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Page Eight
CLARK PANTHER, NOVEMBER, 1953, ATLANTA, GEORGIA
Steamrolling Panthers Whale ’House
35-0 For Twelfth Straight Year
Scoring two touchdowns in the
second quarter and three in the
third stanza, the Pride of Clark
College whaled, for the twelfth
straight year, their “across the
street neighbors”, Morehouse, 35-0
before an estimated crowd of 5,000
in the Gate City’s A. F. Herndon
Memorial Stadium, November 7.
64-YARD TD DRIVE
After a scoreless first quarter, the
charges of Coach Epps picked the
leather up on their own 46 late in
the second stanza. With quarterback
Offie Clark at the helm and rush
ing along with Wallace Hartsfield,
Clarence Ford and Melvin Brown
all of whom collaborated to place
the oval on the ’House one yard
marker where Clark sent freshman
halfback, Fred Bell, over with the
initial score climaxing a 64-yard
drive. Charles Stinson’s PAT split
the uprights with less than four
minutes remaining in the half.
But, that four minutes gave the
Eppsmen all the time in the world
to knock on the Tigers’ door again
when they (Morehouse) gambled
and lost on fourth down aftter the
KO. Taking the leather on the en
emy 40, Offie Clark and Melvin
Brown rested the pigskin on the 30
where Brown galloped 30 yards for
the second TD behind perfect in
terference. Stinson’s point after was
again good.
PANTHERS STRIKE THRICE
IN EIGHT MINUTES
Coming back from intermission,
Coach Leonidas Epps” well-coached
eleven added much insult to much
injury by striking three times,
twice on pass interception s,
for their final points in the third
stanza. Deep in enemy territory,
Robert Givens, bulldozing fullback,
plunged from the ’House 13 to the
three yard line where he fumbled
and Walter Vance, left end, quick
ly pounced on the leather, like
white on rice, in the end zone for
another TD. Again Vance scored
when he intercepted the Tigers’
highly-touted quarterback, Joe Mc
Coy’s aerial on the ’House 21 to
race, unhampered, to goaldom. Sar
castically, Charles McClellan, a
freshman end who shows much
ability for future usefulness, pull
ed in the second consecutive McCoy
aerial to scamper 36 yards to the
“G” line. Botn interceptions oc
curred on Tiger first downs after
the Eppsmen had kicked off. Melvin
Brown kicked the final two EP’s
while Stinson booted the other.
Pre-game press build-ups rated
the Tigers underdogs by one to two
touchdowns in this neighborhood
battle which has always gained the
attentive interest of Atlanta’s pig
skin followers, but the Panthers,
anxious to show their power which
many could not conceive poured
on the “juice” to walk away with
their twelfth straight victory over
the Echolsmen who tasted a defeat
through which the Eppsmen racked
up more points than a Clark team
has scored over Morehouse teams
since 1927.
Missing from the scene of this
year’s pre-game feud was the an
nual hotwords battle which usual
ly flies between the two institu
tions as both schools cringed slight
ly in fear of the other’s power.
However, the internal tension
broke out at game time, but was
only celebrated by Clarkites who
reveled in the joy of another tri
umph by the up-and-coming Pan
thers.
Xavier Fights Back to Win Its
Homecoming and Break Panthers’
Four-Game Win Streak in 19-12 Duel
A stout-hearted Clark eleven
fought hard, but to no avail, suc
cumbing to the attack of Xavier
University’s Gold Rush in New Or
leans’ Xavier Stadium, November
7. The Clarkites who journeyed to
New Orleans boasting a four-game
win streak (victorious over Tuske-
gee, Alabama State, South Caro
lina and Morehouse), saw that
streak broken when the Catholics
camie from behind to emerge vic
torious 19-12 on their Homecoming.
At halftime, the Eppsmen led 6-0,
but the men of Coach Priestly sliced
through the Clark line for two TD’s
in the third stanza to lead 12-6.
Early in the fourth period, the
Clarkites knotted the count at 12-
12 only to see the Crescent City
Crew add joy to their homecom
ing with the winning TD in less
than five minutes of play.
Taking the kickoff on their own
31 to start the game, the Panthers
marched 69 yards to paydirt with
out relinquishing the leather in the
first foutr minutes of the battle.
Clark, Brown and Barnett were
the principals in the drive which
saw; the Panthers rack up three
first and tens. Offie Clark termi
nated the goal-line rush with a
seven-yard smash for the TD. Stin
son’s try for the point after was
no good.
Coming back from intermission,
the Gold rush took the kickoff on
their own 10 and matched 90
yards to knock the count. The big
gun in the drive was the Rush’s
freshman halfback, David 1 Miller,
who found a big hole in the Clark
line and galloped 57 yards to the
Panther 20 before safety man Clark
pulled him to the turf. On the sec
ond play after the first and ten
Miller scored from the Panthers’ 18
yard line. Ernest Campbell’s try
for the PAT v/as no good. The
Crescent City crew scored again
in the third quarter when Johnnie
Crear sauntered 45 yards from the
scrimmage line to put the Priest-
le.ymen ahead 12-6,
Finding themselves behind for
the first time since playing S. C.
State, The Eppsmen took the kick
off and marched 74 yards to pay
dirt with the gleam: of revenge in
their eyes. Freshman halfback, Fred
Bell, scored from Xavier’s 17 yard
marker for the tie.
With five minutes remaining in
the game, Xavier’s David Miller,
a thorn in the Panthers’ sidles all
day, lashed through the Clark for
ward wall for 23 yards to score
the “green-light” TD. Campbell
made the count 19-12 with his suc
cessful PAT.
Gridmen Fall To
Fort Valley In
Season’s Opener
Slipping and sliding through the
muck and mire of Fort Valleys
Hunt High Athletic Field, the Car
dinal and Black warriors of the
gridiron succumbed to the attack of
Coach Richard Craig’s Wildcats on
September 25 when they opened
their 1953 pigskin schedule on the
short end of a 2-0 decision.
As the initial whistle sounded
heacy rains pounded the gladiators
and ardent followers of oval war
fare. The Eppsmen won the tiss and
elected to receive the KO and' the
Valley’s Jenkins booted the leath
er the Panther 22. Quarterback Of
fie Clark called on halfback Newt
Solomon who picked up eight yards
on the opening pipy of the game.
Two plays later the Wildcats re
covered a Panther fumble on the
Clarkites’ 29 yard marker. Howev
er, a five-yard rushing loss, cou
pled with a 15-yard penalty for
holding, backed the Craigmen to
midfield where they punted to the)
Panthers’ 10 yard marker. A Fort
Valley offside penalty nullified Of
fie Clark’s first down punt. With
second and five to go, Clark once
again attempted to punt, but the
Wildcats’ Hunter, playing left
guard, broke through the CC for
ward wall to block the kick and
Clark was caught in the end zone
with the Wildcats taking an early
lead at 2-0 which they never re
linquished.
The rains came in an “of-and-on"
manner while on the field, two vic
tory-thirsty elevens battled—each
for his first win of the season. As
the quarters moved on, the Val
ley’s marging of a safety loomed
larger and larger,
Both teams missed scoring chan
ces with the best opportunity for
crossing going to Fort Valley’s ’Cats
who penetrated to the CC five-yard
marker in the fourth quarter. Two
incomplete passes and two rushes
against a stone wall knocked the
Craigmen out of their insurance
points.
Whew! Panthers Roll Up 502
Yards Rushing to Beat Fisk 39-12
Parading across the “G” line for six
touchdowns and three extra points,
the Pride of Clark College rolled
up 502 yards rushing, losing only
four, to beat the Fisk University
Bulldog’s 39-12 for the first time
since 1949, November 13.
This net gain of 498 yards rusing
is the largest since “who-knows-
vvhen?” And it may be the “mostest”
compiled by SIAC backfields. Ironi
cally enough, the Eppsmen racked
up only eight first and ten to the
visitors' twelve. The story tells in
the fact that the mighty warriors of
Coach Epps scored! all six touch
down on runs not less than 47 yards
with all TD’s covering a total of
s71 yards.
Before their smallest home crowd
of the season, Melvin Brown got the
bull rolling when he slashed off
tackle for a 63-yard TD on the
opening play of the game. Five
minutes later, he found another
opening in the same hole for a 55-
yard TD. Then Harold Franklin, CC
senior of Pocahontas, Va., a sub-half
back, got into the act with a 68-yard
gallop for the third marker. In the
final quarter, quarterback Offie
Clark who had carried only three
times previously, decided to get
into the frolic with a 62-yard gallop
to “point” territory. The final Pan
ther TD ’came on Clark’s 47-yard
spread from enemy territory to
goaldom. Charles Stinson hit on
three of six conversion attempts.
FISK SCORES
With Leo Starkey pitching, the
Bulldogs mustered 12 points in the
second half when Sharkey hit James
Robinson twice or TD’s. The aerials
covered 69 yards. They completed
five of 16 clothesliners for 128 yards.
That strong Panther line, propon
ents of “You Can’t Come Around
Here-ism” held the visitors to 138
yards rushing and threw them back
wards for losses totalling 25 yards.
Beating the Fiskites for the first
time since 1949, Melvin Brown and
Offie Clark were the big guns in
the rushing attack, each scoring two
touchdowns. Clark racked up 127
yards rushing in five tries for an
average per try mile Brown added
to his rushing average with 152
yards in nine tries for 16.9 per try.
It was a fumbleless game for both
squads.
The game was a fast, hard one
which saw only 37 plays executed
by the Clarkites and 55 by the vis
itors. The well-coached Eppsmen
completed only one pass of three
attempted. Walter Vance, who has
done an outstanding job at end this
year, plucked the only completion
from the hands of quarterback
Clark.
Melvin Brown, Newt Solomon,
Robert Givens and Offie Clark lug
ged the leather for the Panthers
Who could did not further than the
enemy 22 yard warker where a
fumble terminated their scoring
hopes.
Night Watchman—“Young man, Collegian — “What did you do
are you going to kiss that girl?”
Student—“No, sir.”
with my shirt?”
Roomate — “Sent it to the laun
dry.
Collegian—“Ye Gods! The whole
Night Watchman—“Well, hold higtory Qf England was on the
my lantern.” cuffs!”
Study Habits For
College Students
Columbus, O.—(I.P.)—Good stu
dents need instruction in how to
study as well as the poor students,
according to Dr. Collins Burnett,
associate professor in the depart
ment of psychology, Ohio State
University. A survey of 37 supe
rior students, chosen from the top
12 students in each class in the
College of Education, showed that
“when compared with study skills
which educational psychologists
recommend as efficient, the stated
performance of these students was
mediocre.” ^
The investigation showed that
the students who make “good”
grades often use below-average
study methods, sometimes waiting
until the last day or so before re
viewing a course for an exam. The
correct way to study, according to
Dr. Burnett, is to first look
through a chapter casually. Then
turn the topic headings into ques
tions and attempt to answer them
through your reading. After this,
recite the important points, and,
lastly, review the chapter.
PANTHER PROFILE
Coach Epps: Striving to Bring
CC Athletics Into Elite of SIAC
The staff of THE CLARK PANTHER takes great pleasure in pre
senting (for he certainly needs no introduction) a profile of a man
who, in his years as Head Coach at Clark, has certainly striven for
the improvement of Clark athletics and who has gained the respect
of all his players for his thorough knowledge of athletics and for tha
ability really to wofk with the material that comes under his com
mand. This month, we salute, with profound sincerity, Director of Ath
letics Leonidas S. Epps, our choice for pigskin COACH OF THE YEAR.
He certainly deserves it.
LEONIDAS “SONNY” EPPS to adequately secure men who may
hails from East Saint Louis, Illi- day be some of the nation’s
. . . „ . outstanding players. However,
nois, and is in is ye r Q ar k always acquires some out-
Clark. In his third year as head s t an ding players such as the thir-
coach at the “School on the Hill”, ty “he-men” who dotted this year’s
the Panther mentor is a firm be- squad of which Coach Epps has
liever in good sportsmanship (both guided to a successful season
, _ .... , , , . placing Clark in the first division
on and off the field), hard tram- Qf gIAC for the flrst time
ing, and tip-top precision among s j nce 1949. i n constant observation
his squads. of promising high school athletes
_ , _. . . .... in quest of athletic material, Coach
Coach came to Clark from Gil- . ... , ... .
is gifted with a power of analyza-
bert Academy in New Orleans, y on w hich has enabled him to
where se served for five years as scout teams and tear their whole
head coach. A product of Xavier offense and defense apart when
University, and of Coach “Ted” they are met by the Panthers. As
Wright, Epps has .coached a Xavier some of his players say, “Coach
freshman basketball team and dur- goes out, scouts the team, spots
ing the war years did lengthy their weaknesses, and comes back
coaching service with the Second with defensive and offensive plays
Air Force Command. Writing his set up to stop that team. All we
name in the Xavier Hall of Fame have to do is look for the things
via his athletic feats, Coach Epps he has presented to us when they
is still remembered for his ath- happen, and terminate them with
letic prowess at the Crescent City the material he has drilled through
institution. our heads for hours.”
Working year-round, the affable
director of Clark athletics is also
head coach of the College’s basket
ball and track squads. To com
plete his schedule, he carries a
teaching load and is in command
of the Intramural Sports Program
during basketball season and late
Spring.
Although the Clark mentor has
not come up with a championship
gridiron squad, he has untiringly
plugged away at his duties —
searching for the key to a win
ning combination. In doing so, he
has spent many sleepless nights
and hard days pondering the prob
lems that plague most coaches of
small schools that find it very hard
Coach has moulded many awk
ward athletes into the starlight
where they have gained approval
of and recognition from fans and
sportswriters. He spends much
time with his college prodigals, be
lieving that an athlete’s knowledge
of the fundamentals of any game
coupled with his individual nat
ural and acquired abilities are the
sportster’s greatest assets.
It is to this end that the staff
of the 1953-54 PANTHER SA
LUTES A GREAT MAN—LEONI
DAS S. EPPS.
SUPPORT THE CAGE SQUAD