Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-09-27
BY ]. I. HUGHES.

81 Js L.. III UHESs
With a light drill tonight to al
low Fred Chicken and Dewey Lyle
to absorb the signals, the indie
pendents will be primed for the
opening contest Of the season to-
morrow afternoon at Douglas park
when they will live up against the
Rockford A. A. C's. The team
that Coach Ursella will send on the
field is undoubtedly the best ag-
gregation that has ever sailed
forth under the colors of the green
and white.
The Cream city team has put i'll
every night this week in strenuous
practice in order to tackle the In
dependents at their best. It means
that Rock Island will face plenty
OF stiff opposition for the starter.
Line Average, 1s9.
The Independents will average
approximately IS9 pounds in the
line. which is some heft. Looking
at the backdeld, the figures show
an average of 176, giving a team
average of 1872. The combined
weight of the team totals up to just
one ton OF Drawn, beef and speed.
Good night. grille,
Coach Ursella stated today that
he would start the contest with
Robb at center, Wyland at left
guard, Lyle at right guard, Ba
shaw at left tackle, BuIand at right
tackle, Mansfield at left end and
Dempsey at right end. In the back
field will be Henry at left half,
Chicken at right half. JorgensOn az
full and UrseIla at quarter.
RObb has been worked at center
since Thursday night, and his abil-
ity at the position is known by
every fan. WyIand and Lyle are
exceptionally fast men at the
guards and are counted upon to
provide big holes and interference
for the feet backs. Buland and
Bashaw at tackles are d tower of
strength, and here again We have
considerable speed coupled with an
abundance of beef. On the ends.
Mansfield and Dempsey comprise
two of the finest wing men that
have ever held down the positions
with the Independents.
The backfeld is rated as the
greatest that has ever represented
the locals. Ursella is without
houbt the peer of quarterbacks. He
possesses an uncanny knowledge
of the game and an ability to direct
the play with machine-like preci-
sion He is a luminary in all de-
partments of the game.
Everyone knows what Fred
Chicken can do. He never fails to
ring up four and five yards at a
crack and many times much more.
In fact he is a gluten for running
with the ball and can never be
tired out.
1t will be Henry's second appear
ance at Douglas park. The first
time he came here in 1917 with the
Alton team, and all who saw that
contest remember him as the only
man who was able to stop with
any degree of success the wearing,
drives of the Independents.
In that game he made about three
fourths of the tackles credited to
his team. The fans will feel much
better at seeing him in an indie /
pendent uniform.
In at fulIback is old reliable Al. |
Jorgenson. Persistent, untiring eff
fort has brought Al. to the front. |
In the games he played in two
years back, he gave every bit that !
was in him. Then last season he |
starred with the formidable Camp |
Sherman team in the south. Now
all his friends are looking for him !
to prove one of the best ground
gamers for the locals.
Rockford Hopes.
In Iinguuist at center, Rockford |
pins its hopes to stop the terrific |
of the Independents. He
will have able assistance in the !
other linemen, who, according to |
dope. comprise a heavy and speedy
i
Their system of play is based
along the lines employed at Yale
university. The coach is Anthony
alI-AmericAn end of old
Eli. Grid followers can rest as
sured that under his tutelage, Rock
ford viii not present a weak team
on the field by any stretch of the
Whatever the out
come, the Independents are pretty
certain TO find themselves pitted
against a team with fight to match
heir own. Looking from all an
giles, prospects for the bid being
tilted in beautiful fashion are more
han bright.