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HubbardBows toLane Tech“Heads up.....keep those heads up....up. i said.”The words came in the form of a command.Hubbard High school had traveled too far in a season spent to exit with chins sagging. Carmen LaPorte was oh the job; he demanded the Greyhounds flash their unbreakable spirit on this, their final trip to the dressing room.Coach Andy Gallagher seemed completely unruffled by the 43 to 16 pasting doled out by defending Chicago Public league champion Lane Tech. No wonder. A war lost certainly can’t detract from a brilliant battle waged.' The winning Indians were simply more than the Greyhounds could handle.“We didn’t quit no sir, thekids stayed right in there,” explained Gallagher, making sure his voice hit a pitch in tune, with each of the young men- sheding a Hubbard uniform. “I’m not embarrassed. A better team beat us. Our hope, was to strike quickly, get the upper hand and then control the football. Well, it happened, but for them, not us.”LaPorte listened as Gallagher spoke, his face showing the strain born of a setback he hoped would never surface.This quarter-final playoff game belonged to Lane, start to finish, but the Indiana— enroute to the runaway—-were introduced to an all-starter, LaPorte. who complements his linebacking on defense with center chores on offense. He’S a 43-minute man—all man.Although failing to stem the human tidal wave confronting Hubbard, the relentless LaPorte managed to get in on 19 tackles. Most noteworthy of La Porte’s accomplices was Ed Sarna, a safetyman who time and time again nipped TD capers in the bud in recording a hand on 14 stops.Statistics pretty well reflected the striking power of Lane Tech. The Indiana built up a 25-9 first, down margin and totaled 481 yards, compared to Hubbard’s advance of 167. of which only 28 came overland.Quarterback Paul Splawski. also one of the state's premier performers, rushed 11 times lor 57 yards and hit 5-of-]7 aerials for additional pick-up of 149. If Splawski's completion percentage appeared a bit anemic, it was easily explained. Four on-target throws were dropped by wide-open receivers.On six occasions the Indians,- led by 6-foot-o, 215 pound junior Rodney Lowell, sacked Splawski. The losses amounted to a minus 65 yards. Lane Tech’s rush—Lowell joined by Jim Boyle. Tony McGee and Frido Verkman more often than not—stripped Splawski of needed protection.The winners’ heralded signal-caller. Ken Ferguson, a 5-10, 165-pound senior, took respite from his dazzling faking long enough to log 65yards on 10 excursions, and his only pass completion in three tries was perfection—62 yards to John Donateillo for a touchdown.Nine different backs carried the pigskin for Lane Tech, and stealing the show was Ron Gorsky, who ate-up 166 yardsin 26 trips.One play didn’t decide this outcome, of course, but right at the onset of firing Hubbard undermined its hopes of conlrol-ba!!. On the heels of the opening kickoff, theGrevhounds - turned over%possession to the Tndians on a fumble. Lou Iglesias recovered on the 30-yard-line. Gorsky, who carried on five of seven ground thrusts, scored from the six, and also ran the two-point conversion.Gorsky’s TD appeared to be a gift. He coughed up the football when low-bridged by LaPorte on the three-yard-Sine, but the officials ruled that Gorsky had reached the goal line. Unless the Grevhounds are mistaken, the films will show the opposite is true.First quarter action closed with the Indians in a 14-0 lead, following an ll-play, 69-yard march capped by Tom Oszak’s payoff sprint from the 15.Early in the second period Ferguson contributed 14 and 15 yard runs on keeper plays as Lane Tech padded its margin with an 80-yard drive. Oszak again busted into the end zone, this time from the Hubbard 7, and Gorsky footed across on the bonus.Vince Sinisi’s interception and six-yard return to the Lane Tech 6 figured to put Hubbard on the scoreboard before intermission. It didn't. Splawski went three yards, Ihen Iwo and finally failed to advance any farther on his last iwo efforts. Carlos Sanabria. a 6-1. 212-pound senior, had a port in halting Splawski each time.At the start of the thirdquarter LaPorte forced afumble from Ferguson, andGary Gregorich recovered onIhe Indians’ 36. Two plays lostone yard, but then Splawskiand VVavne Schroder*collaborated on a 38-vard touchdown pass. The same combination worked for the conversion.Gorsky's 44-varder up-the-middlc highlighted the victors’ ensuing 12-play, 75-yard assault. Rudv Altercott went in from the Hubbard 2 and Gorsky again provided a two-point bonus by land. Things stood 30-8 heading into the closing 12 minutes.The Ferguson-to-Donaleillo 62-yard scoring strike and Steve Weathersby’s 54-yard run enabled Lane Tech to sandwich touchdowns on each side of Hubbard’s closing salvo. The Greyhounds ( utilized two pass interference j calls and a 12-yard Splawski- ; tn-Shroder pitch to set-up Curt j Ford’s plunge from the In- j (linns' 2. It was Splawski-to-Se hr odor again on the point Cs) after. i
Newspaper Details
Suburbanite Economist
Chicago, Illinois, US
Sun, Nov 15, 1970
Page 50
Full Page
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IL, USA 02 May 2020
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