The Oskaloosa herald., 1909-10-21
FOOT BALL

The shortness of the halves alone
against the Knoxville High school
eleven in an interesting foot ball game
at the league park Saturday afternoon.
The score was nothing to nothing. be-
ing the same fate that has met these
two opposing teams for the past four
years. The Oskaloosa High school
men played the best game from start
to finish and kept the ball continually
in Knoxville's territory. In fact time
was the only thing which robbed them
OF victory. Mattison had carried the
ball within six inches of the goal line
when Umpire Mayo Colviile called
time at the end of the first half. Tom
Watson's catches and runs and Homer
Mattisons kicks and line smashes
were the sensational features of the
game for the locals although Ruby and
Max O'Brien did good work and all
men played their positions splendidly.
Several fatal fumbles lost much
ground for both teams. All the backs"
OF the Knoxville team did especially
good work. The game was clean and
fast, almost entirely free from fouls
and roughness and very interesting
Fifteen minute haiTes were played.
The important plays were about as
follows: Knoxville kicked off from
the south goal to Hedge, who advanced
fifteen yards. Oskaloosa executed a
fake kick for thirty-five yards, giving
the ball to Knoxville. After an I'M
successful line smash Knoxville's quar-
ter made a pretty forty-yard punt,
Watson making safe CATCH" Mat
tison returned the kick to just about
the line of scrinmage when tumble
resulted in Oskaloosa recapturing the
ball. Mattison made one good line
smash, but Knoxville held them for
downs and got possession of the ball,
but being penalized in the first scrim-
mage refused the penalty and surren-
dered the ball to Oskaloosa. In fake
play O'Brien carried the pig skin for
a ten-yard gain around the left end,
Madison went over the center for six
more and in an attempted forward
pass Cunningham caught the ball for
Knoxville. Finding themselves still
unable to break through Oskaloosa's
line Knoxville again punted and Wat
son was as usual under the ball, but
was downed where he stood. Oska-
loosa was then penaliZed for an un.
successful attempt at forward pass.
Another punt back and forth left the
ball in about the same position. Os-
kaloosa was held for downs, Knox
vile again punted and Oskaloosa in
a series of line smashes brought the
ball within two yards of Knoxville's
goal A touchdown seemed inevitable
for Oskaloosa. Mattison was again
called for to close the deal for a
touchdown and he advanced the ball
TO within twelve inches of the coveted
line. The referee blew his whistle for
an off side play by Knoxville. This
would give Oskaloosa the benefit of a
five-yard penalty, but the rule being
that the ball can never be put across
the goal line on penalty only half
the distance between where it lay and
the goal could be allowed. Before
another lineup could be formed thine
was called for the end of the first
half. The second half went in much
the same manner, several times the
bali being so near the Knoxville goal
that touchdown seemed assured.
Knoxville seemed unable to make any
substantial gains except by kicking,
while both sides were often held for
downs. Referee Joseph Doe twice
stopped the game to clear the crowd
OFF the field. The lineup:
Kpovyilla OckaIOoS1