The Wilmington morning star., 1945-12-16
B00KIES GIVE NOD
TO YOUTHFUL OHIO
WESTERN WINNERS
Passing Duel Between
Baugh, Waterfield Expect
ed To Feature Game
BY SID FEEDER

| CLEVELAND, Lee. 10. "a
The Cleveland Rams and Washing
ton Redskins tangle today in pro-
|fessional footballs world series s,
with record national league cham
pionship gate already lin" and an
all-time top crowd virtually GER
tain.
A week-long off-and-on snow fin
ally stopped today and the weather
man picked out the "clear and cold
err" sign to hang up for the 1:30
p.m. eastern Standard Time)
kickoff in Cleveland's vast 76,000-
seat municipal stadium.
AS a result the gate, which went
up to $4,000 today, is expected to
ring the bell at $175,000 with "con-
tributions'' from $4,000 or more
fans.
Making their first appearance in
the championship clambake, the
Rams were four-point, to bet
ting favorites to come home IN
front. Headed by the great air
plane battery" of California Bob
Waterfield, who throws for a touch
down on every pitch, and Arkan-
sas jim Benton, who can catch
them out of a hat, the Rams al
ready have made coach Adam
Walsh the first. pro freshman, pl-
lot to come fresh from a college
campus and win his sectional title
first try.
AS a matter of fact, it took the
Redskin coach, bud De Groot, only
one year longer to turn the trick.
He took over Washington last sea-
son and came home on top this
time, on the pass pitching arm, as
might be expected, of Slingin' Sam
my Baugh, the veteran Texas
thrower.
Singing Samuel has as his pet
battery-mate this year a tricky
Jack Rabbit-kind of halfback, Steve
Bagarus, six-foot ex-Notre Damer.
Opposing gridders say he can be
stopped only by grabbing him
around the neck or chest, because
you can't get grip on his legs.
Along with this combination the
Redskins boast a big, burly line,
somewhat slower than the rapid
Ram forwards, and a new-found
running attack in recently acquir-
ed Dick Todd, Bill De Correvont
and Cecil Hare, to help Frank
Atkins, the leagues second best
ground-gainer, carry the mail.
There is also Joe (Trick Toe)
Aquirre, whose place-kicking might
decide any close game. He booted
seven field goals this season, to top
the circuit.
1 Backing up Waterfield in the
Cleveland offense are the three &c
whiz' gallopers, Fred Gehrke Of
Utah, Jim Gillette of Virginia and
Don Greenwood of Illinois, all OF
whom are among the leagues tor
half-dozen ball-luggers. Gehrke ano
Gillette each have averaged better
than six-yards-a-try this season.
In front Of these filters is 222-
pound line built for speed and feat
uring a fearsome pair of guards ir
Riley Matheson and Milan Laze-
itch, and the aforesaid Benton al
end.
A win for Cleveland would break
the four-club monopoly that has
been passing the championship
around ever since the playoffs
started back in 1888. Except for De-
troit's 1885 victory, the Chicago
Bears and Green Bay Packers in
the west and the New York Giants
and Washington in the east have cut
up this pie exclusively.
Should the Redskins number
be hung up at the finish tomorrow,
it would give Washingt' its third
pro football crown, a record sur.
passed only by the bone-crunching
Fears who rolled up four wins
among them the 1910 basketball
score of 1940-over Washington.
The probable starting lineups
colleges in parenthesis):
Pos.-WASHINGTON
LE-Aquirre (St. Mary's, CALI
LT-Adams (NOtre Dance
J LG-Stralka (GeOrgetown)
C-Aldrich Tex. Christian)
! RG-Whited (Oklahoma)
RT-Ungerer (Fordham)
RE-Turley (Scranton)
QB-Baugh (TeXas Christian
, LH-Bagarus (Notre Dance
2 RH-Defruiter (Nebraska)
Q FB-Akins Wash. State)
.