The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1872-12-05
THE STORY-TELLER.
TOM BROWNIES FIRST GAME OF
FOOTBALL. =.
-Toot ana eye opposed
In dubious strife.

foot ana eye opposed
In dubious strife.
ana now that the two sides have fairly sun-
dered and each occupies its own ground. and
we get good look at them, what ahsurditv
IS this! You don't mean to say that those
ftty or sixty boys in white trowsers. many of
them quite small, are going to play that huge
mass opposite Indeed / do, gentlemen:
.hey re gong to try at any rate, and won't
word; for hasn't old Brooke won the toss
with his lucky half penny. and got choice of
goals and kickoff? The new ball YOU NAV
see lie there quite by itself in the middle
pointing towards the school or island GOAL
IN another minute it will be on its way there
Use that minute in remarking how the
school house side is drilled. You will see in
the first place that the sixth-form boy who
mas the charge of goal, has spread his force.
tthe goal keepers) so as to occupy the whole
space behind the goal posts, at distances of
about five yards apart. safe and well kent
goal Is the foundation of all good play. Old
BROOKE Is talking to the captain of quarters
ana now he moves away. See how that
youngster spreads his men (the light brigade)
carefully over the ground, half way between
Their own goal and the body of their own
players up Cthe heavy brigade. These again
play in several bodies There is young
brooke and the bull-dogs-mark them well;
they are the fighting brigade" the "die
hards," larking about at lean frog to keen
themselves warm and playing tricks on one
another. And on each side of old Brooke.
VINO is now standing in the middle of the
ground, and just going to kick off, you see a
separate wing OF players up, each with a boy
OF acknowledged prowess to look to-here
Warner, and there Hedge; but over all is old
Brooke absolute as he of Russia, but wisely
and bravely ruling over willing and worship
ping subjects, true football king His face
is earnest and careful as he glances last time
over his array. but full of pluck and hope. the
sort OF look hope to see in my general when
go out to fight.
The school side is not organized in the same
way. The goal-keepers are all in lumps. anv
how and nohow. You can't distinguish be-
tween the players-up, and the boys in quart
ers, and there is divided leadership; but with
such odds in strength and weight, it must
take more than that to hinder them from
winning and SO their leaders seem to think,
for they let the players up manage them
selves
But now look, there is a slight move for
ward of the school-house wings. Old Brooke
takes half dozen quick steps, and away goes
the Dali spinning towards the school goal;
S evenly yards before it touches ground and at
no point above twelve or fifteen feet high.
a model kickoff, and the school-house cheer
and rush on. The ball is returned and they
meet it and drive it back amongst the masses
of the school already in motion. then the
two sides close. and you can see nothing for
minutes but swaying crowd of bows at one |
point violently agitated. That is where the !
ball Is and there are the keen players to be |
met and the glory and hard knocks to be got |
You hear the dull thud thud of the ball. and |
the shouts OF "Of your side" ''Down with |
him, Put him over" 4" Bravo" This |
Is what we call a scrummage, gentlemen, and |
the hrSt scrummage in school-house match |
was no joke in the consulship of Plancus.
But see 1t has broken, the ball is driven |
out on the school house side, and rush of
the school carries it past the schoo-house
players up. "Look out in quarters" Brooke's
and twenty other voices ring OUT no need to
call, though; the school-house captain in
quarters has caught it on the bound lodges
he foremost schoolboys who are leading the
rush, and sends it back with a good drop
KICK well INTO the enemy's country, and then
follows rush upon rush, and scrummage upon
scrummage, the ball now driven through the
school house quarters and now into the school
goal, for the school house have not lost the
advantage which the kick off and n SLIGHT
Wlnd gave them at the outset and are slightly
'penning' their advelsaries. You can't be
expected to appreciate the delicate strokes of
turns by which game is lost and
won; 1t takes an old player to do that, but
the broad philosophy of football, you can
Il you will. Come along with me a little
nearer and let us consider it again.
The ball has just fallen again where the {
TWO sides are thickest, and they close rapidly
iround 1t in scrummage 1t must be driven ]
through now by force or skill, till it flies out $
On one side or the other. Look how differ | !
entity the boys face it. Here come two of the =
lull dogs bursting through the outsiders: in !
hey go straight to the heart of the serum
mage, bent on driving that ball out on the :
opposite side. That is what they mean to do.
dy sons, my sons, you are too hot: you have {
zone past the ball and must struggle now '
light through the scrlimmage and get round c
md back again to your own side before Won a
an be OF any further use; here comes Young t
orooke; ne goes IN straight as you, but keeps I
us head and backs and bends, holding him a
elf still behind the ball and driving Il furi.
,usly when he gets a chance. Here comes
'peedicut, and Flashman the school-house S
'ully, with shouts, and great action. Won't O
ou two come up to young Brooke after lock- s
ng up by the school-house fire, with "Old C
elbow, wasn't that splendid scrummage by
he three trees p But he knows you and SO f
o we. You don't really want to drive that
all through that scrummage, CHANGING all
urt for the glory of the school house, but to C
lake us think that's what you want-a vast T
different thing and fellows of your kidney !,
vii never go through more than the skirts =
scrummage, where it's all push and no e
licking, We respect boys who keep out of 1
I, and don't sham going in; bgt you've had a
ither not say what we think OF you Ii
linen the boys who are bending and watch Il
lg on the outside, mark them. They are D
lost useful players, the DODGERS who seize /,
the ball the moment it rolls out from n
nongst the chargers, and away with it across N,
the opposite goal. They seldom 60 into T.
le Scrummage. Ju
Three quarters of an hour are gone: first =
inds are falling and weights and numbers lie
ginning to tell. Yard by yard the school ct
'use have been driven back contesting every e1
tile inch of ground The school-ho1se are be