Green Bay Packers (4-2-2) 0, New York Yankees (1-6-1) 0 (Tie)
Sunday November 11th 1928 (at Green Bay)
GAME RECAP (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE)
(GREEN BAY) - There is an old football saying that "a team that won't be beat, can't be beat". The truth of this was clearly demonstrated to some 5,000 fans at the City stadium Sunday, when the New York Yankees battled the Packers to a scoreless tie. Underdogs and on the defensive most of the time, the Yankees hung on with a bulldog determination not to be scored on - and they were not. They charged in on the Packer backfield men whenever the latter were in Yankee territory - and they were there often - breaking up plays, stopping the vaunted Packer pass defense almost completely and doing other almost Herculean tasks to prevent the Bays from crossing their goal line.
CLOSES HOME SEASON
It was a great battle put up by these two powerful teams and a fitting climax to one of the most successful seasons of football here. It was the final appearance at home of the year for the Big Bay Blues, and they accredited themselves like the heroes they are, although not able to win. The Packers never stopped trying. From the opening whistle to the end of the game, they were always threatening, always charging and tackling clean and hard. But they could not win for the Yankees also were good. Several times the Packers with Lewellen and O'Boyle carrying the ball charged through their opponents' line for gains to bring the ball into the Yankee territory but there they were stopped, and forced to take to passes that seldom if ever were completed.
O'BOYLE TRIES KICK
The nearest the Packers came to the goal was the 18 yard line which they reached in the third quarter when Lewellen and O'Boyle alternated in carrying the ball down from their own 41 yard line. It was a sensational march with Lewellen making 18 yards in the first plunge over right tackle and then he and O'Boyle alternating in making slashes of 4 to 8 yards on almost every try. The linemen did some great work at opening holes and blocking in this march. The Yankees line stiffened at this point however and O'Boyle in two tries could add but four yards more. A pass to Kotal then was tried but it was incomplete. As there was still about four yards to go for first down, the Packers elected to try a place kick, but the boot attempted by O'Boyle was both low and wide, and the Yankee gained possession of the ball on their own 20-yard line and punted out of danger. A few moments before the end of the game, Kelly hurled a long pass to Welch, and the former Pittsburgh flash caught it and started off on a sensational run down the field. He passed two Packers but finally was spilled on the 12 yard line by Baker and Kotal, when it appeared as if he was going to get away for a touchdown. Both Baker and Kotal caught him from behind to save the game.
LEWELLEN'S PUNTING PERFECT
The first period saw the Packers have possession of the ball most of the time in Yankee territory, Lewellen's accurate punting frequently putting the Yankees on the offense behind their own 20 yard line. Perry and Minick did some great tackling in this period to throw Yankee men for no gains and losses on frequent occasions. The second period was a repetition of the first to some extent with the play still mostly in the Yankee territory, and the Packers trying to get going in the forward pass play. The Yankees had a good defense for the aerial game, however, and but two were completed. One was a heave to Dilweg who ran to the 30 yard line before he was downed, and the other was to Lewellen for a first down on the 42 yard line. Jug Earpe and O'Donnell
did some good work in this period for the Packers while Grube, Yank end, was the outstanding performer for the Yankees. This was not the only time that Grube's work was outstanding, however, as the Yankee end was a constant threat to the Bays, frequently dropping Red Dunn in his tracks as the latter received punts. The march to the 18 yard line as related previously was the outstanding feature of the third period when the Packers did most of their ground gaining. The fourth period was much similar to the other three with Welch's run an outstanding event. Both teams tried frequent passes in this period with few being completed.
NY YANKEES - 0 0 0 0 - 0
GREEN BAY - 0 0 0 0 - 0
SCORING
None
SIDELIGHTS
NOV 12 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - An idea of how completely the Yankees stopped the Packer pass attack is given in the records of heaves. The Bays tried 21 passes and completed but five of them for a total gain of 35 yards...The Yankees completed three of nine passes tried for a total gain of 90 yards. Salemni, Welch and Grube were the men who received Yankee passes successfully...The Packers gained 10 first downs by scrimmage and two by passes, while the Yankees completed five first downs by scrimmage and two by passes...Nash did some sensational running and tackling soon after he entered the game in the second half. On one play, he tore down after Lewellen punted, knocking over two Yankee men who tried to block him and nailed Welch dead in his tracks with a flying tackle...Soon after Tiny Cahoon got in the game in the fourth quarter, Flaherty punted and Tiny partly blocked the ball so that it only traveled about twenty yards, Dunn recovering it on the 42 yard line. Tiny did some good work at his position...Baker intercepted a Yankee pass on the New Yorkers' 40 yard line soon after he went in the game when O'Boyle was injured, but on the first play after it, "Red" Smith intercepted a Packer pass and the Yankees again had possession of the ball...Captain Lambeau went into the game a few seconds before the game was over and tried a pass of about 40 yards which was grounded just as the final whistle blew...Perry, Jones, Minick, Earpe and Dilweg played the entire game on the line and all turned in fine accounts for themselves in the final game at home. Ashmore went out in the last period after he was hurt. Ashmore also was in on almost every play before he was injured and gave way to Cahoon...The Packers will practice in Green Bay until Thursday then depart for New York where they take on the Giants next Sunday. The Yankees also will remain in town until Thursday then leave for Detroit...Welch gave fans thrills on frequent occasions when he broke through the Packer line. He wasn't able to get off on many long runs, however, as the Packers' secondary defense man usually nailed him...The Yankees used a spinner play that gained considerable ground in the early stages of the game with Pritchard and Welch carrying the ball, but Earpe got on to it after awhile and then smeared the play whenever it was tried, throwing the Yankee men for losses.
FIVE PACKERS HANDICAPPED BY VARIOUS AILMENTS
NOV 14 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Despite injuries which struck the Packers in their final week at home, the squad went through another hard workout today preparing for their Eastern invasion which begins next Sunday at New York when the team takes on the Giants. Five of the Packer backfield men are suffering from ailments of one kind or the other. Capt. Lambeau wrenched his leg last week and still is feeling some effects of it. Harry O'Boyle, who hurt his ankle in the game against the Yankees, still is hobbling about. Lewellen's injured knee still is giving him some trouble and Larry Marks is suffering from a lame back. Red Dunn also is among the ailing stomach for more than a week. None of the injuries are serious enough to keep any of the men from going East, however. All of the linemen are in good shape and set to begin the Eastern invasion. The team will go through a final workout Thursday morning then depart over the Northwestern road Thursday afternoon. They will go direct to New York from there. The Yankee team, which had planned to leaver Thursday also, changed their plans early in the week and left Green Bay Tuesday morning. The game Sunday will be shown here again on the gridgraph at the Columbus club. All of the details of the encounter will be brought out on the giant board.
PACKER TEAM DEPARTS ON EASTERN TRIP
NOV 15 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Green Bay Packer football team left here this afternoon on an eastern invasion that will take them through several cities, where they will try to capture the national professional football league championship. The entire squad of twenty players, including Capt. Lambeau, was on the special coach when it left over the Northwestern road. With the team also was George Calhoun, secretary of the club. The men will go direct to New York from here, where they will take on the New York Giants Sunday at the Polo Grounds. After the Giant game, the team will go to Pottsville, where the Maroons will be faced on November 25. On Thanksgiving day, the Packers will be in Philadelphia, where they will take on the Frankford Yellowjackets. Then they will go to Providence, R.I., to take on the Steamrollers Dec. 2, and from there will return to Chicago, where they meet the Bears on Dec. 9 in the final game of the year at Wrigley field. All of the game except the Yellowjacket contest will be shown here on the gridograph at the Columbus club auditorium. Several of the backfield men were suffering minor ailments before they departed today, but are expected to recover before they take on the Giants Sunday. None of the injuries are of a very serious nature. The linemen all are in fine shape, and expected to do some great work against the strong eastern teams. The Packers are but one game behind the league leading Frankford and Providence
teams in the record of losses, and if they can defeat these teams in the East, have a good chance to win the National league pennant. The players making the trip are: Capt. Lambeau, Lewellen, Kotal, Marks, O'Boyle, Baker, Dunn, Lollar, Dilweg, O'Donnell, Nash, Ashmore, Cahoon, Perry, Jones, Bowdoin, Minick, Woodin, Earpe and Darling.
PRO GRID NOTES
NOV 16 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The race for the NFL championship is developing into a red hot affair. Aside from four clubs, a team can be considered in the running for the gridiron pennant...Games this weekend should go a long way towards deciding whose who in Pennantville as the one-two clubs, Frankford and Providence, meet in a crucial home and home series...Saturday, Jimmy Conzelman will take his Providence Steamrollers into the Hornets' nest and immediately after the game both teams board a train for Providence where they will mix on Sunday in the Cycledrome arena...A contest for third place will be staged at the Polo grounds in New York where the Green Bay Packers are to have it out with the Giants. These clubs are even in the percentage column with four wins, two losses and a tie...This will be the Badger state champions first gridiron appearance along Broadway. Following the encounter with the Giants, the Bays are booked for engagements in the east with Pottsville, Frankford and Providence...The Chicago Bears seemed to have hit their stride again as their victories over the Yanks and Dayton were impressive. The Halas-Sternaman combination still has hopes for a pennant...Massachusetts voted favorably in the Sunday sports referendum and it is quite likely that another season will see Boston in the National league. The "Bean town" is an enthusiastic football community...The Chicago papers gave Keefer, former Brown star, quite a lot of ink for his exhibition with Dayton against the Bears. Keefer was about the only Triangle to gain any yardage. He also was quite a star on the defense...Michalske, captain of the New York Yanks, appears to be headed to another All-American pro berth. His brilliant performances at guard have featured for the Pyle-men through their string of gridiron reversals...Wallace, who is a graduate of Knute Rockne's football school at Notre Dame, has been more than earning his "salt" with the Chicago Bears. Wallace is a shifty wingman and is right at home when snagging forward passes...The Providence Steamrollers had a successful weekend in their skirmishes with the Pere Marquette club of Boston. In Sunday's game on their home lot, Conzelman's aggregation went off with a 20 to 0 victory...Budd and Moran, a pair of former Frankford Yellowjackets, now with Pottsville, battled furiously to stem the tide against their old team in the weekend games but their efforts went for naught as Weir & Co., were going a bit too good...Eckhardt, the big Texan, is coming through for the New York Giants. He is an all around backfielder and fits in nicely at any carrying post. Eckhardt has scored his shares of the Giants' touchdowns...Detroit came from behind to knot the count at 19 all with the Giants in Gotham last Sunday. Friedman's crew made two touchdowns in the final periods. Aside from Benny, Gedbrook was the luminary for the Wolverines...Weir, the Frankford coach, is having a busy time this fall. Besides having sole charge of the team, Weir often swings into action at tackle or when his ends are not going good, the husky Nebraskan moves out to a wing post...Oden, the Providence "half pint" quarterback, has been showing a lot of class since being worked regularly. Oden is a wonderful pass receiver and prances fast in the open field when lugging the cowhide.
PACKERS PLAY AT GIANTS' FIELD
NOV 17 (New York) - The Green Bay Packer squad arrived in New York Saturday morning over the Pennsylvania railroad and immediately went out to the Polo ground where Capt. Lambeau sent his
team through a snappy workout in preparation for Sunday's game with the New York Giants. The trip east was uneventful as all the players were on their good behavior and Whitey Woodin did not even scatter ice in any of the berths much to the satisfaction of Tiny Cahoon and a few others who get their hair brushed the wrong way rather easily. The much discussed oranges were conspicuous by their absence. One lone rooter made the trip east with the Packers. Frenchy Yeager bobbed up in Chicago with a pocketful of passes and he is going the rounds with the team. Bud Jorgenson, the property man, lost no time in putting Frenchy to work and he won't have many idle hours from now on as these football players, when journeying abroad, need more attention than a whole carload of college coeds...FACE HARD BATTLE: The Giants are going to have a battle on their hands Sunday as every man on the club is all keyed to give Haines, Caldwell and the other Giants the battle of their lives. True enough several of the Big Bay Blues are limping around a bit but these aches and pains will probably be forgotten when the whistle blows Sunday afternoon about 2:15. Capt. Lambeau hasn't as yet announced his starting lineup officially, but it is practically assured that he will shoot the whole works in hopes of getting an early lead over the New Yorkers. The weather man says he will have a Green Bay brand on tap tomorrow. That means plenty of sunshine with a day field which should prove beneficial to the Blues...ATTEND COLLEGE GAME: This afternoon the Bay squad has been invited to attend the New York University-Missouri game as guests of the Giant management and the majority of the players took the free ducats, although a few of them went to the Fordham-Detroit contest, which also is being played in Gotham. The Packers found welcome on the door mat at the Almanac hotel when they arrived and everybody seemed to be in a happy frame of mind just before the bugle calls. The Bays won't be without friends here tomorrow because a number of Wisconsinites will be in the stands. Don Irminger, Ray Larson and Johnny Nick left notes at the hotel saying that they would be around later in the day. Ambrose Gannon, New York correspondent for the Milwaukee Journal, was one of the first to call and say hello. He has offered his services and probably will help file the gridgraph wire to Green Bay for the Polo grounds.
