COALDALE VICTOR IN SEASON WINDUP – Coal Title in Dispute

(Dec 11, 1922, Philadelphia Evening Bulletin)

Pottsville, Dec 11 (Special)—The foot ball season in the Anthracite Alps ended yesterday, the actual playing season. The banquet season begins tonight, with the Shenandoah eleven the first to be honored at a festive board.
Coaldale (Big Green) defeated Pottsville (Maroons) on the County Seat eleven’s home grounds at Minersville, score 14-10, making two straight in the dual relations. Following the game a conference was held between the managements of Coaldale and Gilberton. Both teams are unbeaten in the coal region this fall and both claim the championship.

They clashed on Thanksgiving Day with a scoreless tie resulting, although Coaldale gained many more first downs than the visiting team. A mid-December combat was projected to decide the anthracite gridiron crown and the R.A.F. Curran Cup, emblematic of the coal regions championship.

Playing conditions yesterday at Minersville Park, together with the small attendance, had a lot to do with the decision to let yesterday’s game mark period to anthracite foot ball. The representatives of the two teams agreed to submit their championship claims to a commission of three neutral Philadelphia foot ball experts, and to award the cup according to the commission’s ruling.

The field yesterday was covered by a thin sheet of ice at the beginning of play, and after one period of action the terrain was slippery mud which made dodging almost impossible.

Coaldale’s Big Green team counted a touchdown in the first period and another in the fourth, after each of which Frojer Giltner booted a perfect drop-kick for the extra point.

Giltner was by way of being the outstanding figure of the contest. Len Lithgow scored the game’s first touchdown on a drive through Pottsville’s left guard. The fourth period touchdown was due to Blue Bonner’s rampageous plunge through the left flank of Pottsville’s line.

Giltner starred in the kicking dual with Stan Cofall. The Notre Dame foot artist had an off day in his kicking, and because of the muddy field punting was the rule, first downs being few and far between.

Where Pottsville was expected to be strongest it was weakest—in kicking. On all except two exchanges Giltner out-punted Cofall, and the first touchdown was a graphic demonstration.

Coaldale received the initial kickoff. The ball was exchanged once, Coaldale gaining 15 yards on the swap. Then from midfield Giltner trimmed a low fast punt past Gallagher, and the ball came to a stop inside Pottsville’s 5 yard line, where Gallagher picked it up and was tackled.

Coaldale lined up quickly and Lithgow, sandwiched between Honey Boy Evans and Captain Bob Melley, forged across the goal line.

Rushing was fairly even in the second and third periods, but in the fourth Coaldale got within striking distance when Tom Chapman, on a tackle-back play, broke through the right flank of Pottsville’s line for a 45 yard run to Pottsville’s 7 yard line.

Garland broke it to the 1 yard line, and on the next play Bonner broke clear of the Pottsvillains and could have gained 10 yards if necessary.

See these links for photo of Blue Bonner:

http://home.comcast.net/~ghostsofthegridiron/library/Coaldale/1922-12-11_Evening_Bulletin.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~ghostsofthegridiron/library/Coaldale/index.htm