Tiny
Ansel Bridwell, a mercury-heeled 140 pounder from Parker High
School, Greenville, snatched a towering punt in the early
moments of the game here yesterday and stole out down the
sidelines 77 yards to start his South Carolina team mates on a
victorious 12 to 0 march over North Carolina.
The third annual Shrine benefit game
for the Crippled Children’s Hospital in Greenville was
unraveled before a fine turnout of 8,000 in the American Legion
Memorial stadium, which pits yearly the best high school seniors
in the Carolinas.
Hardly had the audience become accustomed to their seats and
before latecomers had arrived, the young speedster from the
outskirts of Greenville, his knees pumping like pistons,
scampered beautifully to touchdown glory behind devastating
blocking.
The Tar Heels never fully recovered from the sudden burst
although they managed to hold their own in the final half.
The Sandlappers exploded for another
tally in the second quarter and the same Bridwell was given the
touchdown honors. This
however was much harder than the first, the South Carolinas
jogging along the ground after recovering a loose ball on the
opponents 42-ribbon. Bridwell
finally bucked it over.
Great
Blocking
Credit most of the Palmetto success to a superb brand of
blocking North Carolina’s inability to clear the way for the
ball carrier cost them many scoring chances.
Throwing the ball with abandon, the Tar Hells did make
the contest thrilling and threatened on several occasions to
cross the double stripe.
North Carolina attempted 20 passes,
connecting on mine for 135 yards.
Their opposition did not try a single overhead.
The total yardage here helped offset the 127 to 50 yards
the South Carolinas gained from scrimmage.
The Heels led in the first downs 9-4.
Hugh Cox of Camden ably assisted the
swift, Bridwell in the diversified South Carolina attack.
Jack Schuyler of Florence called a smart game from his
wingback spot and Big Jim Elvington, Lakeview’s contribution,
conformed considerably when Big Glenn Painter of Asheville was
injured early in the first period.
Conspicuous in the valiant line play
was bruising Jack Hussey of High Point and Jake Poole of
Charlotte.
The former used repeatedly his height and reach on rival
runners when invading his territory.
He was a continual target for the passers and pulled in
seven of the nine completions.
Poole broke through time and again to slow up or nail the
fast Palmettos.
Early
Start
Two
plays after Elvington had kicked off to Brewer, whatever small
favorites the North State Lads had been made in pregame dope,
such judgment was soon scuttled.
Smith, standing on his 29 lofted a high kick to Bridwell
on his 23. North Carolina’s slow forwards lumbered down the
left side of the field with Bridwell reversing to the opposite
side. In the
meantime a wave of blockers had assembled and escorted their
hero into the Promised Land.
Brewer as the last man tried desperately to outmaneuver
the interferers but all in vein.
Cox’ placement boot for the conversion was wide of its
mark.
A few moments later Bridwell could
easily have become the goat when he fumbled a Smith 55 – yard
kick on his own 25 where Hussey recovered.
Brewer fired over the line to Hussey for a first on the
15. The Winston-Salem flash cracked off tackle three times to
plant the pigskin on the eight.
A fourth down pass into the end zone was broken up and
South Carolina had repulsed the most serious threat of the
afternoon.
Cox pulled his team out of a bad hole
by sending a bounding kick to the N.C. 45.
A bad pass from center on the first play escaped Brewer
and Bud Abel of Columbia recovered on the 42.
This break led directly to another score in the opening
minutes of the second session.
Cox, Bridwell and Schuyler alternated
in lugging the oval to the three where Bridwell stuck his nose
far enough over center for the touchdown.
Elvington kicked wide for the point.
Coach Tom Young’s cohorts opened up a
bewildering passing attack near the half gun that threatened to
break the ice. Jordan
passes 20 yards to Hussey before Smith nestled the ball in the
same flanker’s arms for a 35-yard gain.
Brewer took over and barely missed L. M. Dodd with an
overhead as the half ended.
The
last half was comparatively even as far as rival scoring threats
were concerned.
Once South Carolina penetrated to the 14 before the ball
was relinquished and on another occasion North Carolina surged
to the 19.
The lineups were cluttered with reserves as the game drew
to a close.
Lee Rhame, Bill Dillard and Sam Levine
coached the winning eleven while Tom Young, Tom Burnette and
Teeny Lafferty guided the Tar Heels.