Winthrop Intramural Gridders Trounce South and Take Title

The spectators who dotted the sidelines of the cavernous Harvard Stadium yesterday afternoon witnessed a championship game, but you'd never have known it from the turnout.

Winthrop House's tackle football team took advantage of several breaks, walked away with a 14:0 victory over South, and snagged the intramural championship.

The game was hard-fought, with the clashing of helmets and pads ringing against the nearly empty concrete structure throughout the contest.

Quarterback Steve Waters and tight end Corky McLeod led the champions. "We won because we have a quarterback who can move, and who knows what to do out there," said Winthrop Captain Tim Bechtold of Waters "Muddy is the best QB in the league," the captain said.

But the Californian's skills were not especially evident in the first quarter, as both teams tried unsuccessful to grind out yardage on the ground.

With three minutes left in the half, and Winthrop working out of what Bechtold called a "power offense." McLeod took a short swing pass from Waters and rambled 28 yards to give Winthrop a 6:0 lead.

In the second half, the combined South North team again found it impossible to move to move against a tenacious Winthrop defense. The South ground game was ineffective, and quarterback Todd Truesdale repeatedly over threw his receivers.

With fourth and 10 at his own two-yard line. South punter Steve Black tried to evade a blocked punt by running for a first down. He failed, and Winthrop took possession on the South six.

Three plays later, Waters scored on a sneak, and Bechtold gave his charges a 14-0 lead, taking a handoff up the middle for a two-point conversion.

South's only opportunity to score came in the fourth quarter when several Winthrop penalties marched the Quad Squad down the field.

With the ball at the Winthrop 25, South looked ready to get on the board, but their hopes were dashed when the ball was stripped from Truesdale's hands and recovered by McLeod.

Bechtold attributed his team's victory to luck as well as great quarterbacking. "We got a couple of breaks," he said, adding. "The game was pretty even 'til that punt. They had an awesome line."

South Captain Andy Stoebner was not as generous to his squad. "Winthrop was just a better team. They have some really good football players," he said. Stoebner blamed his team's lack of success on poor blocking.

Both teams will he back in action Friday afternoon in New Haven as part of the annual Harvard-Yale--intramural confrontation. Winthrop will take on the still undetermined Yale College champ while South challengers the runner up.