The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-10-01
Washburn Football Troubles
Are Sm0othed Out.
Team Making Ready for the
Opening Game.
EXPECT HARD BATTLE
Normal Victory at st. Marys
Was Surprise.
Prof. TOwne's Good Work Gives
Impetus to Athletics.

The Washburn football team is COM
/ ing out finely under the splendid coach
ing of Bert Kennedy and ought to prove
one of the best. if not the champion
team of the state this year. The prac-
tice every night is of the most spirited
sort and every man gets into action in
way to remind old timers of the days
of the famous 1900 team of Washburn.
Monday afternoon Coach Kennedy was
officiating at Emporia and was unable
to be out to train out his colts, but they
went ahead with the line of plays salts
factorily. In spite of the inclemency of
the weather Tuesday afternoon almost
every man showed up for practice and
there were more than two hours of hard
signal work Heretofore the plays nave
been announced. but Tuesday night
Coach Kennedy gave system OF num-
bers and the men at once began famil-
iarizing them. There was no scrim-
mage work as the grounds were entire
ly too slippery Last night the team
had hard signal and scrimmage work
The football squad has never numbered
fewer than twenty people since the be-
ginning of practice There are contests
for nearly every position on the team
and unless a man shows unusual quail
ties. he will have to work to earn one
of the coveted places.
Washburn's initial game OF football
this year is against the State Normal at
Emporia next Saturday. The personnel
of the team is pretty hard to conjecture,
but the backfeld has been about de-
cided upon. Judge" Anderson will play
the quarterback position, and Mehl and
Caldwell will be halves. Captain Dadis-
man is undecided who should be put III
at full back. but 1t is quite likely that
Millice of last years high school team
will land there. He has shown up cred
itably in late practice and seems well
fitted for the honor. Sam Lakin, who
has held half so creditably for the past
year, will probably play left end at
| least during the first of the season.
Bob, Stewart has right end. Cunning
ham, who has had two years of expert
ence at tackle. seems to have a 'cinch,
on right tackle and that is really about
the only place on the team that is nail
ed down. At left tackle. either Hill, last
years center, or Captain Dad1sman will
son at left guard and Buehler, a new
man from the shortgrass region, has
secured the place as right guard. Dads
man and Hill are trying to divide non
ors at center and left tackle
The list Of scrubs" will foot up al
most as long as the regulars. Delay.
Steel. and Coldren. lightweights. are all
making try at quarter Jackson,
Page, Maxwell and Amick, the last two
new men,, are striving to land posi-
tons a t end or backs. Iovett. a for
mer player on the Quincy, Ill, Bust
ness college team, is understood to be
a man OF nucn promise. H1STG6 All
derson. who has spent two seasons on
the gridiron. is thinking of registering.
and if he does may be counted on to
give somebody a hard tusSle at one of
the ends or halves.
All the men who are looked upon
as first team players have had one or
more years in college football, with
the exception of Millice and Buehler.
in the neighborhood of $50 pounds
avoirdupois. The back field will run
40 pounds. In the rush line, Cunning
ham and Brown weigh 100 each. Dad
isman, I.akin. Caldwell and Hill tip
the beam at 100 respectively MehI and
Millice Will strip 40 apiece, and Ander- |
son. the lightest man on the team.
weighs $50. From comparison of
these figures it will be observed that
the team is unusually well balanced. |
Every man on this years team is
strictly eligible, and there is no posi- /
bility of faculty interference, as hap |
pened last year in the unfortunate !
Worsley case. and in other years when |
the eligibility of some players has been |
closely questioned. Coach Kennedy has
great confidence in his men, and be- |
lieves he has bright prospects for |
winning team.
The State NormaTs tremendous vic
tory over St. Marys by a score of 45
to on Monday was somewhat of sur !
prise. and the players realize that they |
will have to play hard ball to win Sat |
urday's game.
The athletic debt. which has doomed |
up as such a formidable barrier to col [
lege athletics for almost a year, is at
last paid up entirely. Prof. Orville |
Towne. of the oratorical department. |
has been down town every day this |
week soliciting subscriptions among the |
business men to lift the debt. and this
morning he made formal announce I
ment that the last cent had been raised |
The original debt was more than $780, |
but Prof. Towne secured a concession
of $3.50 from the creditors. whereby the /