Published September 25, 1961
BUMPED OUT OF BOUNDS – San Benito’s Gene Uptegraph (12) is forced out of bounds by three McAllen Bulldogs in Friday night’s San Benito-McAllen game. Upty picked up a yard to the Bulldog 24-yard line in the third quarter. Two plays later, the Greyhounds scored their third touchdown of the game. San Benito won, 20-0, its third victory of the season. McAllen players are Jurgen Wasser (67) and Butch Carroll (50). (Staff photo)
Editor’s Note: In observance of the 50th anniversary of the 1961 San Benito Greyhounds, the San Benito News will feature in each weekend edition the story that covered the game of that week 50 years ago. This is the game featuring the San Benito Greyhounds vs. the McAllen Bulldogs.
San Benito News
Its touted offense held almost powerless, San Benito used an alert defense to build a quick 12-0 lead and went on to defeat the big McAllen Bulldogs, 20-0, here Friday night.
Neither team was able to move the ball consistently on the ground and a rash of last-half penalties ate up most of the yardage that had been gained. A capacity crowd of 7,200 watched the Greyhounds of San Benito, ranked fourth in the state in class AAA, roll to their third victory of the season without a loss.
While both offenses were muted, five pass interceptions, four by San Benito, and a red hot punting duel between San Benito’s Gene Uptegraph and McAllen’s Jimmy Dean took the spotlight.
San Benito was able to pick up only 62 yards on the ground for the night, made only eight first downs and didn’t get their first, first down until only 1:01 remaining in the first half.
But McAllen was having troubles of its own, gaining only 67 yards on the ground and having those four passes intercepted, two for touchdowns.
For the night, McAllen gained 135 yards on the ground and in the air, but drew 72 yards in penalties. The Hounds gained only a total of 132 yards, but were better off with 58 yards in penalties.
The win was the first shutout victory of the season for the Greyhounds who have now allowed 20 points in three games. The loss dropped McAllen, picked to win the south half of district 14-AAAA, to a 1-2 record for the season.
It took San Benito only 1:14 to ring the scoreboard cash register after the Hounds kicked off to McAllen at the start.
After two running tries, McAllen quarterback Dean dropped back to pass but was confronted by most of the San Benito line, led by Virgil Garcia and Jerry Crow.
Garcia leaped high to block Dean’s heave and Crow was there to nab the ball before it fell at the McAllen 17-yard line. The all-district guard raced over from there with only 1:14 gone in the game.
Uptegraph’s attempted kick for an extra point was blocked and the Hounds had a 6-0 advantage.
After a McAllen punt following the kickoff, Uptegraph and Dean matched their best kicks of the night.
From the San Benito 30, Upty boomed a 65-yarder, the longest boot of the night and his longest of the season that died on the McAllen five-yard line.
Less than two minutes later, though, Dean came through with a 64-yarder, a perfect spiral, that went from the Bulldogs’ 20 all the way to the San Benito 16.
With a first and 10 in there, San Benito, with halfback Jim Helms carrying, picked up two yards up to the 18 before fullback Jim Lewis fumbled after gaining another five yards out to the 23. The ball squirted from his hands and Tomas Sotuyo was there to pounce on it for McAllen at the Greyhound 32.
On first down, Dean again got the itch to pass and this time he got the ball off.
San Benito’s Robert Cortez, lurking in the left flat, picked off Dean’s heave at the San Benito 26, headed for the right sideline and went the 74 yards for a touchdown with blockers around him.
The dash by Cortez came on the last scrimmage play of the first quarter with 46 seconds remaining.
A running try for two extra points failed and San Benito had its quick 12-0 lead.
At that point, with a 12-0 lead, San Benito had put the ball in play only six times from scrimmage and gained only 10 yards. The two pass interceptions, though, were good for 91 yards.
Neither squad could move with the ball early in the second quarter, but the Hounds turned another break their way after an exchange of punts.
Upty kicked out from the San Benito 11 to midfield. After he fielded the ball, the McAllen receiver bobbled it and Domingo Ramirez fell on it at the Greyhound 41 for a first down there. Again, though, the Hounds couldn’t move and had to kick.
After three punts McAllen drove to the San Benito 39 before losing the ball there on downs. With only 1:22 left before halftime, the Hounds mounted a drive that carried them all the way down to the McAllen three-yard line as time ran out in the first half.
Biggest plays on the drive were a 23-yard pass from quarterback Eddie McKaughan to Ramirez for 23 yards and a 17-yard pass from Don Uptegraph to Helms, the latter setting up on a first and 10 for the Hounds on the McAllen 11-yard line with 48 seconds left in the half.
G. Uptegraph picked up seven and McKaughan one before the clock caught the Hounds on the three.
The late-first half drive accounted for all of San Benito’s three first downs in the first half.
After three straight punts at the start of the third quarter, G. Uptegraph jumped on a McAllen fumble on the McAllen 45-yard line to set the stage for the game’s last touchdown midway through the third period.
From the 45, Upty gained seven before a Helms-to-Uptegraph running pass pick up 15 yards for a first on the Bulldog 33. A pass from McKaughan to Helms, with a lateral to Upty, carried to the McAllen three-yard stripe, but was wiped out after a penalty.
Biggest help of the drive after that came on a 12-yard penalty against McAllen from the 24 down to the Bulldog 12 where the Hounds were given a first down.
On first down, McKaughan spotted Ramirez on the goal, tossed him a perfect strike and Ramirez fell across with 2:03 left in the third quarter.
Helms flipped a running pass to end Tommy Goode in the end zone for two extra points to scoring for the night with San Benito holding its 20-0 bulge.
A pair of intercepted passes and a lost fumble spelled frustration for the Bulldogs in a penalty-filled fourth quarter. Marlin Mabry swiped a McAllen aerial on the San Benito 19 and Robert Cortez stole his second of the night on the McAllen 46.
Sonny Cortez halted the most serious McAllen drive of the night when he gobbled up a McAllen dropped ball on the San Benito six-yard line after the Bulldogs had reached the Hound five.
Just before the fumble, another pass interception by Helms was nullified by offsetting penalties.
After the fumble recovery by Cortez, the Bulldogs were unable to mount another serious drive in the fading minutes and the Hounds killed the clock for their 20-0 victory.
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