The Washington times., 1937-10-18
Battles in Starring Role
As Redskins Top Pirates
Spec tors
Given Real
Game
SCORE "a TO 20
By HARRY COSTELLO

By HARRY COSTELLO
In a free-scoring game, between
two teams rated about on a par,
there comes what spectators have
come to know as the turning
point"
This turning point easily is rec
ognizable.
Yesterday, in Griffith Stadium,
the turning point of the 1920
game between the Washington
Redskins and the Pittsburgh
Pirates came in the fourth quar-
ter.
Cliff Battles, star back of the
game, had Just gotten off a neat
65-yard punt, against the wind.
The score at the time was
Washington 20, Pittsburgh 13.
Johnny Blood" McNally, the per-
sonality man Of the big league Of
professional football, caught the
kick and ran it 13 yards to Pitts
burgh's 47-yard line. Then Bull"
Karcis, who played a grand game
of football, lateraled to a mate
and picked up three yards. Then
KarciS crashed for nine yards.
The Pittsburgh attack was click
ing on all 16, and it appeared GER
tain the Pirates were bound for
another touchdown.
INTERCEPTS PASS
Karcis tried a short, sharp
forward pass, just over the line.
The receiver reached for it,
missed it, and the ball wobbled as
it left his hands and was touched
by another player. Charlie
Texas" Malone, another star of
the game, grabbed the leather for
the Redskins. On the very first
play, Battles got away for a 60
yard run and the touchdown
which brought the score to 26-13.
Malone'S interception not only
was timely but, as well, was the
chief factor in changing the whole
complexion of the game.
Incidentally, on Battles 60-yard
jaunt. on a left end run, Wayne
Millner, who played bang-up foot
ball all day, literally crashed
Blood" to the ground to give 1.-THE
Gripper" a clear field. I don't
suppose McNally ever in his life
before was so thoroughly blocked
as he was by Millner on this
occasion. I doubt that blood"
ever again will be so thoroughly
blocked.
In Saturdays Times, I warned
Washington football fans that
yesterdays game was due to be
the best of the local season. 1t
turned out to be just that-the
best game of the season, from the
viewpoint of the spectator. The
game was replete with thrilling
plays, Pittsburgh's share of the
spectacular falling short of equal
ing Washington'S only because
Battles played for the Redskins
instead of for the Pirates.
ON LONG RUNS
Of the eight touchdowns scored,
five were on long runs. 1.-THE
Gripper" ran IS yards with an
intercepted pass. so yards on a
left end run and 72 yards through
left tackle. PittSburgh's first
touchdown resulted from a spec
tacular play, a pass, F'iske to
Thompson, which accounted for
40 yards. The second Pirate touch
down came after a play even more
spectacular. this one also a pass,
Blood to Thompson, which &C.
counted for 72 yards. On the first
Pittsburgh touchdown play,
Thompson ran about 80 yards
across the RedSkin goalline, on
the second he ran 81 yards after
making the catch.
Sensational plays resulted in
the scoring of the other three
touchdowns. One Of them came
as a result Of a spectacular over
head, Baugh to Malone. The
latter stood in the end zone as he
caught "Slingin' Sans" perfect
heave. Another touchdown was
scored by the Redskins on a play
that for sheer deception and per