New-York tribune., 1918-02-24
Bay Ridge Club Fiue Has
Made Wonderful Record
Crescent Basketball Players
Have Won Twenty-Five
Games This Year
By A. c. Cavagnaro

Members Of the Crescent Athletic
Club are exceedingly proud of the rec
ord established by their basketball team
in the games played so far this season.
The Half Moon men have taken the
court in twenty-five contests, meeting
all-star combinations, college fves and
athletic club aggregations, and have
tasted defeat in only two instances.
The Crescent squad is composed
principally of players who have won
their letters on varsity college fives IN
years gone by. Standing out most
prominently is Eddie Butler, Of Cornell,
while other Ithaca graduates who are
Joe Ashmead and Austin.
Then there Is Eddie Trenkman, re-
membered for his football play while
at Princeton, as also is Cuyler Heath.
Others are Felix P. Nicklas, who
learned the game at St. Johns College;
Swenson, who went to Penn State. and
Pop Cotton, who left Yale with the 1901
class.
Navy One Victor
The defeats administered to the
Crescent five were by Annapolis and
the Naval Militia from Fifty-second
Street. Bay Ridge. Only two Of the
regulars found it possible to make the
trip to Annapolis, they being Nicklas
and Cotton. Three other players were
recruited for the day, and the Crescent
team, wholly unbalanced, suffered the
decisive beating of 54 to %.
The second setback administered to
the clubmen was by the Naval Militia
five of Brooklyn, group of former col
lege players, who won by the close tally
of 80 to 28. In return game, several
weeks later, the sailors went home with
the short end of 26 to q score.
Sweet revenge for the Annapolis de
feat was obtained at the expense of the
Army team at West Point when the
Crescent team won by score of IA to
4. 1t was the most sensational game
ever played on the upstate court. For
exactly thirty-four minutes the Cadets
were frustrated in their attempts to
score, while the Crescent men had
Gagged six field goals. West Point is
anxious to. play return game, and it is
very likely that the teams will meet
again on the Army court on March 8.
Among other teams which have fallen
before the prowess Of the Crescent
whrlwind playing are Yale, Lehigh,
| Newport Naval Reserves, st. Johns
College, Manhattan, Polytechnic Insti-
tute, and the Hudson Athletic Club, of
Westchester.
Unquestionably the most valuable
man to the Crescent team in compil
: ing its creditable record has been Ed
mund Butler, the guard. He is also a
y r.
Butler is adept at baseball and foot
ball, and while attending Cornell
earned a position on the All-American
team Of gridiron stars. Although near
ing the thirty-year mark, Butler IS as
sprightly as ever, runs around the
court like chain lightning and retains
an ability to cage baskets from any
angle on the court.
Captain Five Years
When playing the guard position
Butler has often gone through the de-
fence and Gagged the ball with clever
shot For five years he has captained
the Crescent team. The position was
again offered to him last year, but he
declined in favor Of Nicklas.
Cornell students of the four years
leading up to 1915 we'll remember the
sensational work of Joe Ashmead on
| Lnc llQaC0 IVS. 2ouNlc6u pays the
centre position, and can be frequently
depended upon to outjump his rival
and give his team the opportunity to
launch an attack. He also has a dead
eye in his goal shooting, and with the
ball in his possession is a dodger Of
the most elusive type.
Pop Cotton is playing the game Of his
hnlycon days of fifteen years ago, and
while rather erratic in his shooting. is
a strong man on the defense. Cuyler
Heath and Edward Trenkman have been
playing on the Crescent team for many
years, and their work both on the
offensive and defense throughout this
period has been of high calibre.
Nicklas, the captain, has stood in the
breach on many an occasion in his ac-
curate shooting of goals from the foul
line. Ruggedly built, Nicklas is hard
man to hold and is also unerring in
his caging of field goals. Along with
putler Nicklas has been one of the
greatest point collectors for the
Crescent team.
Swenson, new addition to the
Crescent squad, looms up as one of the
most promising of the younger mem
bers of the team. Austin is also fast
man at forward and when placed back
in q guard position has often broken
up the passing of the rival team.
The Crescent squad of basketball
men also has its service flag, four of its
members being in the service. The,
are Ty and Hal Halstead, Jorndorf anc
Lieutenant McTigue.