Evening star., 1916-12-10
Expert Picks Best Foot Ball
Team in High Schools.
TITLE WON BY ARMSTRONG
BY EDWIN B. HENDERSON,
Physical Director, Colored High Schools.

A. johnson. .Fullback .DuhDAf
Bacon. ...... Quarterback .Armstrons
Armstrong Manual Training School
foot ball team won the annual hlsh
school foot ball championship by oe-
feating Dunbar High School December
4, by a score Of to 0. Dunbar hao
better record during the season than
Armstrong and the comparative scores
against the same teams seemed TO
presage defeat of Armstrong by Dun
bar. Dunbar defeated Annapolis by IL
to 0. tied Howard Academy. to 0; tied
Manassas. to 6. and lost to Storer
College by one touchdown. Armstrong
defeated Annapolis when that team
was in its best form. to 6; lost to
Howard Prep. to 0; lost to Manassas.
to 0. and to Storer College, 1s to o.
Tech played in harder luck earlier In
the season than Dunbar: all the breaks ks
In the game were against her. howard
Preps were clearly Outplayed, put
held goal deciued the ISSUE A 15-yard
penalty exacted a few minutes before
the end of the game, which put Arm, :,
strong defensively within her 10-yard
territory. made way for a touchdown
by Manassas, a team that defeated
Howard Props by a large score.
Best Offensive Team.
Armstrong had the best offensive
team. The backfeld was composed of
four basket ball players whose ability
to handle themselves and the ball was
largely due to the skill acquired on the
court. Dunbar was given credit for
stronger defensive play, but this belief
apparently was based upon two good
tackles and center. in which posi-
tions Armstrong turned out to be
equally good. The loss by the scholar
ship-elig gibility. route of Dunbar's cen
ter and guard. and the loss of the
quarterback by a broken arm received
about a week before. weakened the
defensive strength of Dunbar, beyond
any shadow of doubt.
In the championship game Dunbar's
work was marked by miserable pass
ing and kicking, good individual eff
forts on defense and carrying the
ball. Techs bright work was making
and taking forward passes, good kick
ing, splendid defense, but at intervals
it displayed some rare streaks OF psy-
Geological density which might have
resulted disastrOusly but for offsetting
"bonosity" on the part OF the oppos-
ing side.
Maximum Power Team.
The writer has selected a team
which. in his judgment. is the best ag-
gregation of gridironers among the
teams of this year, and with little
coaching would be a maximum power
team. The players are selected with
reference chiefly to their performance
on the championship field. but consid-
Grafton has been given to earlier
games. The Armstrong backfield was
easily the peer Of the Dunbar backs
in their entirety, and the tackle posi-
tions on both teams were well filled.
OF the four guards Morris SimmS OF
Dunbar filled the position most cred
itably, with Queenan showing up to
advantage. but in the selection Of the
strongest set of forwards. 1 consider
the tackles switched as far more capa-
BILE men. Arnold was the new figure
in the game this year and was the
most aggressive forward on the teams
defense. Diggs and Holton were well
matched.
Costin's ability to carry the ball and
ability to diagnose his opponents play
makes him a very valuable player. Tin
for the demoralizing effect the passing of
Dunbar's center had upon Dunbar's team,
for his charging and strength as pivotal
lineman muddled Dunbar's play from its
very source. On the ends, Simms. Pope
and Parker did well. but Parker's chief
work during the season was in the back
field and he is altogether too valuable a
man not to be given consideration. Bacon
had plenty of spirit in his men from the
quarterback position and received passes
down field in excellent style. Makell in
making the passes which netted most
ground for Tech and for his ability to
worm over the line for touchdowns de-
serves the honor in backfieid johnson
Of Dunbar is a hard, consistent, neryy
runner and proved a star in the crucial
game. Mckinney, Contee, Toombs and
West were good, but did not measure full
well throughout the season.