The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-11-08
TOPEKA IS WINNER.
Football Team Beats Centrals
by Score of IL to IL.

Kansas City. Nov. S.-The Journal
says: Although leaving the gridirOn
with the score favOring Topeka by one
goal Central triumphed in defeat at Elk
position park yesterday afternoon and
added glorious page to football history
of the local school The blue and white
eleven surprised its heavier opponents,
its supporters and itself, and when the
players. bruised and weakened by the
grueling contest, were led from the field
by their iubilant admirers, its cOlors
were waving proudly by the black and
yellow of the kansans.
Topeka, by reason of its easy victory
over Central early in the season, by a
score of 30 to 0. was expected to again
NOW down the local team, but such an
improved game as the Kansas Cityans
put up yesterday completely upset all
calculations. Besides keeping down their
opponents score to a lower point than
generally hoped for, the locals actually
scored as many times as Topeka. a fail
ure to kick goal after one of the touch
downs giving the Kansans a technical
victory by a score of II to II. But there
were many who believed that the score
should have been 10 to l. in CentraFs
favor. The two points in question hung
on the decision as to whether Central
made a safety or touchback. The for
mer would have netted the local team
two points while the touchback counts
nothing.
The dispute came on the kickoff in the
second half after Topeka had scored a
touchdown Central sent the ball bound
ing into the Kansans' territory to the
20-yard line, where the Digskin in tax
ing bad bounce seemed to escape Ar
thur Griggs' extended arms and hit him
on the knee. The star halfback of the
Topeka team tried to pick up the bound
ing ball. but it was not until it had
rolled over the goal line that he gath
cred it in. He then Strengthened up and
seemingly attempted to advance the
ball when Wells, rushing over the line
tackled him Almost ~ oh
that it was a safety for Central. giving
them two points, and the players were
returning to the center of the field, when
Official Holmes declared that it was a
touchback, and Topeka still had the
shade in the score. The decision met
with much disfavor with those who saw
the play and were positive that Central
should have had a safety on two DIFF
touched a Kansan before rolling over
the goal line, and second, that he tried
to advance it.
Topeka played a beautiful game. but
there did not seem to be the same old
fighting spirit among the players. The
mass formations did not work as they
have before and that intenseness in the
general play was lacking. Arthur Griggs
said after the game that the team had
been overconfident. and after the first
few moments could not get its stride
He explained that the players were in
very poor physical condition on account
of the hard game with the second Kan
sas team at Topeka last Saturday. To-
peka won this contest by d score of % 20
0. At times the Eansans went into the
fraV with vim and determination that
brought them decidedly nearer the goal.
but on the whole the work of Topeka
was not as good in comparison as in pre-
vious contests The two Cirlggs, Arthur
and Frank. were at their regular game
proving the two hardest men in the
game to handle Captain Fleishman, at
left end. was also much in evidence with
good work
The game, which was the hardest
fought high school game seen on a local
gridiron IN two years, was not finished
until it was dark that it was impos-
sible to distinguish the players in the
field. The halves were short. but SO
much time was taken out for injured
Central players that the game was made
almost three hours long. Topeka has
that old endurance and hardness that
seemed proof to injury. but the local
players were not so fortunate. The
teams lined w. as follows:
Central. Positions. Topeka