards to Whit field for the score, Whitfield added the point for 19 to 0 as the half ended. Early in the second half the Mississippi gridders took over on their own twenty, after a penalty had moved’ them back 15 yards and just eight plays later the Southerners were again in the shadow of the Elon goal and with first-and-ten on the Christian eleven, Ed Cardenas, ,the game leading scorer from his fullback spot, scored the TD on an end sweep. Cardenas hit pay-dirt again in that same period on a 12-yard pass play, Elon’s only real threat in the game came when Kerry Richards intercepted a pass on Southern’ forty-four and raced to the enemy 28-yard line. Fate intervened there, however, and just five plays and tw> 15-yard penalties (Continued on Page Four) Captain Homer Hobgood, a rugged senior from Oxford, leads the 1955 Christian grid squad and anchors the .Maroon and Gold line from his center position. .After playing very little as a freshman. Hobgood lettered as a first-line reserve in his sophomore year, and last season he stepped into a starting position and played bet ter than 55-minute ball all season. His steady play on offense and his alert defense won for him both All-Conference and All-State honors at the close of the 1954 campaign, during which he had two pass interceptions and two recoveries of enemy fumbles to his credit. Captain Hobgood is also an All-Conference catcher in base ball. Elon 0, .Miss. Southern 39. ^ Elon 18, The C itadel 26. (Remainine Games) j Oct. 1—,\ppalachian, home. I Oct. 8—East Carolina, away. : Oct. 15—Newberry, home, j Oct. 22—Catawba, away. I Oct. 29—\Vest. Carolina, home, j Nov. ,5—Naval .^pp., home. Nov. 12—Lenoir Rhyne, away. Nov. 19 — Guilford, away. J-l Gridders Tie Quakers III m Here The Elon Jay-Vee team battled the Guilford -youngsters to a score less tie on Monday afternoon be fore a crowd of 300 fans on the Elon practice field. The game was the first of five tilts scheduled ■ for the junior varsity this season. Joey Del Gais was the featured offensive player for the Elon squad, while Tony Carcaterra and Jim Hawkins turned in some nice bits of defensive play. The Jay- Vees’ biggest threat carried to the Guilford one, while Guilford’s big gest threat ended on the ten. Remaining games on the Jay- Vee schedule are with Chowan away on October 6: Slate Fresh men away on October 14; Gard- ner-Webb away on October 21: ind Hargrave away on November i. The Jay-Vees are coached by Idell Welbom. Christians Drop Rugged Grid Battle To Citadel Bulldogs By 26-18 Count By BII.L WALKER ^ The Fighting Christians, playing with a remodelled backfield after the loss of two regulars who! tarted the opening game withj Mississippi Southern, displayed brilliant form as they dropped a tough battle to The Citadel’s Bull dogs in Charleston, S.C„ last Saturday night, September 24th. The Elon gridders, after grab bing an early 6-0 lead, found themselves down at the half by a 19 to 6 margin and had to battle desperately throughout the second half to overcome the two-touch down margin. They were unable to overtake the Bulldog lead, but the crowd of 12,000 cheering fans saw the Elon- ites all but dominate the offensive play through most of the game. Only for about 15 minutes dur ing the second period were the Bulldogs of Citadel, boasting this year a “new look” in football, able to move effectively against the Christians, All the other quart ers were almost completely con trolled by Elon's gold-jerseyed eleven, Elon drove for the first touch down with less than four minutes elapsed in the first period, with Tom Shepperson recovering a Citadel fumble on the Cadets’ 30- yard line. Three plays later Kerry Richards, Elon’s All-Conference halfback, carried over from the eleven. Glenn Varney’s attempted conversion was blocked. Early in the second quarter, with the second platoon oi The Citadel’s “new look” on the field. Bulldog tackle Lee Klein inter cepted a pass on the Christian forty, and the Cadets were off to their first score. With Lesber and HOW IT HAPPENED Elon Citadel 10 First Downs 14 160 Yards Gained Rushing 242 20 Yards Lost Rushing 33 140 Net Yards Rushing 209 15 Passes Attempted 10 4 Passes Completed 4 37 Yards Gained Passing 51 177 Net Yards Scrimmage 260 0 Opp. Passes Intercepted 4 0 Runback Intercepted Pastes 60 4 Number of Punts 6 25.8 Ave. Yards Punts 30.2 165 Runback All Kick.s 87 2 Fumbles Lost 3 too Yards Penalties 143 Score by Periods; Elon * 6 0 6 6—18 The CiUdel 0 19 7 0—26 Elon Touchdowns—Richards 2, R. Bradham. Citadel Touchdowns —Dzanls 2. Schwarze, Andrejko. Points after—Dzanis 2 (placement). » ♦ * Woodworth doing most of the work, the Bulldogs moved to the Elon one, where Schwarze went ever for the score. Tuzo’s kick for point was blocked. Twelve plays later a pass inter ference penalty against Elon on the one-yard line set up the sec ond score. On the next play Ed Dzanis plunged for tha TD and added the extra point, giving Cita del a 13-6 lead. Seconds later end Bob Saunders intercepted a Christian pass on the fifty and raced to the Elon one. The next play Dzanis was All attendance records for Elon College's home football battles are expected to go by the board on Saturday night when the Fighting Christians make their 1955 debut before the home folks in a crucial battle with the power-laden Ap palachian Mountaineers. The game, which is set for Bur lington Memorial Stadium at 8 o'clock Saturday night, has been the object of an intensive promo tional campaign by the Burlington KIks Club, with the greatest ad vance sale of tickets in the an nals of Elon grid play. The Elks' sponsorship has cre ated top interest in the gaine, but the battle itself is attracting wide spread interest throughout the state, for sports scribes on state newspapers have billed the contest as likely to decide the 1955 cham pionship in the North State Con ference. The Apps surprised even their own supporters last fall when they romped to an undefeated season in North State Conference ranks, but the Christians added a sur prise of their own by grabbing runner-up honors in the race. Neither team had been doped to finish so high in the standings. The Mountaineers were the only team to post a victory over Coach Sid Varney's outfit last fall, and the Christians would like mightily to forget the calibre of their play in the game which they lost to Appaalchian at Boone by 20 to 6 margin. • • » ELON-APPALACIIIAN SCORES 1937—Elon 0, Appalachian 31. 1938—Elon 7, Appalachian 6. 1939—Elon 6, Appalachian 6. 1940—Elon 7. Appalachian 0. 1941—Elon 26. Appalachian 6. 1946—Elon 0, Appalachian 40. 1947—Elon 13, Appalachian 21. 1948—Elon 13, Appalachian 33. 1949—Elon 0, Appalachian 14. , 1950—Elon 14, Appalachian 14. 1951—Elon 20, Appalachian 6. 1952—Elon 13, Appalachian 7. 1953—Elon 19» Appalachian 21. 1954—Elon 6, Appalachian 20. Elon won 5, lost 7, tied 2. • • • While the Christians would like to avenge that lone Conference de feat of last year, there is just as strong motivation in the bitter rivalry that has always prevailed in the Elon-App rivalry. The ser ies began in 1937, and since that time the two teams have met fourteen times, with Appalachian holding a 7-5 edge in victories and with two games ending in ties. It is interesting to note that th& Mountaineers are the only team in the North State loop to hold a series edge in victories over Elon, Coach Red Duggins will bring a veteran outfit into Burlington Stadiium on Saturday night, a squad which packs plenty of weight and experience and a squad which Elon scouts have labelled a«: the fastest they have ever seen in over-all speed of Ijoth line and backfield. The Mountaineers were victims of one of the most startling up sets of the year in Tarheelia la,st Saturday, when they fell before an inspired crew of Western Caro lina Catamounts by a 7-6 score, I thrown for a 6-yard loss, but Mil ler passed to Al Andrejko for the touchdown. Dzanis missed the point as the half ended before Citadel could kick off, Elon drove 45 yards for her next touchdown after Richard Bradham returned the second half kickoff from his own end zone past midfield, Richards went over guard from the seven for the score. The Cadets then drove right back for 70 yards and another touch down, with Dzanis going the final two yards after Saunders had re covered a “forward fumble’” that moved Citadel from the ten to the two. Dzanis kicked good again, hut Elon controlled the rest of the game. The Christians got to the seven teen, the ten and the one on suc cessive drives, only to be stopped by fumbles, interceptions and the determined defense of the Cadets. No less than four times the Elon outfit seemed certain to score but was denied by breaks of one typel®^^ that fact will only serve to or another. Late in the final quarter, after the Bulldogs had to punt deep in make the Duggins-coached mach ine more dangerous. Over-confi dence may have been the cause their territory, Eddie Bridges tO(jk'f®*’ upset, for Appalachian a short Cadet kick on the Citadel i flashed top form in swamp- 35-yard line and returned it to the five. Three plays later Rich ard Bradham, quarterbacking his first complete game for the Christians, crashed over for the final score of the game. Although denied the victory, the Elon grid squad displayed a com plete reversal of form from their opening defeat. The entire Christ ian line played a terrific ball game, and the new backfield com- bioation played as if it had been together through many battles ing Naval Apprentice 47 to 6 in her opener. Coach Duggins will see that there is no over-confi dence this week. Both Elon and Appalachian wUl probably start nine lettermen at ithe opening kick-off. The Moun taineers only youngsters include a freshman at end and a sopho more at center. The Christians will field their non-letter starters at quarterback and fullback. In neither case will the non-letter performers weaken their teams, for the youngsters have proven tlX0ir jmettle in early games.