Evening star., 1899-10-13
EARL LYWORK OF TEAMS
Practice and Personnel of the College
Elevens.
MATERIAL FOR TIE Big -FOUR
Foot Ball at Yale, Harvard, Prince
. ton and Pennsylvania.
THE COACHES AND SYSTEMS

THE COACHES AND SYSTEMS
After nearly a month of hard work in
getting the foot ball players Of the lead
ing colleges of the country in condition.
trying out the many candidates for places
on the teams by crucial tests OF strength.
speed, quickness, wit and endurance the
organization of most of the elevens is rap
idly assuming definite shape. This fall has
been productive Of unusual foot ball activ-
ity at the big Four universities. The RI
valry among Harvard. Pennsylvania, Yale
and Princeton seems to be keener than ever.
PENNSYLVANIA.
From all reports the best material Is to
be found at the University of Pennsylva-
MA Seldom has old Penn had SO many
promising candidates trying for the team.
There is no LACK Of good heavy men for
the line. Overfeld, the star center rush.
and Hare and McCracken, the giant guards
fill in the three central positions finely
Wallace, Shower and DeSilver are all big,
strong men who are fast on their feet
and will make admirable tackles Merriam
who did exceedingly well as end on the
scrub last year, and Coombs, substitute
end on the varsity. seem to be the best
men for the end positions. with Howell a
good third.
Behind the line Pennsylvania will have a
very fast set of players and the prospects
here are much better than last year. Car
diner will, no doubt, again play quarter
back with the same great ability Outland
is sure of playing right half back while
either Kennedy or Mcmahon will most like
ly be his running mate. Altogether it APP
pears that Pennsylvania will have
stronger eleven than she had last year
and, unless accidents interfere, probably a
championship team.
AS to Pennsylvania's style of play this
season she will again follow consistently
her old methods of guards back forma-
fensve and defensive work, while deter
mined not to be handicapped in kicking and
catching, was the case last year.
HARVARD.
Encouraged by their unexpected success
of last year Harvard players have turned
out in unusually large numbers, and the
outlook is much improved over previous
seasons. Her strong, highly creditable line
of last year has remained almost intact.
leaving the hardest problem to be solved
in organizing a consistently strong back
field. 1t Is next to impossible to thoroughly
replace Dibblee and Haughton in the back
field but nevertheless a Well-rounded elev-
en- is being formed which gives many prom
ises of attaining last years high stand
ard. G. Sargent seems to be fixed upon
for center. Boal on the left and Burden on
the right are perhaps the equal or any
two guards in the country, being very
aggressive and valuable in defense work;
fast and quick. and strong in forming in
reference or in breaking through and tack
ling behind the line Left Tackle Swain
and Right Tackle Eaton are far above the
average tackle players and Will again make
name for themselves in these positions.
Holowell, right end last year, where he
made such an excellent reputation, Is again
in that position, while Campbell and Ris-
tine will fight 1t out for left end and as
sure filling the place strongly. .a~,J ..
Daily is back at his old place at quarter
back and a better man could not be found.
Warren, who played right half back, and
Kendall, who demonStrat ted great qualities
as substitute half back last year, should
be of exceptional value half backs. At
full back Swain promises to be of great
service.
Harvard achieved success last year by de-
parting from her old methods and adopting
the more up-to-date systems. She aban-
doned theoretical foot ball taught by two
dozen coaches and instructed her team in
the practical game taught by one man..
She used end running judiciously and line
bucking to good degree. and she Kicked
long and well. 1t is to kicking that Har-
ward principally owes her success last year
good. strong, consistent punting, coupled
with good end work in following the ball
Her ends and kickers worked harmoniously
together
The policy so successfully adopted last
year is again being carried out. The team
IS being carefully trained in straight foot
ball without the intricate formations and
hidden plays which usually worked to their
own downfall. Previously it was the poll
cy to start in with a rush in an effort to
score and carry their opponents off their
feet and consequently would be all out in
fifteen minutes and be an easy prey there
after But things have changed now, and
fk.Dr, r.rL fc nna }YO li cd q
cial efforts are being made to develop a
strong kicking full back and also half
backs.
PRINCETON.
At Princeton the outlook for a champion
ship team has been uncertain and indef-
mite. although the prospects at the begin
ming of the season were apparently very
promising All but three Of last years
eleven returned as candidates for this
vars team, and with such nucleus to
work on, there We're many reasons to be-
lieve that a leader among the universities
should be developed But the team of last
year was not an especially strong one by
any means, although it won from Yale. In
spite of It's good showing last year, Prince
ton was unquestionably below the stand
ard, and would almost surely have been
beaten by Harvard, consequently greater
effort than ever is being made this season.
Princeton has, couple weeks since, set
Jle0 DOWN TO nara ana tHefe nave
been almost enough candidates on hand to
put three good elevens In the field. There
has been cause for complaint on ac
count of a lack Of material. which has been
available in such plentitude that the fight
for the coveted positions on the eleven has
been unusually keen. Poe and Palmer. the
star ends OF last season, are almost per-
fection now, and on account Of their great
ability, kicking game has been favored
and effort made to develop full back
who could get the ball down the field for
fcrty-five and fifty-yard punts. Ex-Capt.
Hillebrand is back at his old position at
right tackle again. playing all over the
field in brilliant manner. Pell Is the
leading candidate for left tackle, and has
already begun to establish an excellent
reputation for himself for his all-around
work Mills, the substitute left guard last
year, and Capt Edwards, the giant right
guard. are veritable towers of strength in
these two positions. while Booth at center
is almost unsurpassable as to weight, bulk
and ability.
The entire Princeton back field is made