The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-11-04

defeat of the Washburn team Saturday
when the game was lost to Emporia
by the score of to 6. They are:
The failure of Pearson to cover
on a forward pass.
The failure of Trobert to kick. goal.
But there are indirect causes a
plenty. One of them was a bit of
sharp practice by Coach Crispin of the
Normal. Thursday arrangements
were made to call the game at 2
o'clock. On this agreement the Wash
burn team left Topeka at 1870 o'clock
after the lightest kind of a lunch,
dressed on the train and on reaching
Emporia stood for nearly an hour in
the cold before the game was played.
Had Coach Driver known of the
o'clock arrangement the team would
have had a good meal, gone to En-
poria at 10 o'clock and had a rest,
and been IN better shape to play. At
one time Coach Driver called off the
game, but he proved his sportsman
ship by playing the contest against
this odds rather than disappoint the
Normal fans.
The Normal squad played some good
football and had some good luck. The
Teachers also played some poor foot
ball and Washburn had some bad
luck. The field was soft, ankle deep,
at one end and a little harder at the
other. This figured in the score. The
Emporia touchdown came on 80
yard forward pass which Pearson
failed to cover and James ran the re
naming Is yards with the ball, there
being no one near him. Morgan, who
played a star game for the Teachers,
kicked goal.
Washburn had the ball on the Nor
NAL yards line once, on the 10 yard
line once and within the 20 yard line
a number of times. Sometimes it was
hard luck that kept them from scoring
and sometimes it was poor football
And it is only fair to the Teachers to
say that there were occasions when
they had considerable to do with the
failure of the Blue to push across for
a touchdown. In the first quarter
with the ball under the Normal goal
was probably poor football as it re-
suited, but which would have been O.
K. had it worked. The Blue men were
behind the goal ready for the ball but
the flip struck the crossbar on the
Normal goal and rolled back into the
field. That chance to score was gone
And this is a sample of the kind OF
luck the Blue had.
Referee Hoops probably figured in
the victory of the NoTmals. unwilling
ly. Lowe was put out of the game
for smuggling at Sweat, a negro entered
when Wooster was injured. Lowe de-
clares he didn't slug the negro but
j
to be an attempt on the part of Cecil
to Jack Johnson the black man. !
loves speciality is breaking up for 1
ward passes. Pearson, who played in |
his stead, didn't cover on a simple /
high school forward pass formation /
and James easily caught the ball and |
went across for a touchdown.
The Blue was dangerously near the |
Normal goal a number of times while |
the Normal didn't get within striking |
washburn played only on the de- |
fensive, punting as soon as they re-
ceived the ball. This was by order of |
the coach who wished to try out the ,
Teachers and save his men as much as
possible. He wanted defensive work |
for the squad and he got it. This was |
the first time the Blue had to fight. |
And fight they did.
That is one feature of the game on |
which the writer would like to dwell |
would space allow. With the score
against them in the last half, the team |
having tasted food since II o'clock (and |
it was then late in the day. the Blue
players came back gamely. Even the |
Normal rooters were thrilled by the
game work of the visitors who started |
for the goal of the Teachers and who
could not be denied a score Two of !
the men were hardly in shape to be in
the game and the rest were weary.
But they fought like men battling for
life instead of the honor of a school. i
Each one of them was giving the best |
there was in him on every play and |
in five minutes the ball was pushed |