The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-09-29
Topeka Medics Show Need of
Practice Badly.
Have Good Material After They
Become Untangled.
GETAWAYS FINE WORK.
Have an Easy Game With I'm
practiced Doctors.
Fair Sized Crowd Sees Contest
on Washburn Grounds.

The Topeka NEEDLES went down In a.
decisive defeat Saturday afternoon be-
fore the plucky players from Ottawa
university by the score of IL to 0.
Five minutes after the game started
there was no question in the minds of
the spectators to who would be the
victor in the first football game of the
season. There was hope that the doc
tors might score but there was never
the faintest hope that they could win.
The Ottawa team won reputation
In Topeka long since for knowing the
game of football from the rudiments
clear on to the, fancy work. Saturdays
game proved that the chair of football
at Ottawa university is in good hands.
Everything was in favor of the Medics
when the two teams trotted onto the
field. The physicians easily outweighed
the visitors, anywhere from 10 to 10
pounds to the man. They doomed a tow
er of muscle and Drawn over the Otta-
waiacs.
The visitors were on the street car
which the bonesetters boarded at the
college. The striped sweater fellows
from the banks of the Marias- des
Cygne looked at Fatty" Clark's 225 SOL
i'd weight Doc Davis six feet and
displacement of at least 200 pounds and
became frightened when they were told
that Davis was the quarter back, Clark
the full and that the line was really
heavier. The visitors asked that they
kindly be shown small man and Cald-
wen, the colored half back who can just
about bob the scales at 140, was brought
to the front. Then the Ottawaians felt
better. Later they found that the lit
tie colored man was more of terro:
than the big fellows.
All the football enthusiasts stood or
the side lines. when the whistle was
blown and the game commenced. and
wondered what the doctors would do.
The first impression that the doctors
gave to the rooterS was that they could
play football. The second and lasting
impression was that they will have to
get down to work a little bit harder to
prepare for the next game.
On the start the Medics did Surpris-
ingly well and held the mighty rushes
of the Ottawa team in excellent shape
and then in turn advanced the ball. Sud
denly the visitors took hitch in their
belts, readiusted their head gear and
plunged into the game with renewed
energy. The result was that from that
time on the Medics failed to advance
the ball three times in succession and
also failed to hold the rusheS and end
plays of the visitors. The doctors work.
tawa goal. Then the visitors went to
work and held the doctors for down.
took possession of the ball, hammered
the ends, now and then tried the line
touchdown. Baughman was the one
who went over the line and Kerns toed
an easy goal with precision. The first
half ended with the score Ottawa 6,
Medics o.
During the intermission Coach Hughes
gave his players little heart to heart
talk behind the grand stand. He told
them in plain English just what was
what The talk seemed to do a deal of
good for the doctors returned to the
game with adjusted head gear and shin
guards and played for a few minutes
with renewed zeal. 1t was no use,
however, for the ottawa men soon had
the ball and again went down the field
for touchdown. 1t was Baughman
who again went over the line. Kerns
missed the goal. There was no more
scoring but the ball was in Medic terri
tory during the remainder of the play.
While the Medics made rather a poor
showing in Saturdays game as a team,
individuals displayed considerable abil-
ity- The doctors fumbled badly and at
many times displayed the fact that they
did not understand the requirements.
On the punts the physicians were slow
to follow the ball down the field and
were exasperatingly unable to keep hold
of the ball when they tried to gather it
in. The Medics were blocked on a try
for a place kick for goal The line did
not hold the Ottawaians more than an
instant.
The doctors did not know how to
tackle Repeatedly the players on the
MGQlc team broke through the ottawa
line before the man with the ball was
underway but every time the doctor
who was there would try to tackle his
man about the neck and shoulders and
of course would fail. The Ottawa play
er would perhaps shake off three or
four doctors before he had gone four
yards just because the doctors did not
know how to tackle. 1t was really pitt
able to see the mighty physicians try to
hug their opponents about the head
only to see that player slip through and
go on his way.
The Medics displayed practically no
team work. The men with the ball sell
dom had any interference whatever and
what they did have occasionally was
easily broken I'D by the o. u. players
Clark played a hard game in the line
and repeatedly tore holes in the oppos-
ing rush line big enough for a street
car to go through, but there was no one
to go through. Caldwell played a fast
game and fought for all the gains he
but he was downed several times for
losses. Henshaw contributed to the list
of good plays. For Ottawa. Evans
Baughman, Cunningham and Leach
made good gains.
The spectators were quite unfriendly
to Felix. the man from ottawa, who
umpired the first half and refereed the
second. He seemed to feel that he was
there to aid the Ottawa players. He
spent most of his time yelling at the
Medics to keep on side, while the visit
OfS neeueu quite as Inucn cduIlO1lHS
He coached the Ottawa players in the
first half and in the second half re-
ceived the jeers of the crowd by stop
ping the play and telling Captain Lakin
that he did not have five men behind
the line in proper position. Mr.. Felix
allowed the linemen to defraud the
Medics, all OF which was quite unneces-
sary, as the Ottawa team could win
easily on their merits without any out
side assistance.
To sum up the game, it can be said
that the NEEDLES have the material for a
strong team if the players learn the
game and develop team work. The
doctors have had but two weeks prac-
tice, while the Ottawa players played
a hard game before meeting the Topeka
team 1t was the first game for the
NEEDLES. One bad feature was that the
doctors went into the game expecting
to lose. The lineup was as follows:
Medics. Position. Ottawa.