Lawrenceville defeated Andover in their annual football game a week ago Friday. This result was doubtless a surprise to those who had witnessed the Exeter-Andover game of the previous week, but it was an event not entirely unlooked for by the Lawrenceville coachers.
The game was interesting and exciting from start to finish, and the result doubtful until the last moment of play. The strength displayed by Lawrenceville was no doubt largely due to the good advice they have been getting during the past few weeks from Princeton football-players, who had been trying to knit some sort of a team out of the many individuals that had been developed by the work of the early fall. Lawrenceville had hoped that this method would culminate in a general successful movement by the entire team, and after a week's hard work just this result was obtained. I do not think that Lawrenceville has ever before put into the field an eleven that played so steadily as these men did in the Andover game. The necessity for steadiness was urged upon the players, and they were well aware that this must be their only reliance, since no man upon the team could be termed a brilliant player, and looked to for some dashing performance at a critical moment.
The game progressed most satisfactorily, and during the entire afternoon there was not one word of protest or argument from either side. This was largely due, no doubt, to the excellence of the officials—Messrs. Alexander Moffat and Clinton T. Wood. The Lawrenceville players were penalized a great deal in the first half, some sixty yards being lost for off-side play and interference. This spirit of restlessness, which causes men frequently to be over-anxious, proved a good thing in the end for Lawrenceville, in spite of her heavy penalties, for as it became controlled during the progress of the game it was transformed to a quickness and alertness that proved most valuable.
On the kick-off in the first half, by Andover, Lawrenceville returned the ball, which was fumbled by Elliott of Andover. Of the two teams I had expected to see Lawrenceville do most of the fumbling, but it was Andover that proved the weaker of the two in this matter. I had expected likewise to see Andover kick a great deal, but she did not adopt these tactics, her line being unable to protect her backs. The Andover full-back kicked but four times in his regular position; the rest of the time he kicked from the half-back's position, and consequently his kicks were high and short. The best feature of Andover's work was the interference. This was formed quickly, and was very effective. On four occasions runs were made around the Lawrenceville ends, which almost proved disastrous. Andover's ends were superior to the Lawrenceville players, and Captain Richards, of Lawrenceville, was fairly outplayed by his opponent in the first half. In the second half, however, Richards held his own.
As to generalship Andover was inferior to Lawrenceville. This may have been due somewhat to the absence of Captain Barker in the first half, although matters did not improve materially when he entered the play in the second half. The Lawrenceville full-back made long and sure punts, and on several occasions her quarter-back kicked effectively for a gain of several yards. With the exception therefore of the ends and Captain Richards, in the first half Lawrenceville may fairly be said to have outplayed Andover. I think, however, that to these exceptions should be included Elliott of Andover; he is really better than either of the Lawrenceville half-backs.
As to the game itself: After Andover's kick-off and Lawrenceville's return, the Jerseymen got the ball on a fumble, and by an attack on the centre and tackles worked down to the twenty-yard line. A quarter-back kick brought the ball to the five-yard line, where Andover secured it on downs. Andover kicked to the twenty-yard line only, and after being rushed back to the fifteen-yard line, the full-back missed a goal from the field by a few inches. On the kick-off from the twenty-yard line Lawrenceville advanced the ball surely down the field by short plunges through the line, and the first touch-down was made by Cadwalader, who also kicked the goal. On the kick-off Lawrenceville was successively penalized for off-side play until the ball was on her twenty-yard line. By the criss-cross trick White ran for Andover's only touch-down around Lawrenceville's right end. The ball was punted, but the goal failed. On the next kick-off Lawrenceville braced up considerably, both as to playing and keeping on-side. By short rushes around the ends and through the line she had the ball on Andover's one-yard line, on the first down, when the first half was called.