The Wilmington morning star., 1944-12-03

ARMY DISPLAYS
POTENT ATTACK
FOR ninth WIN
Davis, Blanchard Spe a r
Head West Pointers
Win
By FRITZ HOWELL

BALTIMORE, Dec. a. Up Ar
ny's magnificently equipped team
hit the heights Of gridiron great
ness today, clinching the National
football championship with a thrill
irg % to : victory over rugged
fighting Navy before 10000 fans IN
Municipal stadium.
Showing the same power, alert
ress and deceptive attack which
has characterized the Cadets all
season, the Army boys converted
two intercepted passes into two Oh
their three touchdown marches,
blocked a punt for safety, n d
rounded out a campaign of nine
straight wins-flrst perfect season
fer West Point since 1916.
The Cadets, needing this one to
wrap up the National laurels, took
no chances. They whipped through
a 73-yard touchdown march early
in the second period to take a ~
half-timc lead, and won gong
away with two quick scores in the
last SESSION as Navy's defenses
crurnpled.
The rampaglng Cadets, maneuv-
ering superble from the 'T' for
nation, tore t h e supposedly i'm
ncegnable Middle line apart r
2io yards by rushing, while the
West Poin line held the Navy lads
to net of 81 yards on the ground.
But it was the alertness OF the
West Pointers that really paid off,
and they cashed in on all OF their
self-m anufa breaks.
Baked by the stalwart Middies
through the first quarter, the Ca
diets flashed thei1 power and IL
nesse early IN the second. Her
schel Fuson, center, intercepted a
pass on his own u, and the Cadets
were off and running.
Davis ripped around end for IS
yards, and then he and Blanchard
alternated at carrying the pigskin
until they reached the Navy Is.
There the attack begged down and
Navy took over on downs. Little
Hal Hamberg, Nays mighty mite
and outstanding star of the day
quick-kicked out of danger but the
Amy horde came right back.
Halfback Dale H all ripped
through for IL yards in two tries,
and Blanchard bucked the line fcr
10. Navy's outstanding tackle, Don
Whitmire, was injured on Blanch-
ards smash and retired, and with
him went most Of Navy's defense.
On the first play after Whit
mjre's injury Davis swung around
right end for q yards, and on the
rext play Hall went over left
tackle for "a yards and the first
touchdown.
Walterhouse converted, putting
Amy ahead 7 to 0 and writing
his own name in the record books
es history's most prolific extra
point scorer. Early in the third
period, with Navy backed up deep
in its own territory, Army tackle
Arch Arnold, of Fort Lewis,
Wash, broke through to block a
punt by Nays John Hansen, the
ball rolling into the end zone Han
sen recovered the ball there, Arm
old tackling him for safety and
two Army points.
Angry Navy struck right back,
marching 70 yards to its only
touchdown after taking Blanch.
ard punt. Hamberg, who took over
for Halfback Bob Jenkins, star
back injured in the early going.
engineered the Middle drive. He
ran for Is yards on the first two
pays, then passed to Hansen and
Halfback Bill Barron for first
downs, an offside penalty inter.
rapted TIL march only momen'
tarily, for the 15G-pounder hit End
Leon Bramlett with 10 yard pass
on the 13-yard line, and then skirt
ed end to the five after taking
another aerial. After receiving aid
from an Army offside, Clyde Scott
needed two cracks at the line tc
Put the touchdown across. Vic Fl
nos added the extra point from
placement to end the Middle scor
ing.
Boosting only a shaky two-point
edge going into the last period
Army struck with all its power il
a couple of lightning-fast scoring
jaunts. Scott carried an Army
PUNT back 80 yards to the Army
A., and jenkins, Navy's No. ]
ground gamer Of the year, came
back into the game to take to the
Always. His first aerial, however
fell into Davis hands and the Ar
my flash carried it 20 yards to
midfield.
Blanchard skirted right end for
u yards, and then the big full
back and Davis took turns carry
ing until they reached til nine
without halt, from where Blanch
ara blasted over right tackle fo1
the touchdown.
Again Walterhouse converted
ard Army held a comfortable 1871
margin, but the Cadets weren
satisfied. After the kickoff Navy
couldn't move an inch, and punteo
to the Army 80, from where an
offside penalty and runs by
blanchard and Max Minor moved