St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1907-01-16
Basket Ball.
First Game Taken by Brattleboro.

The nrSl game III the DraItleDOrO-OO.D
state championship series was played at
Brattleboro last Wednesday and won by
the Athletics. The Brattleboro Phoenix
gives the following account of the game:
"Brattleboro Athletics threw Grimm
into the aspirations of Company D of
st. Tohnsbury for state basket bali cham
pionship honors at Festival hall Wednes-
day evening in game so swift and daz-
cling that the visitors were tagged and
bewildered. A crowd of 600 people went
wild with enthusiasm, and the scorer
had to keep about as busy as any one
changing the tally sheet, which finally
read 60 to Is. AT times, particularly in
the first period, the exhibition for speed
and skill surpassed any basket ball play
ing ever seen on the home floor.
Manager Riley planned to have the
same lineup for the Athletics as in the
game in which the championship was
taken from Company D at White River
Junction last year, but Long did not re-
turn from Troy, and Barraclough came
from Newport, n. H., with Doyle, in
place of McGuiggan. This made the
lineup, Davey, Stafford and Boutwell, of
the regular team, strengthened by Doyle
and Barraclough.
The game was played in three Is
minute periods, according to the custom
at st. Tohnsbury. Within a minute Beck
threw the first basket for the visitors.
Then the Athletics, although having the
unlucky basket at the east end of the
hall, cut loose. Every man on the team
played with dash and bang, but with
GOODNESS both in passing and shooting.
Nine times in quick succession the ball
hurtled through the air Clearly to the
net, and the speed and the spectacular
playing kept the crowd noisy all the
time Toward the close of this period
the Athletics slowed down little, and
the score ended Athletics "a, Company
D s, Ellis shooting two baskets and o.
Fields one in the last two or three
minutes ofplay.
The second period was also of the
whirlwnd order, the Athletics cutting
all kinds of fancy figures around their
opponents and rolling up "a more points.
In the closing period the Athletics
whistled for down brakes, and were
content to add IL more points to the
total Ellis shot two more baskets in
this period for Company D.
The line up:
ATHLETICS ST. JoHNsBURY.
Doyle, ri, lg, o. Fields
Barraclough, If, rig, Carr, S. Fields
Davey,c, c, s. Fields Dingle
Stafford, re- II, Beck
Boutwell, lg rf Ellis
g. Boutwell, s. Barraclough 4, Ellis T. Beck
q S. Fields 2, o. Fields. Referee, Howe.
Scorer, Could Timer, Riley Time, three
15-minte periods. Attendance. 600
Co. D 81, BrattlebOro %.
The shine was taken somewhat from
the Athletics Friday evening when Co.
D showed that they were still out for the
state championship, piling up 81 points
while Brattleboro could count only to
the "skidoo" mark of %.
1t was the fastest and most exciting
game seen in St. Johnsbury this season
and superior all-around team play
enabled Co. D to turn the trick. Time
and time again the brilliant passing and
phenomenal shooting brought forth
deafening applause from the spectators
who packed the Armory to the doors.
Both teams were keyed up to their
highest pitch and their faces wore the
do or die" determination to win.
No scoring was done in the early part
of the game, but there was something
doing from the FIRST toss up of the ball.
Beck was the first to score. making
pretty shot from the side line, but it took
just five minutes and 10 seconds to do
it, Brattleboro quickly followed up with
a basket and at three different times dur
ing the first period the score was tied.
Toward the close of the period, however,
the locals got the lead and when time
was called led 10 to 8.
Brattleboro opened up the second
period with a rush. Neither team played
a very careful game and as result
Referee Gum was constantly calling
fouls, of which the greater number were
credited up to the visitors. Co. D. secur-
ed commanding hold on the game in
this period, doubling their score, while
Brattleboro came in for seven, making
the score 80 to Is.
In the final period Co. D played their
opponents off their feet, taking the ball
around the hall with speed that would
take an avalanche to stop.
During the last few minutes of play
Brattleboro made game rally, bracing
up III ldSIllOI ny pas
sing obtained several clean shots at the
basket, all of which netted tallies Both
well was big factor in this work.
Sunny Jim Davey found worthy
opponent in Knox and although the
former strove with all his might and
main to keep the leather from the big
center he was unsuccessful and Knox
managed to cage the ball eight times.
Beck played fast, aggressive game and
kept the evasive Boutwell, guessing
most of the time Spitz and Ellis each
putup brilliant performance and Carr's
work at guard was feature.
The summary:
Co. BRATTLEBoRo
Beck, IF ID, Boutwell,
Sptz IT, RIB, Stafford
knox c, Davey
Carr, RIB If, Cakes
Ellis lib RI, Riley
Score, Co. 81, Brattleboro %. Goals
from floor, Beck II, Knox Z, Boutwell, 5,
Spitz s, Ellis 4, Cakes 2, Davey 2, Carr,
Riley, Stafford Goals from fouls, Co. D g.,
1NnA 1t