The Key West citizen., 1954-11-20

De the DeSt ever TO take Cne
White in recent years.
II was q classic defensive battle,
packed with everything in the way
Of football thrills. Thesseason's re-
cord crowd, more than 5000 fans,
witnessed q Titanic battle with the
key manuevering being the perfor-
nance Of two magnificent lines.
The Conchs got lot of breaks
last night - but they were all bad.
A blocked kick, two crucial FUN
bles and q penalty at the worst pos
sible time kept them from pushing
over q I'd.
Three times the Conchs pene-
trated inside the Chattanooga 20
yard line, but on each occasion, the
valiant Dynamo line held fast and
the Conchs could not score.
A group of senior grid perform
ers making their last home start
rose up and put forth the best eff
fort of their respective careers to
hold tight against the visitors but
the Gods of football fortune were
not smiling on them last night.
The Conchs outgained the visitors
by q wide margin, they managed
IL first downs to Chattanooga's
four - but they could not make
. touchdown.
The first quarter action gave the
fans an inkling Of the sort of close
gridiron battle they were in for.
II was the punting Of Dynamo tail
back voris williams that kept the
locals at bay and spoiled any hope
they may have had Of piling up
an early lead.
Chattanooga received and when
they could go nowhere on the
ground, williams sent the first of
long series Of booming punts out
Of bounds on the Key West 80.
Mike Gates, displaying the same
sort of grit that has made him
the bread and butter ground gain
er throughout the season, then
started rolling through the middle
as the Key West line, led by Wayne
Brantley, Frank Hood, big Julio
Henriquez and Ralph Garcia - the
entire Black Bean Brigade - open
ed up sizeable holes for their con-
veniences.
Then Stickney took the ball on
an sweep around right end. He
drove all the way up to the 50
where he was hit hard by host
of Dynamo defenders. He fumbled
the pigskin and Chattanooga's Con-
ME Mack Barnes pounced on it to
give the visitors possession.
The Dynamos, at this point, pick
ed up their only first down of the
period when they clicked with a
pass from Gary Fredericks to Will
liams down to the Key West 80.
But here, the Conchs settled down
and held fast to take over on
downs.
Gates and Stickney alternated to
bull their way up to the IS and
first down. But, at this point, the
Conch defense begged down and
they were forced to kick. Stick
ney dropped back to his own 80
to get it off but Bill Mckinney and
Bob Stone, a pair. of courageous Dy-
namo defenders, broke through and
blocked Reds effort. The ball roll
ed all the way back to the II yard
line where Stone covered it.
Phil Osteen, probing through the
middle, went down to the IL on
the next play.
But he made the mistake Of try
ing it again. He was hit by what
he must have thought was freight.
train - those boys Joe Russo and
Johnny DeMerritt again - and he
fumbled the ball.
Ralph Garcia recovered for the
Conchs.
Stickney and Gates again alter
mated to drive back to the Conch
IS yard line on four plays as the
quarter ended.
They were stopped on the 20 and
Stickney punted down to the Chat
tanooga 42.
After q Is yard holding penalty
had set them back. Chattanooga
williams punted and the ball roll
@ through safety man Gene Fa.