Roanoke Rapids daily herald. (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1948-1949, 1948-10-10
Locals ou+PIay
Visitors In
Tough Contest

Net yards rushing --1l2 1855
Passes attempted - 10 8
Passes completed - l
FumbleS NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Yards gained
passing ---------- 10 o.
Op. fumbles recov. 4
No. puntS -------
Punt return, yards - Il AZ
Punting average - $50 $50
Yards lost penalties 10 As
The Roanoke Rapids High
School Yellow Jackets halted
their victory famine here at
Simmons Park Friday night by
downing the Yellow Jackets of
Elizabeth City High School, 10,
for their first gridiron triumph
Of the year.
In a hard-fought game on
soggy field before a sparse
crowd of supporters the local
Jackets fought off one serious
threat, took advantage Of breaks
and finally scored late in the
second period after they had
been held in the shadow of the
Elizabeth City goal posts. The
touchdown came as somewhat of
a surprise on pass over the
center Of the line for total of
Al yards and the deciding strike
of the game.
Rains during the past two
weeks had made a quagmire out
of the west end of Simmons
Park field, the end where most
Of the action in the game took
place, and the Elizabeth City
boys were seriously hampered
by several early fumbles which
were recovered by the home
team.
In the first few minutes of the
ball game the ball changed
hands three times on funlbles,
with Elizabeth City finally re-
covering Billy Nixon's tumble
On their own 81 and moving on
the ground in nine plays to
within eight yards of the Roa-
noke Rapids goal. With first
down and goal to go Garland
Anderson bobbled the ball again
and alert Clary pounced on the
ball on the II to stave off the
scoring threat Just before the
end of the first quarter. Roanoke
Rapids advanced the ball into
Elizabeth City territory and
Vance Stewart put the visiting
Jackets into a hole with a quick
kick that rolled dead on the
nine.
Anderson, after losing six
yards, punted from his end zone
to his 81 and Stewart returned
to the. Is. Carlton (Bubber) Mat
thews, hard-charging line buck
er, and Stewart moved the ball
to the Elizabeth City 10 and a
first down and four plays later
the locals came within inches
of first down on the visitors
three-yard strip on forward
lateral from Stewart to Earl
Rock to Matthews but lost the
ball on downs and Anderson
punted out on a play returned
to the Al.
On the first play from scrim-
mage Matthews passed over cen
ter and the ball was batted
around by three Elizabeth City
defenders and nearly intercepted
before Rock gathered it in or
the q and moved across fol
the only touchdown of the game
Stewart went off guard for the
conversion.
The remainder of the ball game
was played around the 30-yarc
line of each team, with Roanoke
Rapids team showing an often
sive edge. EARLY in the fina.
quarter Coach Danny eagle;
charges threatened again wher
Kenneth Mizelle recovered Sig.
ma Barnett's tumble on the Eliz.
abeth City 40 and the local Jack.
cts got as far as the visitors
"a before the attack stalled.
In the final minutes the Eliz
abeth City team filled the all
with passes, one of which click.
ed for is yards and put then
in Roanoke Rapids territory, bu'
they could get no further thar
the 81 and the game endec
with Roanoke, Rapids in posses
sion Of the ball near midfield
It was a tough ball game be-
tween bitter rivals, and Coacl
Honey Johnson's boys just coule
not seem to get rolling on tn,
offense. For Roanoke Rapid
Stewart and Matthews sparkee
the offensive play, while Co
Captain Wordesr Felts, Jesse Ed
wards, Hubert Lowder and Enc
Earl Rock were standouts in tn
play in the line. Garland An
derson bore the brunt of tn
Elizabeth City attack and Mar
vim Gray and Bunch Mcpherson
were the top men in the lin
play.
The victory was Roanoke Rap
ids first Of the season and tn
first In Northeastern Confrrenc
composition. Elizabeth City ha
not won . game, however, the
y split Z ~ de with Edenton i
- sssaasns apensr.