Press Release

Along The Sideline

This article describes the undefeated 1941 football team's season. This and other articles may be found in the University Archives.
Citation for this article is: "Along The Sideline" Teco Echo, November 14, 1941.

After last week's hard-won victory over the undefeated Bergen college grid team, the Pirates have only to down the Belmont Abbey gridders today to become the first East Carolina Teachers College team to go through a season undefeated and untied. The Teachers have been evidencing their ability as a small-college aggregation throughout the season, and last week's 13-7 victory over a team which had lost only one game previously in three years is final proof that ECTC has a mighty football team in its class. In their last two games, in which the Teachers have been forced to battle all the way, to come from behind to win, and to protect their lead in a last-ditch goal-line stand, the local gridders have proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that their success this season is not the result of a weak schedule. Two years ago these same teams which the Pirates rolled over this year scheduled ECTC as a breather.
Coach John Christenbury deserves worlds of credit for the success of the Pirates team this season, and if the Teachers come through the Belmont game unscathed, Coach John will indeed be the man of the hour on the East Carolina campus. Before the reign of Christenbury this college never had a threat on the gridiron, even though at various times good football material was to be found among the male members of the student body. And it is a simple fact that a number of the outstanding members of the football team for the past two yers have been drawn to the ECTC campus by the magnetic personality of Coach John. The ability of the new coach was evidenced when his team bounced into headlines by upsetting the powerful Kutztown, Pa., State Teachers, 14-6, in the opening game of the 1940 season after the disastrous nine-game losing season in 1939. Then the 1940 Buccaneers earned four more victories against three defeats, and the college and coach were established in small-college football circles. And to date this year the proteges of Coach John have racked up victories over six teams, including several minor grid powers. Tusculum, the Naval Apprentices and Naval Hospital teams from Portsmouth, WCTC, Erskine and Bergen have fallen victims to the Pirate machine.
And in additon to his other accomplishments as coach, Christenbury should be given credit for developing two of the outstanding small-college gridders in the state. Already Dan Waddell, outstanding quarterback and blocking back for the Teachers, and Jimmie Gianakos, power-driving guard and captain of the Pirate team, are being touted for all-state positions. These boys, Dan with his field generalship and all-round play in the backfield and Jimmie with his drive in the line and team direction, have proved outstanding on the ECTC eleven.
But little has been said this season of the twelfth man on the Pirate team, the best player of them all for the Teachers-spirit. Without that guy to spur them on, the small band of East Carolina players, regardless of their ability, would never have come so far this season. Every man on the ECTC squad has given his best during the season, and this team spirit has developed a brand of cooperation which has netted the Bucs an average of four touchdowns per game and has held the combined opposition to 20 points this year. This twelfth man has served to bind the others together into a smoooth-working grid machine which has meant disaster for all opponents so far. With men for only two squads available, Coach John has used every member of the squad, and every man has played his part in the East Carolina victory march.
If you still haven't realized the full importance of the fact that East Carolina is undefeated this year, it might help to learn that the Pirates are among the nine teams in the entire nation sporting unsullied records. Yep, that's right. ECTC and eight more college teams are the national leaders this year. That includes both major and minor colleges.
Athletic intramurals for both men and women are getting into full swing now as the weather begins putting a little more pep into the many lethargic students on the campus. Intramural touch football is swinging into full stride for the male members of the student body. There remain only two games to be played before the champion team is decided. And in women's athletics plenty of spirit is being exhibited on the field hockey field now by the more populous sex. Miss Parks announces that a large number of girls will be needed to fill the quota for soccer teams now being organized. It seems that more girls should be cut out for sports now that they have been asked to participate by their physical education instructor. The girls' intramural program is by no means crowded. If you've been worried on that score, rush down to the Campus building and sign up for a sport now.
The Pirates suffered the loss of two valuable men on their trip to Due West, S.C., two weeks ago. Adrian Brown, who tallied one of the ECTC touchdowns in that game and who did trojan service throughout the contest, enlisted in the Army Air Corps while on the trip back to Greenville. Adrian, who had not proved particularly outstanding during the not-so-tough earlier games of the season, was a star throughout in the bruising Erskine battle. He was given credit by teammates and coach alike for being the difference between the two teams in that battle.
Russell Rogerson, who suffered a dislocated shoulder in the game with the Seceders of South Carolina, also played a bang-up game that day. Russell, a Greenville product, had started in three of the four games in which he participated before his injury. He was forced to miss the Bergen game last week because of the injury, and his nerves in the Belmont Abbey contest Saturday, if he is able to play at all, will be limited. Russell is a sophomore and will have two more years with t he Pirates. Last season in his first year out for the team, the big Pirate tackle was voted by fans the outstanding blocker on the ECTC squad.