The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-10-27

ton and jefferson College,. i
The spectator at a. big football game
is prone to criticize the play Of the
two elevens at grips for a. champion
ship because Of the large number Of
punts played by each opponent. To
him 1t makes the game somewhat
monotonous and it also causes the be-
lief to arise that each lacks a general,
admit it's weakness in attack and is
poorly coached. Yet the kicking
game is by all odds the most import
ant maneuver Of attack. It has paved
the way for more victories than any
other play in modern attack.
If one has followed such games as
the YaIe-Harvard and Army-Navy af-
fairs he will recall the fact that each
team, once it gains possession of the
ball in its own end of the field, al
most Immediately punts it to the 9TH
CT. While this may be monotonous
it has proven to be good generalship.
I followed closely the development Of
the Harvard machine under HauEhton
in 1910, 1911 and 1919. In the first
two years the Yale game was a score
less tie. In each of these contests
Harvard was continually punting and
with Sam FELTON, doing this work
there was nothing left to be desired.
Haughton, the Harvard coach, who
knocked the autocracy out Of Cam
bridge football and put it on demo-
craLic Oasls' was Slowly stuoylng the
propleln q aSeacA III Inc mooern
game new conoltlons were met 1nat
were difficult of solution. The old
days when the ball was pounded had
peen automat1caiIy eraolcateo by the
forward pass and seven men on the
line OF scrimmage. The new game,
the game we play today put a prem
aum on stamina, speed and Skill 1t
TOOK daugnton some Jew years to de-
Velop ms attack-
In the meantime daugnton seized
UPON the Kicking game as the 1mTne-
date solutioneand how wen he plan
90 Is a matter OF history. In 1910 and
To-! haryaro pun1eo frequently
asainse iaLe Due 1ne p1eaA oho not
come In lSA1' at NeW haven XaIe
Lumoleo one OF Feltons punts and
Inc lons-Waaeeo ZOE opportunity mad
arisen. IoucnooWns ana crop KICKS
toio the story OF the zo-o victory.
Inc next season aausnson mad not
yet mastered the running attack but
tne puntng game ana the drop kick
| sase aarvqro announcer .Hloner victory BY
lSl4-Br1ckleys team and by all odds
tAo seronsest eieVen f1augnton oeVei-
opeo-nao a running a1Iack OF power
| winch swept ASIDE the feeble resis-
lance on the Ellis.
Haughton's coaching career is most
Iinteres11ng In that It clearly proves
Inc hicAng game co De a strong meth
oo soL aetacK- was tne base or his
wno4e sysoeln as LIS cne base OF all
80 =. "nen TWO leams OF something
IKE eqnai strengrn meet today. There
lore u Is well 70 consider the kicking
Gums ana 10 anaiSze the principles
cover oVe1nllng II Footoau history is
g allfaheo Iuu on examples or the right
ana wrong way TO kick
A punter Is born, not made. The
Icano1date finally selected to take care
OF this important part Of the game,
winch ID both an offensive and defen-
save measure, must have the leg pow
or TO drive the ball. Lacking that
no end OF coaching viii make a punt
er out Of him. Possessfg that, coach
ing will teach him how to get off his
punts rapidly-thus avoiding their be-
ing piocked-as well as how to place
the Dali and WHISTLER to kick it high
OF low.
Inc high spiral punt is the desid-
eratun as If ejvaa f1,o kfrfrfpr- 20, ~