The Washington herald., 1922-12-04
BOUNCE OVER |
] sCROSS-BAR rs
LUCKY BREAK
FOR MERCURY
George Sullivan Kicks Place
ment Goal, Which Proves
Margin Of Victory for joe
!. Gainey's Players.
By BRYAN MORSE.


By BRYAN MORSE.
"HE Hawks have been lrnoGEed
off the championship perch.
Their roosting place for fhe
past eight years was rudely jarred
by the Mercury A. c. eleven st
American League Park before
1890 sandlot football fans yester-
day. Mercury won by 3-to-0. HiS
tory was made.
For eight long years the South-
east lads, known as the MohsWk
Athletic Club, have ridden over.op-
position in sandlot football. They
claim q marvellous record Of hsS-.
ing been undefeated in their class
during that period They hise
been beaten but once and by IN,
all-star combination. They hive
been tied several times. Twice q IL
season have teams Knocked at -tse
door. The Hawks got away viii
scoreless tie games from Georre-
town A. c. and the KnickerboclHss.
A year ago the Mercury A..-C.
players got on even terms viii
the Mohawks in a scoreless tie.
Yesterday, through the medium of
a forty-four-yard placement soal
by George Sullivan, the Hawxs
lost the title by O S-to-0 count
1t is perhaps quite regular TO say
that the Hawks lost rather drsn
that the Mercury lads won. Ar a
matter of fact. the Hawks, save IN
a flash in the final period. had ffcle
or nothing with which to win.
II was almost inevitable that they
Isuccumb to defeat. for beyond: a
grand defense and an average
kicker they possessed no Offensive
punch. \:
RECORDS ARE BROKEN. B.
All attendance records for hide
pendent football games were broken.
Seven thousand eight hundred rer-
sons went through the turnstiIs.
Figuring in war tax. the park srnd
other interests the teams split what
is estimated to be considerably less
than $4,000.
This attendance record IL sorte-
what less than the Penn State-NseTv
game, is below the GeorgetoSsa-
Marines contest and is above enc
L-afayette-Georgetown engagement
record. :
The story Of the game In brr-f.
Mercury started off like a wins-r
and speedily showed the differelce
between the teams when IL belaa
banging off first downs. Isnr
times in the opening period were
the Southwest lads able to gain .or
first downs.
The speed with which Mcr-
curry started was not sustaipcd.
The Southwest boys tired badly m
the second half, but were able %
stand off the Hawks when aley
made their bid Five times u-ey
were inside the Hawks s0-yP d
line and each time failed to s,ss-
tain the attack. They spent thgir
substance In mid-field drives.
The first half was a success an
of Mercury attempts to maintain
a foothold on the brink of the
Hawks goal line. Hurd. Beyprr,
Cronin and T. Sullivan would gpS Il
up there and there il would STAY.
The first period marked a ~
yard march OF the Mercurys. N;
the ball was lost when a field al
failed. Almost at the starr of the
second period George Sullivan pul,,d
his record breaking stunt.
BALL HITS CROSS-BAR.
The ball was on the 36-yard l.ae
and George Sullivan went back sar
q placement goal. The pass .
good and Mat Hurd held IL -
curely. Straight and true rose sla
ball from the 44-yard mark and
went toward the goal posts.
The ball had risen TO q great
height and started to settle doxn.
1t looked as though 1t would fen
short. To the utter amusement
Of everyone in the park the ball
hit the crossbar squarely on tor
and took quite a hop on over and
Lit about on. the end zone, line
For all the fact that George Sui
livan's placement goal hit the cros =
bar. bounded up and over as,1
scored a lucky three points, ,the
game was won on it's inertia
FIGURES SHOW IT. =
In the first place, the game "
<sh minutes old before the 20,
hawk players scored a first doti.
Lieb. a fresh player, hoped twice
into the line for gains of five and
six yards.
Three more first downs cane
after a break in the game WI, n
the Mercury lads fumbled on .lle
Hawks 27-yard line and Schofi..d
dashed 81 yards into the enemy -.
4 ritory. End dashes and two sh
4 forward passes and a line TIN 81
by Licarione got three first dow IS
in the Tagging moments Of the con
test.
4 This, In brief. was the portion II
the Hawks offense, the offef *
Of the champions for another q e
i The remainder of the game q = IL
backs were to the wall. fighting Q
stave off certain defeat.
The ball was in the Mohk.vs
territory the major portion Of Zoe
afternoon. Mercury started q ~
and stayed late. That the Sor h.
west contingent did not ron u,- q
score is due chiefly TO the ster nc
offense Of Josh Licarione. q .sai
they did not earn more points i
due 60 the inability Of Vim ~
Martino 10 kick field goals.
The Hawks had q great defe,
They got one big break and M