The lads were racing about, leaping and jumping. Some were punting, others sending the ball swiftly around by a quick arm and hand motion. Still others, in the excess of their exuberance, were wrestling or tackling.
For it was the first day of practice with the newly-organized team, and everyone was anxious to see what the result would be. Kerr had gone from Randall, after an affecting good-bye to his classmates, bearing with him their sincere wishes that his father would speedily recover, and that Ed would return.
Bricktop, for the first time since the season had opened, was without his football togs, and he felt it keenly. But once he had made up his mind, he decided to forget practice, though he consented to stay on about a week, and help Mr. Lighton coach Snail Looper in his work behind the line.
“Here you go, Tom!” called Sid, and he sent a puzzling spiral down the field. The plucky left end was down after it like a flash, extending his arms to gather it in. So swift was it, however, that it went right through his grasp, and bounded on the grass. Tom, like a flash, fell on it.
“Good!” cried the coach, who seemed to be watching every preliminary play, though regular practice had not yet been begun. “That’s the way to do it.”
There was some warm-up work, while Mr. Lighton and Dan Woodhouse consulted, and while the captain of the scrub was getting his men together. Then came the cry again:
“Line up! Line up!”
“We’ll play a ten minute half,” said the captain, and he glanced at a list in his hand. “Here’s how the ’varsity will line up,” he added. “Tom Parsons will play at left end, Bert Bascome at left tackle, Sam Looper at left guard, Holly Cross at centre. Billy Housenlager will be right guard. I’ll play at right tackle, as usual. Joe Jackson will be at right end, and his brother can try it at full-back, only I wish he’d put on more weight. Phil, you’ll go to quarter. Pete Backus will play right half-back, and Sid Henderson at left half. Now, I guess that completes the team. Get in line and see what we can do.”
“And remember what I told you about fast, snappy playing,” cautioned the coach. “I’m going to have the scrub do its best to make a touchdown on you, so watch out. Line up!”
The ball was placed in the centre of the field, and, as the ’varsity wanted to get into offense as soon as possible, the scrub was to kick off.