Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-19
HOT WEATHER ISA
SERIOUS DRAWBACK
TO FOOTBALL WORK
Pennsylvania Gridiron War
riors Suffer Much in Scrim-
mage Contests on Franklin
Field.
BY EDWARD r. BUSHNELL

ny LII" AMI W
Franklin Field was veritable oven
Yesterday. and the football men suffered.
Hardly the day the coaches would have
selected to give their men the first taste
Of sCrinmaEnE. Tho time before the
initial contest with Gettysburg, one week
hence. however, is already perilously
short. and this sort of strenuous work
was absolutely imperative TO permit the
coaches to pass on the respective merits
or the candidates for The line. Although
it was much too hot and sultry for foot
ball it was good day to reduce weight.
Too many Of the linemen are still car
rying excess carSoes of weight.
The character of the scrimmaRe work
in which tho linemen induged was con-
fined to charging exercises. The Of
fensivc side had seven men on the line
of scrimmaGe, the defense four and five.
What the coaches thus tried to teach
was the proper manner to break through
ard to check opposing inemen without
using the hands. The way the coaches
worked the men had much the same
effect as Tubing contest for oarsmen
In another part of the field Head
Coach Brooke had the candidates for
the backfeld doing work almost as
strenuous. Embryo quarterbacks. half
backs and fu!lbacks ran through signals.
hurled and caught forward passes.
Chased up and down the field under
kicks and even tried a little work in
running back punts.
Just now the coaches are not giving
any inklinE as to the composition of the
team in this game. But it is almost
certain that Captain Journeay will get
first call at centre. The only uncertain
thing about his work is the amount of
speed he will develop. To play centre ac-
cording to the Pennsylvania system he
will have to show great activity and be
able To back up not only his own position,
but 10 help wherever an extra man Is
needed
There are two members of last years
freshman team who seem to have caught
the coaches ewes as candidates for line
honors. They are George Wharton Pep
per, Jr, and Witherow. Pepper is a
man built much on the same lines as
Frank Piekarski, though weighing more
than this All-American guard. Witherow
carries about 225 pounds and is not Yet
trained down to hard muscle. Harris
and Russell, who played on last wears
for the ends. Coach Dickson has not
given any intimation as to who will be
his trst choices here. -'either has George
Brooke indicated what men are his ia
vortes for back field positions on a
guess, the man 10 start at quarterback
will be Vic Ballou or Irwin: two of the
other backs, Jones and Matthews, while
Gottwals or Mofitt would complete a
pretty good backieId
Al the University of Michigan Coach
Fielding II. Yost has resented the con-
clusion Of one Eastern football writer
who predicted that when Michigan play
ed Harvard at Cambridge on October 81.
the Crimson would not use its best pIavs
but would reserve them for the Prince
ton and Yale teams. Yost has no reason
10 care what plays Harvard uses, but IL
piques his pride to have the inference
drawn that his team will not be i'm
portant enough 10 make the Crimson ex-
tend itself,
II may be stated right now that Har-
ward hasn't any intention of submitting
10 a beating by Michigan, and the Grim
son may be depended upon to use its
best plays and players. The surmise
that the Harvard would use only
simple plays against Michigan and re-
serve the intricate ones for Princeton
and Yale shows the extent TO which
many persons oVerestimate so-called
football strategy Harvard and Michigan
will have the advantage of about the
same brand of coaching, and victory or
defeat will depend rather upon the calibre
OF the men than their trick or compll-
Gated formations.
Trick plays for which secret practice
Is thought necessary never represent s
per cent, OF a teams strength. on the
contrary, men are what count. II Har-
ward should resolve 20 start the Michi-
gan game without Brickley or Mahan in
the back field, there might be some
ground for the supposition that Michi-
gan was undeTestimated. IT ought to be
thoroughly understood by this time that
the strength Of the Harvard eleven will
depend more upon the calibre of the en-
tire team, particularly Of the backfeld.
than upon any now football which Coach
HauEhtOn or any one else can teach
them. In a team which has absolutely
the rudimcnts OF the game and
can do the elementary things as near
perfectly as the Harvard players do, ali
the trick plays that ever were known
wouldn't increase the strength OF that
team per cent
DR.. Fred Settle, end on the teams Of
1893, 1850 and 1901 vas a visitor at the
afternoon practice on Franklin Field. ,