Big Green 1920 Season

(Big Green) Football Team Had Successful (1920) Season

(Coaldale Observer, Saturday, December 11, 1920)

Financial report indicates that Coaldale played to over 25,000 cash customers during year—nine games won, two lost and two tied.

Coaldale Football Team disbanded for the season of 1920 at its regular weekly business meeting Tuesday evening last, the auditing committee approving the report of Manager Gildea and Financial Secretary Morgans.

The report indicates a total paid admission of $12,131.38, of which amount the team and manager divided $5,020.20. Visiting teams and officials were paid $6,062.69, it taking the difference or $1,048.49 to meet current expenses.

The high water mark in attendance on Coaldale Field was reached in the Edwardsville game when $719.90 was taken in. The game at Shenandoah yielded a total paid admission of $2,532.50, a new record for coal region attendance figures.

Thirteen games were played during the season, resulting in nine victories, two tie games and two defeats, a record that bears comparison with any independent eleven in the state.

Coaldale’s goal line was crossed just five times, Shenandoah putting the ball across three times and Edwardsville and Tamaqua each getting a touchdown. Four of the touchdowns were made via the forward pass route and one was run across after a fumble so it can be readily seen that the Coaldale eleven was playing a great article of football to establish this record.

With the past season gone into history our interested fans are already turning their attention to making next year’s team better than ever. Attention will be given to improving the playing field and plans in this respect will take definite shape at the annual football banquet which will be held during the forepart of next month.

Most Interesting (Big Green) Game of (1920) Season at Allentown

(Coaldale Observer, Saturday, December 11, 1920)

Coaldale in top form defeats an all star aggregation 14-0, the game played before a big attendance at Muhlenberg Field.

Football fans who accompanied the Coaldale eleven to Allentown on Saturday were given the treat of their lives when the Green and Black met and defeated a combination of Holmesburg, Bethlehem Temperance Muhlenberg and Allentown A.A. players 14-0 in an exciting and very interesting game.

It was well played throughout, the few mistakes that were made being the incidents leading to both touchdowns. The first came when Jones fumbled a punt on the 20 yard line and was the result of a forward, Gildea to Garland, the big tackle crossing the goal line with a supreme effort in a dive that carried two opposing tacklers over the line with him. Mackert kicked the goal but these 7 points did not mean a thing to Coaldale as Allentown constantly threatened to score.

Time and again they came within striking distance but Coaldale was equal to the task of turning them back and with Mackert punting for an average of 40 yards the All-Stars were found wanting in the team work necessary to putting the ball over.

Coaldale tried desperately to make their margin of safety better than one touchdown. Gildea attempted two field goals, one going wide and the other about a foot under the crossbar, and it was not until Bonner intercepted a forward and ran 35 yards to a touchdown that the game was on ice.

Bonner played a great game both on offense and defense, a 25 yard run being one of the features he contributed to the excitement. The punting duel between Mackert and Downey was well worth the journey as both proved consistent 45 yard punters.

Both teams were strengthened for the game. Allentown had Downey, Gaston and Romano of Holmesburg; Wills, Wilt, Beuchner and Anderson, of Muhlenberg, and Finn and Rudolph, of Bethlehem Temperance, leaving the Jones Brothers the only regular Allentown A.A. men in the lineup.

Coaldale, recognizing its need for a punter, engaged Mackert, of Maryland State, who formerly played at Lebanon Valley and who was with Pottsville in the memorable game at Tresckow in 1916. When the team reached Allentown, Gaffney and Kelly, of Bethlehem, were on hand anxious for a chance to get into the game.

When leaving Coaldale, Melley had no intention of playing and with Morgans, Moser and Evans crippled, the Bethlehem applicants were welcomed as long lost brothers. Both played excellent football, Gaffney sizing up as one of the best linemen we have seen all season.

Downey was the star of the Allentown lineup. He had it all figured out that the way to beat Coaldale was by the liberal use of the forward pass and while he was on the receiving end of four passes for a gain of 55 yards, his brilliant efforts were checked when Bouck was substituted for Lewcheck with instructions to do nothing else but cover Downey. Finn also played a good game for Allentown as did Schaenberger when sent in for Anderson in the second half.