The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-11-20
DETAIL OF PLAY.
Progress of the Ball Up and
Down the Field.

We're rather late in coming upon the
field, for it was just quarter past ,
o'clock when Capt. Chamberlain and
his cohort of blue-suited players logged
on to the field. Soon Harvard broke
into the arena and logged over to the
Harvard side, amid cheering that was
equally as enthusiastic as that accord
ed the home team.
1t did not take long for the men to
prepare for the lineup, and the kick
off. All this sort of work had been
occupying the attention Of the coaches
for weeks-in fact, ever since the sea-
son opened. The centre trio lined up
a few times and the ball was snapped
to one of the backs. Then the prepara-
tory whistle blew. Off came crimson
sweaters and blue sweaters. These
were gathered together by the subs,
who, of course, outnumbered the regu-
lars three to l. The Yale men lined
up in the centre of the field, while the
men who were to uphold Harvard S
honor-as it proved later, so success
fully-spread about over the Harvard
territory to handle Yale's opening kick
off
This first lineup of the opposing
teams gave the assembled thousands
their first opportunity to see just who
were and who were not playing. A
glance at the Yale side revealed the
fact that true to dispatches sent out in
advance, De Saulles was not in the
game. His place at quarter back was
to be filed by Ely, who had been doing
so well in practice ever since De
Saulles injury, Then, too, it was seen
that big Mcbride, whose chances of
playing have been considered problem
attic ever since that ankle began to
bother, was not upon the field.
His ankle, Yale sympathizers say,
had not mended sufficiently, despite his
visit to the New York specialist yes
terday morning. But his presence on
the side lines, in uniform and sweat
er, showed clearly that not all hopes of
his playing had been abandoned by the
coaches. Townshend was to fill his
place-at least during the opening
plays. The other Yale absentee was
Coy, whose place was being filled by
HubbelI. 1t was more of a disappOint-
ment than a surprise that Coy was not
able to play. The other Yale posi-
tons were being filed by Yale regulars.
So much for the personnel of the Yale
team as it lined up preparatory to run
ming down the field and into Harvard
territory as soon as the ball had been
placed in play.
actly the way it had been announced
days ago. Cochrane was playing his
end and the backs were those con-
HarYard's strongest trio.
That it was to be a kicking game be-
came evident in the very first play,
Harvard appreciating that with Nc
Bride absent, she should be superior,
with either Reid or Haughton, to
Chamberlain or anything that Yale
1t
back on receiving the ball from the
opening kick and the teams faced each
other in close quarters for the first
time. The ball was in Yale's posses
sion, but those attacks against Har-
wards line failed to reveal any weak
spot or gain the requisite distance in
four downs.
So the ball, amid Yale groans and
Harvard cheers, changed hands. But
dismay came into HarVard's camp a
moment later. The old tendency to
offside playing cropped out and the first
time Jeffray snapped back the ball for
Harvard, a crimson player was caught
offside, and Harvard was again play
ing upon the defensive. But the visit
orS defensive play was strong, and
big Lewis from the side lines smiled as
he saw Yale attack the line, with re-
sulting gains that did not materially
reduce the distance between the ball
and the Harvard goal. Rather than
attempt to make about 81 yards in
order to retain the ball, Yale punted.
Again Harvard's back returned the
compliment and once more Yale has
the ball in the centre. Thus far punt
ing honors have been equally divided.
Yale for the third time could not make
the five yards in the four downs, but
the punt was poorly placed, and went
sailing out Of bounds. The ball was
brought in Is yards, and then came the
most beautiful of all the punts on the
Harvard side. The ball went low and
far. The Yale backs were too far in,
and the ball went bounding over the
goal line and into the touch amid the
cheers of Harvard rooters, three-quar-
ters of whom did not know whether it
was touchdown, a safety or a touch
back, The ball was, of course, brought
Jut the customary 20 yards, and Yale
Immediately kicked. The kick crossed
he centre of the field, but Harvard's
backs and ends formed a grand inter-
terence, and the man with the ball sped
over the centre and into Yale territory
before he was tackled.
At this point Harvard ceased her
kicking tactics. She had the ball in
aer opponents territory and in her own
possession for the first time. Her plan
was now to attack Yale's line and force
the enemy back. Ter plan succeeded
admirably. The play was all near the
Harvard side line, and was for that rea-
son the more appreciated by the Har-
yard contingent. The ball was not lost,
The gains were not large, nor were
there any brilliant end runs. But plays
directed against the Yale left were
proving ground gamers. Yale students
allied to their team to make one of
those determined stands in front Of her
own goal line, but she lacked that abil-
ity. Thousands of Harvards voices
on the other side were cheering the
crimson ON to the Yale goal, and the
first touchdown of the game.
Finally, in the extreme southwest
corner Of the field, a Harvard back
Reid was his name-dashed through
he line. A touchdown had been scored
and bedlam on the Harvard side broke
lose. The first touchdown presaged an
ultimate victory and HarWard's hopes
seemed in a fair way for realization
Harvard kicked out, but failed to send
the ball between the goal posts. 1t
struck the east post, and amid thous-
ans of Harvard "Oh's" rolled down on
to the ground. Haughton was the man
to miss the goal.
Score: Harvard, 5; Yale, O.
Harvard adopted practically the
same tactics Immediately following the
second KICKOFF, as she used in her play
preliminary to scoring the initial
touchdown. The Crimson returned the
opening kickoff, and Yale found her
self with the ball in the centre. But
Harvard's line was just as strong as
ever, and Yale punted only to have
Harvard return it. This time Har-
ward outpunted Yale
Right here occurred the first really
brilliant play Of the game, a play of
the gra;ndstand order that made Har-
ward and Yale men instinctively get an
in their seats and yell. Dudley and
Ely had both run back for the ball
Dudley fumbled it. but Ely was be-
hind him and succeeded in hanging
onto the ball. Two Harvard men
ed Laalu 70 L.-nI.I.. -.