Newspaper Page Text
V
CLARK PANTHER, NOVEMBER-DECEMBER, 1949
PAGE FIVE
College Coaching Xavier Gold Rush Nips Clark
Panthers Upset Fisk Bulldogs In
Homecoming Tilt
Johnny Richards of Meridian,
Mississippi, paced the Clark Pan
thers to an amazing 26-7 upset over
the Fisk Bulldogs during the Pan
thers’ homecoming.
Richards looked like an All-Amer
ican as he romped up and down the
field on several punt returns and
scored two T D’s in the Clark vic
tory. Some 6,000-howling home-
eoming fans gathered in Herndon
Stadium to witness the Panthers in
their eighth straight homecoming
triumph.
The Panthers tallied twice in the
second period and once in the third
and fourth periods to take a lead
that never was relinquished. It was
Charles Ponder’s timely passes that
paved the way for the Clark tallies.
Richards Opens Clark’s Scoring
Richards registered the first six
points for Clark by diving over
from the one-yard line after Wil
liam Rogers had moved the oval to
the one on a pass from Ponder.
Samuel Sanderson scored on a pass
interception from his own sixteen,
and Ponder passed to William Neely
for the extra point as the Panthers
held a 13-0 lead at the half.
The Panthers scored their last
two touchdowns in the third and
fourth quarters. Henry Collins,
freshman from New Orleans, spear
headed the third Clark score with
his powerful drives which placed
the ball on the Fisk 29. Again Pon
der faded back and heaved a pass
to William Rogers who scored
easily.
The final Clark tally was scored
by Johnny Richards on a handoff
from Joseph Eberhardt from the
Bulldogs’ ,28. The Panthers’ con
versions were made on a pass from
Ponder to William Neely and a kick
from placement by quarterback
Sanderson.
Austin Tallies for Fisk
The lone Fisk score came in the
third period. Sam Austin dashed off
tackle to pay dirt and Roger Moore
converted for the visitors. The final
score: Clark 26, Fisk 7. The Bull
dogs piled up 19 first downs to 10
for the Panthers.
Clark Quintet Drills for 1950 Season
Staff Increased
The past football season brought
two new faces to the Panthers’
coaching staff in Coach Leonidas
Epps of East St. Louis, Illinois, and
Coach William Jones. Both men
tors are veterans of World War II
and have had coaching experiences
previous to accepting assignments
here at Clark.
Mr. Epps is formerly of Gilbert
Academy, New Orleans, La., where
he produced several championship
teams in basketball, football, and
track. Most outstafiding were his
track teams that won the state
track and field titles for four suc
cessive years.
During the past football season
Coach Epps was assistant line
coach, but has been assigned duties
as head basketball and track coach.
He is also responsible for several
players coming to Clark to partici
pate in athletics and to pursue an
education while here.
Coach Jones, sometimes referred
to as “Biff Jones,” hails from New
York City, and was a former star
halfback while attending Clark. He
is a student of Atlanta University
and expects to receive the Master’s
degree in June. Coach Jones re
turns to his alma mater as an as
sistant backfield coach.
These men have aided Athletic
Director Marion Curry and Coach
Carlton Hamilton in handling the
coaching chores here and have
shown a keen interest in the devel
opment of championship teams.
Panthers, 14-13
By D. C. Collington
NEW ORLEANS.—The Xavier
Gold Rush chalked up their first
conference win by edging the Clark
College Panthers 14-13 here in
Xavier Stadium. The game was
played before some 4,000 howling
homecoming fans.
The underdog, but stubborn, Gold
Rush eleven cashed in on every op
portunity, while the visiting Pan
thers booted several threats. The
Gold Rush was very reluctant in
giving ground to the powerhousing
of Johnny Richards and Benjamin
Lloyd of the Panthers. Richards
and Lloyd were successful in rip
ping off several long gains thru the
Xavier line.
Xavier Scores Early
The bold Xavier followers braved
a chill wind all afternoon to witness
their team nip the highly favored
Atlantans in the second half after
trailing the visitors 13-7 for the
first half of play. The Gold Rush
lost little or no time in registering
a seven-point lead in the early mo
ments of the first period. The first
period tally was spearheaded by a
rifle-like pass from Eddie Flint to
Louis Miller, who danced to the
Clark 15. On the next play Clark
was penalized, and the ball was
placed on their one-yard stripe.
Willie McKee then plunged over for
the TD on a handoff from Flint.
Kunklen Vavasseur converted.
Score: Xavier 7, Clark 0.
The Panthers roared back in the
second stanza to overcome the 7-0
lead held by Xavier as “Big Johl”
Richards sparked the two touch
downs scored by Clark. Richards
returned Vavasseur’s kickoff back
from the 20 to score only to have
the play nullified by a clipping pen
alty. According to the officials, the
foul took place on the Xavier 46.
The Panthers marched from there
to tie the score 7-7. Lloyd set the
TD up on a pass from Charles Pon
der to the Xavief 2. Joseph Eber
hardt sneaked over from the two
for the tally, and Samuel Sanderson
split the uprights to even the score
at 7-7.
Clark Takes Lead
The Panthers continued to amaze
the local fans with dazzling runs
and long passes which set the stage
for the second Clark TD. Charles
Ponder was in the pitching role
with Eberhardt and John Cannon
receiving and Lloyd galloping all
the way to the Gold Rush 2. Pon
der went off tackle to the one-foot
line and Richards climaxed the sus
tain drive by smashing into the end
zone for the second Clark touch
down.
The determined Gold Rush re
fused to settle for the short end of
the 13-7 count and came fighting
back in the third quarter to score
seven more points and emerge vic
torious in their homecoming game.
Lloyd Jackson pulled down Eddie
Smith’s pass in the end zone in the
closing moments of the third period
to tie the game for the second time
during the afternoon. It was then
that Vavasseur sent the oval sail
ing thru the uprights to give the
Gold Rush their one-point edge.
In the final minutes of the game
the Panthers were on the march
again when Vavasseur intercepted
Ponder’s pass deep in Gold Rush
territory. The Xavier rooters went
wild as victory became certain.
Final score: Xavier 14, Clark13.
The 1950 edition of the Clark
College Cagers has begun practice
for its season. The Panther Quintet
has a tougher schedule for this
season than it has had in recent
years. The team is playing twenty-
two games throughout the SIAC
conference and one or more inter
sectional tilts.
This year the Panthers hope to
bring a trophy and the first cham
pionship team since 1945 to Clark
College. The team is under the
tutorship of Coach Leonidas Epps,
former head coach at Gilbert Acad
emy of New Orleans, La. Coach
Epps is from East St. Louis, Ill.,
and was a former star hardwood
performer with the Xavier Gold
Rush.
In addition to the numerous high
school stars, the squad possesses
several hangovers from last year’s
team. Key players from last season
are Harry Atkins, Robert Barahm,
Avery Burress, Charles Ponder,
Papl Sweeny, Bennie Lowe, Robert
Phillips, Schley Williamson, James
Pace, Clearance Williams and Fred
McCoy. McCoy is nursing a foot
ball injury and is expected to report
for practice later.
Patterson Is Eligible This Season
Forrest Patterson, who was ruled
ineligible last season due to his
playing with Lincoln University,
Penn., seems to be the most prom
ising of the newcomers. Patterson
kept in condition by playing with
the Baby Panthers and the Omega
Psi Phi Fraternity last season. He
should be a major threat on the
hardwood as he is an exceptionally
good guard and a set and crip shot
artist.
Oglesby May Return
Ernest Oglesby, local cage star
from Washington High School, is
out of school this semester, but is
due back next semester. Should
Oglesby return in January, he
would be back in time to play the
second half of the schedule. During
the latter portion of the season the
Panthers meet the Florida A. & M.
Rattlers, Tuskegee Golden Tigers,
and the Morris Brown Wolverines.
These three teams finished first,
second and third in the tournament
play at Logan Hall in Tuskegee last
spring. The Clark cagers clash with
the Rattlers twice in February, and
it may be noted that the Rattlers
are pre-tournament champions of
1949. The Morris Brown Wolver
ines won the tournament crown,
with Florida second and Tuskegee
third.
BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
JANUARY
6
CLARK COLLEGE VS. LANE**
AT
LANE
JANUARY
7
CLARK COLLEGE VS. FISK
AT
FISK
JANUARY
13
CLARK COLLEGE VS. LANE**
AT
CLARK
JANUARY
14
CLARK COLLEGE VS. MOREHOUSE
AT
CLARK
JANUARY
17
CLARK COLLEGE VS. TUSKEGEE
AT
CLARK
JANUARY
20
CLARK COLLEGE VS. MORRIS BROWN
AT
MORRIS BROWN
JANUARY
21
CLARK COLLEGE VS. ALABAMA STATE
AT
ALABAMA STATE
JANUARY
28
CLARK COLLEGE VS. FORT VALLEY
AT
CLARK
JANUARY
30
CLARK COLLEGE VS. ALABAMA STATE
AT
CLARK
JANUARY
31 ’
CLARK COLLEGE VS. BENEDICT**
AT
CLARK
FEBRUARY
4
CLARK COLLEGE VS. S. C. STATE
AT
S. C. STATE
FEBRUARY
7
CLARK COLLEGE VS. FLORIDA
AT
CLARK
FEBRUARY
10
CLARK COLLEGE VS. MOREHOUSE
AT
MOREHOUSE
FEBRUARY
13
CLARK COLLEGE VS. MORRIS BROWN
AT
CLARK
FEBRUARY
17
CLARK COLLEGE VS. TUSKEGEE
AT
TUSKEGEE
FEBRUARY
18
CLARK COLLEGE VS. FLORIDA
AT
FLORIDA
FEBRUARY
22
CLARK COLLEGE VS. S. C. STATE
AT
CLARK
FEBRUARY
25
CLARK COLLEGE VS. FISK
AT
CLARK
FEBRUARY
28
CLARK COLLEGE VS. BENEDICT**
AT
BENEDICT
MARCH 1
CLARK COLLEGE VS. ALLEN**
AT
ALLEN
MARCH 3
CLARK COLLEGE VS. ALLEN**
AT
CLARK
MARCH 4
CLARK COLLEGE VS. FORT VALLEY
AT
FORT VALLEY
** TENTATIVE
Panthers Smash’ House, 13-0
ATLANTA.—The Clark College
Panthers smashed the Morehouse
College Tigers 13-0 in a thrill-
packed game here October 29. The
grid clash between these two
across-the-street rivals was held in
Herndon Stadium and was wit
nessed by an estimated 4,000 fans.
The Panthers of Clark pushed
across two tallies in the first half
to ice the game. Joseph Eberhardt
of Athens, Georgia, scored the first
Clark TD on a quarterback sneak
from the one-foot line with only a
minute of playing time left in the
first period. The first Clark sus
tained drive began on the More
house 43. Charles Ponder’s kick
from placement with Elijah Poy-
thress of LaGrange, Georgia, hold
ing was good, and the Panthers
took an early 7-0 lead.
The highly geared Panthers in
creased their narrow 7-0 lead in the
late moments of the second period
as Charles Ponder spearheaded the
Clark aerial attack by completing
successful passes to William Rog
ers of New Orleans, La., to place
the oval on the Morehouse 6. From
the opponents’ 6-yard stripe Pon
der hit John Cannon of New Or
leans, La., in the end zone for the
second and final TD of the after
noon. Ponder’s attempted kick for
the point after touchdown was
blocked.
There was no scoring in the sec
ond half, although both teams
threatened. The Morehouse threat
was stalled on the Clark 24. The
Tigers recovered a Clark fumble
on their own 15 to stall another
Clark drive. Benjamin Lloyd made
the Clark fumble after taking a
pass from Ponder and attempting
to lateral to Richards.
Johnny Richards, Clark’s candi
date for Mythical Honors, continues
to amaze fans with his powerful
runs and his spectacular perform
ance on offense.
PHRflmOUOT
Qrille
CATERERS OF DELICIOUS HOME-COOKED FOODS
WE NEVER CLOSE
LAmar 9803 810-12 Hunter St., S. W.
—a*
“Murphy Will Tell It So You Can Sell It”
THE HOUSE OF MURPHY
THE HOME OF GOOD PRINTING
Phone WAlnut 6319
275 Auburn Ave., N. E. Atlanta, Georgia