Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1917-11-10
Playing the Game
By Erwin Goemann

Rutherford, Sat, Nov. 3-What can
be more inspiring than to see four
football teams representing the same
school, run onto the field before a
game to run through the usual pre-
liminary practice? Can there be any
keener display of school spirit than
that? Is there any wonder. that a
school, within whose walls such spirit
IS displayed and for whose. benefit
such response to the call for candi-
dates is made, can turn out good
teams 1t is true that some may say
that Rutherford, the school that made
this fine showing of school enthusi-
asm, has the advantage of greater
numbers to pick from, but theoretic-
ally small school should be able to
turn out squads just as large in COM
parlson to the number of available
relationship and association between
the boys, which is lacking, for the
most part, in larger schools. This as
ISOLATION should prompt the boys to
come out and try.
But here in Clitfside it has always
been coach Burns main difficulty to
be able to play his frst-string men
against some real opposition-he has
been unfortunately forced, in prac-
tice, to send his team against an i'm
aginary line. But what does it
amount to? Is it not a fact that a
team can only perfect snappy team
play, eliminate it's weaknesses and
strengthen its strong points if it has
the advantage of constant practice
against a strong scrub team?
The same reasoning may be ap-
piled to football that is applied to
politics, that real opposition strength
ems. 1t is generally conceded that a
candidate for public Office is apt to
lie down and take things easy if his
opponent is weak. So it with foot
ball and it may be easily seen that if
there is NO opposition at all that the
team which is thus afflicted is serious
ly handicapped. That is my reason
for urging a stronger team out. Give
the team a chance to find its weak
nesses before it comes to real test.
Well anyway, sixteen seemingly
small boys wearing the Crimson and
Black of Cliffside marched on the field
to take up battle against four husky
teams. Cliffside, however, proved to
remarked. Heretofore. Rutherford
has actually walked away from the
teams coming from Cliffside but the
team of today has different story to
tell-Rutherford beat them by the
comparatively small score of go.
Time and again Cliffside would start
march down the field only to be
stopped by their husky opponents who
were continually being reinforced by
fresh substitutes. Cliffside's line
showed that it was equal to it's task
for at least eight times during the
game it held Rutherford for downs
But the odds they were playing
against were too great and at cri-
teal period and under a great strain,
Cliffside's defense weakened and Rl-
therford scored. 1wlSs, tu IL st 70 the
inability of the Cliffside backs to stop
an open formation, Rutherford scored
twice via the forward pass route. So
it appears that Cliffside is in dire
need of forward pass defense, but
how can she develop such an attack
without being able to try it out
against real opponents?
Bradley, playing at left half, found
many hole in Rutherford's line and
paraded through them for long gains.
He carried the ball well and without
a tumble.
Scullion, at fullback, made his own
hole in the line if he did not find one
already there and repeatedly plough
ed his way through for eight, ten and
twelve yards at clip. He was hurt
during the first quarter but gamely
stuck it out until the last when he
was forced, by disability, to retire.
Shagner was shifted from tackle to
fullback while Perraud replaced Shay
ner at tackle. Perraud, as small as
he is, was able to break through a
husky line so that in the short time
he was in, he made about five tackles.
Young Griffin was very conspicuous
by his wonderful punts. He out punt
ed Thornton of Rutherford by at leas'
twenty yards to the kick. Although
he fumbled all the kick-offs, he car
ried the ball from straight formation.
Sheath broke through nicely and
made several fine tackles behind
Rutherford's own line
Church, as usual, was in every play.
AS whole the team put up one of
the boldest fronts ever presented by
a Cliffside aggregation, but they are
most seriously handicapped by under
weight. They fight hard and right
from the beginning but no team can
withstand too great strain.
Coach Burns has developed line
that is doing wonders and he now has
the nucleaus of very strong line for.
the season of 1918.
The teams lined up as follows:
Cliffside COY Rutherford (20)
Church l. E........, Smith
Shagner (Per'd) L. IT,. Johnson
Carpenter L. G.. ..... Russell
Rollins .......C....... Pohlers
Gebbhardt 49,. R. Co.,. De Mile
Drew
Galloway R. E. .Schoenfeld (c)
Sheath ....... R. T........ Beyers
McGrath @. B........ Heating
Bradley .......L. H........ Penatti
Griffin (c) -. r; H. 49,. Egerts
Scullion .......F. B...... Thornton
Observation-Disclosures (2). Rev.