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Birmingham Americans vs Philadelphia Bell Wednesday, November 6th 1974 Attendance 22,963 Legion Field Birmingham
The Birmingham Americans roared to a 26-0 lead over the Philadelphia Bell and then watched as the visitors scratched and clawed back in the second half to come close to pulling an upset, with the Ams finally prevailing 26-23. Birmingham took the 26-0 lead into the locker room at the half and were shut out offensively in the second half. The game ended with a bench clearing fight when a Bell defender hit QB Matthew Reed late after Reed downed the ball to run the out clock. It became a full-fledged fee-for-all, with brawls erupting all over the field between players and even some coaches getting into the action. Bell tackle Dennis Lozzi was injured in the melee and was removed on a stretcher with a leg injury. When order was finally restored, Birmingham ran one more play, downing the ball to run out the final seconds. Birmingham appeared to be in complete command in the early going, scoring on their second possession. Art Cantrelle bolted 22 yards behind a springing block laid by Charley Harraway. The action point was no good, Ams led 7-0. The Ams defense prevented any Bell progress and Birmingham got the ball back and drove to the Philly six. The drive stalled and Grant Guthrie booted a 23-yard field goal to give the home team a 10-0 advantage. That’s the way the first quarter ended. The second play of the second quarter resulted in a 37-yard Reed to Alfred Jenkins touchdown pass. Jenkins snuck behind the defense and Reed hit him in the end zone. Paul Robinson ran in to convert the AP and the Ams lead stood at 18-0 with 14:08 remaining until the half. Gerard Williams intercepted a King Corcoran pass and returned it 65 yards to the Bell 27. Robinson ran three plays, the final one a 14-yarder for the score. Robinson added another AP to round out the first half scoring, 26-0 in favor of Birmingham. The second half was a different story, however. Philadelphia mounted a 94-yard, 14-play drive, including converting a fake punt along the way, to score its initial points of the game. Claude Watts ran in from two yards out, then Frank DiMaggio ran in for the AP to make the score 26-8. The third quarter ended that way. Bell defensive tackle Tom Laputka intercepted a Reed pass in the flat and returned it to the Birmingham 21. John Land took a Corcoran pass all the way to the one. Len Izzo then caught Corcoran’s pass for the final yard, and after a missed AP, the Bell had pulled closer 26-15.Willie Smith fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Philadelphia recovered at the Birmingham 29. The visitors scored in 6 plays, aided by a pass interference penalty in the end zone to give the Bell a first down at the one. Corcoran passed to Watts for the score, then DiMaggio threw a pass to defensive tackle Don Ratliff for the AP. Ams lead was now only 3 points, 26-23 with 4:23 remaining. Birmingham took the kickoff and ground out the clock behind the clutch running of Jimmy Edwards and Joe Profit. Then, as many in the crowd had made their way to the exits, the game-ending brawl broke out. Birmingham’s leading ground gainers were Robinson, Profit, Edwards, Harraway, and Cantrelle, who left the game with a serious ankle injury.Defensively, Warren Capone, Ross Brupbacher, Dick Trower, and Gerard Williams were the leaders.
Art Cantrelle scores Birmingham’s first TD
Alfred Jenkins hauls in Reed’s TD pass
Safety Larry Willingham helps bring down Bell RB John Land
Paul Robinson scores Birmingham’s third TD
Bell QB King Corcoran throws to John Land
Jimmy Edwards follows Jim Kregel & Buddy Brown
Ams defense smothers a Bell ball carrier
Matthew Reed downs the ball just before Bell Tim Rossovich hits him late to trigger a bench-clearing fight
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