Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-01-07
RIVALRY IS ALWAYS KEEN

Omaha VS.. South Omaha.

Omaha VS.. South Omaha.
Fourteen years of annual strife
lessened by short two years truce
has served to do little else than in
tensify the keen rivalry that exists be
tween the two schools. Football
track or basket ball, it makes littl,
difference the nature of the contest
the same spirit obtains-"Trample the
Packers" or Beat Omaha"
The story of past athletics at the
schools is like sweet but smartine
dream Famous athletes have beer
born and bred in battles OF yore, mer
who have and are now making Their
mark in the world of sport aId bust.
ness today. Great teams have been
formed-teams that could have trav-
eled the country an open challenger
to all Yet perhaps the greatest have
Jared less in success. The peer of
Packer quintets made its bow in the
fall of 1906, captained by the diminui-
tive Morris Coin, who since attained
great reputation at the University
of Wisconsin. All five men were three
years in the trunks and capable OF
most any kind of battle. The team met
its first, last and only defeat by mar
gin of one lonely point in the annual
game with Omaha by score of IS to
"a.
Central Has Edge.
In all of the fifteen games played,
South High has won but three; Cen
trail eleven. The l9l3-19l4 contest,
which resulted in fight was forfeited
to Omaha by score of 2 to 0, on the
refusal of the Packers to play after
one of their men had been struck by
an Omaha forward. The famous
Southtown team of l903-lo04 led by
Ralph FOWL won return game from
the Central five by score of % to Il.
Omaha stiffened and it was FIVE years
before the packingtown lads con-
trived to win again. Then in 1911
Herb Stryker led forth a whirl-
wind five with the famous Johnny
Collins listed at forward and scored
victory of 10 to II over the Central
aggregation. Paul Shields, with Col
Inns still starring at forward, led the
Packers to another victory, Sc to %,
year later.
Virgil Rector, whose deeds at
Dartmouth are now on every tongue,
came to the rescue of the Omaha
team the year following and in last
big onslaught at the state tourna-
ment of that year swamped the South
team to the tune of % to 8. This
game was in the third round In the
semi-fnals Rector's five was defeated
by the fast Geneva quintet, which had
the services of such men as Janda,
Yates and Davis, by score of rs to
"a. Later Geneva easily defeated
University Place, Al to 26, for the
state championship, which shows the
comparative strength of the Central
five. The Geneva game was the
first reverse of the season.
In 1918 Gardiner, Nelson and Bur-
kenroad contrived to further redeem
Omaha's badly tempered reputation
as regards the South school and the
state. The team of that year swept
through for a state championship, the
only title Central has scored since the
official organization Of the state tour
nament in 1911. Shirt" Menefee,
master basket tosser, led the
Packers that year and came mighty
near defeating the Central five on his
own floor A small gymnasium handi-
capped the oily machinery of the,
north side five and it was lucky des-
tiny that permitted Kaiser" Platz to
maneuver the winning basket few
seconds before the pistol was fired.
The final score was IS to IS, but the
South team had been leading through
out Later in the same season Cen
trail swamped its hefty challengers
40 to IL on the "Y" court. The South
team was eliminated in the third
round of the state tourney that year.
Wind Up in Fight.
Declining athletics at the South
school served to degenerate the
craftsmanship of Packer rooters and
in the annual game Of the year
following personal cheering, two
players came to blows. Coach Pat
ton refused to allow his men to en-
ter play again and with the score
greatly in favor of the north side
team the game was forfeited, to
0, to Central Shortly after athletic
boards of both schools met and sew
cred all athletic relations.
= The two schools were destined to
meet again in the most magnificent of
encounters. Keyed to the
highest pitch under stress of the most
strenuous tournament ever held at
Lincoln and with personal misgivings
of decade before them, ten players
entered on what has since been
termed as the greatest basket ball
game in the history of the state. Pat
tons quintet was badly crippled in the
absence of Louis Foley, star forward,
who was taken i'll and removed to
hospital four days before the tourna-
mcnt began. Leach, veteran guard,
was shifted to forward and Bott, then
t substitute, was sent in at guard. The
play was terrific. A constant din filled
the air from the great roaring host
that filled the room. The crowd had
lost no time in approaching the treat
before them. At the last gong the
score stood 8 to 5. The Packers were
beaten!
Beal Drops Unconscious.
The mob that surged over the floor