Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-11-27
RAPIDS FOOTBALL
TEAM DEFEATED
Fast Sparta Team Won From
Grand Rapids Saturday at
Sparta by a Score of 81 to 2

sparta llgn SCnOCI ICOLDail team
defeated the Grand Rapids high
school team 81 to 2.
Grand Rapids was simply outclass-
ed and while ithad the heavier team,
the Spartans had the coaching and
the training. The play of the Spart-
ans was exceedingly fast and varied.
Their open field playing and forward
passing were simply marvellous. It
is said of this team that it has
three coaches and that the men get
up every morning at o'clock and
drill and that every evening after
school they drill and all are in bed
at eight O'clock.
The Rapids team made 30 yards
right off the reel and lost the ball
to Sparta on a tumble. After that
it was Sparta all the way through.
At first the stone wall Rapids line
held and Sparta was unable to gain
through the line, but after they had
made two touchdcwHs, the Rapids
team seemed to wilt and then it
was all off. The Rapids made two
points on a safety. Even in defeat,
the team looks good to lis. The men
did the best they could, that is
nearly all of them, for it is said
that one player on the Rapids
team, after the Spartans had made
their second touchdown, remarked
that it was all off and what was the
use of playing. Such a man is not
wanted On amy team. But, We are
just as proud of our team, as a
whole, aus we ever were. Right down
in our hearts we had little hope that
the Rapids would win from Sparta
although we hoped that it would
The men have no excuses to offer
and say they were beaten by a bet
ter team and they give Sparta all
the credit there is for the walloping
they got. The members of the
Grand Rapids team say that they
never were treated better by play
ers or citizens than they were
treated in Sparta.
We wonder what the score would
have been had it been Merrill play
ing Sparta-it 2ertainly wcnld have
taken three mem to keep track of it.
The Rapids team has this much
to it's credit. at any rate, It is
the only team that has scored on
SPARTA
Trudell had his knee cap hurt
and was taken out of the game
Several members of the team were
pretty badly used up. In fact ev-
cry substitute taken with the team
was used.
That the people of Grand Rapids
we're interested in the game was
shown clearly by the number who
called up the Reporter office during
the afternoon for news of the game.
From three o'clock on, it seemed
that nearly every one who had
phone or could borrow one called up
this office and inquired regarding
the game. 1t kept one person busy
all the time answering the phone
and replying to the numerous ques-
tiOns
Following is clipping from the
Milwaukee Sentinel regarding the
game:
Sparta, Wis, Nov 22.-Spar-
ta Highs have added still
stronger grip to the state cham
pionship by defeating the heavy
Grand. Rapids team on Satur-
day, 81 to ,.
Outweighed about ten pounds
to the man, the locals put up
such an aggressive and varied
attack that the visitors were
routed at the very start. Open
style play in all its stages fea-
tured the game. Sparta scored
four touchdowns in the first
quarter. lone in the second, and
the balance in the last half.
The score for the Rapids came
in the last half minute of play,
when the ball had been forced
to Sparta's one yard line by three
successive penalties Of fifteen
yards each. The punt was block
ed, 4 Sparta man recovered the
ball behind their own goal, there
by scoring q safety for their
opponents.
The Rapids comedies the cham
pionship to Sparta, as Oshkosh
had refused to play them on
two separate dates. Sparta
winds up their successful sea
son with La Crosse at Sparta.
Toll of Football During Season 1918.
Killed. IA
injured. lis
Fractured legs and ankles. :. Il
Fractured arms. :. =. =. :. :. 4
Fractured ribs. g.. .. =. T..
Fractured shoulders and collar
bones. 80. e. E. E. II
Broken hands. and wrists. :. .
Fractured skulls and conclusion
of brain. =, =.
Facial injuries and cuts on head II
Internal injuries. Il
Fractured hip. :, 49,.