Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-11-30
TWO MILITARY RIVALS.
WEST POINT MEETS NAVAL
ACADEMY ON 0RIDIRON
TODAY.
A Purely Athletic Event Twelve Games
Played Resume Of Past Contests =
Statistics Of Teams.

The series 81 football games between
the two service schools ~ the United
states The Naval Academy. and the
Military Academy. NJ West Point. Ia
unqucstlouably one ~ the most inter
osting athletic rivalrics In this or any
other country. "a IL agreed that as a
purely athletic event, the contest "
not up 10 the standard Of the ilnal
games between the three or four great
teams 81 the country.
some years. the playing ~ the teams
"a Just short ~ that point and some
times ID il distinctly below the stand.
ard. bat the match between no two
other teams Is 80 spirited on account
OF The intense rivalry that exists "a
rivalry which springs not only frVm
tho fcollrg Of The two institutions, but
% the whole branch Of the service
Itch they represent.
Twelve games have now been play
"a between the teams 81 the two in
situations aud OF these, West Point
has won sIN, Annapolis has won Eve,
aud ore. The game " 1905. WAS tie.
The drst . contest took place in tho
year 1890. aud was played AT West
Point. The location of the contest al
tefnatod between the home grounds
the last game Of that series was play
cd here In iSDA the contests were
resumed. the game OF that year being
played on Franklin Field. the ath
lctie grounds OF the University of
The games Of 1900. 1901. 1909. 1908
aud 1904. were played at the same
place. The contest of 1905 was play
oil nj Princeton, bur the game came
back To franklin Field In iD06, and
il Is likely "a romaln there indcn-
nltciv. Tho first game between the
two teams was played at West Point
ia 1890. The Navy had played the
game for many years aud had develop
ed good football at the institution,
while it was the first season for the
Army. The score, therefore, was not
surprising. Those were the days when
the Navy used nautical terms for its
signals. the captain calling out such
orders as Reef topsails. Man the
iibhaliardsr and the like.
. The next year West Point came to
AnnapoliS aud administered decisive
defeat 20 the midshipmen, much To
their surprise and that OF judges of
athletics generally. West Point
brought heavy team TO Annapolis,
and the players were not only heavy,
but they knew the game. Tho score
was 30 60 10 aud was crushing
blow To the Navy. The Army boys
distinctly outplaycd the local team,
though tho game was most exciting
and interesting. Long runs abounded.
Niche. who afterwards lost his life nj
Santiago, Timberlako and Clark were
the stars OF tho Army, and Macklin,
Pearson and Johnson Of the Navy.
The Navy went 10 work at once TO
redeem itself. The first coach, Mr..
Crosby. of Yale. was secured, and
modern football began. So we'll did
they learn their lesson that the Army
was defeated next year ut West Point,
the score being IL To 4. The Army had
great team that year, bat did not
have backs the equal of johnson and
lizard, .of the Navy team.
between this game aud the next, the
contest of 1898, the Army began to
take its place among the big teams OF
the country. II was playing such
teams as Yale, Princeton and Harvard
and invariably giving them the
hardest kind OF fights. IL was gener-
ally thought that the Army would
win and IL undoubtedly did have the
stronger team along the lines OF
straight football. However, the Navy
won by the narrow margin of goal
clicked and a goal missed. Bagley,
who afterwards lost bis life OF Car
donas, Cuba, during the Spanish
American War, was the hero of the
game. 1t was his splendid nuntinp
that saved the Navy goal line timc
after time, and Il was his achieve
mcut Of kicking goal from a most
dinlcult angle ana against high
wind that gave the Navy the victory.
The other notable feature OF the
game WAS the playing OF Reeves, then
tackle on the Navy team, and now
| head coach of the Naval Academy ag-
gregation. Head guards were not
known then. but Reeves had lately hurt
his head aud special contrivance was
arranged for him. IL was dome
shaped head piece with some sort OF q
| light gray covering and the way that
helmet kept appearing all over the field
and right with the Army mau who
| had the ball was caution. After
Baglcy's kicking, Reeves tackling was
what gave the Navy the victory. lie
always beat the ends down the field
aud nailed the man who received the
kick and this prevented any running
hack 81 the ball. Consequently the
Navy got the advantage of the splendid
long punls that Bagley made.
After the game of 1898 there was an
inlormlssion In the annual series Of
games. The authorities of the two
branches of tho national service came
Co think that the game diverted the
attention of the students too much.
Then, too, the journey was a long one,
40 far that the students OF the two In
situations could not sec the game when
ID was played ON the other grounds.
Another objection was that the crowds
which attended the games had be-
come so large, that Annapolis and
West Point we're simply overwhelmed.
Prior to 1879 the powers that were
came to look at tbs llrSt objection less
seriously, while the other two were
obviated ~ arranging 10 have the
games on a great athletic Geld mid.
way between the two Institutions.
Franklin Field, philadelphia, the
grounds 81 the University Of Penn
sylVania. which were courleously put
nj the disposal OF the two schools,
was selected ~ the place. aud the
game 81 ISM was played there. II
was generally thought that the Navy
would win. but the game proved al.
most - much ol q surprise a. that
~ 1891. aud the Army won by the
decisive score al u Co ..
The next year the surprise was the
other way and the Navy won The
game Of 1900 by score of i 10 Z.
The Navy had lighter team. hut