The Evening Bulletin, Philadelphia
November 20, 1922

FRANKFORD PROVES FOOT BALL CLASS

Yellowjackets' 13-6 Victory Over Holmesburg Clinches Championship of Philadelphia

Holmesburg's revised football team was powerful, but not quite enough to stem the assault of the Frankford Yellowjackets on Saturday and to Heinie Miller and his pals went the major independent foot ball championship of Philadelphia by conquest.

The score was 13 to six in favor of the celebrating Frankfordites and they well earned the victory, though, had Johnny Scott, Lafayette's famous hero of yesteryear been inactive, the result might have been different.

Scott was the whole works for the Jackets. He did all the scoring, two field goals, a touchdown and a drop kick after his touchdown being his contribution.

The Holmesburg eleven -- greatly fortified with college heroes -- two of them former all-American players in their undergraduate days -- fought masterfully and succeeded in crossing the Frankford goal line once -- the only time such a thing has been accomplished all season.

So while defeated Holmesburg still has cause to rejoice for it evaded the alert Heinie Miller, Lud Wray, Johnny Scott, Joe Lightner, "Bosey" Bowser, Lew Little, Whitey Thomas and the other great Yellowjacket players.

This touchdown came in the last period after rushing the ball to Frankford's 30-yard mark. Howard "Nig" Berry, Penn's great athlete a few year's back, tossed a long forward pass to Al Nemesik, who was over the goal line.

Frankford divided its scoring over three periods. Scott booted the first of his two field goals from the 35-yard line with the first period almost over. The second quarter found the Jackets showing their best attack of the game. Slashing attacks drove the Holmesburg team back steadily until it stood valiantly on its 20-yard line. Then after a few tries Johnny Scott skirted the wings, took a forward pass from Joe Lightner on the 20-yard line and sprinted to the goal line. He added the point by a drop kick and then in the final period counted another field goal.

Along with Berry and Nemesik in the Holmesburg backfield was Stanley Cofall, one of Notre Dame's greatest foot ball heroes; "Kidder" Caskey, from Northeast  and Muhlenberg and "Brainy" Bowers, former quarterback at Dartmouth.

1922 clipping from,
A Documentary Scrapbook of Football in Frankford,
original source publication not identified.

Scott's Brains and Boots Give Yellowjackets Victory

Kicks Two Goals From Field and Carries Ball for Touchdown Against Holmesburg, Which Loses, 13 to 6

Great Crowd Witnesses Tussle for Victory Between Old Rivals at Brown's Field

When the Frankford Yellow Jackets met the Holmesburg eleven on Brown's field last Saturday, one of the most talked of games of the season was again revived. The Yellow Jackets beat them for the second time in two years, by a score of 13-6.

Johnny Scott, of Lafayette, scored all the points for Frankford, kicking two field goals and scoring one touchdown. Nemzick, formerly of Frankford, scored the touchdown for the "Burg."

Lightner, Bowser and Seasholz played fine football for Frankford, as well as did their line which clearly outplayed the visitors. Howard Berry, of Penn, did excellent kicking for Holmesburg and formed the forward pass attack which resulted inn their score.

After Cofall kicked to Scott, Scott out-kicked Berry until Frankford got the ball in midfield. The Scott carried the ball three times through tackle gaining the first down of the game.

It was at this time Scott, standing on the 40-yard line, kicked a perfect field goal.

Beginning the second period, the Yellow Jackets started a steady march toward the opposing goal line. A penalty for unnecessary roughness on Holmesburg gave Frankford the ball on the twenty yard line. Lightner then made a perfect pass to Scott, who crossed the line for a touchdown.

Berry kicked to Bowser, who was downed near midfield. Forward passes fromscott to Lightner and Scott to Bowser enabled the ball to be taken to the 30-yard line. When Holmesburg held again, Scott kicked another field goal, making the final score of the game.

Holmesburg, rejuvenated, lined up for the third period. The ball went back and forth over the field, with Frankford holding the advantage. Al Nemzick made several fine gains for the "Burg."

In the final period Holmesburg gained the ball on the Frankford 40-yard line after the umpire ruled a pass to Williams was illegal. Using a spread-eagle formation, Holmesburg executed four forward passes.

Berry finally located his man and then threw the ball straight to Nemzick, who took the ball over for a touchdown. Miller blocked the punt.

The game at Brown's Field last Saturday was probably the most exciting ever staged in that enclosure. Holmesburg's touchdown came in the last minutes of play after a decision by the umpire gave them possession of the ball in midfield.

Employing a spread-eagle formation that had the home players guessing, the visitors by spectacular forward passing carried the ball to the twenty-yard line, from where they scored on a long pass to Nemzick, the former Frankford player, catching the ball back of the line and touching it down for the initial touchdown the Yellow Jackets this season.

Howard Berry, the former University of Pennsylvania star, used keen judgment during the advance, he throwing all passes, some of them going true after it seemed a certainty that he would be tackled before he could get rid of the ball. Nemzick, Berry, Lynch and Bowers were the outstanding players for Holmesburg.

The playing of Johnny Scott at quarterback for Frankford amply justified Coach Miller's statement that the field general is the greatest football star in independent ranks. Scott personally accounted for all the Yellow Jackets' points.

In all the plays, however, Scott was ably aided and abetted by Joe Lightner, the former Penn State star. In the advance that resulted in Scott's touchdown, Lightner tore off several pretty runs, and finally on a fake formation heaved a forward straight to Scott over the center of the line, which the latter converted into a touchdown.

Scott kicked the goal from touchdown. He also kicked two field goals, one from the forty-five-yard marker, and one from the thirty-yard line. Bowser, the big fullback from Bucknell, also shone, as did Seasholz, a newcomer from last year's Lafayette championship squad. The line played bang-up football, having a considerable edge on their opponents. Heinie Miller and Whitey Thomas, ends, in particular, playing exceptional football.

The victory marked Frankford's first really decisive win over the Holmesburg eleven for several years, although the home team did squeeze through to a victory last year by a 3-to-2 score. The victory this year was well merited and justified the confidence of the Frankford rooters in the player's manager Bowker has on the Yellow Jackets' roster.

The only fly in the ointment for the locals was the absence of Joe Lehecka from the line-up. Lehecka was so badly battered playing with Shenandoah against Coaldale the previous Sunday that he was unable to play, but will be back in the line-up as soon as he recovers.

The line-up follows:

Substitutions -- Frankford, Mellow for Swinton, Seasholz for Elliot. Holmesburg, Kurtz for Mackenzie, Nemzick for Caskey. Referee, Raby. Umpire, Morris. Head linesman, Bader. Time of periods, 15 minutes. Touchdowns, Scott, Nemzick. Field goals, Scott, 2.