Middleton made no more changes in her line-up. Grafton’s new backfield worked less smoothly than the old and the last quarter was but three plays old when Hanser was driven far back when attempting a wide end run and there pulled to earth by two desperate opponents. It was then fourth down, with nearly eighteen to go, and Weston kicked from close behind the line. The ball was sent away too low and a Middleton forward knocked it down and most of the twenty-two players went after it. When it finally came to a stop it was smuggled under the canvas jacket of a Middleton tackle on Grafton’s eighteen yards.
It was the home team’s time to celebrate. A fine hubbub broke forth in the stand and along one side of the field as the two teams lined up almost under the shadow of the north goal. Grafton made a desperate defence of that goal, but some of the second-string fellows were found wanting. She staved off that touchdown as long as she could and twice the distance had to be measured, but in the end—it took Middleton her full allowance of eight plays to do it—an obnoxious halfback bored through and when the tangle of squirming bodies was pulled or hurled aside he was found to have placed the ball just two inches over the line!
An equally obnoxious tackle added another point to the six and Grafton kicked off to Middleton. There was still something like eight minutes of the period remaining and the Grafton supporters had lost their feeling of security. Middleton came back hard. In the first mix-up Weston was hurt and Blake came back to quarter. Middleton began at the wings again and tried hard to reach scoring distance of the Scarlet-and-Gray’s goal. Several plays netted good gains, but a fumble and a penalty equalized matters. A desperately long forward-pass that ought never to have succeeded did succeed and again Grafton found herself almost under her goal. The Middleton rooters were cheering and shouting wildly now. Coach Bonner sent Musgrave back to center and Winslow to left half. Another forward heave struck the ground. Middleton began a hard battering of the right side of the enemy’s line and made short gains there. Grafton held fast on her twenty-one yards and kicked on second down. Middleton started back from the middle of the field and came fast. An end run went around Bellows for a dozen yards and Bowen was punctured again for six. Hanrihan stopped the next attack and sustained injuries. Gordon replaced him. A forward-pass netted a short gain for Middleton and then the fullback banged at Bowen again and romped through for first down.
Monty, watching dubiously, heard his name called. Mr. Bonner was curling a finger toward him. “Go on in,” said the coach briefly. “Send Bowen out. You can stop those gains if you get the jump, Crail. Tell Blake to play his backfield deeper on the shifts. Keep your eyes open, Crail, and show your mettle.”
The coach shoved him toward the field and Monty hurried in, pulling his head protector down.
“Report to the referee,” cautioned Tray as he passed, and Monty sought that official.
“Right guard, sir,” he announced.
“All right, Crail,” greeted Winslow breathlessly. “Who’s off?”
“Bowen. Where’s Blake?”