Cavanaugh Wins 1951 Interhall Grid Crown, Trounces Powerful Morrissey Eleven, 18-0

Capitalizing on two costly miscues and a long pass play, Cavanaugh Hall's gridders won the interhall football championship by downing Morrissey 18-0 in a driving snowstorm Sunday, Nov. 18, in the Stadium. The victors thus completed their season undefeated, untied and unscored upon.

Although the teams battled to a scoreless tie in the first half, Cavanaugh gave an early warning of what was to come by driving 4-5 yards in seven plays to the Morrissey 12 the first time they got the ball. A great defensive stand by the Morrisseyites stopped the drive, and the two elevens settled down to a defensive battle at midfield for the remainder of the half.

Late in the third quarter the east-siders got the first big break of the game when Patterson recovered a Morrissey fumble on the west-siders' eight yard line. Halfback Bob Chickey drove to the three, and two plays later, Mike Laughlin blasted off tackle to score standing up.

Cavanaugh Scores

Encouraged by this sudden turn of events, the Cavanaughites unleashed their powerful offensive attack and scored again on a 57-yard drive the next time they got possession of the ball. A sensational 40-yard pass play from quarterback Pete Chase to Laughlin was the key play that set up the score with Chase smashing into the end zone from two yards out.

A high pass from center on an attempted fourth down Morrissey punt a few moments later permitted Cavanaugh to take over on the Morrissey two-yard line, and Bob Chickey smashed over for the final touchdown. All three extra point attempts failed.

Aside from the scoring plays, the game was mainly a defensive battle with heroes galore in the line of both teams. Clem Mawicke, Glen Sliger, Bob White, Gene Kelly, and Tom Parsley were in on tackle after tackle for the losers. Leading the Cavanaugh defensive unit were such stalwarts as Dick Hohman, Dick Moran, Charlie Patterson, Romie Zanetti, John O'Hara, Paul Keiley, and Jim MacInnis.

Bellissimo Stars

Most of the ground gaining for the western division champs was done by fullback Fred Bellissimo and halfback Bob "White. Bellissimo's longest run was a 33-yard jaunt from punt formation in the first quarter. Halfback Al Jannett also turned in a sparkling 30-yard kickoff return to midfield after the first Cavanaugh touchdown.

However, the vaunted Morrissey passing attack was completely stifled mainly because of the adverse weather conditions. Yet, Chase of Cavanaugh managed to complete three of six aerials, and it was his 40-yarder to Laughlin early In the final period that broke the back of the Morrissey team." The great running of Cavanaugh's Chickey, Laughlin, and Lagrou was another big factor in the outcome. But in the final analysis the Cavanaugh win was essentially a team victory since they were a better balanced, more aggressive outfit than their opponents who fought a spirited though losing battle. Morrissey never could put together a sustained drive, their deepest penetration being to the Cavanaugh 33-yard line just before the half.

Preseason

• A game against a varsity opponent was scheduled for the first time since 1926. Morrissey Hall played the varsity reserves during pre-season scrimmages and lost 7-0. Then, Morrissey travelled to Michigan City, Indiana, and defeated the Indiana State Prison football team 19-6. They were the first interhall team to leave campus since Alumni in 1932.

Regular season

• Interhall games received wide attention in 1951. Average attendance at regular-season games was, at a "very conservative guess", roughly 500 fans.

• Aaron Dyson (pictured in the Scholastic) was one of, if not the first, black coach of an interhall football team.

Postseason

• The all-interhall selections came with much fanfare, with a two-page rundown in the Scholastic, and each player was given a jersey with "Interhall" on the front.

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