The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-05
PROGRESS OF THE
FOOTBALL TEAMS
AN INTERESTING GAME FOR
THIS AFTERNOON.
Both College Elevens Actively Pre-
pairing for the Great Game
on Thanksgiving.

This afternoon the Stanford eleven will
line up against the Olympics and next Sat
urday California will meet the clubmen for
the last time this season. The athletic
club college matches have improved
steadily since the first game of the year,
and the contest to-day should be the best
of the season up to date. Unless Stanford
plays the Olympics on Tuesday, election
day, this will be the last opportunity to
see the cardinal in San Francisco before
the intercollegiate match. From the play
ing of Stanford this afternoon the judg-
ment of the football enthusiasts on the
respective strengths of the varsity teams
will be formed. The same critical eyes
will be fastened on the Californians next
week when they will play their last match
game before the final struggle of the
year.
Stanford has not yet recovered from
the shock of the freshman game, which
it thought would mean another victory
for their cherished colors. The California
freshmen played a cleaner, faster, more
cohesive game than any team wearing
the blue and gold ever put up. It was
no less than revelation to the Califor
MIA men who were accustomed to see
ragged work from freshman football
aggregation. The excellence of the play
on the part of the California team forced
Stanford hors de combat very soon after
the opening of the game. California has
a capable lot of men in the freshman
CLASS, anu SOH0 Oh lHGIl Will De on
the varsity this year Smith proved him
self a very strong and effective ground
gamer, and he will undoubtedly be seen
IN the Thanksgiving day game. Others
who displayed a knowledge and willing
ness to do something were Lippman,
More, Womble and Hill. Womble, the
left end, will probably play the same po-
sition in the varsity, and Lippman sub
Stitute half.
Team play is what Stanford will have to
develop in the next few weeks. There
n "a a n nf Par1fr nf Of
fort, which is due in afneasure to the
little practice. the men have had as
team. Few of the players have lined up
with the college team in an intercollegi-
ate game. They are now being trans
formed into a representative eleven I'M
der the watchful eyes of Harry P. Cross.
AT present the bulk of his coaching has
been bestowed upon the center trio. The
backs have of necessity been more or
graduate players will begin their work on
the back field.
At California the interest of the game is
still on the Increase, although the team
has not shown any remarkable improve
ment in the past week Cochran is stead
lily keeping the men down to hard, grill
ing practice, without much rest of any
kind. The freshman victory has enivened
the spirits of the students, and they are
now hopeful of victory on Thanksgiv-
ing day Team play is what is drilled
into the players, and they are taught for
the first time in their lives that there is
nothing half so effective as hard, de-
berg, Smith and Thane form the quartet
of backs, and they are now playing with
some precision and harmony. The line
is the place on which the hopes of the
team will be anchored, and it is this sec
ton that is giving the coach the greatest
worry The center trio is by no means
picked, nor win it be for some few days.
Cornish has superseded Greisberg at CEN
ter, and has been playing fair quality
Of ball. The guards are the problem:
They are likely to be any two out of
Athern, Hooper Barnes and number of
other candidates The tackles are be-
coming crystallized, however. They will
very likely be Pringle and Whipple; the
ends who are making the best showing
are Womble and Craig.
The OlympicS have had the misfortune
to develop too late in the season for an
athletic club. The colleges appear in
their best form just about the middle of
November, but an athletic club that plays
every week should be in good trim early
In the season. And this is just what did
not happen to the Olympics They are
now a strong team and will give Stanford
hard rub to-day. 1t would not be very
surprising if the Olympics won the match
this afternoon; that is, If Hobbs, Wells
and Cadwallader play. Hobbs and Wells
perhaps the strongest guards on the coast
to-day, have been training with the Olym-
pics this week and intend to line up with
the eleven this afternoon. Should Cad
wallader play center the clubmen will
to move an inch. With Erskine and pow
erful Sheehy as tackles the only weak
spots are the two ends, but this line is
sufficiently strong to smash any of Stan
ford's plays.
The teams will line up as follows: