The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-29
END OF FOOTBALL YEAR
ONE OF THE MOST REMARKABLE
SEASONS IN GAMES HISTORY.
In Matter of Upsets, BrilIiancy and
Uncertainty the Season Outranks
Previous Campaigns.

With the annual game between the army
and navy yesterday at Philadelphia one of
the most remarkable seasons in the history
of American football came to a close. The
season began to wane a week ago when the
last Of the most important Eastern games
was played. Yale and Harvard being the
contestants. Western colleges reserved
Thanksgiving day for their most important
games and with the playing OF them last
Thursday the season was practically ended
In the matter of upsets. brilliancy and un-
certainty the season easily outranks all
previous campaigns. The great have fallen
in more than one instance, and the modest
have risen to heights hitherto inaccessible.
The contest which attracted the most in
terest in Indianapolis was the annual game
between Shortridge and Training School,
which resulted in such decisive victory for
the former. The blue and white team has
twice won the championship consecutively
from its red and white rivals. Shortridge
will prepare to form strong team next sea-
son to administer another defeat, while
Training School will endeavor to build its
eleven on more substantial lines In 1904
and try and retrieve lost honors and pres
tige.
as both Indiana University and Notre Dame
claim the title. and as they did not meet
the matter will have to remain unsettled
Minnesota claims the championship of the
West, because it defeated Wisconsin by one
more point than Michigan did, Michigan
also claims the Western championship
Probably the best record made by West
ern team was that accomplished by North
western, which had not been considered a
foof ,1
played Chicago to a tie game and added
many other victories during the season.
The championship of Indiana secondary
colleges was won by the fast Earlham
team when 1t defeated Wabash and clinched
the honor by administering defeat to Rose
Polytechnic. The victory over Wabash was
the biggest surprise, as Wabash had been
heralded as the strongest team in the State
among the secondary colleges, and at Wa
bash College the enthusiasts believed it was
the strongest team because of fluke VIC
tory over Indiana early in the season. Earl
ham played consistent football throughout
the season, and its title was well earned.
TIGERS ARE EASTERN CHAMPIONS.
Because Of Princeton's victory over Yale
the Tigers are recognized as the champions
of the East, although Yale defeated Har-
ward. Princet0n's victory should result in
much good for football in the East, as next
year will find all the teams scheduled to
meet the Tigers. training with the intention
of defeating Princeton, and extra efforts
will be put forward by all the big eevens.
If the past season means anything it
means that intimate knowledge of the SCI
ence of the game has been spread broadcast
over the country, East and West, and that
the old close corporation which for so many
years ruled with absolute sway has been
permanently shattered. This state of affairs
has been brought about not SO much by the
new rules as by the slow but sure acquisi-
ton by the smaller colleges of an almost
perfect acquaintance with what are known
as the fundamentals of football. With this
new knowledge, painfully acquired, was
linked the confidence so long a stranger to
the work of the smaller teams. In witness
whereof it is only necessary to marshal for
critical inspection such struggles the
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., the Harvard-Penn-
Sylvania, the Columbia-Amherst, the Car
lisle-Pennsylvania and the Harvard-Dart-
mouth games
Straight football, this season has proved,
Is still supreme. Games have been lost. not
| ably the Princeton Yale match. largely as
the result of disastrous fumbling but the
inability to cling to the leather, it must be
admitted, is department of football per-
haps the most prominent Of all. Holding the
ball low. fierce tackling and complete uni
son. both in offense and defense. remain, as
always the groundwork OF the great game
This sensational season has shown pitt
fully and Enthusiastically deterioration on
the part of certain of the big teams" in
these fundamental matters, and a gradual
ana sure advance In the Work or the small
teams, to be considered small no longer.
RULES OF LITTLE BENEFIT.
AS the work of the rules committee, in
which. by the way, the West had no repre-
sentation. one finds that the supposed con.
cessons to light, fast teams did not prove
| of great benefit. The search for weight and
| speed combined lasted throughout the sea
son, and just as long as these big fast mer
| can be found, no rules committee can stor
| the terrific pounding that makes for
| crushing offense. With a view. to providing
| for a more open game the quarter back wa:
| allowed to run with the ball on a direct pas:
| from the center, provided he turned in NOR,
/ than five yards TO the right or left of hi:
| original position. On paper it looked well
but in actual use the play gained q small
| total of ground in the big games, the end:
| on the leading teams refusing to be taker
| in Perhaps the most notable instance of it.
| success was TO be found in the Yale-Prince
/ ton game, when Rockwell. sending a fake
| interference in one direction, circled the op
posite end for n gain of twenty-six yards
In the smaller games the play was mor'
| successful, just were certain trick plays
| This is inevitable, for the defending team
! Is never sure and resourceful in its defens
| against such attacks until late in the sea
| son.
1t was also theory OF the rules commit
| tee that the regulations would increas
| the kicking. But this season, as hitherto
| the best kicking was done, not after tn
! third down. but for strategic purposes FIRE
| quently the first or second down. Tn
| kicking, thought the rules committee, woul,
| be forced because of the failure of the bill
In midheld. But the crafty coaches spoile