Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-12-07
'ALL-H|GH SCHOOL
TEAMFORM|DAbLE
Representative Eleven Strong
in All Essentials of Both
Attack and Defense.
SPEED A PRIME FACTOR
BY III. c, BYRD.

been made up in years than the COM
binatio of players selected as repre-
sentative of the best offered by the
several schools during the past sea-
son. Excellent material is available
for every place and by shifting the
positions of the men somewhat a team
can be named which would stand out
among the best scholas site organiza-
lions in the south, perhaps in the east.
Three of the schools, Central, Tech
and Western, developed strong teams,
on which were players much better
than the usual high school product:
and while Business and Eastern were
far below the three others in strength
of their teams, each had one or two
men who in ordinary years should
have made all-high positions.
Almost in every foot ball series
there stands out some one man VINO
seems to be of more value to his team
than any other and usually is the
pivot on which hinges the success OF
his squad. That man usually is given
the captaincy of the all-high squad.
This year, in the opinion of the writer
the man who occupies this DISTINCTION
has been more or less ignored In the
selections for other all-high elevens
Russell Keen Leader.
He is Russell. fullback and captain
at Central. Despite the fine ground
gaining capabilities of Newly anu
Strohecker of the same team, Russell
was the backbone of the Central
squad. His mechanical play on de-
tense was excellent, and his ability TO
diagnose the offense of an opposing
school not only stood him in good
stead, but enabled him to shift his
men and direct his teammates to meet
effectively varying styles OF pla!
Russell was not a brilliant ground
gamer, and, consequently, did not
stand out much in the school series,
sponsible for many of the yards gain
ed by Newly and StrohecEer. for
which only Newly and Strohecker re
ceived credit.
No school had halfback good
enough to compare favorably with
Strohecker and Newly of Central.
The former was a good lodging rum
ner and the latter was the hard-driv-
ing back, who always is good
ground gamer. Parker of Tech prob
ably was the next best halfback III
the series.
In discussing the capabilities of
quarterback it often is a common err
ror to rate a man as a brilliant quar-
terback when it rather is the splendid
work of his ground-gaining backs more
than his own good judgment which Is
responsible for the success of his team
as an offensive machine. The writer be-
lieves that this error has been made i'll
some cases this year in relation to
the local all-high eleven. The quarter
back who got most out of his team
was Burke of Western. Had Burke had
behind his line two halfbacks like New
by and Strohecker, Western probably
would have walked away with the cham
pionship. Conklin of Central and Ward
well of Tech have been talked of most
prominently for the position, but. with
all due respect to their work, Burke was
the more effective field general. and.
after all, that is the brunt Of quar-
terbacks JOB. Incidentally, Burke could
carry the ball well. and would add
strength to a backfieId in that respect.
Powell and Ed Push, Guards.
Before leaving the backfieId it is
well to mention that there were two
other men who stood out among the
backs and, though not given positions
at fullback, both were good enough
to make some place on any all-high
eleven that might be picked. They
are Powell of Western and Ed Pugh
of Tech. Inasmuch as they would
have to be placed somewhere on any
scholastic combination, because of
their all-round worth as foot ball
players. they are given the two guard
positions. There were no guards de-
veloped during the whole schedule
who stood out as exceptionally good
players. Probably the best man in
IHe poSlliOH WIS Jones OIL central. Dut
he would not be quite so capable as
either Pugh or Powell McQuade' OF
Eastern with a stronger team might
have been rated as one of the best
backs of the year, but he really never
got an opportunity to show just what
he could do.
One other backfield possibility was
Dice of Central. That youngster.
while not played regularly, showed
some fine capabilities at quarter
back, and had not Conklin been given
the preference, because he has an
other year in high school, might have
come out sufficiently strong to make
1t is generally accepted that Lemon
OF Central was the .best end of the
season. He was fast getting down
under punts, could catch forward
passes and generally had the re-
quisites which go to make up a good
was Prodigy of Tech. Not a fiashy
player by any means, Prodigy inn
pressed one that he had wonderful
possibilities as Tanker. He is the
type of player who fits well into a
purely machinelike combination
HeaVier than the other ends. he still
was fast and accurate in his play,
While he played little wide on the
Tech team, he still was able to get
into plays and more than hold his
own.
Manson Just Nosed Out.
Connolly and Spille, the former of
central and the latter Of Western, were
the best tackles. Manson of Western
was almost as good as either Connolly
play in most of the games that the
writer considered n long time whether
or not he should be placed on the all
nigh eleven at end. Connolly was a
good Kicker and displayed a charging
power and speed not shown by the other
tackles. Spille was just a good all
round foot ball player. much better than
the high school forward. He is the TYNE,
of man who should make star on some
college eleven, either at end or center
or possibly in the backfield.
King and Loehler were the strongest
centerS, and the former seemed to do
more consistently good work than the
latter. King was heavier than most of
the men he faced. and usually he out
played them consistently. His passing
was excellent, and there was never n
time in any game in which he did not
hold up his end on the offense as well
as the defense.
This eleven is not selected with the
players in the series. But no other
team could be picked from all the
players left which would stand more
than ghost of a chance of a victery
in contest with the mythical or
ga nization herewith presented. Speed.
Intelligence and natural capa-
bilities which make stars of indiyid-
uals are to be found in the personnel
OF the all-Star combination, and those
qualities mean success on the grid
iron.
AS brief resume of the season. il
may be said that Central won the
because it had the best
coached eleven, and a trio of back
field stars who were not stopped in
any game. The season Undoubtedly
developed the best foot ball in years.
both in individual and team play and