The championship season in football is now fairly under way in almost every section of the country, and the reports that come in from all sides are of a most promising nature for the welfare of the sport. More players in a greater number of schools spread over a broader area of the country are at work on the gridiron this year than ever before, and the colleges may feel confident of receiving a higher grade of raw material in the future than has ever come in with any previous Freshman class.
In the Boston Association the number of schools in the Junior League has become so large as to make it necessary to divide it into two sections, the winners of each to play off to decide the championship; and then, of course, the champion of the Juniors must play the tail-ender in the Senior League to determine whether or not they exchange places. Newton, Somerville, Chelsea, and Medford form one division of the Junior League; Roxbury Latin, Dedham, Hyde Park, and Dorchester the other. Dorchester and Medford are new-comers, and thus, to a certain extent, unknown quantities. Somerville High, having won the championship of the Junior League last year, will now move up into the Senior ranks, and from present appearances the team ought to make a good showing. In the game with Tufts College, Somerville held the collegians down to one touch-down in a twenty-minute half. They developed good team-work in their aggressive play, but when on the defence they were not so strong. This is the natural result of practice work against a weaker team, such as a second eleven usually is. The only way to develop a strong defence is to practise against stronger opponents, hence the advisability of as many matches with outsiders as possible.
The weak spots in the Somerville team are the guards. They are somewhat light, but with training and careful coaching should develop well, Almeida, the captain, is a good man, and is playing an unusually strong game at quarter for a captain. If he can manage his men as well as they were managed last season, Somerville need have no fears of losing its position in the Senior League. The backs, Pipe and Cuddy, are doing as well as can be expected so early in the season, and if Hanlon, at full-back, can keep on improving in his kicking, the team will be well taken care of back of the line.
From present appearances it looks as if English High would have fully as good a team as last year, and the eleven is certainly as strong as any other in the League to-day. Five of the old champions are back, and they form an excellent nucleus for an exceptionally good lot of new material. Kimball, who will probably hold centre, is pretty green, but will improve. He will doubtless be guarded by Walker, who is a new man, and by Carroll, who was last year's substitute centre. If these three men are finally selected, they will make as heavy a centre as there is on any team in the association. The position of quarter-back is still open, as it is not known yet definitely whether Sherlock will return to school. If he does not, however, Mansfield and Mann will make good substitutes, and can be trained into excellent players. Mann is a fast runner, and will make a good running quarter if he takes the place.
The Boston Latin School loses a good many of last year's team, but is fortunate in having an unusually large number of men anxious for positions on the eleven. The practice work so far has been of the first order, and the number of candidates has made it possible for the old men to get good practice. Those who are trying are not all by any means new to the game. Some were substitutes to the team which won the championship in 1895.
The men of last tear's team who are left to represent Boston Latin this year are Lowe, who played left guard; Teevens, who was substitute tackle in 1894, but who played back of the line last year; Daly, last year's right half-back, who, however, will doubtless make a try for full-back this fall; and Brayton, who is a candidate for guard. The new men, besides being a promising lot, are all pretty heavy, and so we may expect to see the Latin School represented by a heavy team in the coming championship.
The schedule for the championship series in the Senior League was made up at a recent meeting of the football committee as follows:
Boston Latin.—Oct. 30, Brookline High at South End; Nov. 6, Hopkinson at South End; Nov. 13, Cambridge High and Latin at South End; Nov. 26, English High at South End.
Cambridge Manual.—Oct. 30, Boston Latin or Cambridge High and Latin, Soldiers' Field; Nov. 6, Brookline High at Soldiers' Field; Nov. 13, Hopkinson at Soldiers' Field; Nov. 20, English High at Soldiers' Field.
English High.—Nov. 6, Cambridge High and Latin at South End; Nov. 12, Brookline High at South End; Nov. 17, Hopkinson at South End; Nov. 20, Cambridge Manual at Soldiers' Field; Nov. 26, Boston Latin at South End.
Cambridge High and Latin.—Oct. 31, Hopkinson (undecided); Nov. 6, English High at South End; Nov. 13, Boston Latin at South End; Nov. 18, Brookline (undecided).
Brookline High.—Oct. 30, Boston Latin at South End; Nov. 6, Cambridge Manual at Soldiers' Field; Nov. 12, English High at South End; Nov. 18, Cambridge High and Latin at Soldiers' Field or South End; Nov. 24, Hopkinson at Soldiers' Field.
Hopkinson.—Oct. 31, Cambridge High and Latin at South End (?); Nov. 6, Boston Latin at South End; Nov. 13, Cambridge Manual at Soldiers' Field; Nov. 17, English High at South End; Nov. 24, Brookline High at Soldiers' Field.