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 vertable oven
yesterday. and the football men suffered.
Hardly the day the coaches would have
selected to give their men the first taste
of scrlmma ging. The time before the
initial contest with Gettysburg, one week
hence, however, is already pcrilously
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
it was much too hot and sultry for foot
ball, it was good day to reduce weight.
Too many of the lncmen are still car
rying excess cargoes of weight.
The character of the scrimmage work
in which the linemen 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 to check opposing linemen 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 quarterbacks half
backs and fullbacks ran through signals.
hurled and caught forward passes,
chased up and down the field under
running back punts.
Just now the coaches are not giving
any inkling as to the composition of the
team in this game. But 1t 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 eyes as candidates for line
honOrs. They are George Wharton Pep
per- Jr., and Witherow. Pepper is
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 10 hard muscle. Harris
and Russell, who played on last years
team ought to retain line positions. AS
for the ends. Coach Dickson has not
given any intimation aS TO who will be
his FIRST choices here. -,either has George
Brooke indicated what men are his ia
vOrtes for back field positions. On
guess, the man to start at quarterback
will be Vic Balou or Irwin; two OF the
other backs. Jones and Matthews, while
GOttwals or Moffitt would complete
pretty good backfeld.
At 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 plays
but would reserve them for the Prince
ton and Yale teams, YOst has no reason
to care what plays Harvard uses, but il
piqucs his pride to have the Inference
drawn that his team will not be inn
pOrtant enough to make the Crimson ex-
tend itself,
II may be stated right now that Har-
YaT hasn't any intention of submitting
to 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 callbre
of the men than their trick or compli-
Gated formations.
Trick plays for which secret practice
is thought necessary never represent S
per cent. OF teams strength. on the
contrary, men are what count. If Har-
ward should resolve to start the Michi-
gan game without Brickley or AIahan in
the back field, there might be some
ground for the supposition that Michi-
gan was underestimated. 1t 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 backheld.
than upon any new football which Coach
Haughton or any one else can teach
them. In a team which has absolutely
mastered the rudiments OF the game end
can do the elementary things as near
perfectly as the Harvard players do. all
the trick plays that ever were known
wouldn't increase the strength OF that
team s per cent.
Dr. Fred Settle. end on the teams OF
1883. 1900 and 1901, was a visitor at the