BROWN BEATS SMITH, 20-14

Regional Tie Sure For Rebs

By Charlie Brown

Brown's bounding Rebels, frightened within an inch of their lives by a blistering Smith aerial attack, staved off the Smithies' final frantic buzz-bomb in the fading minutes to capture their seventeenth consecutive City League victory and clinch at least a tie for a third straight Region 3-AA championship last night at Cheney Stadium.

A crowd of 3,713 paid fans left the stadium limp from exhaustion and excitement after witnessing the West Enders' 20-14 triumph in one of the most brutal, hard-hitting exhibitions of any season here.

The Brownies, sticking to the ground for the most part, were forced to come from behind for a 7-7 half-time tie after seeing the charges of Cecil Moon convert an early-game fumble into a first quarter touchdown. The Brownies barged out front at 14-7 early in the third period, but the Hill Streeters came right back to stalemate the issue late in the same stanza.

The Brownies fashioned a 77-yard scoring drive that put them out front early in the fourth chapter, but twice had to fight back Smith bids for victory, bids riding on the stout passing arm of Rough Richard Bonner.

Offensive backfield honors were about evenly divided among three Brownie running backs - Johnny Hunsinger, Wayne Clyburn and Capt. Charlie Brannon, the latter a surprise starter after being out with injuries for two weeks. Each tallied a touchdown and Hunsinger racked up 82 yards rushing on 16 carries. Clyburn raced for 75 yards on 15 carries and Brannon 40 on 13, much of it in the clutch.

Bonner, and his rifle passing arm, were the whole offensive show for Smith, which ran from four formations, single wing, orthodox, Split T and a spread. Bonner's throws accounted for 105 yards on 10 completions. He heaved 25 times in all, 19 of those being tossed in the last quarter. Six were good for 71 yards in that final, frantic go-round.

The tackling on both sides was vicious, some of the thuds being heard clear up in the press box. Harry Lovell, Smith tackle, played one of the year's best defensive games, and teammates Leon Cunningham and David (Pigg) Crane were just about as devastating.

Ed (Bulldog) Carithers, squat 190-pound Brown tackle, End Bobby Moore, Center Don Cox and Line-backing John Hunsinger were the chief knocker-downers for the smashing West End team that now needs only a victory over Murphy next week to clinch a third-straight region diadem.

Substitutes were few, and Lawrence Warren, Lovell, Don Cox, and Hunsinger played every minute.

A note of sadness was injected when James Spratlin, grandfather of Brown Halfback Gene Kinard, dropped dead in the stands while watching his grandson star.

Hunsinger fumbled on the third scrimmage play of the game and Walter Turner and Grady Waters, of Smith, pounced on the ball for Smith at the Brown 27. Bobby Odum and David Bohannon rushed the ball into the end zone on seven running plays. Bonner's pass for the extra point was incomplete but Brown was offside and David Helf kicked the seventh point through.

Brown took the ensueing kickoff and laboriosly marched 72 yards to knot the score on the fifth play of the second stanza. The drive took 20 plays to negotiate, and was kept alive once only when the Smithies were penalized 15 yards to their own 40 on a roughing the kicker penalty. Hunsinger, Clyburn and Brannon did most of the damage along the ground in short bursts, but Pepper Rodgers rifled a 13-yard aerial to Brannon at the Smith 16 when it was fourth down and 11 to go to keep the march under way. Hunsinger's powerful smash for ten yards, a four-yard rip by Clyburn and Brannon's one-yard plunge put it over from there, and Rodgers booted the tying point.

Brown dominated the rest of the second period, driving from their own 24 to the Smithies eight late in the period before Jack Odum tackled Clyburn for a loss as the Moonmen took over on downs at their own 11. The half ended shortly afterwards.

The teams took turns in driving 60 yards for third quarter scores. The Johnny Rebs tallied first as Clyburn made a great catch of a 23-yards pass from Rodgers at the Smith 36 to get the surge going. Brannon and Clyburn picked up another first down before Hunsinger slammed into taclke and was gone to glory 26 yards away. Rodgers' perfect conversion put Brown on top, 14-7.

Smith took the next kickoff and had things tied up again ten plays later. Warren's 17-yard scoot, and two passes of 10 and 16 yards, both from Bonner to Billy Patton, were the big gainers, and Waters smashed across from four yards away. Helf added the tying 14th point from placement.

The Rebs hauled the subsequent kickoff 77 yards to pay dirt on seven plays, a 37-yard scamper by Clyburn starting it and a Rodgers to Cecil Trainer pass of 27 yards putting the ball nine yards shy. Clyburn bulled across from one yard out. Rodgers' kick was wide this time and it was 20-14.

Shortly Bonner heaved twice to Patton for 22 and 12 yards and then ran himself to the Brown 23. Bobby Moore tackled Bonner for a loss to throw that threat back to the 29 where the Rebs took over.

Kinard's 38-yard run set Brown up in business, but Cunningham's tackling halted a Brown drive at the Smith 20 with four minutes left. Bonner's heaves found Jack Odum and Warren for nine and 28 yards before the Rebs batted down four straight to take over at their own 30 with a minute and 40 seconds left. They held the ball from there on out and it was a ball game.