Evening star., 1915-12-06
GOOD TEAM PICKED
Armstrong Has Six Men on
CoIored AII-High Eleven.
M STREET GIVEN FOUR
Only Two Players Measure Up to
High Standards Set in
Past Seasons.
BY EDWIN b. HENDERSON,

NJ Street High School, after a most
disastrous early-season record, sur
prised everybody with a win over its
most feared rival, Armstrong, and with
it attained the championship of high
schools in this section. Getting a fly
ing start, Armstrong scored victories
over Manassas. Baltimore High School
and Commercial High School success
sively, and then began it's toboggan
slide. with defeats in succession by
Storer. Annapolis Athletic Club and NJ
Street. NJ Street was defeated by How
ard Preps, Annapolis Athletic Club and
Storer. and won in order from Com
mercial, Armstrong and Howard fresh
men. If ever a team started under
auspicious circumstances, Armstrong
was the team, but Thanksgiving day
the team had its starch dissolved early
when NJ Streets tackles smeared every
play the Machinists started. NJ Streets
eleven was as mediocre a bunch as has
ever begun a season here, and seemed
not to improve until advisory marks
took from the squad four first-string
men and half the remaining squad
Coach Douglass gave up hope OF de-
veloping an offensive strength and con-
tented himself with instituting princi-
pies of defensive play. How well this
coaching succeeded was evident in the
games with Howard Freshmen and
Armstrong. Commercial High School
put a team into the field, for there was
such a dearth of material available that
not much else was hoped for.
Hard to Pick Stars.
1t was difficult to settle upon players
whose merits as seen in play warranted
placing them upon an all-star asgrega-
ton. Only two players measured up to
standards set by the brightest stars of
past seasons. In the backfield Adams
of NJ street was entirely consistent. He
was excellent in the secondary line Of
defense. but as a kicker was not equal
to Parker of Armstrong. although
kicking was the keynote Of NJ Streets
throughout the season. McKenny was
consistent line plunger. and ran back
punts well, but failed many times to
grasp opportunities for advantage to
his side. Hayes was as good a center
as he proved quarterback. Another
year should make him a star of frst
order. Holcombe and Spriggs were
good linesmen. Their lights were made
dim. however. when they were matched
with Diggs and Coston in the NJ Street
with poor players against NJ Street and
Armstrong. but even with this handi-
cap his work was of marked ability.
Players Are Shifted.
1t was necessary to shift players
about rather arbitrarily to secure the
best players in the game, and because
many of these shifted did play in posi-
tions given with credit, and are really
capable of playing in several other
places. The writer takes the RESPONSE
bility of giving to six Armstrong play
ers places in this grouping. The in
dividual players at Tech were Of su-
perior order. and at least two of
Techs defeats were due to the fun
players deserve mention for creditable
service. Smith, Peterson. Timer. Par
ker and Harris made meritorious eff
forts on the Ma chinists' eleven. At NJ
Street and at Commercial Barnes,
Polk, Reeves and kendrick were all the
followers of the teams would have
either on the defense or offense, but the
lack of form of beginners was easily
in evidence at times. Their work was
satisfactorily performed from the
standpoint of the coach. as parts of a
team or plan of action.
The officials performed their work in
a creditable manner. Sportsmanship
was of the high order of previous
years, and the management OF the
games by the high school games COM
mittees or the several athletic asso-
Citations could hardly be complained Of.
Manager OHveri of the Vigilant team
and park aid all possible to insure the
best conditions of play at the park.