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

Franklin Field was a veritablc oven
yesterday. and the football men suffered
Hardly the day the coaches would have
selected to give their men the first taste
of scrimmoging. Tho time before the
initial contest with Gettysburg, one week
hence, however. is already perlously
short. and this sort of strenuous work
was absolutely imperative to permit the
coaches to pass on the respective merits
of the candidates for the line. Although
1t was much too hot and sultry for foot
ball, it was a good dav to reduce weight.
Too many of the linemen are still car
rying excess cargoes Of weight.
The character OF the scrimmage work
in which the lincmen INDUCED was con-
fined to charging exercises. The Of
fensive 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
and 10 check opposing lincmen without
using the hands. The way the coaches
worked the men had much the same
effect as a 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 Quartcrbacks. half
backs and fu.lbaCks ran through signals.
hurled and caught forward passes.
chased up and down the field under
kicks and even tried 4 little work in
running back punts.
Just now the coaches are not giving
any inkling as to the composition of the
team in this game. But ii 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-
cord!ng to the Pennsylvania system he
will have 10 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 eyes as candidates for line
honors. They are George Wharton Pep
per- Jr ana Witherow. Pepper Is a
man built much on the same lines as
Frank Piekarsh, though Weighing more
than This AU-Amerlcau guard. WithcroW
carries about 22J pounds and is not Vet
trained down to hard muscle. Harris
and Russell who played on last years
team ought to retain line positions As
-yI N.l'' fll'lNt HbbtIi DICKSON mas NOT
given any intimation as To- who will be
his first choices here. either has George
Brooke indicated what men are his ia
ynriies for back field positions On a
guess the man to start at quarterback
viii 10" Vic Ballou or Irwin two of the
other backs Jones and Matthews, while
Go'twals or Mofitt would complete
pretty good backded
Al the University Of Michigan Coach
Fielding IL. Yost has resented the CON
C!usion 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 plays
but would reserve them for the Prince
ton and Yale teams. YoSt has no reason
TO care what plays Harvard uses. bur il
piqu"s his pride To have the inference
drawn that his team viii not be inn
portaut enough TO make the Crimson ex-
tend itself,
II may be stated right now that Har-
ward hasn't any intention Of submitting
10 beating by Michigan. and the Grim
son may he depended upon 10 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
ana Yale shows the extent 10 which
many persons Overestimate so-called
football strategy Harvard and Michigan
viii 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 on compl-
Gated formations.
Trick plays for which secret practice
is thought necessary never represent
per cent. Of a teams strength. on the
contrary, men are what count. II Har-
ward should resolve 10 start the Mlchi-
gan game without Brickley or Mahan i'm
the back field, there might be some
ground for the suppositlon that Michi-
gan was undeTestimated 1t ought 10 be
thoroughly understood by this time that
the strength 81 the Harvard eleven will
depend more upon the Calibrc Of the en-
tire team, particularly Of the backheld
than upon any new football which Coach
HauEhton or any one else can teach
them. In a team which has absolutely
mastered the rudiments of the game ana
can do the elementary things as near
perfectly as the Harvard players do. an
the trick plays that eyer were known
wouldn't increase the strength OF that
team 8 per cent.
DR. Fred Settle, end on the teams OF
1893. 1900 and 1901. was a visitor - the
aflsrnoou practice on Franklin FEf