Evening star., 1916-09-21
SOUTHERN ELEVENS
PLAY HARD GAMES
Schools in This Section Are
Listing Stronger Teams
Each Year.
FOOT BALL is REACHING
POINT NEAR STANDARD
Lack Of Changes in Rules Causes
Much General Improve
ment in Game.
By Il. 9. BYRD.

The foot ball schedules of teams in
this section are much heavier now than
several years ago. With each year the
southern colleges and universities have
been 1aborirg to build up their athletic
systems, particularly in foot ball. and
that they have succeeded is shown by
the changes in the number and kind of
contests they are playing.
Five years ago the followers of foot
ball at Virginia would not have thought
of taking on games with Harvard and
Yale and Vanderbilt and Georgia, yet
in 1915 the Orange and Blue met those
teams and whipped all but Harvard,
and even Harvard could not cross It's
goal line North Carolina University.
besides meeting Virginia, Georgia ana
Vanderbilt. has this year scheduled bat
ties with Princeton and Harvard
Washington and Lee. North Carolina A.
and NJ and Georgia also are expanding
their lists and each is endeavoring
every year to add one or more big
elevens Georgetown has opened itself
for games with any Of the big univer-
stiles. The Blue and Gray bars none,
and every fall endeavors to find for it
self place on the schedule of at least
one of the big universities and would
meet more if the universities In ques-
ton were not somewhat averse to l1st-
ing such a hard combat.
Catholic University, Maryland State,
V. M. l.. Hopkins and George Wash
ington are trying to build up their
gridiron systems so as to compete with
institutions Of recognized standing, and
all are succeeding more or less. The
Brooklanders are meeting stronger
teams this season than before. and
Maryland State is playing the most
difficult schedule of its entire history.
v. NJ. l. and Hopkins are broadening
their gridiron influence. and George
Washington is represented by a team
for the first time since 1910. Truly.
foot ball in the south is q much more
potent factor in athletics than it used
to be.
Gallaudet will not begin foot ball
practice until next Wednesday. Col
lege opens that date, and the Kendall
out then.
Practice is being held in each of the
high schools, the squads getting ready
for the series which annually deter
mines the scholastic gridiron cham
pionship of the District. The work of
various squads has been held to rudi-
mentary tactics SO far and has been
somewhat light. From now on. though,
the players will be put through some
grueling tests
There is strong possibility that
Walter Milstead will play foot ball at
Central High this fall Milstead is the
star track man of the Blue and White
institution. and probably could be de-
ve1oped into a valuable player. He de-
cided last spring to try out for half
back position. Milstead undoubtedly
he he fo toe <,f ], Il
and has sufficient weight to make him
effective. carrying between 1876 and 10
pounds.
High, has created quite favorable
impression among his players and the
alumni. One man said yesterday that
Metzler was the best fellow I have
ever known, and we are all exceedingly
pleased that he is in charge" That
seems to be the prevailing sentiment,
and If first Impressions hold. as seems
likely In this case, Central is indeed
lucky that 1t obtained the services of
such man as MetZler.
Foot ball seems to be reaching a point
close to standardization For the last
four years there have been no radical
changes in the rules. and this season only
the most minor alterations were made.
1t used to be that gridiron coaches were
compelled to spend the early part of the
year experimenting with what might or
might not be good under the existing con-
ditions for that year. Now, things are
different and he knows that plays may
be worked out and a plan of campaign
mapped out that will not have to be
changed because of some new construc-
ton of the code under which some of his
plays might be construed as illegal. AS
a result of this apparent approach to
standardiza ton, foot ball followers are
getting better grades of the game than
In previous years, and to this may be at
tributed much of the general improve
ment noted in the game.