12 Sports Aces, January 1943 — page 100: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

98 : 12 SPORTS ACES BeBe Dee Gir Pre Geo Ger BiB 19 Br G oe Grek Bee Boo Gr hos Boe Os Go Gan Be Ory Bor G0 Bs 1 Boe Bes Coe Bre Oe Ges Or 00 90 Ores Os 1 Ge Fe Gh Bsn Gt Gov Gee G oo Guns B01 Gs Ges Ge Gt BO down the ball on the three, found his footing, then started upfield. He was knocked dewn on the ten. Shaffer was nervous. His signal call- ing faltered. They kicked and Grayley attacked again. They gained but they could not score. The game went into the fourth quarter and Grayley was playing for a one touchdown win and glad to get it. : There were four minutes to go when Farleton got the ball on their own five. A shim figure came running across the field. Lennox grmned whitely at them and took Shaffer’s place. He sent Montana into the middle to the eight. They lined up, Lennox was in there, talking to them, grinning, and Kirk could feel the flow of renewed hope through the members of the team. He went back and took the throw from center. He cocked his arm for a desperate gamble on a pass deep in his own territory. But it was not a pass. Hastings came by and took the hall in the ancient Statue of Liberty play. He ran the bal up to the thirty before they put him down. “Now or never,” Lennox said. “They expect a pass.” He caHed the signals and Kirk was deep, his hands extended for the ball. But he did not get it. The pass went to Hast- ings up close and the line opened and mousetrapped the Grayley forwards who charged blindly for Kirk. Hastings went ten yards to the forty. Kirk had it again. He found no re- ceiver and he turned and ran toward the sidelines. Montana spilled two men, Kirk went up to midfield, danced past a tack- ler and was in Grayley territory. Gatling smashed him te the ground and he got up, shaky and dazed. Lennox gave the ball to Montana three straight times and he made ten yards to the thirty-five. The goal posts looked far away and the clock said two minutes, Kirk said, “I’m O, K. again. Let me have it.’ He threw one out to Hastings and the half made eight yards. Montana added the first down. The stands made so muck noise Lennox had to yell the numbers. They got to the twenty, the fifteen, and three times Grayley held. It was fourth and séven and Montana could not get those seven. Lennox said, “We win or lose it now. Over the goal line, kid. Pay dirt or de- feat.” The ball slapped into Kirk’s hands, Bt was a high pass, he’d had to reach for it, and the ends were coming at him fast. He went back five, ten yards, and his hands felt icy cold. This was it, all or nothing. Hastings was on the five and Kirk threw tHe ball. He was dragged to the ground. He twisted and saw Hastings leap high, his fingers curl around the pigskin. He came down and fell forward, smashed from behind. He fell across the goal and it was nineteen all. Montana held it, Lennox swung his foot and the bail went between the up- rights. Twenty to nineteen and the Gray- ley rooters sat stunned. Grayley_ re- ceived and the gun went off with Maye threwing a desperate pass that went into the boxes. Roger Kirk was dead tired. He start- ed slowly across the field, his bones ach- ing, his faee streaked with grime and sweat. Up ahead of him the Tarleton cheering section was on its feet. The strains of the college Alma Mater rolled down across the field, and looking beyond the stadium, Kirk could see the spires of the campus buildings against the deep blue sky. Beside him Brad Montana swallowed hard. He said huskily, “Quite a school, hey, Rog?” ; Kirk nodded solemnly, “Our school, kid.” i EOPMIC OOO KS (E@)