The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-12
Worcester Academy
Loses Through
Trick Plays.
THE DEFEAT is NO DISCREDIT.
Norris, Kruse and Wheeler
Played Good Hard
Foot Ball. -, q

Worcester academy football team de-
sired greatly to win yesterdays game
with Groton academy on the grounds
of the latter in Groton, but couldn't
quite reach the mark The Worcester
lads played good straight football a
much better game than they have
played this year. Groton intermingled
trick plays with it's game, and they told
against the Worcester lads.
1t is not greatly 10 the discredit of
the Worcester lads that they couldn't
stop trick plays Nearly every saan m.
the team is new a. the game, and in
only three weeks praetice he has had
enough to do learning the legitimate
game without attempting any tricks.
The Worcester team
DID NOT GIVE MUCH PROMISE
at the start, but its play yesterday
showed wonderful Improvement Lack
or experience alone was sufficient to
lose such a game. Then, too, the Wor-
cester lads had another handicap to la
Dor under Mr.. Griswold, who played
center; Mr. Abbott, who played right
guard, and Mr.. Marvin, who was full
back on the Groton team, are instruct
ors in the school.
1t was a contest between good teams.
The Groton players know the game
from beginning to end. They play an
excellent game of straight football and
have
FEW TRICKS UP THEIR SLEEVE,
which they can work to good advan-
tage. They worked the double pass on
the Worcester lads to good advantage.
The Worcester line was excellent OF
course, Harrison was missed, but not
SO much on defence as on aggressive
play. On account of his absence from
right guard the Worcester lads could
not work a guards back play, which
nets them gain every time.
Marble was off in handling the snap
backs yesterday, and that handicapped
the Worcester team to a considerable
extent. Several bad fumbles occurred
as a result of his handling, which lost
ground for the Worcester players.
The game was largely a punting
game, in which Norris out-punted his
opponents handily. The Groton men,
however, atoned for short puuts once
or twice by getting on side after the
punt and giving their ends chance to
fall on the ball, thus advancing it from
10 to 20 yards for their team.
The Groton men had two or three
strong formations, which were worked
with great success against the Worces-
ter boys. One was a tackle back for
nation, in which one of the tackles was
sent to the opposite end of the line and
the play directed at the place he had
1ol, ff,,,
directed around the end. The tackles
stayed together
TO BLOCK OFF THE END,
allowing the backs to block off the de-
fensive back while the quarterback of
the Groton team went with the runner
and blocked any stray tackler who up
set the calculations of the remainder Of
.be interference.
Norris played a star game as usual
He forced the aggressive play hard
and on defence made several pretty
tackles. Kruse showed up finely at
end, his work being an agreeable sur
prise. He spoiled several strong at
tempts Of the Groton men to turn his
end. Wheeler, who played right back
during the second half, created good
impression. He was in practice all last
season, and has been this year also, yet
yesterday was his first game. He
showed strength which was not credited
to him. Marble wasn't up to expecta-
tons He had trouble with the snap
backs, and on defensive work was
seemingly afraid to tackle.
The first touchdown was made after
II minutes of play, and goal was
kicked. Just as the half ended Mankoe
electrified the Groton sympathizers by
A 55-YARD RUN, BUT HE WAS
FORCED
outside and the half ended before Gro
ton could score another touchdown.
The expiration of the time limit in
the second half probably saved another
touchdown against the Worcester lads.
BY a series of runs of 20 yards or more,
the Groton men advanced the hall 20
the Worcester 10-yard line.
Groton kicked off, and Worcester
made it's first bad play by fumbllng.
The ball was not lost, however. and
Norris quickly put his boot against it.
sending it to Groton in midflcld. Fall
ing to gain on the first down, Croton
punted for 20 yards. Worcester acad-
envy could not advance the ball. which
went to Groton on downs. The Wor-
cester lads returned the compliment,
holding nicely. The Worcester bo-s adj
vanced the ball
TO GROTON'S 25-YARD LINE. BUT
LOST
it on tumble, and Mankoe pupted out
of danger, johnson getting the bail on
the academy 45-yard line. Academy
and Groton brought the ball
back to the center Of the field Mankoe
punted nigh, the ball advancing only
10 yards. The Worcester men who
broke through failed to stop Mankoe,
and he put his team on side. a Gro
ton man fell on the ball Dekoven got
around Russell for rs yards, and
reached the Worcester 20-yard line be-
fore Norris got him. A center play net
ted five more yards, and Blagden went
through Russ for a touchdown. Thay-
er kicked goal. The time was II min
utes.
A double exchange of punts left the
ball on Groton's S5-yard line, in Gro
tons possession. A double criss-cross
play gave Groton five yards Mankoe
dashed around the academy right,
Johnson
MISSING AN EASY TACKLE.
He ran SIS yards before forced outside
by Norris. The half ended befo:
lineup could be made.
Norris kicked off to Thayer, who ran
Is yards Groton then punted to Nor
ris. After G. Wheeler made five yards,
Groton got the ball for holding In the
Worcester line. The ball was on the
Worcester 30-yard line. Blagden made
! 10 yard run and Dekoven went around
for 20 yards and a touch-
down, The ball was
DEAD, NEAR THE SIDE LINES,
and punt out was attempted, but the
catch failed,
Score-Groton II. Worcester 0.
The ball travelled back and forth for
the next few minutes. Worcest ar got
L on an ff-side play. Two runs Of 70