The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-11-14
TITLE AT STAKE
Saturdays Game Looks Like a
Championship Battle.
Nebraska and X. u. Only Con-
tenders for Big HOnOrS.

With the gridiron race in the Mis-
souri, valley conference entering the
last laps two elevens-Kansas and Ne
braska-stand out as the only con-
tenders for the conference title at the
seasons close on Thanksgiving day
Nebraska, with only two games within
the circuit, has slightly the advantage
over the Lawrence eleven. Kansas,
however, has passed the danger line
with a victory over the Kansas Agg1es,
the strongest early season contender,
and the Ames Aggies just at the time
the Iowas were showing a real flash OF
form.
In all probability the meeting be
tween the Cornhuskers and the Jay
hawkerS at Lawrence next Saturday
will be the conference championship
contest. The Nebraska team will have
the advantage of experience gained
from struggles with Michigan and
Notre Dame, two widely differing
elevens and among the strongest in
the country. Because Kansas has
played only teams within the confer
ence there is no basis for a compari-
son of the strength of the two elevens
upon the scores against the same OPP
ponents.
Followers of the Valley conference.
after viewing as luck the Kansas
to 0 victory over Ames by means of
long forward pass, were forced to give
the strength of the Lawrence eleven
more consideration after their victory
over the Kansas Aggies by a similar
tally. Kansas again showed it's abil
ity to fight its way into the lead in its
10 to win from Oklahoma. All
scoring in this game was confined
to the second period, the Lawrence
aggregation seemingly being content
to win without wasting energy on
superfluous scores.
Missouri Has Hard Luck.
The real hard luck tale of the val
ley is that of the Missouri eleven.
Starting the season with a veteran
backfield, which was last year one of
the fastest in the conference, the Co
lumbia representatives have met with
defeat after defeat just when a victory
seemed most imminent. Beginning
with a 6 to Z loss to the Kansas Ag-
gies, the Tigers have broken before
the rushes of Ames, Oklahoma and
Nebraska.
The Missouri eleven has had a hos
pital list unequalled by any team in
the valley. The veteran backfield
was crippled in the Ames game and
after the Oklahoma game, Bass, a
tackler and Schroeder, an end, were
both out for the remainder of the
season with injured shoulders. The
Tigers are pointing towards Thanks
giving with the hope of being strong
enough to defeat Kansas. Greenwood,
center of the team, has been called
10 an dVlaIlOn camp, leaving That
position weak.
Drake, the smallest of the confer
ence schools, also has a tale of woe.
With a coach unable to assist the
team because of illness, the eleven,
made up of green material, has fought
the season out, experiencing several
defeats, but always showing up for
the next game. Howard Drew, of
track renown. has come out for the
team in an effort to help bolster up
the waning strength.
In the Grinnell game his play
helped the Des Moines team despite
the fact that they were forced to
accept the short end of the final
score. Because of his speed, Drew
may be able before the end of the
season to develop into a creditable
back. His track experience stood
him in good stead in the Grinnell
game as he saved several scores by
running down his opponents.
Washington, after being held to a
tie by one of the st. Louis high school
teams, rallied and defeated the Mis-
souri, Miners and also took Drake
into camp. The st. Louis school will
play its one big game of the year on
the seventeenth with Missouri and if
it wins this contest the season to
Washington will be a success. With
Missouri represented by it's weakest
team in several years there is
possibility of Washington gaining
its expectations