Fullback Cook Out of Riders' Lineup

In a game rated as a toss-up, arch rivals Martins Ferry and Bellaire end their 1962 football season tonight at the Purple Rider Stadium.

The 7:30 encounter will be the fifty-fifth between the river front rivals and looms as potentially close hard fought battle between two well-matched teams.

Bellaire has not defeated Ferry on the gridiron since 1958 but Big Red rooters feel this may well be the year that the Red and Black will end the Purple's recent domination of the series.

Down threw the years, Ferry has topped Bellaire 26 times. Bellaire has been the winner upon 22 occasions and six clashes have resulted in tie scores.

Last November the Riders made history by completing a third consecutive perfect season with a 46-6 smashing of the Reds but the Purple's winning record winning streak is only a memory now. This year the Riders have been defeated three times in 10 outings while Bellaire has suffered just two losses in 10 starts but also has a scoreless tie with St. John's Central on it's record.

Martins Ferry's colorful coach Bob Wion, revealed today that his team would enter it's season's finale minus the services of it's regular fullback, Don Cook, hard running 195 pound junior. Cook will not play because of a back injury and Wion, in a surprise move, has shifted Johnny Mueller, a senior whose offensive expertise has been at quarterback and end, to the plunging spot. Mueller, who has won plaudits defensively as a line backer, is "an all around football player who can do a good job at about any position", Wion said.

With Mueller at fullback and Frank West at left half, the Ferry backfield will take on a "new look." West, 185-pound junior, was switched from end to the backfield just last week and made his first appearance as a regular ball-toter in the 30-0 victory over Bridgeport.

Right Halfback Ritchie McFarland and Quarterback Bob Di Stefano, two more juniors, will round out Wion's starting backfield but Seniors Gary Craig and Ken Shemenski will also see service.

Bellaire's fiery mentor, Don Ault, gunning for his first head coaching triumph over the Riders, will open with an all Senior backfield of Co-Captain Fred Perdue, line cracking senior fullback; Bill Henry and Fred Lankford, fleet halfbacks; and Homer Johnson, a quarterback who gains a lot of ground on roll outs.

The game may well develop into a defensive battle, as Wion has forecast, but it may also be a fuel of quarterbacks as Ferry Ferry relies heavily upon the somewhat unpredictable and sometimes brilliant DiStefano and Bellaire banks just as heavily upon Johnson.

The two teams appear well matched as to size and speed but Bellaire may have a little edge in experience in the trenches, especially with Wion starting two sophmore lineman in Kessy Keys, at tackle, and DennySecrest, at guard.

Bellaire has scored 215 points this season to 107 for it's combined opposition. Ferry has made only 170 markers and has yielded 103.

Tonight's foes have met seven mutual opponents and the comparative scores reflect how close the Redmen and Riders are matched. Both lost to Bill Bonar's Marietta Tigers, Ferry by 24-6 score and Bellaire by 27-14. Ferry downed New Philadelphia, 14-6, but Bellaire bowed to the Quakers 18-13. On the other hand, Ferry was nipped by Cambridge 8-6, but Bellaire bested the Bob cats 40-20.

Union Local lost to Bellaire 26-6, and to Ferry 22-6; Dover was edged by Ferry, 14-12, and fell to Bellaire 21-0; Wheeling dropped a 20-7 nod to Ferry and a 14-6 verdict to Bellaire; St. Clairsville yielded to Ferry, 28-0, and to Bellaire, 34-8.

Tonights game will be the last high school grid contest for 13 Riders and 15 Big Reds. The Ferry seniors are headed by Captain Tommy Brandon, end and three year letterman, and also include Mueller, Craig, Shemenski, End Frank Sall, Guard Bobby Lucas, Fullback Gene Joseph Line Backer Larry Willmig, Halfback Rich Snider; and Tackles Herb Young, Bob Smith. Kurt Ziegler, and Stanley Minder.

Ziegler didn't dress for the Bridgeport game last week because of a knee injury but is expected to be in uniform tonight.

Bellaire seniors are Ends Ben Przanowski (co-captian), Jack Appoloni, and Lawrence Wesley; End - Tackle Harold Holloway, Bill Flanagan and Dave Robbions; Center Guard Jim Mowery; Centers Lee Harvey and Pat Accrocco; Quarterback Johnson; Halfbacks Henry, Lankford, and Mike Angelo; and Fullback Perdue (co-captain).

Perzaanowski, who suffered a broken arm in the Big Reds' opener against Union Local, has been sidelined threw out the campaign but made a token appearance against Wheeling last Saturday and will be available for at least limited duty against the Purple

Color will be added to the proceedings by the Bellaire and Martins Ferry High bands. An additional attraction will be the observance of the Captains' Night with the captains of the Purple Rider teams of past years to be introduced to the crowed at half-time.