The Washington herald., 1912-01-07
Started in 1908 and
Has Lost but One
Game to Date, George
toWn Defeating the
Southeast Team.
By c. w. SWAN.

4 BY u w. SWAN.
The VigiIant football team, independent
champions of the District for the past
four years.
That Is a record to be proud OF, and
that the Southeast boys deserve all the
good things said about them is self
evident fact.
The chief mover in the organization
and leader of the team the past four
years was Buck OliverI, the lightning
quarter back Buck" was the first TO
start practice and the last to leave the
field, and It was due TO the untiring ef-
forts Of this hustling captain that the
VigiIants made SO phenomenal a success
on the gridiron.
| Playing fifty-two games in four years,
and losing but one. is a record that there
is hardly n team in the South can boast
| of, and then ore of the best elevens In
this section humbled the Vigilants, name
! ly, the crack Georgetown University
eleven, victor over Virginia and Lehigh,
and the team that held the Army eleven
| to a uO-score battle.
The season just closed vas the most
successful in the history ofSthe team, as
| the games were played in an inclosed
! field. Georgetown University was met
and other crack aggregations We're book
ed. The one disappointment of the sea-
son was the poor showing of the eleven
representing the Baltimore Cross Country
Club. The Vigilants walked away from
the Baltimore team, winning the game
as they pleased, the final score being Al
to O.
VIEIIants Do Not Train.
When it is taken into consideration
that the Vigilants do not train, practice
only at night at the Southeast Branch of
the Y. NJ. c. a, and have no regular
coach. their showing is all the more re-
markabIe. Buck OIiveri is practically
the only coach the Vigilants have had the
past four years, and TO him the major
portion of the credit belongs.
Only two OF the original teams OF 1905
are still playing football. Buck Oliveri
and Ed DOugherty. Organized in that
year as the Virginia Avenue Fairgrounds
team, the Vigilants, as they soon came to
be known, made a great reputation for
themselves, playing all the lightweight
teams of Washington and often taking
on heavy aggregations.
in 1903 the Nigilants played fourteen
games. winning them all and not being
scored upon. That year the fast Poto-
macs were humbled twice.
The following season the Vigilants met
and defeated twelve teams, and were
scored on but once.
Vig:lants winning them ALL and having !
their goal line crossed but once. and that |
in an unfinished battle with the Engi- |
neers.
Last season thirteen games were play
ed, including the battle with the Engi- |
neers, who, after considerable talk. agreed |
to play at Union League Park and when /
the final whistle had been blown. the l
Nigilant were winners by 5-to-O score.
A squad of twenty-three men reported !
TO Capt. Oliveri. and they were all car
ried throughout the season. The official |
list follows: Martin Frydell, Guy Ellis.
Sonny" Coleman. Roy Hartley. John
Harper, William Morris. Josh LacariOni,
Niva Bombrest, Chief Burns, Jimmy Mac
Joe Ge.bel. John Healy. Sam
Allen. Ed Dougherty. J. \. Holland,
Duly Mckenzie, Bumps Turner. Lee
Martin. Earl Coilingsworth. John Nc
Donald. Alec Lacarioni. Bill Luscombe,
and Buck" OIiveri.
A Great BackHeId.
Perhaps the strongest backfieId in the
South. in independent circles. played for
the Vigilants. as Oliveri, Luscombe, Gel
bel. Mckenzie, Josh Lacarioni. Martin.
and ColIIngsworth make a formidable
Dlunging set for any aggregation. OIiverI
played quarter the major portion of the
about the middle OF the schedule, and he
showed such wonderful ability to carry
he ball that he was worked in a part Of
very battle
Joe Geibel was the sensation Of the
7ear in local footbalIdom. as the speedy
'ull back of the Vigiants hit the line
harder and made more gains than any
'ther member Of the team. This was
'eally JOe's first year in football, al
hOugh he had played little in 1910 with
he Kendalls. Joe was called upon to do
he puntinE for the Vigilants, and while
le was outlicked by Reggie Rawlings.
4 the SCholastics, on the whole his boot
ng was very good.
Duly Mckenzie, who has been elected
aptain of the 1912 team. is another {
rack punter, and II will most likely be
his lad who will do the booting next 4
eason. Duly played half the season lust ,
losed, and played IT to the queens taste.
| hard line plunger and a sticker. Duly Z
5 just the man TO lead the team next $
ear, and now that he has been chosen, (
1ill prove to be a good man for the Blue !
nd Gray team.
MacEIfresh "a Star. v
Perhaps the next in line for the glad :
and is the hard-working tackle, Jimmy 4
IacElfresh. Jimmy did not miss a game | L
r practice during the entire season,