Harper's Round Table, October 20, 1896

by Various

SHADY-SIDE ACADEMY FOOTBALL PLAYERS, PITTSBURG.

HUMBIRD, Left end.

SCHILDECKER, Captain and right tackle.

HAWKINS, Left guard.

In the first practice game, two weeks ago, the Shady-Side Academy eleven of Pittsburg played a fast and snappy game, but a few days later the team showed up very poorly, and the work was exceedingly slow. Arundell's work at full-back is not entirely satisfactory; he is not improving in punting, and his general play is poor. In consequence it is probable that McConnell, who was at Cheltenham last year, will play that position. Dravo, at half-back, is a new man, but has been doing unexpectedly good work. He uses his head and does not fumble the ball. T. McConnell, at quarter, is one of the most promising players on the team; he keeps cool, tackles hard, and gets into the interference well.

It is doubtful at present whether Jennings will play centre or guard; if he goes in at guard, Aley will hold down centre. Hawkins and Brainard are the most promising candidates for the other guard's position. The principal thing in Hawkins's favor is that he is a steady man and maintains a good average style. Captain Schildecker is improving rapidly in his position at right tackle, but the same spot on the other side of the line is not so well taken care of by Flinn. The ends are Kirke and Humbird; the former is putting up a hard, fast game, tackles hard, and gets into the interference well; the latter is a new man, but promises to develop well, especially in tackling.

The Kiskiminetas team of the same League will average about 150 pounds this year. McKelvey at full-back is punting well, and has developed into a strong line-backer. Carrol at left half-back is a good ground-gainer, and maintains a steady average of play. Captain Aiken is playing quarter; his strongest point is tackling, and he is thoroughly familiar with the fine points of the sport, and makes a good commander. Herron and Woodbridge, the ends, run and tackle well, and although they are not brilliant players, they are careful and steady in their work. There is room for improvement in Kelso at right tackle and Fisher at centre. Henry and Shaw, the guards, are heavy men, and interfere well, so likewise does Montgomery at right tackle. Although the eleven is not so heavy this year as the team which Kiskiminetas put into the field last season, it is playing a faster and snappier game.

It does not look very much at present as if the Hartford High-School would come out with any very great honors at the close of the football season. At the present date of writing Hartford has not only lost every game played, but her men have not yet succeeded in scoring a single touch-down. This is a very sad state of affairs for such a reliable old-timer as Hartford. H.P.H.-S. lost the Meriden game, 16-0. The play on that occasion was exceedingly ragged, the interference was loose; in centre plays not more than half the men seemed to get into the game; on the defence the ends could not get at their men at all, and on the whole it was a pretty sorry exhibition of football.

Meriden, on the other hand, played a steady game, and although their performance was not brilliant, it was of the kind that insures victory. The best individual work was done by Lane and Hubbard for Meriden, whereas for Hartford Captain Sturtevant was about the only man who deserves mention. In the game against the Yale Freshmen Hartford played a little better, but they were up against heavier men, and were unable to make any points. In the New Britain game Hartford's play was again ragged, there being not even an attempt at team-work, whereas the New Britain players were especially strong in this feature.

As to individual play, McDonald, Brinley, and Meehan of New Britain were the most conspicuous. Of the Hartford players, Sturtevant, Strong, Allen, and Gillette surpassed in individual work the best performances of their opponents, but this was of little avail where team-work lacked. It seems now very probable that New Britain will win the Connecticut championship this year. The team has already defeated Bridgeport, 14-0, Waterbury having defeated Hillhouse, 4-0, on the same day.

There seems to be more activity in football in the South this year than ever before, and it is probable that a number of interscholastic leagues will be organized. At Richmond, Virginia, the High-School is turning out a pretty good team, which promises to be better in every respect than that of 1895. If a league is formed it will probably include the High-Schools of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Fredericksburg, Suffolk, Danville, Petersburg, and Richmond.

In Washington the Central High-School seems to have the heaviest eleven this year, although all three high-school teams are light. The season is not far enough advanced yet for any detailed criticism of the work done to be justly made, but it is probable that within a few weeks the raw material will have been coached and moulded into fair condition.

It is gratifying to note, in connection with the comments concerning the Milwaukee High-Schools last week, and the rather questionable spirit of sportsmanship which was growing there, that the East Side High-School has taken steps for the purification of athletics that ought to bring up all questionable practices with a sharp turn.

A code of regulations has been adopted by the faculties of the three leading High-Schools of Milwaukee, and although it seems perhaps a little startling to us here in the East to find in it such a paragraph as "No person shall enter a contest under an assumed name," still there may have been very good cause for this sort of severity. One thing about the regulations is certain: If they are lived up to, Milwaukee High-School sports will be of the cleanest, and of a very high grade besides.

Not only must any person who wishes to represent a school in any athletic contest of the Milwaukee High-School League be a bona fide student in regular attendance at his school, but he must obtain a scholastic standing of at least seventy per cent. He must also have obtained seventy per cent. in two full studies during the previous term, or must have obtained credits in three full studies during his last term of attendance. But, of course, pupils who are enrolled for the first time will not be excluded from athletics for lack of percentages and credits which naturally they cannot have, not having been members of the school during the previous term. A further provision allows a student of the Senior class, who is considered by the faculty as a regular candidate for graduation, to participate in any contest even if he has taken less than three full studies at the school, provided, however, he has completed extra work which shall entitle him to a credit in each of the three full studies of the regular curriculum of Senior year.

The rules even go so far as to include managers of teams within these restrictions; so that thus any student who is connected with an athletic team, either in an active or an executive capacity, must have a high standing in his classes and be altogether a reputable person. There are thirteen paragraphs in all to the new code, but those which are not included in the foregoing digest are such as we find in almost all interscholastic leagues, with variations—making provisions for arbitration committees, and filing the names of players a certain given period before contests.

The schedule of the Long Island Football Association has been made out, and the championship games will begin to-morrow, continuing as follows:

Oct. 21.—	Brooklyn Latin School vs. St. Paul's School, at Garden City.
Oct. 24.—	Brooklyn High-School vs. Pratt Institute, at Brooklyn.
Oct. 31.—	Poly. Prep. vs. St. Paul's School, at Garden City;
	Brooklyn Latin School vs. Brooklyn High-School, at Brooklyn.
Nov. 7.—	Brooklyn Latin School vs. Pratt Institute, at Brooklyn.
Nov. 11.—	Brooklyn High School vs. St. Paul's School, at Eastern Park.
Nov. 14.—	Poly. Prep. vs. Pratt Institute, at Brooklyn.
Nov. 21.—	Pratt Institute vs. St. Paul's School, at Garden City;
	Poly. Prep. vs. Brooklyn Latin School, at Brooklyn.
Nov. 26.—	Brooklyn High-School vs. Poly. Prep., at Eastern Park.

If we may judge from the character of the teams in the Long Island League the championship games this year ought to make pretty fair exhibitions of football playing. St. Paul's, Garden City, is going in even harder than customarily, and will have as strong a team as has ever worn the school colors. It will undoubtedly be the strongest eleven of the Long Island League, and will take the championship there, but St. Paul's chief ambition will be to defeat Lawrenceville, and even Andover, if a game can be arranged with the latter.

The make-up of the team, is about the same as it was last year, except, perhaps, that it is heavier. The rush-line is unusually heavy for a school team and the backs, excepting quarter, are also of good weight. Most of the men are veterans, only two being new to the team. These are Kinney, at right guard, and Blount, at quarter-back. This is Kinney's first year at football, but he is developing well, and has great strength, having cultivated this at shot-putting. He weighs 190 pounds. Blount, the other new man, is a Southerner who has never had much experience at football, but he is showing unusual ability for the game, and is rapidly improving under the coaching system prevalent at Garden City.

As full-back Captain Sidney Starr is doing good work, and is running the eleven in proper style. Starr is one of the most prominent of St. Paul's athletes, having played on the school teams ever since he entered school. He weighs 175 pounds, and besides being an excellent punter, he makes a good running full-back. Last year Starr played at quarter a good part of the time, alternating with Gardiner at full-back; but this year he has preferred to let Blount try for quarter, there being no first-class man among his candidates for the position he has taken himself.

The half-backs are Weller and Goldsborough. The latter is an old-time St. Paul's man, having played on the nine and eleven for several years. He weighs 158 pounds, and is a hard runner, usually sure to gain his distance. Weller, the left half-back, played end on the team last year, and showed such good qualities as a line-backer that he was put back of the line this season. He is a good tackler, too, and he is five pounds heavier than his mate. The line is well protected by two good ends. Lorraine has played two years on the team, and is a sharp tackler, with a great capacity for breaking through the opponents' interference. Lorraine is one of those players, however, who does not keep up to his best work steadily, but is liable to have "on" and "off" days. This is a misfortune which may possibly be overcome by coaching. A team made up of players who have "on" and "off" days will be defeated nine times out of ten by an inferior team of steady players.

At the other end of the line, White is a more steady player and an exceedingly active rusher. Symonds and Brown are the tackles; they weigh 170 and 192 pounds respectively. Brown is a shot-putter and hammer-thrower, and has great strength, which he uses to good effect when his team is on the defensive. The centre is Cluett, who played last year, and is doing good work at present. He is well guarded by Kinney and Everett Starr. The latter has played three years on the team, and knows the position thoroughly.

With so many veterans on the St. Paul's team, more time will be devoted by the coaches to a cultivation of team-work than could otherwise be possible; and so it is probable that when St. Paul's meets Berkeley in their last game a few weeks hence we shall see an interesting exhibition of scholastic football.