Portland News (Portland, Tex.), Vol. 6, No. 50, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 16, 1971 Page: 2 of 23
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Some 3,000 G-P Fans Look-On As
Wildcats Trounce Brenham 49-22
UTs Memorial Stadium Site Of Finals With Plano
G-P fans loved it —Scouts
from Brownwood and Plano
shook the heads and scribbled
furiously as the G-P Wildcats
put on an awesome scoring
spree to down the Brenhan
Cubs in the State 3A semi finals
and advance in the finals. It
was truly a spectator game,
that is. if you were a Wildc.it
fan, laced with excitment from
the opening kickoff down to the
dying seconds with the Cubs
still battling to put additional
points on the scoreboard.
The tootball bill-of-fare in-
cluded free rolling offenses,
jarring tackles, blocked punts,
intercepted parses, fourth
down gambles, a 48 yd punt
return and just about a little of
everything to keep fans on
their .*t, including some
crucial nalties.
Make no doubt— the
Brenham Cubs were good, but
the Wildcats were iust a little
better. They played cool and
collected ball with Marty Akins
directing one of his better
games as he kept his team
moving steadily all night,
resorting to only two punts.
The Cats played near errorless
ball and did not lost the ball a
single time on the fumble route
and intercepted two important
Cub passes to stall drives that
were well underway. The only
blot on the touchdown that put
the Cubs out in front and forced
the Cats to play catch up ball.
G-P scouts had been telling
about the wonders of Cub
fullback Matt Murski and he
was just as good as billed. He
carried the ball 38 times for a
total of 145 yards. The other
two Cub backs only carried the
ball a total of 16 times. Murski
was a powerful runner and
hard to stop, but Pud Meier,
Richard James, Armando
Saenz and Henry Solis were
able to blunt his drives on more
than one occasion.
For the Cats the entire five
man backfield were stars with
big Alan Callicoat leading the
way with 135 yards in 20 at-
tempts. As usual, tacklers
found it hard to get the big
fullback off to his feet as time
and time again he broke
tackes to add additional
yardage to his total. He scored
two touchdowns, one on a 38
yard ramble that enabled the
Cats to tie up the ball game and
start theii roll to victory. Alan
Bishop, the fifth man in the G-P
backfield, made two touch-
downs, one on a 16-yd gainer
and the final one on a 28-yd
ramble through the entire Cub
team. Jay Callaway accounted
for two of the Cat scores and
Akins added the other.
The Cats demonstrated
again in the game with
Brenham that they are a strong
finishing club. On more than
one occasion this year, they
have been behind in the first
half and have turned on so
much heat during the second
half that the opposition has
wilted before their relentless
siege.
The 3,000 odd G-P fans who
made the trip to back their
Cats “all the way to state"
didn’t have long to wait before
they got to start cheering. G-P
won the toss and elected to
receive. Opening from their
own 42 yd line Akins mixed his
power plays up for a steady
march down the field with Jay
Callaway taking the ball over
from the 3 yd line for the first
score. Akins' aim was bad and
the score was 6 to 0.
The power that had brought
the Cubs into the semi finals
became apparent as Charles
Proske drove his team steadily
down the field with Matt
Murski doing most of the work.
Seven first downs later Murski
went over for the score and
then Doyle Gaskamp kicked
the extra point to put Brenham
out in front 7 to 6.
Akins elected to go to the air
as the second quarter opened.
First he completed one to Mike
Crosswhite for 15 yds and a
first down and then a few
minutes later he connected
with Jackie Foss for 12 and
another first down. It looked
like the Cats were on the move
but the Brenham defense rose
in a solid wall to blank the next
series of plays and Akins was
forced into a punting situation.
The Cub defense poured in and
blocked Akins’ punt and the
Cubs took over on the Portland
41 yd line. The Cubs kept to the
ground with Murski most of the
way, with one pass to Fletcher
good for 12 yds, as they
crunched down the field.
Finally they set up a first on
the 6 yd line and three plays
later Murski went in for the
score and when Gaskamp
converted the Cubs were out in
front 14 to 6.
The Cats opened from their
own 37 yd line and had to
gamble on a big fourth down
play to gain their initial first
down. Then things broke open
as a pass, and a face mask
penalty against the Cubs,
moved the ball down to the Cub
38 yd lioe. Callicoat turned on
one of his best performances as
he broke through the big
middle of the Cub team to go all
the way for the score. G-P lined
up to kick the extra point but
instead of kicking they sent
fleet-footed Henry Flores
around right end for two points
to tie the game up at 14 all.
The Cat defense began to
have its telling effect on the
Cub running game. The Cubs
got going from their own 20 and
on the first play Xavier
Valencia dropped Murski for a
1 yd gainer and two plays later
he dropped Jeff Bell for no gain
to force a punting situation.
Proske got off a beauty of a
punt that sailed down to Akins
who was waiting on about the
Portland 45 yd line. Akins
neatly sidestepped the first
wave of Cub defenders, and
then back peddled a little to
gain time as the G-P boys
began cutting down the
defenders. Finally Akins saw
the Cats setting up a wall on the
far side and he slid in behind it
to tight rope down the sidelines
for what looked like a sure TD.
However. Proske, the man who
had punted the ball, stayed on
his feet and nailed Marty on the
7 yd line. On the first play Jay
Callaway went in to score and
this time Akins aim was good
and the Cats went ahead to stay
21 to 14. The half ended on this
note.
Some rugged defense work
was on tap as the second half
opened. Portland was forced
deep into their own territory on
a good Cub punt and a clipping
penalty. Two plays failed to
gain and Alan Bishop got off a
quick kick for 33 yards. The
Cubs hit with furry as they saw
a chance to go ahead in the
game. Murski slugged out one
first down and then broke for 17
yds and a first down on the Cat
16 yd line. Things looked bad
for G-P but the defense rose to
the occasion. Steve Mauch
busted the first Murski attempt
and then Pub Meier stalled him
for no gain on the next play.
Proske elected to go to the air
and this time it was Richard
James who stopped the drive
as he went high into the air to
spear the pass and run it back
to the Bishop 40 yd Brenham 40
yd line. A 15 yd penalty against
the Cubs gave the Cats a shot
from the Cub 25 yd line and in
six plays Callicoat stormed
over from the 1 yd line. The
kick was good and G-P fans
heaved a sigh of relief as the
score board showed 28 to 14.
Thus in just a few minutes
what looked like a sure Cub
score had turned into a Cat
score- the tide had turned and
from here on in the G-P boys
opened the flood gates.
But the Cubs liked a lot of
being beat as they demon-
strated on the next drive.
Murski earned G-P defenders
respect as he hit again and
again for gainers to keep the
Cubs in the ball game. The play
that really put the cap on this
drive was a pass from Proske
that was tipped into the air by
Henry Solis to come down in
the hands of Ronnie Parker for
a 20 yd gainer. On the first play
in the fourth quarter Murski
carried the ball over from the 1
yd line and Proske added two
to make the score 28 for G-P
and 22 for the Cubs- Still very
much an alive ball game.
The Cats went to work with
determination and skill. Flores
side-stepped for 16, Bishop
went for 10, Callicoat bruised
for 15 and ll until the way was
clear for Bishop to go the final
16 yds for the score. Akins
kicked and it was 35 to 22 in
favor of the Cats.
The Cubs fought back, trying
to get on the score board
through the air, only to have
Pud Meier intercept one of
Proske’s tosses deep in
Brenham territory. Meier
intercept one of Proske’s tosses
deep in Brenham territory.
Meier put the ball on the 6 yd
line. Akins, on a keeper, went
in for the score and the kick
was good 42 to 22.
Brenham battled back, but
two penalties broke the back of
a drive late in the fourth
quarter and G-P took over on
downs on the Cat 25 yd line.
Flores lost three on the first try
and then Bishop evened things
by going 28 yds for the final Cat
score with 1:32 left in the
game. The Kick was good 49
22.
The Cubs didn’t quit and
moved the ball rapidly into Cat
territory but the game ended
before they could score.
... And the Fighting Wildcats
were named semi-final
champs
STATISTICS
G-P
Brenham
20
First Downs
20
315
Yds Rushing
207
27
Yds Passing
113
6
Passes at.
19
2
Passes Comp.
6
2
Passes Int. By
0
2-34.5 Punts
3-41.6
3-29
Penalties
11-90
G-P
No.
Name T.C.
T.Y.
31
Callicoat 20
135
10
Akins 8
37
40
Callaway 6
17
20
Flores 8
47
30
Bishop 7
82
Total 49 312
Brenham
No. Name
T.C.
T.Y.
23 Murski
38
145
24 Bell
11
28
11 Proske
5
34
Total
54
207
FINALS—
Brumbaugh. It was a pass,
Brumbaugh to Van Davis, that
furnished the touchdown
against Brownwood last week
Another top receiver that
Brumbaugh likes to throw to is
Vic Brooks who was credited
with three important catches in
the TD drive against Brown-
wood last week.
Defensively Plano has a big
front wall that has been ex-
tremely stingy with yardage
this year, shutting out six of
their opponents. Tackle Mike
Wood, 215 pounds, is one of the
key men in the defensive set up
with end Bobby Gaddis, 210,
Middle Guard Van Davis, 195,
and Linebacker Travis
McEntyre, 180, filling out the
front wall.
Offensively the Plano team
employs a Veer attack that
utilizes wide splits and a pro-
type attack. Scouts report that
they do a minimum of pit-
chouts, prefepring a lot of
straight power through the
line. Brumbaugh is deceptive
in the handling of the ball as he
gives off to either Thomas or
Lewis, and of course he, too, in
a good ball carrier and keeps
for lots of yardage.
The G-P Wildcats should be
in good shape for the game
barring any last minute in-
juries. Present plans call for
the boys to board their special
busses immediatley after a pep
rally set for about 8:.30 a m.
Friday.,
Tickets for the game will
remain on sale at the high
school until 10 a m. Friday.
They will go on sale at
Memorial Stadium at about 1
p.m. Saturday. Tickets pur
chased Portland are $2.50 but
at the gate they go up to $3
The Marching 100 and the G
P choirs will present a special
halftime show consisting of
Christmas music. The band is
under the direction of Jim
Vanlandingham and the choir
is under the direction of Melva
Sebesta.
Renew Your Subscription
All The Way To
STATE
WILDCATS!
BEAT THE HECK
OUT OF
PLANO
/
n
/ um her and^ uPP^V
Co-Owners
CHAS. HAYEK BILL BUTLER
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Walters, Wayne. Portland News (Portland, Tex.), Vol. 6, No. 50, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 16, 1971, newspaper, December 16, 1971; Taft, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth864457/m1/2/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Bell/Whittington Public Library.