New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-30

PETER THE GREAT. 2:oTA, TO BE SOL
defensive power in its other backs. It may be
said that 1 am neglecting Mitchell, of Yale; or
Farnsworth, of West Point; or Vaughn and Pat
teson. of Dartmouth; Nichols. of Harvard
Nichols put up brilliant ground gaining football
against Penn. and certainly was one Of the finds
Of the year, but against Yale he did not show to
such good advantage and it seemed to me that
he is player who shows proportionately better
than most against weak defence. Vaughn and
Patteson are certainly q strong pair to draw to.
but individually neither Of them is Kafer'5
equal. Farnsworth, unfortunately, lasted only a
short time in the Annapolis match. or he might
have distinguished himself High class football
he played most of the season. particularly the
offensive. but Kafer is secure against him. too.
Keen. of Brown. was Of the best the
game developed anew this season. and should
be heard from next year.
I passed over Mitchell in the selection OF left
halfback because 1 intended to name him for
fulback. The season did not develop really
first class who played at fullback all the
season round. Time was when a fullback did ali
the punting and drop kicking for his team and
when the ability 10 do these things well con-
stituted his first claim on the position. But now
adays very few teams rely their fullbacks
for the kicking. A guard did It this year for
Princeton. a halfback for Yale. guard for Har-
ward and end for Annapolis. fullback is
really a third halfback. and the game Mitchell
played entities him to the choice. Other things
being equal, it is obviously distinct advantage
to have a back to do the punting and drop kick
ing. When a forward is sent back to do It his
place in the line is never so well filled by back
Annapolis was greatly handicapped. too, by hav-
Ing Howard an end. do her punting, It being
the first requisite Of end to get UP the field
to stop punt from being back. With
Mitchell on the All-America team. no forward
would have to be sent back to punt. for Mitchell.
all things borne in mind. is the best punter OF
the year. He steadily outpunted even De Witt
in the game against the Tigers. getting off 60
yard kicks with consistency. speed and direction
Els defensive work, too against Princeton was
one Of the redeeming features Of Yale's play.
Bennett, Of Pennsylvania, put up brilliant foot
ball as fulIback against Cornell, but Il was
single spasnodic effort after a of in
competency. Farmer, OF Yale; Miller. Of Prince
ton, and Mills. of Harvard, are only mediocre
fulIbacks compared with the great ones OF the
gridiron
Coming to the forwards, II was poor season
for centres. The difficulty Of developing a reH-
able man for this place is increased by the ad-
d:tionsI duty that has devolved upon him in the
last two years of passing directly to the fuback,
OF whatever player II is who does the puntine-
Some fearsorne passing was put up by the cen
tres Of this season Parkinson. of Harvard,
quite the worst Sugden whom he displaced,
could not possibly have been worse. Roraback.
too. was SO uncertain that in the Harvard game
Batchelder frequently swapped places with him
when there was a kick to pass for. On the
whole Short seems the best OF the season, for
the sole and only reason that he passed more
curately than the rest. Kicking was never
more important feature Of the game than now,
and to good kicking, good passing is indispens-
able. When it came to fighting work in the line.
Short was always able to hold his own against
any he met.
For right guard Bloomer, Of Yale, and De
Witt. of Princeton stand out over any other
candidates. Bloomer could not play against
Harvard. but he did play against the Tigers.
and it was through holes opened UP by him
and Hogan that Yale made almost all the gains
that resulted in her only touchdown, while
throughout the season Bloomer was always
more than match for any man that came
against him. 1t rather a pity that De
Witt did not play opposite him in the game OF
November IA. We could then have secured a
better line on the respective strength Of these
two players. Not that it makes much differ
ence so far as the selection of the AlI-America
eleven goes, for De Witt is sure Of a place on
it. anyhow. He and Bloomer were the guards
of the year. Bloomer is therefore chosen for
right guard and De Witt for left guard. Though
the Princeton captain played on the other side
Of the line, he far outclassed any other guard
of the year that II Is considered justihabIe to
shift him to left guard the AIl-America.
Not only does he deserve the choice his
merits as a guard. but his phenomenal kicking
powers are too valuable to be given up,
were he an inferior forward. He had off day
against Yale in the kicking department. and
Mitchell outkicked him But for all that. his
goal from placement. forty-two yards, won the
game for the Tigers, and was the most remark
able goal from placement ever kicked. The dis
lance though not small, was not remarkable,
hut the angle was rather bad. The distance OF
the kick itself was the phenomenal part of the
feat. Such power did the giant captain get into
his swing that the ball was still rising when
IT passed between YaIe's goal posts 1t would
have scored had the distance been sixty yards.
without a doubt.
One tackle stands out head and shoulders
over all the tackles OF the year. and that man
is Hogan OF Yale. In the Princeton match
Hoeans condition. like that OF several of his
team mates. was far from being all that could
ba desired. but as long as his strength held out
he was a commanding figure. and to him and
- p,ooner Yale owes her sole touchdown.
Hogan found no opponent who could get through
Div, srfect,velv and consistently. and whose
guard he could not pass twice out OF tnree times
with the ball his rushes were almost irresist-