“He’s as good as I’ve got, Coach.”
“He may be now, but he won’t be if Ordway keeps coming. That kid’s a wonder in a broken field. If you built up a game around him, Dan, you’d have a mighty good attack for the middle of the field.”
“He’s clever,” acknowledged Mr. Crowley, “but he’s light. Next year——”
“Tell you what, Dan, you take Hanser and let me have Ordway. Look here. Mount Morris has a heavy, slow line and her ends aren’t remarkable when you come right down to brass tacks. They haven’t shown anything against any team they’ve met yet. Did you read the Mount Morris—St. James game? Well, Mount Morris’ ends were never under the punts. St. James ran the ball back five to fifteen yards every time. With ends like those, why couldn’t this Ordway fellow get away? Wait a bit. Suppose we worked up a shift formation that brought their tackle over to the long side of their line. Then suppose we send a fake attack on that side, pull Trafford out and send him and Ordway around the short end? Why wouldn’t that make a good get-away play around the twenty-five-yard line? I believe we could work up a play that could score for us. That rascal is a marvel at squeezing through the tight places. All he needs is a lot of work to give him experience.”
“Too light in weight,” growled Mr. Crowley. “They’d stop him quick.”
“Sure, they would if they caught him. But he’s something like an eel, as I figure it. No, you take Hanser and give me Ordway, Dan, and I’ll make a regular back of that kid. Or I will if he doesn’t get hurt. That’s one trouble; he’s likely to bust something, I guess.”
“Not him, Coach,” said Davy. “He’s the supple kind.” (Davy pronounced it “soople,” though.) “There ain’t a stiff bone in his body, sir.”
“Well, you can have him, of course,” said Mr. Crowley. “Maybe you’re right, too. He is clever, and he—he’s neat; handles the ball nice, travels nice; sort of clean-cut in his style.”
“Good! Send him to me tomorrow, Dan.”