The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-11-08
SCORE WAS TWELVE TO FIVE
Best Contest Of the Season,
Declare Many ROOters.
TWAS A SPECTACULAR AFFAIR
Full of Thrills and Excitement, One or
Two Accidents, viii Play St.
Peter Next Time.
From Mondays Daily.

From Mondays Daily.
In the best game of the season the
local high defeated the fast Sleepy
Eye team Saturday at Sibley park.
From start to finish the game was a
thriller" and furnished plenty of
excitement to the loyal few who wit
messed it. The score, II to ), indi-
Gates the relative merits of the two
teams.
The locals have been looking forward
to this game all season, it being regard
ed as the hardest on the schedule
and the most severe test for the
team. The Mankato team, with the
exception of the first five minutes of
play, showed better form than at any
previous time this season. There was
more team play and less of the eff
forts of few individual players. For
the first time the team worked as a
unit and continued to do so during the
entire game.
What Defeated Sleepy Eye.
Inability to handle punts properly
was largely to blame for the defeat
of Sleepy Eye. Time and again the
men sent back to receive the kick
either failed to touch the ball entirely
or muffed it, NIankato's ends repeat
edly recovered the ball after punts
and in this way gained much ground.
Hayward and Williams handled kicks
much better and made several brilliant
returns of punts.
Pond was easily the star of the
game. He followed the ball all the
time and because of this made Man
kato's second touchdown. Both Jones
and Pond got down under punts quick
~ and tackled hard. Pond made sew
eral good gains besides playing a
great game on defense. Williams and
Thaycr both played a good, consistent
game, the former doing some excellent
kicking.
In spite of his lame hand the Man.
kato captain played great defensive
game and his work was a feature of
the game.
Lee showed up better on the defense
and smashing up of the Sleepy Eye
interference was the cause of some
of Ponds fine work.
This was Hayward's first big game
but he ran the team very well for a
youngster. Aside from a little nerv-
business he displayed no signs of
blowing up as is usual with young
players. During the first half he made
some very poor passes to the backs
but more than made up for them
by the way he ran back punts in the
second part of the game.
Credit Due Mankato Linemen.
Much credit must be given the
Mankato linemen who out-played their
heavier opponents during most of the
game. The local line put up stone
wall defense but could not open up
holes on offense. Early in the game
both teams resorted to end runs and
plays off tackle as. the lines held too
well to allow either team to gain
the required distance.
For Sleepy Eye the stars were
Cutting, Captain Hammeister and Sher-
man. Both Cutting and Sherman are
hard. certain tacklers and Sherman is
sure ground gamer. During the first
half Hammeister tore through the
Mankato line for big gains and was
very hard to stop. Sherman was the
most consistent ground gamer and was
-hn t,,ct
Mankato line in the second half.
Sleepy Eye started out with rush
and played the locals off their feet
during the first five minutes of play.
They seemed to be able to gain
through most any place they chose.
Hammeister repeatedly tore through
the Mankato team for big gains and
in two plays carried the ball over
from the twenty fveyard line. Cut
ting failed to kick goal. Score: Sleepy
Eye, 5; Mankato 0.
This aroused the fighting blood OF
the Mankato players and they took
a big brace. Aided by the fumbling
of punt and the recovery of the
ball by Pond, they carried the ball
to Sleepy Eyes threeyard line. Here
Lee was given the ball and with hall
the Nankato team behind him was
pushed over for a touchdown. This
play resembled those of old times, the
entire twenty-five men being in one
big pile-up. Williams kicked goal.
Score: Mankato, g.; Sleepy Eye, 5.
One Knee Wrenched.
During one of the few plays that
were made before time was called,
Jones wrenched his knee and though
he gamely played the half out, was
obliged to retire at the end of it. The
half was called with the ball in Man
kato's possession.