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Show Football Champs Take Quarter-Final Contest From Union High Cougars-Fifteen Cougars-Fifteen Squad Members Return In '54 The nulification of a 90-yard, opening kick-off run back for a touchdown by fleet-footed Packy Fenn; nine Cougar fumbles, fum-bles, all except one being recovered re-covered by their opponents; not being able to take advantage of breaks when they came, plus a smooth working football machine, ma-chine, were the contributing factors in the 27-7 loss Union High School sustained last Friday Fri-day in the "B" quarterfinal game played in Roosevelt. Over the years, or since athletic ath-letic teams have been competing compet-ing against each other, this bit of sound advice has been impounded im-pounded into the heads and hearts of competitors "It's no disgrace to lose to a good team. The Cougars and their supporters support-ers can take some consolation! in the knowledge that their loss to Millard High School, three-time three-time state champions, is one of the finest athletic teams some of us have ever seen developed in high school. Talking about breaks perhaps per-haps the toughest break thati can come to a team was the one that came to Union on the opening kickoff. Millard was elected to kick to start the game at exactly 1 p.m., and Roger Adams lofted a high kick that settled into the waiting arms of Packy Fenn on his own 10 yard line. He weaved and ran the ball through the entire Eagle team for a touchdown. The elation of a large, parftial crowd, for a few seconds sounded sound-ed like that gang that packed the BYU fieldhouse on a particular par-ticular Saturday night last March when the Cougars won that basketball title. However their cheering was short lived as the officials ruled that a Union player was out of formation, for-mation, and the ball would have to be kicked over, after the Cougars had been peneahzed 5 yards for offside. We can all guess, but none will ever know what that 90-yard touchdown sprint by Packy Fenn, a junior halfback, might have done to the game would it have spurred Union on to victory or did it take something out of them and add it to Millard? Any praise that might be directed di-rected toward Coach Taft Watts and his Millard Eagles, individually indi-vidually or collectively, would in no way be a reflection on the fine football team that Coach Horace Gillespie, and his assistant, as-sistant, Glen Allred, built this year. They were big, rugged and fast and with a few breaks, might have shaken Packy Fenn and Milton Mecham, two of the fastest backs in the state, loose, the complexion of the game might have been different. As the statistics of the-game are reviewed it become pretty obvious that the thrice- Utah champs were the best team on the field, Friday. They made 11 first downs to the Cougars' 5 and yards gained from rushing was double that of the local kids. Without any doubt the most sensaltional player on the field Friday was Millard's Roger Adams. Ad-ams. He was a perfect field general as he called plays that consistently kept the Congars' backs to the wall. Three times the Eagles quick-kicked themselves them-selves out of danger, and each kick was good for 30 to 70 yards. Their backfield was strong on offense and fast, on defense, and the light Eagle line opened big holes and charged like a line must, if their backs will make gains. Twice that Millard line blocked punts Union's Gordon Eldredge was trying to get off, and each was productive of a touchdown. Millard, who has a reputation as a passing team, tried only four passes all afternoon, and neither was completed. Union passed six times, completed 1 and had one intercepted. The second big break for Millard, Mil-lard, the first one being the nullified 90-yard run by Fenn for a TD, was when Jack Johnson John-son intercepted a Union pass deep in Union's territory. Bill Iverson. Eagle fullback, rambled 18 yards to score. The second score came after a blocked punt i on the Union 45, from where Millard marched down field for another TD. Shortly after the start of the second half, Millard fumbled near mid-field and the Cougars recovered. After making their second first down of the game, Packy Fenn was shaken loose and made the most sensational scoring run of the contest 45 yards the fleet-footed Myton athlete ath-lete ambled to score. Eldredge's kick was good and the score read 13-7 for Millard. Union missed another golden opportunity to score a couple of minutes after their first TD play. The Cougars kicked off to Millard, and the ball bounding qlong the ground was touched by an Eagle player. Mecham scooped up the ball on his own 17 and started toward his goal line, then changed his mind thinking the ball had not been touched by a Millard player, and downed the ball. After advancing ad-vancing to the 10, Millard held and took over. They tried one play through the line, then Ad-i Ad-i ams quick-kicked' to their own 45, and thus ended Union's final fin-al chance to score. Jackson recovered a blocked punt on his own 27 and raced for Millard's third TD just as the third quarter ended. Their last score came in the final period per-iod on some fancy running, blocking- and smart football. Playing their last football for the Cougars Friday were George Forakis, center; Ford Larsen, guard; Albert Collotzi and Craig Hutchings, tackles; David Crapo, Gerald Hatch and Gordon Eldredge, El-dredge, ends Ernie Domgaard, fullback; Duane Richens and Gilbert Harris, quarterbacks; Milton Mecham and Larry All-red, All-red, halfbacks. Collotzi and Mecham were co-captains. Twenty - seven players were listed on the squad as the season sea-son came to and end, and 15 are juniors and sompomores. Thus prospects are really bright for another good team in 1954. |