Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-01-01
Anniversary OF
First M. Fl. S.
Football Game

Twenty five years ago today Rugby
rootboII--now commonly called the
varsity game, as played by school uni
versity elcvens--was founded In the
local high school. on that day on an icy
field, swept by snow storm, and In
close TO zero weather the first eleven
to represent the Marshalltown high
school lined up against the State Cen
ter school at state Ccnter--and was
beaten 16 to :.
The team was organized late in the
year on enthusiasm brought to the
school by Lee Mcrriman and Harry J.
Rodgers, who had watched Grinncll
College and the University of Mime
sofa play at Grinnell. with such crude
knowledge rs watching n single game
would give. supplemented. it ~ rcmcin-
bercd, by much earncs, peruaing OF "a
rule book behind civil government ana
history, the team and play was de-
welcomed There were. Of course. no
coach and no suits. Many Of the play
ers wore onIy>old clothes. one recalls
his mother cut off Il pair OF old heavy
trousers. padded them ut knees ana
thigh with pieces OF an old comforter,
ana 80 tHCtStu Ilt "'IA ''''' Wv ''''''
Followers Of the game know Of the
style Of play tina, was then IN vogue
The ball was snapped into formation
play in tho center Of the HELD instead o.
being kicked OFF. Most Of the plays
were mass formations. ana chd runs
and plavs thru the line. The forward
pass WAS unknown.
The, members of the local team were
Thad Bovcc. center rush; Harry stew
ard, right guard: VIII tarl"ion, righ'
tackle: Thnd Smith. right end Harold
Garwood. left guard; viii Arson, l"lt
tackle: Fred Bailey, left end: Joe OPP
picc, quarterback; Carl Kelsey, Ic''
half: Harry Rodgers. right half ana
captain: Lee Mcrriman. Iullhnck.
The personnel Of tn" state Center
team was George Crawford, center:
James Wyatt and Bert McNarS'
guards: Charles Watts ana N"c
Barnes, tackles: W. J. 80" and Lewis
| i. Rice, ends: Fred t'ai'n''n and Ben
| Whitehall (captain). halves; Fred cut
Ter, uua,terback Walter Dobbin. full-
back.
| ONLY three Of the local team arc now
here: W. r.. Smith. manager or Lctts
Fletcher Company; Fred O. Bailey OF
| Bailey Bros, and Harry j. ltodgcrH, a
II. n. reporter Ben" Nhitchill. cap
tain of the state Center team, IL now
Commandment Whitrhill. Of the soldiers"
home.
| Strange rs IL now seems, with TN"
| FOO, ball season closing before Thanka~
| giving, II return game was arranged
| with the state Center team for Jan
| 81 1t waa played In what was ,hch
| known ua WOOdbury's pasture. now at
the corner or Fourth avenue ana IN
ion street. Snow three or four inchrs
deep covered the ground. and had
melted into slush and pools Of water.
Hui that didn't matter. The local team
| rot revenge for its first defeat ana won
II to g. The victory was celebrated
by "A football party Mt the home OF Lee
| Norman, then 40i North Fourth
street, and the football. with the foot
bali teams colors. orange ana black,
decorated the table.
| No auch athletic ethics IN now gov
ern football teams were observed. AZ
an instance Carl Kelsey. science
teacher In the high school. played left
half Several players on both teams
| afterwards made college teams. Harry
Steward later played in the line for
Amea. and VIII Carleton made tho
Grinncli College team.
on the state Center team Ben
Whitehill played at Grinncll and he and
Lewis j. Rice. now Of Hubbard made
the Forty ninth Iowa reglmcntal team
at Savannah. Ga. In the fall OF 1893
| This team defeated all the teams OF
| the Seventh army corps, notably the
| SECOND Texas In II bruislng battle on
! Thanksgiving day that decided me
championship, and u tie game played
| two weeks earlier.
| For several years. after 1892. foot
bnll lnng,iishcd at the local high school
and was not revived permanently until
n number OF years later. The Jan. l,
| 1892, game was the Stnto Center teaiD''
i first game ALSO.