 Birmingham
Vulcans vs.  Charlotte
Hornets
Sunday,
September 21st 1975
Attendance 18,500
Legion
Field
Birmingham
Birmingham
found itself trailing 16-7 going into the 4th quarter to the
Charlotte Hornets, but on the strength of two defensive stands, score successive
touchdowns to gain a come-from-behind victory over the Hornets. Both teams
entered the contest sporting winning streaks; Charlotte with a 4 game streak and
Birmingham with a 3 game mark. Warren Capone led an impressive pair of defensive
series and the Vulcans forced a timely turnover to square away the win.
Birmingham took the opening kickoff and
promptly drove to the Hornets one-yard line. But Johnny Musso lost the ball
while diving for the end zone and Charlotte recovered. Later in the first
quarter QB Matthew Reed led a 45-yard drive for the games first points, a 9-yard
pass to Robert Evans. The action point was no good and Birmingham led 7-0.
Charlotte came right back, driving 68 yards,
mainly behind the passing of Tom Sherman, to score. Don Highsmith completed the
drive with a 2-yard run. Sherman threw to Ray Parsons for the AP and the Hornets
led 8-7. The second quarter saw no scoring, so the teams went to intermission
separated by the single point.
Charlotte threatened to extend their lead early
in the 3rd quarter when Parsons caught a 38-yard pass from Sherman
deep in Vulcan’s territory. However, George Haynes stripped him of the ball on
the tackle and the ball bounded into the end zone where Gerard Williams
recovered. Later Jeff Woodcock picked off a Reed pass and returned it to the
Vulcan’s 13-yard line. Highsmith scored again from the two, and Sherman rolled
left for the AP. The Hornets now led 16-7 and that’s the way the 4th
quarter started.
The Vulcans owned the 4th quarter,
however. The Vulcans defense held the Hornets at the Birmingham 21, then
marched 79 yards, with Fullback Bill Rudder taking it in from the one yard line.
Reed’s AP pass attempt was incomplete, but the Vulcans were to within 2 points.
The Birmingham defense held Charlotte to 3 and out, and after the Hornet punt,
Birmingham got the ball back at its own 41 with 5:13 to play. Musso ran for 9
yards, Rudder gained 5 to the Hornets 45. Musso lost 2, and then Reed threw an
incompletion. On 3rd & 12, Reed threw to Evans for 15 to the 32. Reed
then carried it the distance for the TD. Joe Profit ran for the AP and
Birmingham led 22-16. The TD play was designed to be a roll-out to the left, but
Reed turned and rolled to the right. The Hornet defense, responding to the rest
of the Vulcan offensive flow, was caught flat-footed and Reed maneuvered his way
32 yards for the game winner.
The Vulcans defense put the wraps on the
Hornets for the remainder of the game and Birmingham came away with the 22-16
win.
Johnny Musso was the leading ground gainer for
the Vulcans offense with 83 yards, while Art Cantrelle followed with 71 yards.
Reed added 66 yards.
Capone, Haynes, Williams, Steve Manstedt, and
William Bryant were the defensive stars of the day, Capone especially with a
critical stop of Highsmith on 4th & 1 deep in Birmingham territory in
the 4th quarter.
Don Highsmith scores for the Hornets
Art Cantrelle picks up big yardage
Johnny Musso picks up a crucial first down
FB Bill Rudder scores in the 4th quarter
With the huge Vulcan behind him, Robert Evans on a punt
return
Hornets CB Jeff Woodcock and Art Cantrelle meet at the
line
Another Birmingham comeback is completed
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