Forward Pass: A Story of the "New Football"

by Ralph Henry Barbour

“You’re coming home to dinner with me, Dan,” he said as they parted at the gymnasium. But Dan shook his head.

“There’s a meeting of what Payson calls the Advisory Committee this evening,” he said. “Can’t I come to-morrow night instead?”

“Yes, but I wish you’d come to-night. Anyhow, I’ll wait for you here after the game. Good-bye.”

Nordham, like Yardley, had gone through the season thus far without a defeat and the game had awakened a good deal of interest in the neighborhood. So by three o’clock Yardley Field was filled with the largest audience of the Fall. Nordham, who had journeyed down from Western Massachusetts, had played Broadwood the day before, and, using her substitutes whenever possible, had managed to escape with the score 12 to 9 against her. Yardley expected a hard game, but not such a difficult one as that with Brewer. Nordham had only won twice during the last six years, and then by small scores; usually Yardley managed to win decisively. But to-day Payson was in doubt, for there was no denying that his team was backward. The line-up when the game began was as follows: Vinton, left end; Little, left tackle; Hadlock, left guard; Hill, center; Colton, right guard; Mitchell, right tackle; Dickenson, right end; Loring, quarter-back; Stevens, left half; Dyer, right half; Gerard, full-back.

Nordham Academy’s team was, theoretically at least, an ideal one. From tackle to tackle her men were both heavy and fast; her ends were rangy, hard-running and fleet of foot; her quarter, a veteran of three seasons, was one of the best on the school gridirons, a plucky, determined player and a good general; her backs were fairly light, fast and “tricky.” She had been drilled in new football until, to-day, she was far in advance of her opponent in that line. Having won the toss she placed herself with the breeze, which since morning had strengthened a good deal, at her back. Kapenhysen kicked to her ten yard-line and Dickenson nailed the runner for a scant gain. Then Nordham sprang the first of many bewildering surprises.

Leaving her center absolutely alone in the middle of the field, the rest of her line-men spread out until the ends were close to the side-lines and an average distance of four yards separated them. The Nordham quarter went back ten yards and a little to the right of center and the two half-backs stood ahead and at either side as though a kick was to be made and they were to protect the kicker. The full-back was a little in advance of the quarter and ten yards or so to the right.

It was open formation with a vengeance, and Yardley was at a loss how to meet it. No one had ever seen such a play and for a moment consternation reigned in the ranks of the Blue. Finally, deciding that a punt was coming, Yardley spread out in a half-hearted way, Dickenson following his opposing end and Dan starting to do the same until the position of the full-back struck him as peculiar. By that time Nordham was giving her signals. Dan abandoned his end and took up a position in front of the Nordham full-back.

The ball flew back to quarter at an angle, the Yardley forwards ran through the open line and the Nordham full-back sprang straight ahead. Dan saw him coming and tried to upset him, but the Nordham chap was too much for him and the next moment the ball was arching across the line into his arms on the prettiest of forward passes. Had Yardley met the formation by either keeping her line closed or by opening it up wide it is probable that the Nordham full-back would have got away for a good gain. But as it was he was nabbed before he had made three strides with the ball in his arm. But Nordham had gained ten yards and Yardley was still bewildered.

After that, as though to lull suspicion, Nordham settled down to plays on tackle and wide runs at the ends. There she made a mistake, for had she attempted another trick at that time—and she still had plenty up her sleeve—she might have made a good gain, for Yardley was for the moment quite demoralized. Payson, for one, drew a deep breath of relief when he saw the enemy return to ordinary formations.

For awhile Nordham stuck to plain football without frills, making gains now and then through the left of the line from guard to end and now and then getting a back away around one corner or the other. It is only fair to say that Dan’s corner was less easy than Dickenson’s, for the latter was plainly off his game and allowed himself to be put out of the way frequently. But the gains were all short, and on Yardley’s twenty-eight yards the ball was lost on downs. Kapenhysen kicked and the struggle began all over again. Nordham now began a series of shifts which worked well until Yardley, who had been coached to meet them but lacked experience, solved them.