"They're beefy," said Captain Jack, a bit dubiously.
"They are a bit heavier than we are," admitted Andy, "but we have more speed. Look how slowly they worked that forward pass."
"They may be doing it for a bluff," said Duke Yardly.
"There's no bluff about this gridiron and their grandstands," declared Donald Burgess. "This sure is a peach school."
Nearly every lad contrasted it with Riverview, to the disadvantage of the latter institution.
"Never mind," spoke Frank. "Win this game and we may have a better football field—some day."
Jack Sanderson won the toss and selected the north goal, as that gave him the advantage of a stiff little wind, and he realized that if his team could score first it would put heart into the lads—heart that would more than make up for the extra weight of the Waterside eleven.
Ping! The new yellow ball sailed high into the air, and went rolling well into Riverview's territory. Frank caught it and went back on the run, well protected by interference. But with a rush Waterside was bearing down on him in a bunch, while from thousands of throats came hoarse yells.
"Go on, old man! Go on!" someone implored Frank.
He did try to go on, but now there was a miniature mountain of flesh upon him.