Evening star., 1948-09-19
'Co|oniia|s Scare
WakeForestb but
Tumble,
Deocons Gain Margin
With Two Thrusts
In Final Quarter
By Francis {. Stonn
Sfor Stoff CORRESPONDENT

WAKE FOREST, N. c., Sept. 1S.-I
An alert, smartly coached George
Washington football team, conced-
ing weight and experience, threw
fright into highly favored Wake
Forest today before the Deacons
finally prevailed, q to 13, in the
season opener for both outfits.
Picked by four touchdowns, Wake
Forest found the Colonials trailing
by only a single point-13 to a
with the game in the final period.
Only two long scoring thrusts-one
a 66-yard pass and the other a So
yard run-saved face for the Dea-
cons.
George Washington never could
approach the running game of its
more powerful Southern Confer
ence foe and in the opening half the
Colonials' passing ran the gauntlet
from spotty to futile. Yet by hook
or crook they were in the battle un-
til the final 10 minutes
Wake Forest staged only one sus-
tanned scoring drive in a triumph
marked by quick and lengthy
thrusts to take a TO lead after
seven minutes and 20 seconds of the.
opening period Wake Forest s.
hard-running Bill Gregus broke,
through the center of the line and
ran IS yards to the /. Harry Dowda
carried it across after two plunges.
G. w. Scores With Break. J.,
Coach Bo Rowland's team capi-
talized on a break to score touch
down of its own in the opening
quarter. Wake Forest, introducing
the Information for the first time,
bobbled an offensive play by Quar-
terback Tom 'Fetzer. While the ball
still was in the air, End Bill Szanyi
of G. w. grabbed it and ran 80 yards
to score Jimmy Kline's placement,
however, was wide and Wake Forest
led, 7-6.
If the Colonials could have mus
tered scoring punch in the second
period, they might have registered
one of the big early upsets of the
season. They blocked a punt by
Fetzer early in the quarter and
recovered on Wake Forests IS only
to have Joe Buell. throw four con-
secutive passes wildly to lose the
ball.
. A few minutes later, Bill Spang-
Ter got off one of several invaluable
quick kicks and when Bob Jones
fumbled the ball was recovered for
G. w. by End Frank Close on the
Deacons' IS. The Colonials drove
to the 10 before Wake Forest stiff
fened and regained possession of
the ball.
1t was a see-saw battle that saw
Wake Forest getting stronger near
the half. The Deacons took a turn
driving to the enemy 10 just before
the gun, but G. w. held and it still
was 7-6 at intermission.
Defensive Lapses Costly.
Two defensive lapses cost the
game in the final quarter, after
Wake Forest had moved steadily for
SO yards to make the score 14-6 in
the third quarter. To open the
fourth quarter, Coach Rowland
aStounded the 10000 spectators, not
to mention the Wake Forest COACH
ing staff, by successfully working
the old sleeper" play.
Rowland, making his debut as
G. W.'s coach, had been alternating
Andy Davis and Buell. as his passers.
He substituted Dave Davis for Buell.
and one pass was completed while
Rowland had only 10 men facing
the Deacons.
The 11th, Wingback Kline, was
kneeling in front of the G. w.
bench during this play. On the
second play, Davis wheeled after
short center-pass count and threw
to Kline for scoring play that
consumed SO yards. When Frank
Cavallo added the extra point, the
Deacons led only by 14-13
With a major upset looming,
Wake Forest rallied and capitalized
on two lapses by G. WIS defense. A
high, floating pass from Fetzer to
End Ed Hoey baffled efforts of the
Colonials secondary and was COM
pleted for 66 yards, putting the ball
on G. WIS 8. Two plays later the
score was 20-13, with Wake Forest
missing the extra point.
Jones Scores Clineher.
The clincher was running play
reminiscent of the opening score.
Jones, duplicating Gregus' 65-yard
run in the early minutes, hit the
center of the line on a quick OPEN
ing play, eluded the secondary and
tSee G. w. Page BID