Anadarko daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 1908-191?, 1910-12-12
LIGHT PLAYERS IN DEMAND
Srldiron Stars Need Not Possess
Greet Weight, as Agility and speed
Figure In Contests.

Light. leetfooted backs are in de-
mand this year for all the college foot
ball teams. Under the new rules the
light player has at last come into his
own. This does not mean that the
back field can be composed OF men in
the lightweight class. But the day OF
the ponderous. heavy backs seems to
be a thing Of the past. A player
weighing from $50 to 1870 pounds has
the call for the positions this year.
The abollshment OF the sturdy. cata-
pult type Of back IN due TO the change
in the rules dealing with the old style
OF line plunging play No longer Is Il
legal for the human batteringTam 70
hurl three or more men as interfer-
ence NJ an Oppos.as line. Mass play
has been effectuany abolished And
so tho character Of the game has un.
dergonc a great change from the days
OF the flying wedge.
That the big college teams realize
the futility OF playing heavy men in
the back field is shown by the mum.
ber OF shifts made this year The
heavy men had their try-outs early In
the season and they failed 10 make
as much headway as the lighter play
ers. In some cases the experiment
proved rather costly.
Harvard was one OF the first to re-
alze the value OF light men in the
back field. Evidence OF this was
shown when Minot. an All-American
back OF last year. was shifted to a
place In the line Minot's plunges
through opposing lines last season
netted the Crimson many big gains,
but with the restrictions on this style
OF play this season the coaches de-
cided he would be more valuable on
the line.
Later in tho year Princeton made a
similar shift, Captain Eddie Hart,
reckoned one Of the best line plungers
In 'he country. was taken out OF the
btrk Geld after the Lafayette game
and placed in the line In the game
with Carlisle Hart more than won his
spurs as an aggressive line man. He
opened up some big gaps for the backs
to tear through.
Coach Ted Coy OF Yale was another
football director to startle the ex.
perts when he placed Howe In az full
back. Last season Howe was the
choice for quarter back and It was ex-
pected he would play that position
this year. He is heavy enough under
the new rules, but he does not meas.
ure up in weight by many pounds to
some or the old.tlme full backs.
Perhaps the forward pass had had
much to do with giving the light men
their opportunity. Surely that. coup
led with the necessity OF end runs.
has worked big change In the com.
plexion OF the attack. To be success.
ful the forward pass must be hurled
and received by player quick on his
feet. one able to get started with the
ball at top speed. While lacking in
concentration Of attack and bit weak
on the defense. Princeton has one OF
the fastest back fields in the coun.
try. Sparks, Pendleton and Ballou
make up combination hard to beat.
Pendleton is counted one OF the best
runners in a broken field OF recent
years, and Sparks shows plenty of
dash I'm his attempts TO skirt the ends.
Ballou is fast on his feet and at the
same time an able punter Against
Houser OF Carlisle ne made an excel
lent showing, outkicklng the Indian
by many yards.
Nor are the Tigers without their
usual drop kicker Pendleton has ac-
quilted himself well in the early
games and seems capable OF dropping
the ball over the cross bar from any
point almost within the 40-yard line.
The list OF star Princeton hckers is a
long one. Somehow Nassau secures a
good goal kicker almost every year
While Harvard has been rolling up
big scores on its opponents Yale and
Princeton have not been doing so
we'll Yale was scored on by Syra-
cuse beaten by the Army and held
TO no score tie by Vanderbilt
Princeton started off well enough by
scoring rs points on Stevens. but only
managed to score l2 on New York
university villa Nova was easy for
the Orange and Black, but the Tigers
barely won by score or to o over
Lafayette They defeated the Indians.
6 TO o.