Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1917-11-24
JOHNS BOYS OFF:
CONFIDENT OF VICTORY
Football Warriors Ready For Figh
Of Their Lives
HOPKINS HAD SLIGHT EDGE
But Cadets Have Shown Great I'm
provement In Last Two Weeks
And Chance Of Victory
Looked Good.

Given a rousing sendoff by small
band of students who remained in the
city instead of taking the early morn
ing cars for Baltimore, the football
players OF st. Johns College left at
noon today on a special car over the
Maryland Electric Railways for Home
wood, the scene of the annual clash
with the ancient rivals of the Johns
Hopkins University.
Trained to the minute and with
every man in the best of condition
physically, the players and Cadets of
the battalion alike were confident they
would be able to trail the Black and
Blue colors of Hopkins in the dust of
defeat, in spite of the apparent advan-
tage in favor of the Varsity lads En-
thusiasm ran rampant about the col
lege campus last night The Cadets
assembled in a body, paraded about
the sward, cheering and giving their
yells and singing, and later many en-
couraging words were said by several
members of the Faculty and Head
Coach Wilson, who were called upon
to address the happy lads. 1t was a
demonstration of the old-time st.
Johns spirit The players were full
OF fight as they departed from the city
for the scene of the battle Speaking
OF the prospects of the game, Head
Coach Wilson stated just before leav-
ing town that he expected it to be a
hard battle, but that it was an even
chance of victory. The Cadets, he
said, were in splendid shape and if
they played the calibre of football OF
which they are capable, they should
win.
The Cadets did not carry along their
mascot--a goat-as customary. They
laid plans to do so, but the horned
animal which cavorted for them last
year did not have much desire to make
the trip. The last years goat belongs
to q family living in the country. A
band of six Cadets sent out to his
haunt yesterday afternoon to bring
him to town, but Billy" was a bit too
sly for them. They chased him
through the woods, but their efforts to
capture him were in vain. Whether
or not the actions of the goat were
an i'll foreboding mattered not, as the
Cadets had a jolly good time as re-
suit of their jaunt.
Back in the early eighties Johns
Hopkins and St Johns began foot
ball relations and it took five years of
hard plugging for the Black and Blue
to trail the Orange and Black Of the
Annapolitans in the dust of defeat 1t
was in 80 that Hopkins came into it's
own and since that time she has
given good account of herself
against her ancient rival Now, with
the defeat of last season to avenge.
Hopkins is ready to meet this worthy
foe again, for today the annual grid
iron battle is to take place at Home
wood
During the years which have inter-
vened St Johns has forged to the
front in one department She has
built up wonderful college spirit, al
ways looking upon Hopkins as her
most bitter gridiron rival; so each
year when the Cadets go to Balti-
more it is with the determination to
clean up the varsity At times Hop
kins has shown as much fight, as much
pepper. but 1t is doubtful il there ever
was as spirited representative as
Coach Hank Brennick will turn loose
today
But the spirit is not confined to the
comparatively small group Of play
ers. The student body is aroused as
it never was before Last night a big
bonfire frightened Homewood, and the
players and their ardent supporters
sang. yelled and danced. The long
serpentine march over the sward was
followed by drill down town.
Today both school turned out in
force, each with its band, and march
ed to Homewood The Cadets always
make a fine appearance and the Hop
kins men in khaki will follow the fife
and drum corps when they hike to the
gridiron.