The Washington herald., 1906-12-03
BY WALTER CAMP.

have done in her game last Thursday.
namely, heeled fair catch and then be-
gin taking place kicks at goal. Cornell
had just the same opportunity that the
Navy had, only Cornens catch would
have been ten yards nearer the goal
When the spectators saw Norton heel the
catch at that long range they laughed
At the wildness of the optimism that must
have deluded the young man and felt
that he had made mistake in not run
ming with the ball as the Army ends were
still some distance away when he
caught H.
The Army stands sized up the long
stretch of brown field intervening be
tween the man with the ball and their
goal posts and settled back with rather
bored air 10 see him make his forloTn
effort Even the Navy side betrayed lit
tie excitement as the victor sighted the
ball, for they, too, regarded it evidently
as a long chance. But when the foot Of
Northcroft hit the ball and il began TO
soar there was steam enough in the kick
to make the stands suddenly sit up with
a start On one side quick anxiety; on the
other of almost hope, and as the ball went
sailing on there was an instant's hush.
Then a roar Of frenzied delight from the
Navy side as the ball few high and true
over the crOssbar even high over the eX-
tended tops of the goal posts, kick long
enough to have scored from ten yards
farther away. 1t was a splendid effort and
coming as it did settled the contest then
and there. II was a deliberate piece OF
headwork in making the fair catch after
having used the wind by long kicking 10
put the ball down into striking distance,
and It was a fine piece of skill 10 score
upon the first trial
Had Planned More Catches.
The Navy had planned to keep on heel
ing the kick-outs of West Point and taS-
ing a Shy at their goal until they got
one over and they had succeeded at the
very first try. Then they followed that
up with the latest development of the for
ward pass, a long scaling throw such as
Yale had put up to Harvard. with exactly
similar results, save that the Army was
less prepared with a defense for it than
Harvard had been. and instead Of being
obliged to try it twice before getting il
over, and instead Of being obliged 10
supplement it with a few plunges into the
line for touchdown. as Yale had been
! forced 20 do. the Navy recipient had moth
| ing to do but catch the ball and run
straight over the lire and behind the goal
! posts. II cost no effort at all, and was
over almost before the Army realized
what was happening That was the story
of the two scores that turned the Ions
tide Of defeats suffered by the Navy into
a joyous, weI-deserved victory.
Nom as 10 what led I'd TO these and
what had been done to make them posi-
BILE The Army, confident in their own
ability, depended on the old game 10 bang
away through a season Of hard games,
and then by sheer force. pluck, and con-
centration to batter the Navy line 70
pieces with a steady succession of short
piece, gains. This years schedule was
harder than ever, and as a result the team
went on the field at Philadelphia after
/ four successive defeats by Harvard, Yale
/ Princeton. and Syracuse.
Schedule Too Heavy.
The best spirit in the world Is apt to flag
under such punishment. It does team no
good to subject them to such a schedule
/ that defeat becomes a habit West Point
! had little life after the first twenty
minutes They beat back the Navy line
when they rushed at it. but ten yards 20
gain is very different from five. and no
/ team can defeat at that game unless they
/ make the attack wider and find the thin
| places on the wing. Cornell found this out,
/ but it cost them the game. West Point dis
/ covered II, but too late. You cannot stand
/ up and smash an opponent into submission
under the new rules 1t is no longer the
/ bluff. old-fashioned. straight from the
| shoulder line of attack that wins games.
/ 1t is a more delicate art: il is strategy.
and il takes more than ability TO stand up
and be knocked down more times without
! giving out than the other team
/ The Army's schedule had taken the last
vestige of life out of them, had made them
slower Of thought and act than they were
/ a moment before, while the Navy's sched-
ule had buoyed up their spirits, conserved
considerable energy, and left them fast,
! aggressive. and eager. Their coaching had
made them resOurceful, and while they un-
questionably used the end run from a fake
kick too much when they had found that
the Army invariably stopped it, still it did
undoubtedly pave the way for the greater
deception into the long forward pass.
Caught and Tackled Well.
The kicking and catching on both sides
/ were good, Is was also the tackIlng by the
ends. the Navy having somewhat the bet
! ter Of it in this regard, although it was
difficult for either side to get much of a
run back upon kicks. The quick diagonal
kick from formation was the best of the
Army plays of new-rule tactics: in fact.
almost the only one that they used. 1t was
well concealed. gotten off quickly. and net
ted them their best gains. They might
have used it more even to advantage. but
pitted against the long forward pass il
was with less effective results.
The Army should have put the Navy at
once into their own goal by long high kicks
! with the wind and kept them there by
kicking. They started of as If they under
stood this, but either the good kicking out
by the Navy surprised them, or for some
other reason they lost sight Of the fact
| that they ought 10 save themselves by the
continued use Of this wind against the