The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-11-28

Thanksgiving Day Will be Desperate |
and the Fascination of Uncertainty |
as to Result Thrills All Lovers of
Sport.
The Thanksgiving Day game or
football between the University and
the University Of Virginia, which will
be played in Norfolk, bids fa1c TO
draw a larger crowd than has ever
before witnessed one Of these char
acteristic struggles. TIE game has
become. of Itself, the athletic event
for W states and has won a hold
on the people which has given 1t d
classic interest. Thousands will make
the trip TO Norfolk from all over the
South and wnen the teams line up
the setting Of The contest will be mag
niicent.
AS to the game, that as always Will
exciting, fought with the desper-
49,. Z .n~estnes5 of the eliminating
event of the year, and, whatever its
result. the disappointed will go Away
amid the cheers of the victors al
ready talking If next years game.
By common consent the ThanksS:v-
ing game has become the southern
football event, the two teams carry
ing the hopes of two states as wa rs
the rival universities.
The result Is absolutely in DOUBT
at this stage, regardless of compare
tive scores and foot ball estimates.
Foot ball is the most uncertain OF all
quantities. Comparative scores count
For nnfhin0 FNroinn1 tn the minute
a team may one day play with all the
power and dash imaginable. A week
afterwards, a tTife over trained. The
snap may all be gone, the machine
fail to work, the eleven to all prac'
tical purposes De composed of d diff
ferent set of men. In the game Itself
a thousand things may happen to
change the result. There may be all
accident ut the start. a slight error.
an instant m~iscalculation. On any OF
these things the game may hang. All
that can be said is that history ard
college pride ard individual strength
and determination make the Virginia
Carolina game a game for blood,
and that the victor may we'll rake
pride ii the winning.
The University team is strong midi
SlutId11y dlu at II AloL VI An ~
son. gave promlre of playing brilliant
ball. The promise has lot been full
filed for several reason so far, yet
1t may shine out brightly on ThanFs-
giving day. The team has suffered
from sickness and the Decentralization
of changed line-ups. 1t played Penn
s~ylvania Il hard game and then met
disastrous defeat at the hands OF v.
ID o~I +h~ NoJru IF fIIrnn6 aHNIf
and beat Georgetown by a score OF
over thirty points to nothing. and
then came to Raleigh and was OUT
played by the A. and NJ. although
luck saved a defeat. But it must al
ways be remembered that the Univer-
sity trains for the Virginia game. In
a way the others are all merely pre-
paratory. A surprise is qquite within
the possibilities although the record
of games placed seems to put the
chances with Virginia.
Last years contest was 12-11 with
Virginia, a dead heat practically; The
year before that, after a season OF
disappointing games, Carolina. Won
1910; in 1902 there was a tie, 1912.
The result Is Il tOss-up.
The Carolina lineup, while indeti-
mite, will probably be:
Parker. center. for two years teen
substitute center and has been show
ing up we'll this season. His weight
stripped is 178.
Seagle and Gardner will be at
guards. This Is Seagle's third year
on the team. He weighs 1874 pounds
and is steady aid reliable. Gardner is
we'll known, having played on Agri-
cultural and Mechanical for five or
six years. He tips the scales at us.
The tackles will probably be Story
and Whitaker. This is StOry's sec
ond ear on the team, but he developed
at once into one of the best tackles
Carolina has had in years. He weighs
ITS pounds and is tough, strong and
active. Whitaker weighs $50 POUNDS
and is one of the most experienced
and reliable all-round players in the
south.
At left end is Townsend. He weighs
less than 40, but is a phenomenal
player for his weight. He made ALI
Southern last year. Brown will be
found at the other end. He is from
Lafayette College and was chosen by
Caspar Whitney as an All-Amer1Can
end two years ago. Abernethy is a star
full with an injured ankle, but 1t is
hoped that he will be recovered by the
time of the Thanksgiving contest.
These two ends were bitterly disap-
pointed in the A. and NJ. game.
Sadler, the regular quarter, has
gone home ana it is not known as
yet whether he will return to college
this fall or not. Should he not re-
turn, Captain Robertson will be seen
at quarter. His weight is 155. S.
The back field will be occupied by
Abernethy, Winborne, Snipes n
Reynolds. Abernethy is a star full
back, with a reputation as a line
breaker.
Right half apparently lies between
Snipes and Reynolds. Snipes has play
ed ball at Guilford College, but it is
his first year here. He weighs l55
to IT'S pounds. Reynolds weighs at
100. He is a hard worker who never
gives up. Winborne is playing left
half. He was a substitute half last