Newspaper Page Text
DECEMBER, 1948
PAGE 4
THE PANTHER
Johnnie Richards Win Schneer’s Award
By D. C. Collin gton
Johnny Richards, hard driving
Panther halfback, was voted by the
Atlanta All-Star Board, the most out
standing player in the 1948 city cham
pionship series and thus received the
Schneer’s award, a 17-jewel gold
watch.
Richards has won the acclaim of
sports writers and grid fans through
out the South. It’s no doubt that Rich
ards has been one of the mainstays
in the Panther lineup since he entered
Clark in the fall of 1946. He is a
spark on the offensive as well as the
defensive. Coach Charles McPherson,
head mentor at Clark from 1944 to
1947, was responsible for Richard’s
coming to Clark. Coach McPherson
contacted him while he was in the
junior class and running wild in the
“Big 8” conference for Harris High
of Meridian, Mississippi. During his
prep days at Harris, Richards was
placed on the All-State and All-Con
ference teams for three years. Since
he has been at Clark he has made
the second team of the All-Southern
eleven, and a first place on the All-
City squad.
On the offensive Richards’ chief
asset is his ability to run and his
unique way of leaving off on possible
tacklers. So far he hasn’t been called
on to pass or punt, but he is a good
blocker and an excellent pass receiver
as has been proved by his numerous
pass interceptions. He has been a
constant treat to opponents during
his three years of collegiate ball,
scoring a total of thirty-six points—
eighteen against Morehouse, twelve
against Florida A. and M. and six
against Xavier. His most outstand
ing actions were a 45-yard dash
against Morehouse from scrimmage
in 1947 and a 64-yard pass intercep
tion against the SIAC champions,
Florida Rattlers, this season.
Last year Richards who, in the
opinion of many, was the most out
standing player in the city, was run-
nerup to Elijah Paschel of Morehouse
for the Schneer’s award.
Sport Briefs
D. C. Collington
It was the last play of the last game with but seconds left
before the final whistle. The score was 7-6 in favor of Clark. In
desperation Sam Ross of Morris Brown heaved a hasty pass.
Herman Hunter, Clark fullback, having calculated the move,
intercepted the pass in a spectacular run that brought the more
than ten thousand fans screaming to their feet, and plunged over
fhe goal line to cinch the Thanksgiving day classic for Clark
College. Herman Hunter, an outstanding athlete, student of
philosophy, and a deep thinker, a man who takes his football, as
a serious-’p’art- cf him, is a man who realizes that the developing
of a strong mind and a strong body make for a good life.
v I talked with Hunter after the game. He said simply “I have
ended my College career in the way that all of us dream, in a
blaze of glory.” It was then that I realized how much there was
to the game than we who screamed in the stands realized. To us
it was the last game of another victorious season. But to a num
ber of those who played it was truly a final season—the last game
that they would ever play in undergraduate competition. Franklin
Scott, William Wilson, Thomas Brown, Roscoe Garmon, William
Hunter, George Grey, Daniel Martin, and Herman Hunter—these
|nen have completed the prescribed playing time in under graduate
football. Some of them played and played hard; others waited
but all of them prayed for the victory that ultimately came and
jwas crowned in glory by the brilliant run of Herman Hunter who
stands this day as a symbol of the courage and strength the
superior sportsmanship that makes Clark men second to none.
I The Panther’s victory over Morris Brown pulled the curtain
for the 48 season and allowed them the right to maintain the
honor of being the City Champs for the second straight year.
There is very little that Coach Curry can say about the past
teeason as it is an exact duplicate of his “freshman” year.—Won
four, lost three and tied one. Very little has been published con
cerning certain players on this year’s squad simply because this
writer feels that he would be doing the team an injustice to try
jto single out one or two players to receive the honor and credit
that the team as a group has brought to the school. As this edition
jgoes to press the MAROON TIGER of Morehouse College, with the
aid of the ATLANTA DAILY WORLD sports staff and the sports
editors of the colleges, is picking its second annual ALL-CITY
DREAM TEAM. ...
SPORTS IN THE NEWS—The Panthers first hardwood tilt
is scheduled against Morehouse in the Morehouse Gymnasium ...
Levi Jackson, the first of his race to play varsity football at Yale,
was elected Captain of the 1949 grid team . . . George Taliferro of
Indiana IJ. was picked by the Associated Press as a member of the
ALL-MIDWEST team . . . Gene Derrcotte will represent the east
in the Shrine Bowl to be played in San Francisco . . . Lafayette
College of Eastern, Pa., refused an invitation to play in the Sun
Bowl because Dave Showell, their Negro halfback, would not be
allowed to play . . . Raymond “Tweet” Wiliams, former Clark
star, is now playing with the Southeastern Collegians, a team
consisting of some of the best basketball players in the south.
Clark Cinches City Championship By
Victory Over
The Clark Panthers took the highly
favored Morris Brown Wolverines in
stride 14-6 in their annual Thanks
giving Classic before 11,149 “Turkey
Day” grid fans.
This game had a direct bearing on
the City and State grid crown and
both teams were out to win. The
game was hardly six minutes old
when the Morris Brown eleven took a
6-0 lead over the Panthers. Frank
Glover downed a Clark fumble on the
Clark 14. Latimer failed to advance
for the Wolverines, but Sam Ross
passed to Hawkins for a first down
on the Clark 5-yard stripe. Later
Gilbert went over from the 1-yard
line. The kick from placement was
no good.
The action of the Wolverines by no
means killed the spirit or the motion
of the Clark grid machine. The men
from the hill moved down to the Mor
ris Brown 5 before finally being stall
ed. Lewter set up the first Clark
touchdown when his punt fell on the
Morris Brown 24-yard stripe. On the
first play from scrimmage Richards
Morris Brown
lost two yards, but on the very next
play Ponder hurled a 20-yard pass to
Wilson, who was thrown into the end
zone by Calvin Mapp of Morris
Brown. Ponder’s place-kick split the
uprights and Clark led 7-6. There
was no scoring in the second period,
so the Panthers led 7-6 for the first
half of play.
The second half was a one-sided
show with the Panthers doing most of
the acting. Herman Hunter, Charles
Ponder and Johnny Richards starred
for the packed audience of Herndon
Stadium. Hunter gave the customers
a treat for their money in the fourth
and final period of the classic when
he intercepted Sam Ross’ pass on his
own 45 and stepped the remaining
distance to pay dirt. This was what
would have been the last play of the
game and Morris Brown was making
a desperate attempt to score. Other
features of the second half were
Johnny Richards’ reverse runs, one
which netted 33 yards, and the accu
rate passing of Charles Ponder.
’House Falls To Panther Conquer
Clark 7-6 Xavier 19-12
ATLANTA—-The Clark Panthers
edged the Morehouse Tigers 7-6 in a
thrill packed SIAC encounter in the
new Herndon Stadium. Co-Captain
Johnny Richards, of Meridian, Miss.,
raced 39 yards to score standing up
for the Panthers. Ike Jones passed
to Duke Foster for the Morehouse
score.
Some 6,000 grid fans witnessed this
exciting contest between the two bit
ter rivals. Clark reached pay dirt
first, early in the first quarter. Charles
Ponder, of Clark, passed to James
Minor down to the Morehouse 39-yard
stripe. Then Richards cut back thru
cented and gallopped the remaining
distance to tally for Clark. Ponder
converted and gave Clark a 7-0 lead.
The Morehouse Tigers came back with
do-or-die spirit and drove to the Pan
ther’s 9, but were forced to yield the
ball to Clark on downs. On the next
sustained drive the Tigers were suc
cessful in scoring on a pass in the
end zone from Ike Jones to Duke Fos
ter from the Clark 12. The drive
covered 51 yards. Gambrell’s kick
A wild cheering Homecoming crowd
of over 4,000 grid fans saw the Clark
Panthers turn back the Xavier Gold
Rush 19-12 in the Herndon Stadium.
The Panthers took an early lead in
the first period after George Gray
had intercepted a Gold Rush pass on
the Xavier 35, and later passed to
Fred McCoy in the end zone. Charles
Ponder converted. The first half scor
ing ended in a pass and lateral from
Gray to Richards—the Panthers’ can
didate for mythical honors.
After taking a verbal lashing from
Head Coach Alfred Priestly during
the half time intermission, the Gold
Rush pushed over twice in the final
(Continued on Page Six)
from placement was wide.
Neither team was able to reach pay
dirt in the second half. The Tigers
moved to the Clark 1-yard line only
to have Aubrey Chaters intercept a
pass to end the threat. Both teams
made nine first downs. Clark lost 65
yards in penalties and Morehouse lost
20 yards in penalties.