1952: BUCCS OVERPOWER MINSTER

  • Post category:1952 SEASON
1952 Covington Buccaneers: Row 1 – Doug Diltz, Leonard Wood, Bob Tobias, Kenny Shefbuch, Doug Alexander. Row 2 – Coach Paul Devins, Don Zimmerman, Don Martin, Herb Wackler, Bill Frey, Bob Johnston, Dick Via, Ronnie Finfrock, Coach Richard Wintringham. Row 3 – Jim Rench, Bill Knick, Bill Young, Jim Minnich, Kent Hitchcock, Jim Boehringer, Eldon Baker. Row 4 – Bud Feeser, Ralph Mutzner, Jerry Milhouse, Trafford Ringelspaugh, Dick Rhoades, Darrell Helman, Lewis Deeter. Row 5 – Manager David Alexander, Arlen Idle, Larry Via, Tom Baker, Bob Mendenhall, Chuck Ingle, Manager Richard McMaken.

The Covington Buccaneers continued their winning ways at Minster Friday night by defeating a determined but overpowered Minster squad, 26-6.

This triumph was the Buccaneers’ third straight win this season, all Tri-County League games. The Devine-coached crew served notice to fans and future opponents that they deserve the rating of the Class B “power of the Valley”.

Penalties again were the greatest obstacle to the Devine Dynamo, twice nullifying brilliant touchdown runs by Leonard Woods and Kenny Shefbuch, and consistently stalling the Covington offensive machine powered by the sensational running of Capt. Leonard Woods and scatback Doug Diltz.

The bruising battle was highlighted by the devastating defensive play of the Buccaneer forward wall that held Minster to one first down and seven yards gained in the first half and forced the Wildcats to take to the air, the route by which they made their only score late in the final quarter.

Minster returned the opening kickoff to its own 38-yard line, from where, on the second play of the ball game, Don Zimmerman pounced on Garman’s fumble and gave the Buccs possession of the pigskin on the Minster 44-yard marker.

On the third try from scrimmage, Woods galloped 26 yards to the Wildcat 14, and on the fifth play from the time the Buccs took over, Doug Diltz scooted around left end and crossed the goal line to give Covington a lead they would never relinquish. His conversion attempt was no good and Covington took command 6-0.

With the game less than seven minutes old, Minster was forced to punt, having the ball downed on the CHS 47-yard line. On the first play, Diltz took a hand-off from Bob Tobias and skipped around left end to the Wildcat 22. Woods then circled the opposite side to score standing up. Covington led 13-0 when Tobias’ conversion kick split the uprights.

Once again the splendid efforts of the Buccaneer line forced the Wildcats to give up possession of the ball, a Minster punt being put in play on the Covington 48-yard stripe. After being penalized for offsides, Woods smashed off-tackle and pranced all the way to paydirt, only to have the play nullified by an illegal use of hands penalty.

Running on first and 30 from the Covington 29, Diltz brought the ball out to the 32 where, on the next play, Kenny Shefbuch squirmed through the line and skipped past the secondary to race across the double chalk line. His effort proved fruitless also as a backfield in motion penalty was called against Covington. Tobias punted to the Wildcats as the quarter ended, Covington leading 13-0.

A scoreless second period featured punt exchanges and several fumbles as the Wildcats defense stiffened to temporarily halt the Buccs’ pulverizing ground attack. The later minutes found the Wildcats taking to the air when both their T-formation and single wing offenses failed to penetrate the Covington line.

Minster kicked off to Covington to open the second half and Shefbuch brought the ball up to the Covington 44. Immediately, Coach Paul Devine’s “Thundering Herd” was on the march and six plays and three minutes later, Diltz scampered around left end from five yards out and Woods converted the extra point to make the score 20-0.

A Minster march was stopped when Diltz hauled down a Froning aerial on the five and raced to midfield. However, Kenny Shebuch, the Buccaneer halfback, was called for clipping at the scene of the interception and after vehemently protesting to the officials, was ejected from the game with Covington taking the ball, first and ten on their own five-yard line.

With Woods, Alexander and Diltz alternating, the Buccs moved to midfield where their aggressive designs were momentarily halted, Tobias punting on fourth and four.

However, Tobias’ kick was fumbled by Froning and instantly smothered by Don Zimmerman, alert Buccaneer end, on the Minster 19-yard marker.

Three line plays and a Tobias-to-Woods screen pass pushed the pigskin to the Wildcat one-yard line. From there, Woods hammered off-tackle for the score. Covington led 26-0 when Tobias’ conversion try went wide seconds before the period ended.

In the last quarter, the Minster aerial assault began clicking as Wildcat quarterback John Froning literally filled the air with footballs, climaxing a sustained drive from his own 35 by hitting Huelskamp in the endzone for the lone Minster tally. Seger’s place kick was blocked as the game ended 26-6 in Covington’s favor.

Scoring By Quarters:
Covington ……13….0….7…..6 – 26
Minster ………..0….0…..0……6 – 6