Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-12-18
SOUTHERN FOOTBALL
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA CAPTURES
The YEARS HoNoRs.
naai intercollegiate Game TO he Ar
ranged--other sporss

A decade ago. SAYS o recent Radford
(Va.1 letter TO tho New York World, south
ern professors lectured upon and Landed
the union OF physical and intellectual ex-
cellerce 50 strongly evineed in the flower
Of ancient Greece One would have
thought they desired the southern college
man to emulate the ancients in their
training, but it seems they did not.
When encouragement for college Rth-
letics was asked and holidays de-
sired, without exception, IL might be said,
the southern faculty refused and frowned.
However, things have changed. Southern
professors still lecture upon and laud
Grecian physique and intellect, but they
have also learned that the combination
can be modern, that the development of
the combination in their schools is essens
tial as we'll as wise. and as q sequence
southern students are becoming athletes
too. College life presents a " New South
as distinct as that one in industrial iIn-
provement.
The University Of Virginia was the first
of the schools 20 play football in the
South, and is properly called the pioneer
in this particular field. Finding at trst
no southern opponents it was necessary
10 arrange games with northern teams.
This naturally proved most fortunate for
the advancement of tho game ia the South.
Contrasting with good teams that had been
well trained gave them m insight into
good football. which il hard TO secure
otherwise than through practical demon
sttation.
JUST BEGINNING.
The early games of the university were
principally with Lafayette. LohiRb, Dick
enson. Johns Hopkins and the Columbia
Athletic Club. In 1890 the NIrginians
secured game with Princeton, which was
PLAYED in Washington and resulted rather
disaStrously TO the perhaps
presumptuous-so utherners. While the
defeat was overwhelming-the score being
IA 10 0--yet the game served 10 give the
southerners IN insight into the posslbili-
ties of modern tooth bali and To increase
the earnestness of future team applI-
cants. In the last two wears the game has
become general IN southern colleges, good
teams have been turned ont and the Uni
versity Of Virginia has confined its dates
almost entirely with southern teams--nOt
from desire particularly, but rather from
necessity. A game with the University OF
PENNSYLVANIA, in which the Nirginians
were defeated by n score of 81 TO q, shows
the advancement of football science at
Virginla's University over what II was two
years ago, when Princeton defeated them
30 badly.
THE CHAMPIONSHIP.
The close Of the series Of contests in At
lanta November Goth gave the southern
championship 10 tho University of Viz
ginis. While it is true the North Carolina
University defeated them, yet 1t was
merely an exhibition game, the champion
ship game having been PLAYED some time
before and resulting for Virginia 80 to Is.
The superiority OF the Nlrglnians was
largely due to the training by Spicer,
Princston's former half-back. lie was en-
gagged early IN the season as coach ana
worked carefully with the material IL col
lege until he presented IN Atlanta the best
team that any southern college has pro-
duced.
Trinity College, after tho University of
Virginia, was next to adopt foot ball With
any boldness or system. That team soon
claimed a southern hamplonship contest
with the Nlrginians. 1t was played IN
Richmond. aud the greater experience OF
the Nirginians was apparent when TRINITY
was easily defeated. Though defeated,
Trinitys team was more enthusiastic
and determined even than their cp.
pOnents. The Trinity team improved
greatly and trained carefully. Captain
Daniels spent the summer of 1891 IN the
North picking up stray BITS OF football
science for his fall work. He returned TO
Trinity, and when the teams lined up IN
surprise in store for every one. Trinity
won by score of 20 to 0, and outplayed
their opponents at every point. Their
play was the most sklltul seenln the South.
Trinity this year proved a great disap- /
polutment 10 their friends. Their game
WAS tar inferior to last years, and they lost
10 both the Universities Of Virginia and
North Carolina. Daniels was back, but
many of the old players failed to return.
SCIENTIFIC TEAM.
Close upon Trinity follows tho Uni
versity of North Carolina, whose team this
year has proved so scientific. That school
adopted the game IN 1855 or 1896. but failed
20 do much until within the last two years.
This season, under Hoke as captain. the /
team played beautiful game. They were
only defeated once-then by the Uni
versity of Virginia 80 to 1S-and in mea-
sure they wiped that out by beating the
Nirgiuians IN Atlanta last week by 20 10 0,
though il was only an exhibition. Tho
North Caroiinians will prove foremost IN
the contest next year if their plans are not
altered
While the three schools mentioned were
introducing and perfecting the game the
Virginia Military Institute, Washington
and Lee, and Wake Forest were beginning
10 turn their thoughts in the foot. ball line.
All now have good teams. In the mean
of the South, in Tennessee, were
having contests between themselves,
with an occasional game with the
Washington University, in Missouri. The
University of the South sent out team
this season which for its weight compares
favorably with any in the South. Next
year, If their old PLAYERS should return,
that team should make a strong fight tor
southern championship honors.
The OqTua in the (1nOrpIa and Alabama
schools Is possibly the most primitive IN
the South. These schools are the last To
adopt the game, but they are learning and
have the will 10 make a good football
howing. The Alabama Agricultural aud
Mechanical College entered the contests
nj Atlanta recently. but made poor
record Their men weri very heavy. as "A
rule, and II is probable that they were &c
lected with weight IN view, which shows
that the scientific possibilities of the game
are not properly appreciated.
INTERCOLLEGIATE GAMES
Steps are being taken for an annual in
tercOlegiate foot ball contest in Atlanta
Thanksgiving. The plan is TO have the
several champions of Virginia. North Caro-
lima, Alabama Tennessee and Georgia
meet in Atlanta Thanksgiving week, and
by a series Of contests 10 decide the south +
ern championship. But II Is doubtful whe-
ther sthe idea will prove satisfactory
wien attempted. Football is game
IN which no team can indulge for
championship honors on two success
slve DAYS aud appear TO its best advan-
tage For this reason the desire 10 decide
the southern championship all IN one week
between half dozen colleges Will provo
impracticabe Let the several leading
schools play prior 70 Thanksgiving and set
tie upon the two leaders. Then let these
PLAY the deciding game IN Atlanta. Foot
Dali has taken a firm hold upon the South.
lts general popularity is fast getting TO re-
semhle that IN the North. 1t is being
PLAYED IN the South III almost every col 7
lcge. university, and preparatory school. /
AMI while the game down here is by n 1
means the skiliul battle IT is North. Yet |