This story bring back out of the past the facts and excitement of  each contest.  As Richard Oppel, Editor of the Observer suggests, they also reflect the changing nature of sports journalism over the past 50 years.

The articles are Copyright. The Charlotte Observer, and are reprinted with permission, also with the permission of Mr. Walter J. Klein who authored our Book “A Bowl Full Of Miracles.”

We thank them for their generosity so that we might share with you.

1946

South Carolina’s powerful high school all-stars staged a brilliant second half running attack to edge our North Carolina’s belated passing barrage by 19-13 here yesterday afternoon before a crowd of 18,000 persons in the 10^th annual Shrine Bowl grid classic at Memorial stadium.

After a scoreless first and second period, the two elevens exploded after intermission in five exciting touchdowns that kept the colorful capacity crowd on the edge of their seats in wondering expectancy.

The Palmettos showed real driving power in outscoring their favored opponents, and unveiled three smooth functioning backs, Lewis Brunson of Florence, Jimmie Brown of Union, and Bishop Strickland of Mullins who battered the Tar Heels backward with flashing reverses and bulldozing off-tackle slants.

Not until the final period did the North Carolina team show any spark of offense. Bill Cox, the Mount Airy passer, who had had most of his aerial attempts stifled by the alert Palmetto defensive halfbacks during the first three periods, suddenly found the range and completed two touchdown tosses to halfback Richard Foard of Charlotte and end Larry Dempsey of Greensboro.

North Carolina’s ground game, rated as highly potent with Foard and Cox in the limelight, could only penetrate the Palmetto forward wall for 52 yards net rushing from scrimmage, but with their overhead game they gambled successfully to pick up a total of 197 yards all compiled in the second half.

From the beginning it looked like an airtight ball game as Cox of the Tar Heels and Brunson of the Palmettos engaged in a long range punting duel, which prevented either team from getting into scoring position. The deepest penetration by either eleven came when the Palmettos drove to the North Carolina 25-yard stripe just before the half, but fizzled out when three passes failed to materialize. The best the Tar Heels could do in the first half was to reach the South Carolina 46, where they were forced to kick.

Lewis Brunson’s trusty toe delivered a 40-yard kick to Foard midway in the second period to the Tar Heel 25. A 15-yard clipping penalty put the Tar Heels 0n their own 10. Foard tried to run out to the but was thrown for a seven-yard loss on the three. Cox kicked out to the South Carolina 49 and Brunson promptly returned it to the Tar Heel 25. Brunson attempted passes to Strickland, Evans sand Summerford, but all were incomplete. This was the story of the first half Palmetto drive that failed.

Florence’s alert Brunson figured prominently in South Carolina’s first score after the intermission. First off he intercepted Bill Cox’s Tar Heel pass on his own 49 and scampered 12 yards to the North Carolina 45. Together with Strickland and hard-hitting Brown of Union the Palmetto steamroller covered 42 yards to North Carolina three where Brown smacked tackled for the touchdown. Osborne Ballew of Parker High in Greenville had his try for the extra point blocked by Jim Stanton of Greensboro. Best run of the sustained drive was a 15-yard reverse by Bishop Strickland.

It was Brunson again just two minutes after South Carolina kicked off, who scampered 33 yards for the Palmettos second marker. Bill Estes of Rock Hill kicked off to the Tar Heel eight where Foard fumbled but recovered. Foard tried desperately to run out from his own goal line, but End Summerford of Florence forced him out of bounds on the one yard line. Cox kicked out to his own 33 and on the first play from scrimmage Brunson was off to the races.

The 33-yard gallop by the Florence fullback was perhaps the best ground play of the day. Taking off around his own right end, it looked like he would be swarmed under a host of Tar Heel tacklers, but by some miracle or twisting and turning he came out in the clear at the 25 and went all the way, eluding two other tacklers at the five yard line. Brunson tried to buck through center for the point, but the Tar Heel line held.

Even the first few moments of the fourth period was an all-South Carolina show. Brown and Strickland put together two running plays to the Tar Heel 29. Brunson smacked center to the 20 and Brown went on to the 18. It looked like another South Carolina score, but on the next play Brown fumbled going into the line and John Gruble, Mount Airy end, recovered for North Carolina.

It took a 30-yard pass from the throwing arm of Cox to give North Carolina its first score midway in the final stanza. Starting out from their own 22, Otho Mickey of Mineral Springs drove through to the 40. The Mount Airy pitcher completed his third straight aerial for 10 yards to Dempsey on the South Carolina 30 and to from there to pay pitch went into the arms of Foard for the touchdown. Dempsey kicked the point and the score board read North Carolina 7, South Carolina 12.

Jimmy Brown of Union scampered back upfield with a 35-yard return of Pug Pearman’s kickoff to his own 40. Three times Brown ripped off gains of 18, 3 and 4 yards to the Tar Heel 34. Strickland raced around his own left end for 22 yards to the 12, and scoring honors again went to Brunson, who skipped through center for 12 yards and the touchdown. To make it complete Brunson bullied his way over for the extra point and South Carolina went ahead 19-7.

Only two minutes of playing time remained, but the Tar Heels weren’t to be counted out. Bill Estes kicked off for the Palmettos to the North Carolina 30. Cox faded again and it meant trouble. He looked only once, for Larry Dempsey of Greensboro, who was wide open in the flat. Dempsey pulled in the pigskin at the South Carolina 37 and outran two defensive halfbacks for the touchdown. Dempsey’s try for the extra point was blocked.

The seconds ticked away as Pug Pearman of Charlotte went back to kickoff. The ball rolled only four feet and a South Carolina lineman went to pick it up. He grabbed at the ball but when he had it in possession a Tar Heel lineman smacked into him and a fumble resulted. The Tar Heels recovered, but the officials ruled that the ball had not traveled the necessary distance from the point of the kickoff and North Carolina was ordered to kick again. This time Pearman kicked deep, but it was the last play of the game. Brunson returned it 26 yards to the Palmetto 39 as the final gun sounded.

For South Carolina and Coach Walter Jenkins it was a great triumph. It was the largest score ever run up by a Palmetto team and gained revenge for the 8-0 setback of last year. For Coach Walker Jenkins, it kept him on the winning side of the ledger for the 21^st consecutive time. His Rock Hill Bearcats had racked up 20 high school triumphs during the last two seasons. This fine record will go on the line against Albemarle in a high school bowl game at Rock Hill on Saturday night at 8 o’clock.

It is difficult to point out any outstanding stars, but Lewis Brunson of Florence could not possibly be eliminated. His fine work both on pass defense and as a ball carrier stamped him as one of the finest backs ever to perform in a Shrine Bowl game. It’s little wonder that he was being eyed anxiously by a large group of college coaches present for yesterday’s tiff.

The South Carolina line was great Roy Skinner of Sumter, Bill Estes of Rock Hill, Willard Hudson of Charleston and Jack Kanefft of Columbia. North Carolina’s forward wall put up a fine battle against a superior foe. Outstanding for the Tar Heels were Jim Stanton of Greensboro, Pug Pearman of Charlotte, Dick Whiteheart of Mineral Springs and Fred Beaver of Asheville.