The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-02
Foot Ball Teams Of
the Worcester
Schools.
Tech SHOWS UP THE BEST.
Good Coaching Assured for
the Worcester
Academy.


teams showed considerable improve
ment over their first game of the week
previous. While Holy Cross was fair
ly outclassed at the oval and many de-
ficiencies appeared in their work, there
was noticeable improvement over
their playing with the Amherst Aggies
week previous
Tech showed the best improvement
in its game with Williston. The team
work of Tech is the best of any Wor-
cester school at present, although as
neither Worcester academy nor Wor-
cester high school played Saturday, it
is not possible to judge their improve
ment except by their practice work.
Holy Cross will take much drilling,
and it won't come amiss. The team
work of the eleven should be far ahead
OF what it is. In essential rudiments
of the game, the eleven is lacking. Holy
Cross is wasting time attempting trick
plays, at present There is much in
straight foot ball. which the team can
learn TO advantage, and by acquiring
1t, the eleven will be far better than
attempting trick plays The time which
is spent in trying trick plays can be
put to far better advantage in learning
the requisites of the game of foot ball.
Ihere is absolutely no excuse for some
of the faulty playing of Holy Cross. The
| team is entitled to immunity from crit
lclsm for inability to play UP to a GER
tain standard. 1t cannot be expected
to perfect foot ball play, as some of
| the bigger colleges, not having the
same advantages or opportunities to
learn the perfect game. An occasional
mistake should also be overlooked. But
when men on the team fail in the rudi-
ments of the game, they cannot hope
to escape criticism.
If a fullback endeavors Conscientious
~ to acquire the art of punting and
cannot develop into a wonder in that
art, it would not be just to call him
to task severely, for punting is an art,
only portion of which can be acquired.
The back must have a natural ability
| in this feature. But the back who re-
fuses to run low when sent against the
opposing line, is entitled to little con-
sideration. Any man who is able to
take the pigskin on a pass and start
ahead can run low as well as high.
Holy Cross shows a weakness on that
point, and it should be remedied or the
offender replaced by man who will
run low. A back who habitually runs
| high, is of little value to any team. A
slower man who will go into the line
with his head down, hitting the line
| hard, will gain ground where the back
running high will be thrown back
| Holy Cross is weak in another point
| for which little excuse can be given
| That is tackling Why men practiceo
in the game will persist in tackline
high is a mystery which cannot be
| solved. Coach Conner of Holy Cross
has surely insisted on low tackling, yet
some of the players persistently GRASP
runner about the neck or upper por-
| ton of the body. The result was shown
| III the game with Brown. Many times
the runner made ground after being
| tackled, and in some instances was able
| to shake off the tacklers. Proper tack
| ling would have downed the man in his
tracks or thrown him back, and Holy
| Cross would have been saved many
yards. One reason why there is no ex-
cuse for that kind of tackling by Holy
| Cross players, is that the latter are GER
| tainly a gamey set of players, and show
no fear of the man with the ball. Some
| of their taokling at the oval Saturday
was of the fiercest kind. More than
| ore Brown runner went down like a
| ton of coal on account of the f1erceness
| of the Holy Cross tackle. When the
| Holy Cross men can down a runner as
| forcibly as some of the Brown men were
| thrown Saturday, it isn't difficult to see
| bow strong they could be in tackling
| if they attacked the legs of the runner
| instead of the neck.
The line men should be given thor
ough instruction in playing lower than
they do. 1t is as easy for them to ac-
quire the practice of playing low as
playing high There Is no natural art
| required. A line player has only to re-
member the crouching attitude is the
best and assume it. There are men on
| the Holy Cross line who can improve
their position in the line and improve
their playing at the same time.
Tech is playing good foot ball, and, as
| far as it's knowledge of the game goes,
plays correctly. The line men have not
| forgotten their early instructions to
/ play low and make quick start. Their
backs do their best to run low when
| hitting the line. In tackling their work
will stand improvement, but the men
are showing a disposition and effort to
| get down low on the runner.
The worst feature of Techs work is
the failure of the men to take as much
interest in practice as is usual with
college players. When they are in their
foot ball toys and on the field they are
willing enough, entering into the prac-
tice work with the right spirit. But the
regular men sometimes allow the slight
est incident to keep them away from
prdCIlce, ana d SUBSTITUTE mas TO De
practiced. At this stage of the practice
much absence renders the work of the
coach difficult,
Worcester Academy is improving
rapidly, and it looks as If the team will
be a strong one. After the first game
with Tech the average spectator would
not make rosy predictions for academy.
The team was slow, the ends were
| frightfully weak and there wasn't a
| tackler on the whole team except Nor
ris. But the squad has been through
stiff drilling since then, and is rounding
into shape in good style. The line,
which is heavy for preparatory school
! team, Is becoming faster John Davis,
who is expected this week, will greatly
strengthen the line. He will take
Rush's place at guard. The latter will
be moved out to end and, although he
| is a weighty fellow, he has shown signs
| of speed If he does we'll at end there
will be joy in the hearts of the coaches.
Behind the line the team is not improv-
ing as rapidly as might be wished for.
The backs are not fast. and nobody can
tell If they ever will be- However, the
team is far ahead of where it was a
week ago. Good coaching is assured
| by the raising of $1,000 for foot ball as
told in The Spy yesterday. With better
work on the ends and faster playing be-
hind the line, Worcester Academy will
have a much stronger team than the
| first game predicted.
Worcester high school is a puzzler