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Fairbanks News-Miner, Monday,
December 31, 1951- Determined to snap the Ice Bowl's
no-touchdown tradition, a powerful Ladd Air Force base football team did
the trick in less than a minute yesterday and went on to run up a 47 to
0 triumph over their annual foes, the University of Alaska.
After being held scoreless for three years in the event, the Laddites
made up for it in one big afternoon, as they went wild to turn the no-TD
classic into a free scoring merry-go-round.
With big Dave Rake, Ladd Army quarterback, in the driver's seat, the
military juggernaut took to the air instead of fighting the seven inches
of snow that covered the Rendezvous Stadium, and they connected on
passes with almost monotonous regularity to take the Lathrop trophy from
the Polar Bears. The Bears had been in possession of the award since
1950 when they won it on Leo Helsby's 33-yard field goal, the only
points scored in the Ice Bowl until yesterday.
Temperatures in the ten-above bracket brought a crowd of an estimated
2,500 out to see the annual affair. Fans occupied the stands, in cars
parked around the playing field and many scurried back and forth up and
down the sidelines.
Military coaches Captain Bill Tucker and Lt. Keith Yates, wit nearly 40
conditioned gridmen on their squad, threw the two-platoon system into
excellent advantage and the combined Ladd Army-Ladd Flyer aggregation
was just too much for coach Len Brumm's green squad of less than 20 men.
The Laddite offense, sparked by the sensational passing of Dave Rake,
struck rapidly, scoring two touchdowns in the first seven Ladd running
plays.
On the first play after kickoff, Rake found a receiver in Robbie
Robinson who took the aerial on the Polar Bear 25 and was inches away
from pay dirt when he fell on his face in the snow. After one crack at
the College line, Rake faded again and pitched to Dick Davis for the
first touchdown in Ice Bowl history.
Gene Moulten, Ladd Flyer quarterback, tossed to Ed Shetler, 6" 5" end,
for the point after touchdown and the Laddites led 7-0.
In action that followed Rake, 190 pound Army star, proved that he was
not a "flash in the pan" as he pitched with extremely good accuracy to
run away with the game's individual honors. All told, Rake completed
eight out of 14 passes for three touchdowns, carried the ball over for
two more and was credited with one point after touchdown.
Coach Brumm's Polar Bears, running out of a single wing, repeatedly sent
Dick Zagers, 195 pound half back, and Don Wilbur, 185 pound fullback,
into the line but the Laddite defense didn't yield.
After scoring their first TD, the Laddites took command again shortly
after the kick off and Rake and associates were put in the game with the
ball resting near the Polar Bear 30-yard line.
Rake hit Lou Gallo with a pass that put the pigskin inside the 10-yard
marker and on the next play, he pitched to Shetler for a six-pointer.
Moulten again converted, completing a snap pass to end Mike Direta.
The first quarter ended with the military men leading 14 to 0.
Early in the second period the Ladd offense began to click once more, as
Rake connected with Shetler for two successive aerials to move the ball
to the College 18 yard line. Rake faded to pass on the next play, but
instead, elected to run with the ball and skirted his right end to score
standing up. Moulten made it three in a row, passing to Lou Camillucci
for the extra point, boosting the count to 21-0.
The fourth touchdown came late in the second quarter, when with first
and 15 to go for a first down, halfback Le Roy Davis raced to his left
and uncorked a 17 yard southpaw pass which Camillucci took as he stepped
into the end zone. The conversion was not good and the score stood 27 to
0.
The Polar Bears, realizing it was futile to run, took to the air minutes
before the half ended.
Zagers found a receiver in John Mead, College end, on two plays but an
interception by Joe Ferrell stopped the attack before it caused the
Laddites any serious trouble.
Neither team showed a potent offense at the beginning of the second half
which soon found the Bears pushed back near their goal line. Zagers
punted out but Gallo took the ball on about the 35 and ran it back over
for the fifth score of the game. Rake hit Jack Overbey for the
conversion.
The Polar Bears fumbled the Ladd kickoff and were in trouble again.
However, with four minutes remaining in the quarter, Brumm's charges
threw up their best defense of the game. The Bear line held the Laddites
to no gain on three running plays and, on the fourth down, Wilbur
intercepted Moulten's pass, and ran it back to the 30 where he fumbled
on the tackle. The fumble was recovered by Ladd.
On an end around reverse, left flankman Direta circled the right end,
picked up two timely blocks and drove to the one yard line. Rake crashed
over for the touchdown- the score, 40 to 0. Moulten passed to Overbey
for the conversion. It was Moulten's fourth conversion.
In the final minutes of the game, Rake again spotted Davis in the clear
and pitched to him for the seventh and final Ladd tally. The play
covered 25 yards.
Note:
UAF had practiced little for the game and
the results reflected this. Apathy among the student body had begun to
set in. The student’s interests were more geared to the popular local
sports of hockey and shooting. For this reason, some students felt it
was unrealistic that football was getting so much attention from the
national press when it was really not very popular among the student
body and faculty. Even the governor of Alaska had failed to attend.
Dean Neil Hosley offered post-game
analysis: "I think this should show our boys the days of picking up a
handful of players the last minute and tying or winning the Ice Bowl are
gone." The December, 1951 Ice Bowl was
the last game in the series’ history.
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The UAF
starting Ice Bowl Squad of 1952
Front row,
left to right: Fred Wahlatka, right end; Bill Atwood, right tackle; Paul
Garceau, right guard; Dave Lewis, center; Leo Markanthoney, left guard;
Harrey Turner, left tackle; and a Malemute at end. In the backfield,
pictured left to right: Jerry Adams, Lou Chaney, Dick Zagers and Buriss
(Little Mac)McDaniels.
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