Omaha daily bee., 1909-11-21
CHAMPIONSHIP Is UNDECIDED
Four Teams in Race for First Honors,
Which May Not be Settled.
COILEG1ANs FIGHT vAI1ANTLY
Game is Transferred to Fort Crook
Grounds Owing to Mud at Bellevue.
MORTON AND LUKE ARE STARS
Fight GRmely for Respective
Teams-Doane Handicapped BY
Absence Of HartweIl-Each
Goal Endangered.

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Doane. o.; Bellevue, 0.
Doane and Bellevue played for sixty
five minutes to a 0 to 0 tie Saturday
afternoon at Fort Crook and the state
championship is in the worst mixup in
years, four teams being tied for the
honors. AS the season is far advanced
this may never be settled. Doane has
tied Bellevue. Hastings and Wesleyan and
beaten Grand Island and Peru. Bellevue
has tied Doane, Hastings and Wesleyan
and thus 1t stands with four teams even
for first honors.
The game was transferred from Bellevue
to Fort Crook because of the muddy con-
dition of the Bellevue grounds. Sod
covered the entire field at Fort Crook, but
in this the going was heavy and spec
tacular runs we're few and far between.
The Doane Tigers were Accompanied to
Bellevue by 1875 student ~rooters. most of
whom carried m-egaphones, through which
they sang to the accompaniment Of their
cadet band. Bellevue rooters had the
Sixteenth Infantry band from Fort Crook.
Nearly 1000 of Uncle Sans soldiers in
uniform witnessed the game. making it
spectacular as the purple and old gold
OF Bellevue Wed with the orange n
black of Doane for supremacy.
Great Honor at Stake.
Much was at stake in the annual battle
between these two leading institutions,
for on the result hung the state champion
ship for which the colleges OF Nebraska
fight so vigorously each fall. Doane came
strongly heralded, as he coach, Cody
Clark, had developed one of the best teams
Doane ever had. The line was heavy and
the back field fast, making the team
look somewhat superior on paper to the
Bellevue boys. Doane had all the con-
fidence in the world, while the Bellevue
players and rooters were somewhat fear
full before the superior confidence, which
the wearers OF the orange and black dis
played as they took Bellevue by storm
shortly after noon Saturday.
The change in arrangements, whereby
the game was played at Fort Crook in
stead OF Bellevue, was made in q hurry
and as a consequence the lines were dim
on the grass and wore away soon after the
game started, thus making the work of the
officials extremely difficult. No side lines
were provided to keep the large crowd
back, but a squad Of soldiers was detailed
by Colonel Gardener to assist tina the
championship game might be played on the
best field possible.
The work OF Ben Cherrington was excep-
tionally fine and WAS one Of the best Jobs
Of refereeing seen in this part Of the
country for some time.
Battle I'm Earnest.
Doane won the toss and chose to defend
the west goal with the advantage Of the
wind and this was sufficient to keep the
ball in Bellevue territory most of the first
half. AS no scores were made Doane had
the wind In the first half and In the second
Bellevue had the same advantage and the
battle waged about even until within a
few minutes OF the close. when Doane
started a rush toward Bellevue's goal,
which looked as though 1t might be sue
%oessful, but It was stopped on the seven
yard line just as time was called.
Doane roOters felt confident that with
a few more minutes OF play they could have
carried the pigskin over the goal and won
the coveted prize OF the title OF Nebraska
state champions.
Captain Morton Of the Bellevue team was
easily the star OF the game by his strong
defensive playing, which kept the heavier
Doane %plungers and sprinters from gaining
time after time. He played near the line
of the left end on defensive and more than
half the time was the man to make the
tackle. Dow We'd Will the captain for
stellar honOrs and broke through the heavy
Doane line repeatedly, on one occasion
blocking a kick which nearly proved fatal
to Doane's championship aspirations. Cla-
baugh, from his position at left half, was
called upon 20 do most Of the carrying for
Bellevue.
Luke OF Doane showed clearly why he is
given credit for being the best center IN
the state. He Is a heady player and his
defensive plunges were responsible for the
breaking up Of many of the Bellevue plays.
The absence OF Captain Hartwell from
the game was a great loss TO Doans. al
though the team seemed to be handled
fairly well. To Holbert at right half fell
the brunt OF the carrying for Doane, and
also the kicking, and he did his part well,
often booting the ball FOR over forty yards.
His kicks were longer than those OF Belle
Vue.
The open game was not played as much
as some OF the spectators would have liked
and when II was tried II worked well over
half the time. Both Doane and Bellevue
made several substantial gains by this
style Of play. Each team was within st-ik-
ing distance for a drop kick, and each OF
the experts missed on their trials. But few
returns we're made OF punts, as the ends
were down fast for both teams. Primrose
blocked several returns by beating the
ends down the field.