The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-23
REVIEW OF WEEK.
Only Two of the Lo-
cal Foot Ball Teams
Played.
HOLY CROSS is IMPROVING.
Chance Appears to Favor
the Academy Against
High School.

Oh the local 1901 pail teams 10 get d
line on the playing of the men last
week, there being but one game il. this
city. Worcester academy played at the
oval Saturday, and Holy Cross at Will
Jamestown Wednesday, they beiGg the
only games in which local school teams
took part. Hardly any deductions could
be made from Holy Cross work
against the Williams team. The easy
manner in which Williams trounced
Dartmouth, contrary tv all expecta-
tions, shows that the tea mis- much
stronger than was predicted, and in the
face Of the victory over Dartmouth,
the showing made by Holy Cross CAT
be considered good.
The playing Of Holy Cross at Will
Jamestown was superior to any game
they have put up this season, accord
ing to reports, and against any of the
elevens they have played would nave
made Holy Cross appear in a better
light. The team work is better Gevel-
oped, while the back of the line showed
II is gaining in strength and speed every
game. The game Holy Cross can play
now is much better than it was the
first of the year. The shift of men and
the addition of OReilly greatly
while the line itself is much stronger
with Powers at tackle and Hanrahan
at guard. The latter will show great
improvement when the team plays
next. He was new to the game when
he started in, but is learning rapidly.
Worcester academy showed In it's
game at the oval Saturday that 1t stll!
lacks speed. The team has heavy line,
but the men are slow on their feet. The
no &c In a
heavy team as Harvard freshmen II
the men played faster game. Inability
to tackle properly appears to be the
greatest weakness of the academy
team. With the exception of Norris,
none of the men tackled as they SHOULD.
That fault was noticeable in the open
ing game, comment being free after the
game that Norris did all the tackiing
A change of ends was made, which APP
peared to work better against ordinary
teams, but when the eleven got against
a team that had any interference, the
ends were not in the game. But they
are not the only ones who show a
weakness in this respect. Nearly every
tackle made by the players at the oval
Saturday was poor. With their cap
tain giving them such good illustra-
lions of how tackling should be done, it
would seem that academy might learn
easily to follow the instruction Of the
coach. But the men forget all insCruc-
ton when they enter game, and
throw their arms around the runners
shoulders or neck.
Some of the line men play altogether
too high. They endeavor to watch the
play instead of trying to follow the
ball. and in doing so stand high in the
line. Against a light team like Tech
such fault might not be noticeable,
for academy has many pounds advan-
tage over Tech in the line, but when
they met heavier men, like the Harvard
freshmen, they were bowled over like
candleplns. The fault is not so much
in lack of strength or lack of knowl-
edge of how to play, as it is in pdtting
that knowledge into execution.
The academy was handicapped more
than little by the injury to Taylor
in the early part of the game. When
he went out it was necessary TO place
Russ in the line, substituting keline at
end The latter showed a willingness
to get into the play, but is altogether
too light, and could do nothing against
the Harvard interference. A weak
ness which appeared in the opening
game, and which has not been CVer-
come, Is the inability of the ends TO get
down the field on punts. 1t was the
easiest kind of a proposition to a good
end during portion of Saturdays
game to be with the ball. as 1t was
kicked against the wind at times, and
was held back many yards. But the
academy ends didn't follow it. Harvard
freshmen showed a weakness in catch
ing punts, the ball hitting the ground
several times, thus giving the academy
ends good chance to get the runner
but he seldom failed to bring it back
yards.
Norris showed a weakness which
OIL TnIo
in every other particular He was un-
usually slow in getting the ball away
on punt. Norris stands rather close
when the ball is passed back for a
punt which requires fast handling of
of the ball. Harvard freshmen appear
ed slow getting through and it may be
due to that slowness that only one
punt was blocked. To the spectators
it seemed as If the ball was glued to
Norris hands the time 1t was blocked
SO long before the punt was made
Standing so close to the line is pro
badly due to the failure of proper
passing which was noticeable in early
games of the season. This fault was
particularly noticeable at the game
with Groton. and change of quarter
back was decided on. Part of the fault
may have been due to Nelson for he,
has been drilled severely since in pass
ing, so that Norris could drop back a
few feet and render less liable the
chances Of a punt being blocked
The team plays hard game. The
men play a clean game yet they are
not afraid to rough it, and when the
game at the oval was over Saturday
they had the Harvard freshmen team
pretty we'll winded, although the lat
ter team was much stronger.
Worcester high school team is labor
ing under difficulties. Several of the
best men can not get into the game
through injuries or for other reasons.
Under those circumstances the devel-
opment of team work is difficult mat
ter. The team is a fast one and plays
a hard game, but lacks weight when
compared with the academy eleven.
The main object Of the high school
team this week will be practice for the
game with academy, to be played Sat
urday. The high school lads enter the
last week of practice badly handicap
name half a dozen sure places on the
eleven. The misfortune is greater on
account of lack of good subs. Not UNI
til last week did students come out in
the hope of making a place on the
team Had they practiced since the
first call for candidates was issued it
might be possible to size up the team,
which can not be done now, by even
the foot ball authorities. There is a
good spirit among the players however,
and they will work hard this week.