Coaldale Defeats Lansford

26-0 (1950)

Coaldale Defeats Lansford 14-7 (1962)

Coaldale Wins 26-0 (1950)

(Lansford Evening Record, November 1950)

Shubeck and Welsh lead Tigers to 19th victory over Lansford, traditional Turkey Day rival, in snow; Bobby Holmes stars for Red and White

Six thousand fans shivered through a chill, though light, snowfall yesterday afternoon at Lansford as they watched the Coaldale Tigers win easily over the Lansford Panthers 26 to 0 in the 29th renewal of the traditional Thanksgiving Day classic.

The game rang down the curtain on the 1950 season for both squads, the Coaldale eleven chalking up nine victories against one tie and one defeat. For Lansford, the defeat was the seventh this season, against two victories. The annual game was played on a field covered with a light blanket of snow, which intensified as the game progressed and brought about a number of fumbles by both squads.

Eddie Shubeck, Coaldale fullback, scored all of Coaldale’s four touchdowns by plunging through the Lansford line. He boosted his point total to 74, to beat out Mike Ebert, of Lehighton, for scoring laurels in the Panther Valley and Carbon County area.

George Welsh climaxed a brilliant football career by directing the Coaldale offensive with all the finesses of a professional “T” quarterback. Despite the slippery ball, he managed to complete 9 of 11 aerials for 96 yards.

Outstanding on the Lansford eleven was Bobby Holmes, captain and veteran end. Holmes’ defensive work held back the Tiger tide on numerous occasions as Coaldale tried to sweep around his side of the line.

The scrappy Karpa brothers of Coaldale brought cheers from the crowd as they took daring chances in returning punts. Marvie Evans, Lou Dignazio and Ziggy Kosciolek carried the burden of Lansford’s offensive work. The Coaldale line was a stone wall in the contest, yielding a net gain of only 14 yards in the entire contest.

Lansford……………………..Coaldale

Kuntz…………..LE………….McCartney

Butcher……….LT………….Kovach

Kosica…………LG………….Skrabak

Depuy…………C……………Orledge

Krajcirik………RG…………Ginda

Yannett………RT………….Richards

Holmes………RE…………..Zebian

Evans…………QB………….Welsh

Dignario…….LH…………..Novitsky

Kosciolek…...RH…………Karpa

Vitek……………FB………….Shubeck

Lansford 0 0 0 0 0

Coaldale 6 7 13 0 26

Coaldale Touchdowns – Shubeck 4

Coaldale Points after touchdown – Hatchko 2 (placekicks)

Substitutes: Lansford—Bresbris, Major, Vonetsky, Filloy, Skryzpiec; Coaldale—B.Karpa, R.Richards, Tenetylo, Keer, Sloboda, Miller, DeMatto.

Coaldale Defeats Lansford 14-7 (1962)

(Lansford Evening Record, November 1962)

Coaldale's comeback kids climaxed the first perfect season at the school in 28 years yesterday, but only after a bitter fight.

Neighboring arch-rival Lansford, winner of only two games all year gained the plaudits of the banner crowd of 5,000 in one of the most heroic performances of the 41-year rivalry before bowing, 14-7, in the traditional Thanksgiving Day classic at Coaldale.

Only a third period flurry saved the Orange and Black from utter disaster in the seasonal finale.

Ed Kassak rallied the heavily favored Tigers from a 7-0 halftime deficit with a pair of rapid fire touchdowns in opening the second half to earn Coaldale its 11th straight victory without defeat this season. Not since 1934 had a Coaldale team finished an all-winning season.

Moreover, the conquest clinched the Tigers’ first leg on the coveted P&B Trophy, symbolic of Carbon County-Panther Valley area schoolboy supremacy.

But, Lansford yielded the trophy title it won a year ago unwillingly. The Panthers, under first year mentor John Harkins, dominated the statistics and were in command for better than three periods, yet sank to their seventh setback of the year and 25th against 13 wins and three ties in the series.

It looked like the upset of the season until Coaldale’s explosion in the third quarter. In the process, the Tigers established a new school scoring record of 353 points, bettering the 348-point output in 1922.

Kassak also reaped laurels in the victory. His tallies virtually assured him of the area’s individual scoring championship. His 122 points on 18 touchdowns and 14 extra points ranks third highest in area annals.

The explosive second team UPI all-state selection picked his club up by the boot straps soon after the second half opened, scoring first over land and later through the air on a pass from quarterback Bill Edwards.

It was the senior signal caller’s 11th touchdown toss of the season and clinched area honors for him in that department.

He hit Kassak in the flat on a running pass which the senior co-captain grabbed one handed and wiggled free of two defenders, diving into the end zone with his patented second effort. Edwards slashed off tackle for the extra point making it 14-7.

Kassak had set the stage for the tally, returning George Nyer’s kick 39 yards to the Lansford five. Earlier Kassak had scored from the two. Coaldale, pushing the Panthers deep into their own territory, put a LHS punt into play on the enemy 36 and rolled goalward in 11 plays.

Kassak smashed into the end zone off tackle and added the running conversion over the same route to tie the game.

Lansford, which completely out-played the stunned Tigers all through the first half, gave it a last try in the fourth period, marching all the way to the Coaldale four, only to lose the ball on downs.

Bill Jones had recovered a Coaldale fumble on the CHS 37 to give the Panthers their golden opportunity. Don Fredericks did the rest in carrying the Red and White to the four. But, the Coaldale defense held and the offensive unit came on running the ball out to the 12 as the game ended.

Fredericks, the luckless Lansford quarterback, who spent the entire season in search of receivers for his pinpoint passing, directed the determined Panther attack.

He directed the club’s passing game as heavy rain pelted the area and instead turned in a dazzling running performance in carrying 22 times for 67 yards.

Statistics

L C

First Downs 7 4

Yards Rushing 129 103

Yards Passing 0 13

Passes 0 2-4

Fumbles Lost 2 1

Penalties 40 45

LANSFORD

Ends – Abrachinsky, Zenko

Tackles – Mihalko, L.Fredericks, D.Jones, Holdos, E.Sabol

Guards – Major, Mongi

Centers – Phillips, B.Jones

Backs – D.Fredericks, Karnish, Malkin, Neyer, Pavlik, Petko

COALDALE

Ends – Priggins, Miller, Sotak, Danchak

Tackles – Parfitt, Griffith, R.J.Hoffman

Guards – Terry, Nesterak, T.Sabol

Centers – Molotzak, Herring

Backs – Edwards, Yankovich, Kodlick, Kassak, Cipko, Moyer, Winsko

LANSFORD 7 0 0 0 7

COALDALE 0 0 14 0 14

Lansford Scoring – Touchdowns: Fredericks (7, run). Conversion: Karnish (pass from Pavlik)

Coaldale Scoring – Touchdowns: Kassak 2 (2, run; 3, pass-run from Edwards). Conversions: Kassak (plunge), Edwards (plunge).

Officials: Droskinas, referee; Steigerwalt, umpire; Nerio, head linesman; Shields, field judge.