The Connecticut League has been reorganized, and now consists of the following schools: Hillhouse H.-S. and Hopkins Grammar, of New Haven; Hartford, Bridgeport, New Britain, and Waterbury high-schools; and Norwich and Suffield academies. The schedule of championship games begins on October 26th, when Hartford meets New Britain, Suffield meets Norwich, Hillhouse meets Bridgeport, and Hopkins Grammar meets Waterbury. The winners of these matches will play on November 2d, and the championship will be decided on the Yale Field a week later.
All the teams of the league have been getting good practice, and have played a number of smaller games. The Hartford H.-S. team seems to offer the greatest promise at present; but since their defeat by the Springfield H.-S. there has been a notable shake-up. Bryant is playing at tackle again, and Smith, last year's centre, is in his old place. Grant, a new man, is playing guard in Lyman's place, while Lyman has moved up one to tackle. Goodell has dropped back of the line, taking Jenkins' place, who is laid off. Morcum is holding down right end, vice Twitchell. This new arrangement will probably be in effect when Hartford lines up against Hillhouse on the 2d of next month.
For some years past there have been rumors, more or less well-founded, that certain players on teams of the Connecticut League had no business playing, and hints of pecuniary recompense were not whispered in low tones, but called out loudly. New Britain came in for a generous share of these aspersions, and from all I am able to learn richly deserved them two or three years ago. I believe, however, that a better appreciation of sportsmanship prevails there at present, and I doubt if the other schools in the league will find it necessary to protest any of the New Britain players this year.
Complaints have been made, to be sure, but upon investigation I find that the trouble arises out of the fact that the New Britain Captain has allowed two or three outsiders to play on his team in practice games (notably in the recent contest at Waterbury), rather than to jeopard his chances of victory by using weak substitutes. I am assured, however, that no such tricks will be played in any championship match. The method ought not to have been adopted even in practice. It is not sportsmanlike, and is cowardly in that the New Britain men are knowingly and unfairly taking advantage of their opponents if they allow players on their eleven who are not in regular attendance at the New Britain High-School.
By doing anything of this kind a captain not only attempts to conquer his opponents by unfair means and false representations, but he stultifies himself. He admits that he has not men good enough, or is incapable to training players who shall be strong enough, to defeat the eleven with whom he has agreed to play. He therefore secures a few good-natured, able-bodied outsiders, who are the means of earning a victory; but it is not the High-School team that has won. It is a team made up of a few High-School players and a few others. All this sounds harsh when put into cold type. The case seems so different when smoothed over with pleasant words. It is good for sport to have facts put in plain English occasionally. So far there has been no great harm done at New Britain this year, and I hope the players there will soon see the justness of restricting membership on their team to bona fide scholars. And, in passing, let me add that there are a number of other captains who may read the foregoing paragraphs to their great advantage, for this criticism is by no means intended to be particular, but general.
Next Saturday the New Britain team will play the Hillhouse High-School eleven on the Yale Field at New Haven. The game should be of interest not only because both teams are good ones, but because these two schools have not met since the championship game played in the fall of 1893, when New Britain succeeded in defeating the New Haven eleven for the championship of the League. At the time a protest was entered against a player named Wheeler, of the New Britain team, who was charged with being a professional athlete. There is little doubt that Wheeler was a professional, but the charges were not sustained at a later meeting, and the trophy went to the New Britain team.
The biggest score at football that the Harvard Varsity ever made against Exeter was 158 to 0. That was in 1886, I believe, and unless I am mistaken it is the record for big scores in a game between two regularly organized and trained elevens. Nevertheless, the P.E.A. team that was vanquished by this enormous score went down to Andover and defeated their rivals 26 to 0. This year Harvard's score against Exeter was 42 to 0, and yet there is little doubt that Andover could easily take Exeter into camp if the two schools should meet. This shows how little teams can be judged by comparing scores. The Exeter eleven this year is not a good one, and yet the figures of the Harvard game would seem to show that it is. When the play is analyzed, however, the truth is apparent. For instance, at no time during the game did Exeter succeed either in advancing the ball the necessary five yards on four downs, nor were her men able to hold Harvard for four downs, or to compel the Harvard back to punt.
The Play between each touch-down was almost identical. Exeter would kick off and the ball would be punted back by one of the 'varsity players. If the crimson forwards got down the field fast enough, as they frequently did, they secured the ball and proceeded with the play until they scored. If a P.E.A. man got the ball then Harvard would force the school-team to lose a few yards, and at the fourth down Williams would punt. Sometimes he would, and sometimes he would not, because the Exeter rush-line was seldom able to hold the college men. As soon as Harvard got the ball on a play of this kind a couple of runs around the end or dives through the centre would net a touch-down. It is surprising that the winning score was not twice as large. Two halves of fifteen minutes only were played. If I remember correctly the 158-0 game lasted two full-time halves, and in those days each half lasted three-quarters of an hour.
New leagues are springing up continually. A few days ago the three most prominent military schools of the West met in Chicago and organized the Northwestern Military School League, which is to consist of the Shattuck Military School, at Faribault, Minnesota; St. John's Military Academy, at Delafield, Wisconsin; and the Michigan Military Academy of Orchard Lake, Michigan. The organization is to cover baseball, football, and track athletics. It is to be a triangular league at present, but other schools may be admitted by unanimous vote. No arrangements have yet been made for baseball or track contests, but a football schedule has been laid out as follows: Shattuck will meet St. John's at Minneapolis or St. Paul the Saturday before Thanksgiving, and the winner will play Orchard Lake at Chicago the week following. This league ought to grow and prosper, for it is just the kind of thing that is needed among the schools of the Northwest to encourage and foster interscholastic sport.
The Inter-Preparatory League and the Cook County High-School F.B. League, of Chicago, are at present the most nourishing scholastic associations of the West. They are both strong in members, and some of the school teams are putting up good football. The Cook County H.-S.F.B. League's schedule is made out as follows: