The Abilene Reporter-News (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 74, No. 191, Ed. 2 Monday, December 27, 1954 Page: 6 of 20
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Z A THE ABILENE REPORTER-NEWS RETIRES ON TOPS
Abilene, Texas, Monday Evening. December 27, 1954 REILREP - -
eryuus Browns’ Graham
Gkylaoi Quits ProGame
FA
OTTO GRAHAM
... “mental pressure” too much for old pro
By BUD SPRUNGER
CLEVELAND un—Otto Graham,
who says the "mental pressure'
of T-formation quarterbacking is
too much for a 33-year-old, bowed
out of professional football Sunday
amid the standing cheers of 43.
827 fans.
Graham, who passed for three
touchdowns and carried for three
others, said definitely he was re-
tiring after Cleveland's 56-10
championship victory over the De-
troit Lions.
Cleveland fans, more demon-
strative than ever before, poured
from the stands and rimmed the
sidelines two minutes before the
game ended. Graham had to bull
his way through backslappers to
get to the dressing room.
Then, tugging off No. 14 Jersey,
he smiled and said quietly:
Browns Halt Grid Jinx,
Smash Detroit, 56-10
CLEVELAND (—The Cleveland cessive Sundays won't kill your
Browns Monday owned a rare
second National Football League
title after an astounding 56-10 de-
throning of the Detroit Lions which
proved:
1. Cleveland’s "retiring" quar-
terback, Otto Graham, showed
enough voltage at 33 — three
touchdown passes and three scor-
ing smashes — to warrant doubt
be will quit pro ball as he says.
2. That you can’t believe what
you see on the TV screen (the
game-turning play favored the
Browns after what appeared a
neutralizing double-in fraction on
TV).
3. That the same two teams
playing in the same city on sue-
crowd, (43,827 appeared — 20.000
buying at the gate).
4. That statistics are little white
lies (the Browns had only a slight
edge over the two-time league
champion Lions).
Fantastic Aspects
There was much of the fantas-
tic about Paul Brown's tremend-
ous crushing of a Detroit jinx in
Sunday's game, played under per-
fect (for Dec. 26) weather condi-
tions. It ended a Lion quest for
an unprecedented third straight
NFL title.
The Browns won their first tri-
until after a first-quarter tide-
changer which puzzled TV view-
ers.
This came, with Detroit ahead
3-0 on Doak Walker's field goal.
Cleveland’s punter was roughed
on the same play in which De-
troit's receiver apparently signal-
led for a fair catch then was clob-
bered deep in Lion territory.
The Brown punter, Horace Gil-
lom. was racked up by Lion guard
Harley Sewell, just after lofting a
fourth-down punt to *■-*—’■•-
Girard. After signalling a fair
catch, Girard moved Lu a .
umph in nine starts against a
Buddy Parker-coached Lion team, to his right and did not have con-
but the run-away didn't develop trol of the ball when he was
--------------------------------I smacked dowh.
IN SWC CAGE TOURNEY
Alabama Rates
Favorites Role
Never Had Ball
I What the TV audience never
learned was that officials ruled
Girard, “muffing the ball," never
had enough control to warrant in-
fraction of the fair-catch ruling.
That left the roughing-the-punter i
violation standing alone, instead of
being wiped out in a double pen-
alty.
So Cleveland got a first down
“That’s the way to quit ...go
out on top "
Coach Paul Brown, surrounded
by well-wishers in another part of
the clubhouse, said he "hoped”
Graham would reconsider.
The tension just before the kick-
off prompted his decision, Gra-
ham explained. "I hate that pre-
game feeling and it gets worse
and worse as the years go by .. .
it affects your stomach ”
He also pointed out that in T-
formation play, the “pressure is
on the quarterback . . . when he
has a bad day the whole team
hae a bad day the whole team is
off."
Recalling the 17-16 title game
licking the Lions handed the
Browns last year, Graham said it
made him "feel worse than I ever
have in my whole life." He com-
pleted just 2 of 15 passes then for
only 20 yards.
First Against Lions
Sunday he connected on 9 of 12
pitches for 163 yards His three
scoring passes were the first he
ever flipped against the Lions.
Asked if there was any game
that pleased him more, Otto re-
plied:
"Yep, that first championship
game against Los Angeles.” The
Browns, new to the National
League in 1950, beat the Rams
30-28.
Brown agreed his first victory
over a Lion team coached by Bud-
dy Parker was a “real satisfac-
tion.” but be said “the last big
satisfaction was beating Los An-
geles.”
Cleveland had won the defunct
UI - American Conference crown
our straight years before joining
this league.
“On this given day, this was the
best football team I ever saw.”
Brown said of his club Sunday. He
would not say, however, that it
was his best team in his nine sea-
sons of pro coaching.
The
DOUBLE TAKE
By Fred Sanner
U.S. Net Stars
Seize Cup Lead
By WILL GRIMSLEY
SYDNEY, Australia (—America
seized a firm, almost unbreakable
PLAYOFFS to the last desperate pass of the loser for the grip on the Davis up today Tony
last three years, we think it’s high time the Texas Inter- twodlons u Vic Seixas fought
scholastic League made a few changes
We refer to the rule which says that no team may be
forced to play on a neutral site, that in the event the two
teams cannot agree on a neutral site ,a coin toss on a home-
and - home basis will decide the $64 question.
AFTER FOLLOWING THE STATE SCHOOLBOY
Altitude, Humidity Take Their Toll
7-A
where, sat in the big wood and
steel saucer for the day’s program
and most of them took a linger-
ing look at the gleaming Davis
Cup as they left the arena.
HOUSTON W — Alabama, a
strong pre-tournament favorite,
meets Baylor today (2 p.m.) in
the opening game of the 4th annual
Southwest Conference Basketball
tournament
It was the first time the guest
team was favored over the seven
conference schools in the holiday
meet.
The Crimson Tide’s 5-1 season
record and an injury that has side-
lined Art Barnes, captain of high-
storing Southern Methodist, have
made Alabama practically a unan-
imous choice to breeze through its
three-game schedule and grab the
championship trophy.
SMU had been tabbed the team
most likely to meet the tide in
Wednesday night's finals. But the
Mustangs were to meet dangerous
Texas Christian tonight <9 p.m.)
without the services of Barnes, a
6-foot guard.
Barnes was injured last week in
a game against Indiana and did
not make the Houston trip.
Other first round games paired
Texas against Texas A&M (4 p.m.)
and Rice, the defending champion,
against Arkansas (7 p.m.)
Alabama defeated Baylor for the
consolation championship last year
with a sophomore-dominated team
that included only two seniors.
The Tide again is led by Jerry
Harper, a 6-8 forward who made
the all-tournament team as a soph-
omore a year ago. Harper scored
427 points last season. In six games
as a' junior he has averaged 21.2
points.
TCU, led by Dick O’Neal, 6-7
sophomore, carried into the tour-
nament the best early season rec-
ord among the Southwest teams,
five victories against three defeats.
Team
TCT
SEASON STANDINGS
W L Pet. Pts. OP
5 3 625 578 526
4 4 .500 644 602
4 4 .500 541 560
3 4 .429 499 548
2 4 .333 393 424
1 5 .167 367 461
____1 • 1*1 421 Ml
WEEK’S RESULTS
k Baylor 41.
Raiders Pace
Border Quints
By EDDIE LEE
PHOENIX • — Texas Tech's
Border Conference Champion Red
Raiders hope to snap a two-game
losing streak at Owensboro, Ky.,
this week in the All-American City
Basketball Tournament.
The Raiders carry the Border
circuit's best early season record
and highest per-game scoring av-
erage into the week-long tourney.
They've averaged 80 8 points per
game while winning six and losing
two and held their opponents to
an average of 68.7.
Also tournament-bound are the
University of Arizona Wildcats who
play in the University of Wichita
competition Wednesday and Thurs-
Beaten 56-54 by Stanford last
week for their fourth foes la seven
games, the Wildcats start their
week's action at Tulsa tonight and
wind up after the tournament with
a New Year's Day game at New
Mexico Univarsity The Tucson
crew hopes to Uft its 66.4 scoring
average above the 70 1 it has per-
mitted opponents.
The only other conference club
in action is Arizona State at
Tempe, winner of only one of six
games so far. The Sun Devils meet
Seattle University at Seattle to-
night. play at Portland Tuesday.
Pacific University at Forest
Grove, Ore . Wednesday and St.
Mary's College at St. Mary's,
Calif., Thursday.
West Texas State last week in-
Baylor
Rice
Arkansas
Texas A&M
Texas
LAST „
Utah State 80. _. ...
Vanderbilt M. Texas 67.
Minnesota 89, Southern Methodist 72.
West Texas State 82, Texas A&M
r
Bradley 82, Southern Methodist 73. -
Texas Christian 97. Austin College 65.
Texas A&M 86. Pepperdine 8 1.
THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE
Monday - Southwest Conference Tour-
nament at Houston: Baylor vs Alabama,
Texas vs Texas A&M, Rice vs Arkansas,
Southern Methodist vs Texas Christian.
Tuesday — Southwest Conference Tour-
nament al Houston: Baylor - Alabama
loser vs Bice - Arkansas loser, Texas-
Texas A&M loser vs Texas Christian-
Southern Methodist loser, Baylor - Ala-
bama winner vs Ries - Arkansas winner
Texas • Texas A&M winner vs Texas
Christian Southern Methodist winner.
Wednesday-Southwest Conference Tour-
nament st Houston Decide seventh place.
Mik place, third pince and champion
"Etur day — Arkansas va Tuina at Fay.
etteville.
LEADING SCORERS
FG FT TP
76 47 199
61 33 155
47 51 145
46 31 123
4526116
37 31 105
40 18 98
# # #
27 11 85
on Detroit’s 35 and two plays lat-
er, Graham hurled a 37 - yard
touchdown pass to speedy Ray
Renfro. That was the game's turn-
ing point. The Browns took a 7-3
lead and steadily enlarged it.
Statistically, the Browns out
rushed Detroit by a scant 140 to
136 yards, and in passing the Lions
were ahead, 196 to 163. But what
the figures didn't tell was how
Graham outwitted and outmaneu-
vered Detroit's Bobby Layne.
2nd NFL Championship
The Browns, a divisional cham-
pion since 1950 after dominating
the late All-America Conference,
took the NFL crown only once be-
fore with a 1950 nipping of Los
Angeles, 30-28.
Passing twice to Renfro and
once to end Pete Brewster for
touchdowns, and in smashing over
from the 5-yard line and 2 and 1-
foot lines, Graham set. three play-
off marks.
Graham’s three touchdowns set
title-game scoring marks with 18
points, most 6-pointers and most
touchdowns by running. He bested
the top efforts of any Chicago
Bear in the Bears' all-time play-
off rout of the Washington Red-
skins of 73-0 in 1940.
Lou (The Toei Groza of Cleve-
land got into the title-game rec-
ords with his eight conversions.
That exceeded Bob Snyder's five
extra points against Washington
in 1943, and also the Bears' team-
conversion total of seven against
the Redskins in 1940. r
OttoSecond
Onlyto Sam
In Passing
CLEVELAND un — Quarterback
Otto Graham says Cleveland’s 56-
10 National Football League play-
off victory Monday over the De-
troit Lions is the last football
game in his 9-year career with the
Browns.
Graham passed to Ray Renfro
for 37-yard and 31 yard touch-
downs and to Pete Brewster for a
10-yard score. That ran the totals
for his 9-year pro career to 1.375
completed passes out of 2.417 at-
tempts for 21,874 yards and 162
touchdowns Only Sammy Baugh,
who played 16 years for Washing-
ton, has a better record.
The three touchdowns Graham
ran over from inside Detroit’s 5-
yard line were the most ever for
one man in a pro championship
game. Otto also retires with these
playoff records from his five title
championship games:
Most passes attempted, 134.
Most passes completed, 72.
Most yards gained passing, 952
Most touchdown passes, 1.
‘Most points scored, one game.
18.
The last two years in particular
have caused us to think that some-
thing needs to be done about this
rule, which leaves to chance such
an important decision as the site
of a state championship battle.
In 1953, South Texas teams won
three of four titles. In 1954, West
Texas teams won three of four
titles.
In 1953, the state finals oc-
curred at Houston, Port Neches,
Temple and San Marcos
In 1954, the state battles were
fought at Wichita Falls, Houston
and two at Breckenridge.
In a state where the altitude
varies from 20 feet at Port Neches
to 2,397 at Big Spring, from 55 feet
at Houston to 2.890 at Odessa, a
neutral spot at a midway height is
the only fa r answer for a state
finals playoff site.
In a state where the average
relative humidity in December
ranges from 65 at Houston and 87
at Brownsville to 42 at El Paso
and 50 at Abilene, a neutral site at
a midway point is the only fair
answer.
It is highly improbable that the
1953 Port Neches AAA champions
would have beaten Big Spring in
Big Spring in West Texas, much
less drub the Steers badly.
Likewise, it is highly improbable
that the 1954 Breckenridge Bucka-
roos would be wearing their third
Class AAA crown if this year's
finals had gone to the coast.
Coach Joe Kerbel made the un-
derstatement of the year when he
said, "We are more than happy to
welcome Port Neches to West
Texas."
Only a team of Abilene’s
superior manpower could have ac-
complished the feat it did in pull-
ing the Class AAAA title out of
the fire in the closing seconds in
Houston’s low altitude and high
humidity.
A less - balanced Odessa team
found the going too rough in 1953
And lest Houston boast that La-
mar could have whipped the Bron-
chos in Odessa, let us remind it
of what happened to one of the
greatest teams ever to come out
of South Texas in that same Bron-
cho Stadium.
In 1948, Coach Weldon Bynum’s
New Braunfels Unicorns were the
scourge of all they met, possessing
some of the finest college material
ever to graduate from high school
and a spotless record until —
Until they had to play Monahans
at Odessa.
The TIL records state that Mon-
ahans was the 1948 Class A cham-
pion.
True, Deer Park defeated Al-
bany at Breckenridge and Abilene
whipped Austin at Houston, but
there were extenuating circum-
stances in both cases - Abilene’s
overwhelming manpower and Al-
bany's flatness after soaring to the
heights against Paducah the week
before.
We realize it is better for the
schools to settle the average prob-
lems between and among them-
selves.
But we think a state title is too
important a thing to leave to the
flip of a coin
We suggest that permanent sites
be established for the Class AAAA
and AAA finals, at least, by the
TIL.
Since Baylor Stadium at Waco
has been the scene of several play-
off games, including the 1952 fin-
als, we think Waco, with an alti-
tude of 427 feet, would be the best
choice for the AAA finals.
And Austin, altitude 550 with
the facilities of Memorial Stadium
available, would be our choice for
the perennial site of the Class
AAAA finals.
We would also suggest that the
AAAA finals be played at Austin
in the afternoon at 2 and the AAA
finals be played at Waco the same
night at 7:30, allowing the football
rabid to attend both games and
increase the crowd at both.
We indulged in a double feature
ourselves last Saturday, attending
the Phillips - Killeen game at
Wichita Falls in the afternoon and
the. Albany - Deer Park game at
Breckenridge that night. And the
highway from Wichita Falls to
their way to almost identical four-
set victories over young Aus-
tralian foes in opening singles
matches of the challenge round.
Trabert, tight-lipped and deter-
mined, cut down powerful Lewis
Hoad in the first match, 6-4, 2-6.
12-10, 6-3. Seixas scrapping Si-
year-old United States champion,
evened a long and embarrassing
jinx by trouncing little Ken Rose-
wall. 8-6, 6-8, 6-4, 6-3.
"Two down and three to go."
exultantly said Bill Talbert, non-
playing captain of the Americans
as he congratulated his victorious
athletes in the dressing room.
“We'll clinch the cup tomorrow
in the doubles. And then Wednes-
day's final singles matches will
be just a formality."
Only one other time in the his-
tory of this storied international
tennis competition dating back to
IMO has a earn lost the opening
two singles and come back to vic-
tory.
In tomorrow’s doubles with the
United States leading 2-0, Amer-
ica will send out Trabert and
Seixas again against Australia’s
Hoad and Rosewall. The Ameri-
cans, who haye established them-
selves as the best in the world,
will be overwhelmingly favored.
Harry Hopman, a disappointed
Aussie captain, has the choice be-
Breck was humming with the ____._________
many cars of other football lovers I tween Rosewali and Hoard or Rex
as we sped (not illegally) south-
westward.
It would be fine if two other
suitable sites could be worked out
for Class A and AA as well.
Perhaps. Temple and San An-
tonio could be used.
We know that crowds have been
disappointing in such neutral spots
at times but we believe that if
the state football finals became a
permanent part of a city’s back-
ground and institutions, they would
draw in the same manner in which
the state basketball finals fill Gre-
gory Gym for three days every
March.
dicated it will be a factor la the
approaching conference race by
winning its own invitational holi-
day tournament at Canyon. The
Player
Dick O’Neal. TCU
Jim Krebs, SMU
Murray Bailey, Baylor
Ray Warren, TCU
Terry Telligman, Rice
Art Barnes, SMU
Joel Krog, SMU
Bill Brophy, A&M
Monte Robicheaux, Rice
Bryan KOpatrick, TCU
8 Die in Rioting
BOMBAY (—Deaths in rioting
at Valod, 150 miles north of Bom-
bay, rose to eight today The riot
began yesterday when a mob of
1.200 attacked the home of a land-
lord who had evicted a group of
tribesmen.
Georgia Tech Cinch for Win-
If Bowl Experience Pays Off
DALLAS (—If experience is | fourth straight year for Tech to
the payoff, Georgia Tech should play in a major bowl and there
win the Cotton Bowl football game - three members of the team
in a breeze next Saturday, who have made all of them.
The Yellow Jackets, who clash The three are Larry Morris, the
great center;' Buddy Jones, end.
with Arkansas in the Dallas fea- _ _____ __....
lure, have been in so many bowl and Ben Daugherty, tackle. Bill
games they're as common as reg- Brigman, quarterback, was on the
ular season contests This is the
EIGHT UNDEFEATED TEAMS ANSWER CALLS
*
1
Major College Fives Face Big
Christmas Week Cage Meets
By ED CORRIGAN
The Associated Press
There will be no rest for the
weary this Christmas week, for.
starting Monday, no fewer than 14
major college basketball tourna-
ments will be played, pitting an
armload.at the nation’s top teams
against each other.
Eight of the 13 undefeated big-
time teams will play in tourna-
ments. Four others will continue
their regular-season schedule, and
only one Auburn with five vic-
tories, will not see any action.
North Carolina State, which has
N Y, Dartmouth, 4-0, and Con-
necticut, 6-0, are in the New Eng-
land tournament at Storrs, Conn.;
Florida, 5-0, heads for the Gator
Bowl tournament at Jacksonville.
Fla., and Kansas, 4-0, is the favor-
Ite in the Big Seven event at Kan-
Here are the pairings for the
tournament# starting Monday:
sas City
Other Undefeateds
DIXIE CLASSIC, Raleigh, N. C. - North
Carolina State, Southern California, Cor-
nell. Wake Forest, Minnesota, Duke, West
Virginia, North Carolina.
. HOLIDAY FESTIVAL, New York - La-
Salle, Syracuse, Niagara, UCLA, Duquesne,
Villanova, Dayton, St. John’s (Brooklyn).
SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE Houston —
Alabama, Baylor, Texas A&M. Southern
* Methodist, Texas, Texas Christian, Arkan-
MO. Rice.
squad in 1052 when Morris. Jones
and Daughtety, then freshmen,
played against Baylor in the
Orange Bowl, winning 17-14. Brig-
man, however, didn't get in that
Tribe Leaves
ForCenlenary
Hartwig and Mervyn Rose, who
have a brilliant doubles record.
But both Hartwig, just up from
mumps, and Rose, a lefthander of
shifting temperament, have been
mediocre in practice this week and
anpear certain to watch the dou-
bles from the sidelines.
"I was very proud of both Tony
and Vic,” said Talbert, whose ridi-
culed prediction of a 5-0 sweep
now looks like a good bet. “Both
of them followed our battle plans
almost to the letter and they
showed great fighting qualities ”
A crowd of 25,578, largest crowd
ever to see a tennis match any-
CageTourney
The McMurry Indians will
attempt to better their 1-4 season
basketball record as they play four
games this week
Coach Edgar Payne and 16 In-
dians left early this morning for
Shreveport, where they will meet
host Centenary Tuesday night to
the second game of a twin bill
which pits Hamline of Minnesota
and Louisiana Tech in the opener.
Wednesday night the two losers
play in the first game with the
winners clashing in the nightcap.
Friday and Saturday the Tribe
will be at San Marcos for single
games each night with the South-
west Texas State Bobcats, current-
ly the top team in the Lone Star
Conference.
The Indians were due to arrive
in Shreveport Monday night in
time for a workout on the Cen-
tenary court.
Making the trip were starters
Jerry English, Don Taylor, Fred
Shelton, Jim Jowell and Bob Har-
ris and reserves Boyd Sylestine,
Bill Easterling, David McClure,
Clarence Wynn and Carl Anderson.
The Indians have split with Tex-
as Wesleyan, lost two to Texas
Western and dropped one to Fort
Carson, Coto.
Six Boxers Die During Year,
ButBig Drop Over 22 in '53
NEW YORK ()—Six boxers died complete the unlucky cycle
as the result of injuries suffered
in the ring in 1954 — a sharp drop
from the record high of 22 in 1553
— Ring Magazine disclosed Mon-
day in a copyrighted article in its
February issue.
Editor Nat Fleischer of the
monthly boxing publication said
the decline in fatalities from the
run up the best record to date.
___ 9-0, swings into the Dixie Classic
Buffaloes beat Texas A&M 82-57, at Raleigh. Two of the other un-
then Hardin-Simmons 67-54. HarPC with seven tri-
din-Simmons had defeated Pepper- umphs, and Villanova with four
dine 82 67 in the first round. ... - • - Eastern Collegiate Ath
Tech lost 75-66 to Memphis State letic Assn.’s Holiday Festival in
and Texas Western lost twice, 92-64
to Tennessee Tech and 76-69 M
Muray (Ky.) State.
M 1, Eastern Collegiate Ath-
New York.
Columbia, 4-0, plays to the
Queen City tournament to Buffalo,
Among the other undefeateds.
Kentucky, the winner of its own
Invitation tournament last week
and the No. 1 team in the country
in the latest Associated Press poli,
will try to run its skein to seven
against St Louis and Temple.
Penn, 6-0, plays Pitt; Vanderbilt,
with 4-0, goes against Stanford,
and Seton Hall. 7-0, tackles Stan-
ford and Gonzaga
So when all the returns are in.
the teams that emerge unscathed
will be the ones that can start
thinking seriously to terms of na-
tional honors. They’ll have it.
ALL AMERICAN CITY. Owensboro, Ky.
— Maryland, Rhode Island, Texas Tech.
Kentucky Wesleyan, Mississippi, Cincinnati,
Denver, Evansville.
BIO SEVEN, Kansas City - California,
Kansas, Kansas State, Nebraska, Missouri,
Oklahoma, Iowa State, Colorado.
• QUEEN CITY. Buffalo, N. Y. - Colum-
bia, Fordham, St. Bonaventure. Canisius.
Geordie Tech, Georgetown (D. C.), Idaho
MOTOR CITY, Detroit - Detroit, Toledo,
Penn State, Wayne Mich.
GATOR BOWL., Jacksonville, Fia.—Geor-
gia, Florida, Spring Hill. Florida State
KENTUCKY INVITATION, Louisville —
Western Kentucky, Murray (Ky.), Louis,
ville. Eastern Kentucky.
HOFSTRA INVITATION, Hempstead,
W. Y. — Delaware. Cortland (N. Y.).
Hofstra, Lehigh, Warner, Marietta, Lafay.
ette. St. Peters (N. J.)
The Richmond, V*. festival. Pacific
Coast Conference Northern Division Classic
# Seattle, and New England Tournament
title, and New England Tournament
FOETE^ *
under
game.
Nothing But Victory
Morris, Jones and Daugherty
have never known' anything except
victory in bowl affair because
Tech beat Mississippi 24-7 in the
1953 Sugar Bowl and West Vir-
ginia 4219 in the 1954 Sugar Bowl
Arkansas doesn’t even have the
same coach when it last apeared
in a bowl game — the Dixie Bowl
in 1918
But Arkansas beat a lot of
teams with much more experience
during the 1954 campaign and
won’t be frightened by Georgia
Tech’s great bowl record. In indi-
vidual stars, the Razorbacks are
as good or better than Tech. Hen-
ry Moore, the Razorback fullback,
gained 667 yards rushing com-
pared to 442 for Tech's top runner.
Jimmy Thompson.
Better Parker Statistics
George Walker, the sophomore
Arkansas tailback, completed 45
of 85 passes for 603 yards com-
pared to 39 of 77 for 573 by Brig-
man, the leading Tech thrower
Preston Carpenter, Arkansas
blocking back, caught 21 passes
for 284 yards while Henry Hair,
Tech’s fine wingman, snared 24
for 270.
year before was one of the few
bright spots in an otherwise drab |
year for the sport.
Fleischer and his worldwide
staff selected heavyweight cham-
pion Rocky Marciano as its "Fight-
er of the Year" and singled out
Argentina's Pascual Perez, world
flywight champion, for lets "Prog-
ness of the "Year” award.
It was the second time in three
years — he was selected first in
1952 — that the Brockton Blaster
had been chosen for the honor.
Ring's pick different from that of
the Boxing Writers Assn, which
named middleweight king Carl
(Bobo) Olson as “Fighter of the
Year" and winner of the Edward
J. Neil plaque.
Olson, picked in '53 by Ring,
was second to Marciano in this
year's balloting by the boxing
magazine. Light heavyweight
champion Archie Moore was third.
Perez fourth, and France’s Robert
Cohen, world bantamweight titlist,
fifth.
Johnny Saxton, who won the
welterweight championship by out-
pointing Cuba’s Kid Gavilan in a
boring clutchfest, was the only
champion who was not ranked at
the head of his division. For that
poor fight, for his draw with
mediocre Johnny Lombardo, and
for his dull bout with Johnny
Bratton, Saxton was ranked-third
in his class by Ring. Carmen
Basilio of Canastota, N.Y., and
Gavilan were rated ahead of the
champion •
In 1953, 12 pros and 10 amateurs,
died following ring injuries. Eight
of the fatalities occurred in the
United States and 14 in foreign
countries.
In 1954, three amateurs and
three pros succumbed, four in the
United States and two abroad
There wasn't a pro death until!
Nov. 30 when British welterweight1
Bobby Callaghan died in London
after boxing a six-round draw.
Then Ralph Weiser, a Portland,
Ore , lightweight, and Ed Sanders,
Olympic heavyweight champion,
from Los Angeles, died on succes-
sive days. Dec. 11. and 12th to
WAYNE
ARMSTRONG
GARAGE
AUTOMOBILE and
TRUCK REPAIR
' e
Also Small and
Stationary Engines.
916North 13th Phone 2-5861
Bears Arrive
In Florida *
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. un — The
Baylor Bears were scheduled to
arrive here Monday and Auburn’s
football team w ill move in Tune-
three.
The amateur victims were Po-
day to take final workouts for the
Gator Bowl game Friday.
Coach George Sauer plans to
hold drills for the Baylor players
Tuesday and Wednesday, then a
of short workout Thursday.
Coach Ralph Jordan’s Auburn
lice Constable Vaipou Ainu'u. 35,
at Samoa, Feb. 18; Airman Jesse
J. Hylton, 22, at Oakland, Calif.,
and Aviation Ordnanceman M. G.
Byrd, 22, at Pensacola, Fla., Sept.
9.
Tigers reassembled on the cam-
pus in Alabama and will workout
here three times before the
game.
Sauer and Jordan both will be
looking for their first bowl victory
as a coach
AT DALLAS, SHREVEPORT, PORTALES
Small College Cage Quints
Face Busy Tourney Week
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tournament play makes up most
of the schedule this week in Texas
college basketball conferences.
Midwestern, only member of the
Gulf Coast Conference in action,
plays in a tournament at Dallas
Thursday and Friday nights. Aus-
tin College, Texas Wesleyan and
East Texas State are in this tour-
nament.
Three members of the Lone Star
Conference are in tournaments
Lamar Tech and Sam Houston
State play in the McNeese College
Tournament at Lake Charles, La.,
Wednesday and Thursday nights.
East Texas State is in the all-
college tournament at ' Dallas.
Southwest Texas State has a 2-
game series with McMurry of the
Texas Conference at San Marcos
Friday and Saturday nights.
Two of the three Texas Confer-
ence members participate in tour-
naments. McMurry will be in the
Centenary Tournament at Shreve-
port Tuesday and Wednesday nights
| while Eastern New Mexico is in
the Sunshine Tournament at Por-
tales, N.M . Tuesday, Wednesday
and Thursday nights. Howard
Payne, the other member, is idle.
There was little action in any
of the conferences last week. Mid-
western beat Oklahoma Central
State 94-85 in the only game played
by a Gulf Coast Conference team.
There were no games in the Lone
Star Conference. Eastern New
Mexico was thumped 103-53 by
Regis College of Denver in the
only game played by a Texas Con-
ference team.
WRESTLING Z
Tonite, Dec. 27
FAIR PARK
ARENA 4
G-MAN TAG TEAM
MATCH
MR. X..
- KAMEROFF
TAFT
vs.
MARTINDALE
PARKS
WEIDNER
Plus 3 More Route—3
Martindale vs. Mr. X.
Vera Taft vs. H. Parks
B. Weidner vs. Kameroff
MR. X.?
BENEFIT
ABILENE BOYS
RANCH
Owe You Cannot Afford to Miss• Great All Star Matches-
NO ADVANCE IN PRICES
Tickets: RS., $1.50; Gen. Adm., $1.00; Kids, 50c, Tax Included
Fer Res. Ph. 40914. Tickets on Sale at Wresting omer
1 1909 S. 18th Street.
Red-I
Due
WASHINGTON
Un-American Ac
teems headed f
gest shakeups or
the Democrats 1
gress next week
Changes are i
committee's 41-
(-City
Iniures
COLORADO C
An automobile a
Sunday at 3 40
persons.
Hurt were: J
Westbrook, head
juries; his wife,
the couple's 3-m
Sella .laceratins
another daugh
bruised chest.
Two other chi
Eligio, 4, weren
injured.
The accident 1
Lake Road abou
. west of Colorado
Highway Patr
said Joe Gome
passed a car di
Gomez, 18, of (
said that to avo
southbound car,
ped his auto ba
lane, ctaching th
the other car ar
one he was dri
The Joe Gome
ently a total los
Warm Gu
Promises
Sloppy W
By THE ASSO
Warm, wet air
from the Gulf ol
air settling slow
of Canada bode
snow and a slopi
for much of the
Light rain fe
Missouri, souther
ern Illinois and
gan. Light snow
of the rain area.
The weather vi
flashes of lightr
tral Texas and :
homa, to unplea
readings of tw
Grand Forks, N
low at Internati
There was a
snow in portions
Montana, Nebra
It was mostly
West, except for
ton.
Early morning
Caribou, Maine
York 27 clear;
Brownsville, Tex
ver It light
drizzle; Cadillac
snow.
Laundrym
HOUSTON un
held today for F
vice president <
dries Co., which
Houston, Beaum
nio. He died ye
DO
C F
1840 BU
CL(
Dec'. 25,
Ol
Wed.
Wishin
Friends
Merry
And A Hai
18 n
There can
plus our U
i me-You
1026i.
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The Abilene Reporter-News (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 74, No. 191, Ed. 2 Monday, December 27, 1954, newspaper, December 27, 1954; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1649674/m1/6/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Public Library.