The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-11-25
FOOT BALL CANES.
The Southern College Teams That
Will Play on Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving is approaching with
its turkeys and foot bal games. No
longer do the youth OF the land take
into the country seeking the things
that fy or that VI close 10 the
earth. Instead they grid themselves
with moleskins and leather helmets
and shin guards and rubber noses and
repair TO the gridiron where they en-
gage in a desperate combat for the
possession OF an inoffensive oval. while
a great crowd looks on with breathles.
Interest and bursts its lungs with
lcheers Of applause.
Never before has foot ball absorbed
SO much attention III the souih as in
ithe season of 1902. Better teams hlv
Ibeen developed, greater crowds h.Sa
ATTENDED the games, and in fact more
has been dom to stimulate his great
Isport than ever before. One peculiar
Feature of the a is that so many
iof the heretofore practically unknown
~elevens Of the smaller colleges nave at
Itracted manifest attention by their eX-
i~cellent showing. Most of the sporting
writers of the south have commented
upon his fact and the concensus of
Iopinion seems to be that this develop
Iment is particularly suspicious as L
tends to bring into close touch with
each other all the higher educational
lschols OF the south.
Almost all of the Thanksgiving
lgames will be banner events in foot
ball history south of Mason and Dix
Ions line.
Georgia will meet her old enemy. Au-
burn, in Atlanta, and will exert her
greatest strength TO snatch victory
E-1- IL, a l. IL ,,;o-- IL I'm
be a fierce one and the rooters on each
side are already beginning to piece
their simoleOnS on the result. Last
year the two teams played to a stand
still.
The Virginia-North Carolina game
will be another example of when
Greek meets Greek" Virginia has sell
dom been defeated by the CarClinians
but in 1898 the blue and white waved
victorious and the memory still rankles
lin the hearts of the boys from the Old
Dominion. The game will be played in
lRichmOnd.
The game between the Carlisle In
Idians and Georgetown University IN
Washington will show what the team
from Washington is worth when they
strike a tough proposition. Their de-
feat of North Carolina in Norfolk last
week has raised their stock materially.
Clemson's game with Tennessee in
Knoxville is of great interest to all
foot ball cranks. Tennessee has de
lfeated several Of the strongest teams
n the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic
Association already this season, includ-
ing Nashville, Sewanee and Mississippi
land if Heisman's babies can turn the
trick they will deserve great credit.
Tennessee claims, however, that the
iSouth Carolinians will not be able to
repeat their score of last year. Ten
lnessee's team is much stronger.
The Georgia Tech will play Alabama
in Birmingham and hopes to hold them
down to the same score that the Uni
lversity of Georgia made against them.
The Tech showed Georgia herself what
kind of stuff she was made of when
the two teams met early in the sea-
son.
Vanderbilt and Sewanee Will meet in
Nashville in what is always the great
sporting event of the middle south.
through Sewanee has been able for the
Ipast few years to best Vanderbilt the
result this year may be very different.
THE mountain tigers have had their
team considerably weakened lately by
the loss of some star players and in ad-
ldition Vanderbilt has played through
1.-THE season thus far without a defeat
she is the only team in the Southern
intercollegiate Athletic Association
who holds this record II on it rightly
bases her claim to the championship.
If, however, the purple banner waves
victorious the pennant will have to be
Awarded by computation. Even then
"Vandy' would have the best claim
to It.
South Carolina will meet Davidson in
charlotte in what promises TO De a
fierce battle. Davidson has made a
livery fair record for herself this year
but few teams in the south can show
"a percentage similar to the one Car
lima holds thus far. Carolina though
now somewhat crippled by the loss ot
two OF her stars will as usual guard
the honor of the garnet and black to
the death. At present her stock Is IN
the ~ascendancy.
Furman will have no game as her
team is now disbanded. The mountain
team has gone through the season with
Isome nice results.
Texas will meet the Agricultural and
Mechanical college of that state IN
IAustin. Texas has already defeated
the Agricultural and Mechanical dur
ing the season and the final score Is a
lforegone cOnclusion.-Columbia state.
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