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ON THIS DATE (December 1, 1928) ...
Joe McKenney's unbeaten B.C. football team concluded their perfect season by vanquishing their biggest rival, Holy Cross by a 19-0 score at Fenway Park. The Eagles were a finely tuned football team, both on the ground and through the air. Al Weston flew two
touchdowns in the second period. The first was 40 yards into the arms of Patsy Creeden and later to Charley Murphy. The rushing touchdown came in the final period on two carries by Tom Smith and Joe Mirley.
The Crusaders held their own for the first period of play, both teams feeling each other out and with neither team gaining an edge. Finally the break came for the Eagles in the second period. Starting on their own 43-yard line, the Eagles started to make
first downs, Weston and Pat Creeden running through the Holy Cross tackles and getting the ball down to the Holy Cross 33-yd line. Weston then crashed down to the 25, but on the next play a holding penalty moved the ball back to the forty. With twenty yards to go for a first
down, Weston took the snap, shook off tacklers and tossed a long pass down the middle toward Creeden, who was racing straight down the field. Creeden didn't slow down and caught up to the pass at the eight yard line and breezed across the purple goal.
The second score was a pretty piece of work. Stuart Clancy was punting for Holy Cross from the end of his end zone. Weston plucked the ball at the H.C. 33-yd line to start things off. One rush failed and the Weston hit Tom Smith for a first down.
Another pass failed and then the best play of the game was launched. The ball was on the 18-yd line and Weston faked a short pass to Joe Mirley who took the imaginary ball into the liner and was tackled, with the Worcester secondary rushing in to help. When the run was
stopped, Weston who had darted behind the mass, stood tall and looked for Charley Murphy who had run down the right side and cut toward the middle of the goal line. Weston's pass headed for the corner of the end zone and Murphy's momentum took him in that direction. With less
than a yard to spare he snatched the ball out of the air for a beautifully mastered play.
During the third period Holy Cross threatened, twice advancing to within five yards of the goal line only to come up empty. Losing the ball on downs on these two occasions, was the closest the men from Worcester came to posting a score. When the fourth
period started it was starting to get dark and B.C. had the ball on their own 10-yard line and was punting on fourth down. A holding penalty on Holy Cross gave them the ball back. The Eagles rushed the ball past midfield for a first down, then Tom Smith broke loose for a
scamper down to the H.C. 25-yd line. Joe Mirley got the call. He raced toward the center of the line but saw nowhere to go. He hesitated and danced toward the left and broke away and went in for the final score. That ended the scoring but it did not end the
incredible display of power that the Eagles possessed. Weston broke one loose for 35 yards and then easily moved the ball to inside the Holy Cross 10-yd line before a fumble end the drive. |
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