Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-11-05
LOCALSLOSE But
OUTPLAY VlCTORS
ALL SECOND HALF
Independents Beaten TO . in firsi
Part, Show Wonderful Come
back Spirit.
THRFArry TOUCHDOwN> TWICE
Minneapolis Early in Game sees VS.
ions OF Easy Battle Vanish and
Is Pushed to Limit,
BY COOK SMITH.

mark when the Minneapolis Marines
;he best team in the country defeated
the Independents ny the score Of
10 before the largest crowd Of fans
that ever witnessed a football game
in the tri-ciues. About seven thou
sand people swarmed the park to get
a GLIMPSE Of the two elevens IN action.
Manager Flanagan stated today that
6.425 paid admission 70 the game
Rock Island lost two chances Tor /
touchdowns when costly fumbles re-
sulted In the third quarter the In
Aependents rushed the oval to the
Marines tbree-yard line from the mid |
dle of the field only TO tumble the
sphere. costing the locals a toucn-
down. In the final quarter the locals
! were carrying the ball on long gains
towards the visitors goal when an
other costly tumble resulted. Rock
Island was not outplayed, outfought
or outgeneraled at any time or the
game.
The Minneapolis team registered the
only touchdown in the second period
when Ursella carried the ball over
the Islanders goal line from the i've
ward line and soon after annexed an
other point with kick from touch
down. which ended the scoring. Rock
Islands only score came in the first
quarter when Walter Brindley drop,
kicked tho oval over the Marines goal
post from the 50-yard line.
Although q little warm, the day was
an ideal football day for the fans.
The crowd began 10 swarm the park
long before the game had started and
al 80 o'clock, an hour before play
had started the bleachers were packed
with many people on the side lines
and IN the grandstand Several hun
dred people were unable TO gain en-
trance To the park until after the first
period From 1880 O'Clock until after
me game had started a continuous
lbr of fans was stringing from the
park to Eleventh street, waiting to
rs'n entrance. The wise fans needed
Inc warning and were on hand long
l1forc game time
Every available place in the park
uas filed The large grandstand,
which holds more than two thousand
people was Glled the hleachers and
the side lines were packed 10 rows
deep Fans we're obliged TO climb up
on the fencs ON top of the grand
stand and tho clubhouse in order 10
got view Of the teams IN action.
Rock Island Scores First
Captain Frank Smith won the toss
and chose 10 defend the south goal
Ursella kicked of 10 Murphy, who
returned the ball 10 the visitors 25-
yard line. where tbs locals we're held
for downs and forced TO put. Wyland
booted TO the middle Of the field Rock
Island was penalized for interfering
with q fair catch and tho ball was
put in play on the locals 40-yard line
After three attempts to gain the Ma
rines were forced TO punt. Following
several end runs by the local back
field Brindley punted to Ursella, who
returned the ball to Rock Islands A.
yard line when the quarter ended
This period was hard fought, neither
team having the advantage
The second period started with the
Marines fumbling, Fosdick recovering
the sphere. The ball was advanced
eight yards by the local backfeld ant
!, here Brindley made himself a herC
by dropkicking the ball over the goa
post for the first score Of the game
Brindley kicked OF TO Ursella, WHIT
returned the ball to the Islanders 80
yard line. Consistent ground gaining
with the Minnesota formation, ad
vanced the ball to the locals FIVE
yard line when Ursella carried tn
oval over for the winning tally
Islanders Solve Shift.
The game probably was the great
est contest ever pulled off in the tri
cities and will go down in history a
such. II was a game where two o
the best Independent elevens In tn
country battled wits against wits ant
the Minnesota shift against the 0s
bourne formation
Rock Island was able to solve tn
Minnesota shift soon after play ha
started and the Marines made Ion
gains on wide end runs They foun
il was useless to use pounding tactic
through the locals line. The Goph
ers were able. only on a few occas
sions. TO make any material gain
through the Islanders forward wal
The Marines used everything the
had and when they were in scorin
distance on several occasions the Is
landers' line held like a stone wal
They found in the Independents one G
the hardest and scrsppiest squads the
have ever stacked up against and the
realize that they were lucky in get
ting away with the contest.
In the final period Of the battl,
the Rock Island Independents out
played and outwitted the fast Goph
er eleven. In this period they nearl
scored on two occasions when tn
hall was rushed to scoring distanc
only to have it lost on tumble
Minneapolis was unable to gain an
ground In this quarter and resorte
to aspunting game to kept the ba
out Of their territory The game enc
ed With the ball in Rock Islands DO.
session in the middle Of the field
The game was a battle OF wit
throughout between the best Nv
teams of the country Rock islam
was handicapped by having Brindle
and Davenport removed from th
game Ia the early stages and durin
the fourth quarter Hollis had to retir
ON account OF his bad knee
At the opening Of the third perio