Introduction
Arguably one of the greatest high school football games ever played in South Jersey, on October 24, 1931 Camden High faced Collingswood High School, then a football power in South Jersey. The Purple Avalanche, coached by Grover ‘Worm’ Wearshing, came up short by a point that day, losing 14–13. A blocked extra point spoiled a dramatic comeback, giving Collingswood the victory.
Camden High School sports has a long and distinguished history.
— Phil Cohen
Scenes as ‘Colls’ Nosed Out Camden High by Point
Camden Courier-Post —
The Camden High-Collingswood game on Saturday on the suburban field was jammed with color and action. At the top is a view of the roaring Camden rooting section in the north stand, while directly below, left, Hubert Reynolds, wearing a nose guard, is about to bring down Furman Sherlock, Collingswood back. Pearl Stepp, one of Camden’s fall rooters, is on the right, wearing a purple and gold hat, tassel and all. Bottom left, Captain Jack Earle, of Collingswood, and Jimmy Ross, Camden leader, are snapped shaking hands a split second before the start of hostilities, with the officials looking on. Collingswood won, 14 to 13, after one of the greatest grid battles ever waged in South Jersey.
Schuster’s 90-Yard Run and Crash Through Center Score Camden Touchdowns
Camden Courier-Post —
AERIAL ATTACK GAINS ‘COLLS’ VICTORY, 14-13
By OTTS HULLEBERG
Collingswood High sits atop the South Jersey Class A football heap today, monarch of all its surveys, but the 10,000 grid followers who jammed the suburban battlefield last Saturday will never forget how a maddened Camden High “Purple Avalanche” awoke to its inherent power, wiped out a 14-0 lead compiled by the Blue and Gold in the first half, and slashed its way to a pair of soul-stirring touchdowns, only to be cheated of a tie when a kick from placement was partially blocked to go wide of the uprights by inches.
By the split edge margin of 14-13 did those “Colls” make it seven victories in succession over Camden in as many successive years. The strong fingers of Bob Schueneman’s righ [sic] hand barely managed to nip an otherwise perfect placement from the toe of Captain Jimmy Ross following Camden’s second touchdown late in the fourth period, and the failure of that extra point try brought victory to the Blue and Gold banner for the fifth time this season.
The records at the end of the season will show Camden with a 14-13 defeat, a blot which may hinder the Purple and Gold team’s chances for the Class A title.
Those records, however, will not tell of a 90-yard return of a punt by Steve Schuster through the entire Collingswood team for a touchdown, the first score made all season against the Blue and Gold. Nor will those statistics reveal how a fighting Camden team even then refused to call it quits, but marched down the field for another touchdown.
Schuster Inspires Teammates
Those records on neat white paper will give no inkling of how a Purple and Gold team, thoroughly aroused and apparently whipped and humiliated, found itself and completely turned the tables on the “Colls,” only to have the “Gods of War” smile Collingswood way on a try for the tieing point, changing an aching pain in “Colls” rooters’ bosoms to one of exquisite joy, and by the same token, dashing the awakened hopes of loyal Camden rooters into the well of despair.
Camden High players, coaches and rooters walked off the scene of action with no feeling of shame and harboring no “regusted” [sic] feelings against those fighting Purple and Gold regulars who gave their all. To a man, they felt that Camden High was every bit the equal of the “Colls.” And so, while Collingswood rooters are still singing the praises of their gridiron heroes, and justly so, even suburban rooters find time to respect a Purple and Gold team which refused to quit against overwhelming odds and came back to play its traditional rival off its feet in the second half.
One player was responsible for this spectacular about-face.
He is Steve Schuster, an irresistible demon of speed, who refused to bend the knee and concede the game over. It was Schuster who snared a lofty punt out of the ozone to go galloping through the entire Collingswood team to do the “impossible”—dent the Blue and Gold goal zone. It was Schuster who cracked the heart of Collingswood’s forward wall for that second touchdown. It was Schuster, Class A sprint champion of South Jersey in track, who returned punts for 155 yards, and gained more yardage than any of the brilliant backs on the field.
Colls Lead In First Downs
In the matter of first downs, Collingswood registered 10 to 6 for Camden, and gained 85 yards from scrimmage as compared to 68 for the Purple and Gold.
In total yardage gained during the 19th annual battle, however, taking into consideration every conceivable method of advancing the ball, Camden collected 328 yards to 314 for the winners, the greater part of this yardage coming as a result of Schuster’s sensational return of Sink’s kicks.
Bits of strategy cropped up at various stages of the battle. A bewildering triple pass, Sam Rogers to Charley Sink to Furman Sherlock, caught the Camden secondary defense off guard as the “Colls” scored their first touchdown. That great forward passing team of Captain Jack Earle and Bob Schueneman had been “marked,” but Earle calmly stepped back and “looked on” as the play was executed, while Schueneman merely took out his man on the line of scrimmage.
Camden pulled an equally surprising play late in the third period. Failing to gain, and penalized for the only time during the game Captain Ross, burly tackle, stepped back as if to punt, and there were few if any there who expected anything else.
Ross Heaves 30-yard Pass
Ross, a lineman who has never thrown a pass in a game during his four years of grid action, calmly stepped back and pegged a bullet-like heave to Irving Johnson, 20 yards down the field. Johnson, who seemed to be hemmed in by Collingswood players, somehow grabbed that ball out of the air and slashed his way an additional 10 yards. That play paved the way for Camden’s second touchdown, putting the ball deep in Collingswood territory for a first down.
With 20,000 eager eyes catching every detail, Bradford kicked off over the goal line to open hostilities. Camden put the ball in play on its own 20-yard line. On the first play, Shuster [sic] hit right tackle for six yards and Weber slashed through centre for three more. Johnson then hit the same spot for an easy first down, but fumbled the ball when tackled, Schwartz recovering for the “Colls” on the 32-yard ribbon.
Here was Collingswood’s golden opportunity to get the “jump,” but in three plays it lost 16 yards. To start with, Kip Evans and Nils Dahlquist threw Sherlock for a five-yard loss at right end. Evans again broke through and threw Sink for a six-yard loss, and then a five-yard penalty sent the “Colls” back to midfield.
[words missing between the strips] and Ross aided Hadtke in bringing down Earle.
At this point it was evident that the “Colls” would take to the air. Earle dropped back and faked receiving the ball, but instead, Rogers took a direct pass from Martin at centre, tossed it to Sink who in turn passed to Sherlock, who was standing over the goal zone all by his lonesome. Sherlock then managed to crash centre for the necessary three yards and the extra point, making the score 7-0 Collingswood.
Another passing attack early in the second quarter enabled Collingswood to reach Camden’s 24-yard stripe stripe [sic] where the Purple and Gold held firm. On the first play, however Hubert Reynolds, injured star who had replaced Osborne in the Camden backfield, fumbled after making a nice gain, Schueneman recovering for the “Colls” on Camden’s 25-yard line.
The Blue and Gold made good use of this “break.” Two perfectly executed triple passes at up [sic] the yardage lost on two penalties. Earle then stepped back and tossed to Schueneman. Johnson made a dive for the ball, missed, and it nestled in the arms of the Coll end who scampred [sic] over.
Schuster “Struts Stuff”
On the try for the extra point, Sherlock tossed a short pass to Earle who was tackled hard by Osborne right on the goal line. Earle’s body, however, had crossed the final chalk mark and the extra point was pronounced good. Later in the same period the “Colls” reached- Camden’s [sic] 14-yard line as the first half closed.
Neither team could get an advantage as the second half opened and a punting duel developed between Ross and Sink.
Five minutes of the third period had elapsed when Sink, standing on his own 40-yard line, got off a beautiful kick which nestled in Schuster’s arms on Camden’s 10-yard line. The fleet Camden back seemed to hesitate a minute, sizing up the picture as the Collingswood ends came tearing down the field.
Then he went in high. Like a flash he skimmed by Schueneman, who just brushed him with his arms. The he [sic] tore for the left side of the field with Camden players quickly forming interference. Hemmed in on all sides as he reached the 50-yard line, Schuster again flashed for the centre of the gridiron and semed [sic] to bury his head in a flock of Blue and Gold jerseys, only to come out stumbling and continue on. Once he stumbled as the Collingswood tackler hit his flying feet.
As he reached Collingswood’s 30-yard line, only one Collingswood player had a fighting chance to catch him. It was Bob Birdsong, but suddenly Ross appeared to come from nowhere and a flying plunge laid Birdsong on the field as Schuster continued on his merry way. It is unlikely that the husky Birdsong would have caught the flying Camden back, but Ross removed all doubt.
Passes Way for Second Score
After Ross had picked a perfect placement it was a new Camden eleven which faced the foe.
Late in the third quarter a 25-yard return of a punt by the inspired Schuster gave Camden the ball on its own 45-yard line. Schuster then tore around right end for 10 more yards and a first down on Collingswood’s 45-yard stripe.
Sobeleski hit ceter [sic] for three yards, but Schuster was tackled for a three-yard loss and then a 15-yard penalty for holding sent Camden back to midfield. It was at this point that Ross dropped back as if to kick and instead shot a 20-yard pass to Johnson, who tore to Collingswood’s 30-yard line for a first down.
Camden then opened up, and a nice pass, Osborne to Sobeleski, gained nine yards. Sobeleski, who was making good with a vengeance, substituting for Weber, crashed his way through center for a first down on Collingswood’s 20-yard stripe as the third quarter ended.
When the fourth quarter opened Johnson fumbled and Schwartz recovered for the “Colls.” But Camden was not to be denied, as the line held firm and Sink was forced to punt. Schuster gathered in the ball on Camden’s 40-yard line, returning 20 yards before being downed. Then a beautiful pass, Schuster to Johnson, gained 25 yards and a first down for Camden on Collingswood’s 15-yard line.
Schuster hit right end for eight yards and Sobeleski made it a first down on Collingswood’s 6-yard stripe. Sobeleski made a yard, and Johnson one. Then Schuster crashed through center for the score.
Camden and Colls Even on ‘Figures’
Camden Courier-Post —
Schuster and Earle Best on Attack; Statistics Show Little Edge
STATISTICS OF THE GAME
Camden. Collingswood.
First downs ................ 6 10
Yards gained rushing ...... 68 85
Forward passes ............. 5 14
Forwards completed ......... 3 10
Yards gained, forwards .... 64 94
Forwards intercepted by.... 0 1
Lateral passes ............. 0 1
Laterals completed ......... 0 1
Yards gained, laterals ..... 0 9
Number of punts ........... 4 [?]
*Distance of punts, yards.. 150 238
Run back of punts, yards.. 155 1[?]5
Fumbles ................... 3 1
Own fumbles recovered ..... [?] 1
Penalties .................. 1 5
Yards lost, penalties ...... 15 25
*From point where ball was kicked.
By HARRY RASMUSSEN
Although beaten by the small margin of a single point by Collingswood High last Saturday at the Robert Shields Memorial Field before one of the largest crowds in the history of schoolboy football, Camden High’s “Purple Avalanche” put up one of the scrappiest uphill battles staged in this section of the state for some years. Statistics of that crucial battle upon which the South Jersey Class A title hinged, shows that Coach Grover Wearshing’s charges about held their own with the suburban juggernaut.
Taking into consideration every method of offensive attack, Camden gained 328 yards during the contest against 314 for Collingswood. However, it was mainly through the brilliant work of Steve Shuster [sic], Camden’s speedy halfback, that the Purple and Gold eleven topped the “Colls”. Shuster [sic] alone gained 200 yards, 155 of which were gained by returning punts, 16 on a return of a kickoff, and 29 from scrimmage.
Starting with the first downs registered by the two contesting teams, Collingswood turned in 10 against six for Camden. The Purple and Gold gridders failed to check in with a single first down in the initial semester while the “Colls” tallied eight. The locals collected all their first downs in the final half, three in each of the third and fourth periods, while Collingswood’s were garnered with three in the first, five in the second, two in the third and none in the fourth quarter.
Teams Evenly Matched
From these few figures one can readily see, that while Collingswood was the whole show in the opening half, Camden took the spotlight in the closing semester. In fact it was an even game all the way through with each showing its best form in one of the two halves. Both lines played well during the game and the most yardage was made by the overhead attack, four of Collingswood’s first downs coming by this method, while Camden accounted for two first downs by the air.
As stated above both contesting lines were like stonewalls and as a result Camden made only 68 yards by rushing the pigskin, while Collingswood could only make 17 more yards than its opponents, 85 in all. “Steve” Shuster [sic], Camden’s brilliant ball-toter, and Jack Earle, Collingswood’s stellar fullback and captain, led their respective backfields in ground gaining by rushing, the former collecting 29 yards and the latter 37 yards.
The air attack proved to be the best ground gainer of the afternoon for both teams. Camden, however, only resorted to the air on five occasions, three of which were completed, one intercepted and another grounded. Collingswood on the other hand attempted 14 passes, completing no less than 10, while the other four were either knocked down or grounded.
However, in the matter of yards gained by the air route, Camden topped Collingswood, gaining 64 yards on three completed passes for an average of 21 yards to a throw. The “Colls” in their 10 completed passes gained 94 yards for an average of a little more than nine yards a heave.
What a Battle!
Camden Courier-Post —
Camden Hi Collingswood Hi
Evans .........left end... Schueneman..
Dahlquist ....left tackle.... Thompson
Tietze ........left guard..... Bradford
Angelo ........centre.......... Martin..
Hadtke .....right guard.... Schwartz
Ross (Capt.)..right tackle... Birdsong
Konopka .....right end......... Pooley
Osborne ......quarterback..... Rogers
Schuster .....left halfback....... Sink
Johnson ....right halfback... Sherlock
Weber ........fullback.. Earle (Capt.)
Score by periods:
Camden ...............0 0 7 6—13
Collingswood .........7 7 0 0—14
Touchdowns—Sherlock, Schueneman, Schuster, 2. Points after touchdowns—Sherlock (rush); Earle (pass); Ross (placement). Substitutions—Camden: Reynolds for Osborne, Sobeleski for Weber, Lotier for Dahlquist, Osborne for Reynolds, Dahlquist for Lotier. Collingswood—Phillips for Rogers, Rogers for Sherlock.
Referee—Raby, Gettysburg. Umpire—Reed, Muhlenberg. Head linesman—Winters, Penn. Time of periods—12 minutes.