The Savannah morning news., 1903-11-19
NEARING THE END
FOUR TEAMS FIGHTING HARD FOR
SOUTHERN CHAMPIONSHIP HONORS.
VANDERBILT HAS A LEAD
BUT THE CoMMoDOREs WILL HAVE
A HARD TASK TO DEFEAT
CUMBERLAND.


tfcaIIy Settle the Southern Cham
pionship-CIemsOn Took IA Back
set when North Carolina Admin
istered Great Drubbing Last
SaturdnS-GeOrg Auburn ana
Techs HOpeIessIy out of the Race.
The beginning Of the end of South
ern college football for the season Of
1903 is now at hand. Here upon the
threshold of another Thanksgiving a
seasons battles have almost been won
and lost. Training days are nearly at
an end when the padded moleskins
will be huddled together in the college
chests where each can tell the other
during the coming winter of the deeds
of proves or fatal mistakes Of its
wearer during the season past.
Already the athlete who has fed on
raw meat and stony toast for two
solid months is beginning to think and
dream of pies and buildings, or if he
is a trife devilish, cigarettes and beer,
and-other things.
Up in the colder ATTITUDES of the
y Oftn OlQ Nassau mas Ahi N''AA 49,
orange and black to the winds, high
above the standards of her rival foe
men, The landscape is tinged with the
colors of the house of William OF
Orange. The Tiger is rampant and
Ellis blue is very blue indeed, Whlle
Johnny Harvard's crimson is more
crimson than ever with blood lost in
nearly every engagement up to date.
Final struggle in Dixie.
In Dixie the struggle is not yet COM
pleted. The period of preparation has
now been passed, and the champion
ship contest is now hanging in the
balance. The Southern calendar pre-
sents a different portfolio from the
North for there is no one team as yet
which fiaunt its banners in the race OF
all opponents with victory emblazon-
ed across its broad folds. The race is
much closer in Sunland and with the
home stretches looming up four eleV-
ems at least are fighting for the lead.
Vanderbilt, Sewanee and Clemson still
cling grimly to their laures, although
Clemson's wreath was sadly shattered
Saturday and now swings on by the
saving grace Of an ear.
Vanderbilt Coming strong.
vanderbilt lost her stride at the start,
modores are setting the pace now with
the others crowding gamely behind
Clemson got away to beautiful start,
but became balled up near the final
turn and the founder cost them their
lead in the contest. Cumberland was
lucky to get off fast. and strong, re-
ceiving a Jolt at the first quarter, re-
gained their stride ana is now in the
running Sewanee has plunged along
at a steady pace with no set backs or
mishaps to speak of to date, although
the Tigers eyes are getting blood-shot
and his claws are growing dull with
each succeeding encounter. But all
these bode little, for there have been
times when the Tigers claws were
cleanly pulled and both legs. brok-
en-. and still no opponent dared enter
his lair.
Clemson Has Rude Set Back.
Clemsons defeat at the hands of
Carolina after this eleven had been
competitors was rude set back to
Heisman's hopes. The Carolina strug-
gle was all important to land a true
test of her strength and at the crisis
the pride of Heisman failed to bear
away the palm. There is now but one
hope for Clemson. A sound defeat adj
minstered to Cumberland ThanksgiV-
rut, but otherwise they will lose all
championship prestige.
Nanderbilt's crushing victory over
Washington University stamps this
eleven as the most powerful in the
South to-day. The giant eleven from
Sunny Tennessee have at last rounded
into their true shape and unless some
set back comes, will lead the field
Thanksgiving Day.
Sewanee ranges between the brilliant
and the ordinary but the Tiger is a
beast that can never be overlooked in
the betting. Like the proverbal cat,
she always comes back and often comes
back hard.
Cumberland May Win.
Cumberland is still holding her own
and with the heaviest team in the
South, stands fair chance OF winning
from Clemson in Montgomery.
Eliminating early season contests and
figuring alone upon form shown in the
past two weeks the following ranking
seems to fit the present condition of
affairs: Vanderbilt, Cumberland, Sc
vance and Clemson. OF course this
order may be switched greatly by the
final results on closing day and
Thanksgiving may tell another story,
but this is in the future, and the pres
ent alone is on the programme now
Fifth in order among the elevens
of the S. /. A. A must be ranked
Texas, Mississippi's two colleges, with
Alabama University and Tennessee
seem evenly matched at present with
Tech having precedence over Auburn
despite their defeat of Saturday.
EIF-NH