The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1908-10-10
ALTHOUGH OUTWEIGHED vi
NITA BOYS DEFEAT TULSA
SPEED WAS THEIR SALVATION
Exciting GridirOn Contest at Tulsa
-Vinita Made Her Only Score on
Fluke Clearly 0utplayed
Former Champions.

Tulsa, Oct, 10-The athletic park here
was the scene of great excitement yes
terday afternoon, when the erstwhile
state champions the Tulsa high school
football team went down in defeat before
the speedy but lighter aggregation repre-
senting the Vinita high school, by the
close score Of 6 to 0.
This was one Of the hardest fought
Games ever witnessed on the Tulsa
Grounds, and had it not been for a for
mnate fluke, for Vinita, in the first hail.
the game would have ended without
score. The Tulsa team was much heavier
than the Vinita team, and it was thought
the little fellows would not be in the run
ming. but they soon demonstrated their
superiority in team work, and handled
the ball much more rapidly than did the
Tulsa team. In fact after the first hve
minutes Of play the visitors kept the local
team on the defense most OF the time,
and fully three fourths of the game was
PLAYED in Tulsa's territory. Only twice
during the entire game was the Tulsa
team able to gain the required distance
in three downs except by punting the ball
Vinita was exceptionally strong on return
ine the kicks and time after time "Banty
Smith the fast quarterback, Of the visitors
caught the punts of the Tulsa team and
ran the ball back for ten, fifteen ana
twenty wards. In punting as well as team
work Vinita had the best of the argument
, Wright, left halfback for Vinita did the
uunting and all Of his kicks were long
ones. Here again Vinita showed their
speed for punt after punt was made and
the fast ends and backs of the visitors
heat the locals to the ball and thus Sc
cured ereat gains on the kicks In fact
this kicking, assisted by numerous FUN
} bIes of the Tulsa team is what gave Vi
nita the victory.
At the start of the game Tulsa chose
the kickoff and Vinita took the east goal
to defend. At the sound of the referees
whistle Captain Rushmore, the brilliant
half back of the local team, sent the pig
skin sailing in the air to be caught by
quarterback Fred Smith, of Vinita, who
returned fifteen yards with the ball. Here
the two teams lined up for the first scrim-
mage. In the first two downs Vinita
failed to gain the required distance and
kicked to Tulsa's fifteen yard line Again
the two teams lined up for scrimmage'
and Rushmore for Tulsa carried the ball
around Vinitas end for twelve yards, but
this was the only gain the locals were
able to make for they soon lost the ball
on tumble and Vinita began advancing
upons the Tulsans' goal. Vinita did not
march to a goal without struggle for the
locals stubbornly contested every inch OF
the ground but after about fifteen min
utes of hard play, Mars right end for the
visitors went around left end for short
gain, but in falling when tackled,fumbled
the ball. This tumble proved fortunate
for Vinita, for Fred Smith picked up the
fumbled ball and ran the remaining
twelve yards for the first and only touch
down Of the game. Joe Billingslea kick
a perfect goal.
From this time on to the finish of the
game it was a battle royal Time and
again Vinita came in striking distance
but the sturdy locals were able to keep
them from scoring. The second half was
lust a continuation of this kicking and line
pluneing of the latter part of the first
half. Both teams resorted to frequent
punting, but in this. except in the last
few minutes of play Vinita had the best
of it, making long kicks and recover