Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer., 1921-11-28
OTTAWA HIGH Wins
ONLY -FOUR GAMES.
IN | 921 SEASON
LOSE SIX GRlDlRoN CONTESTS
TEAM SCORES 81 POINTS
AGAINST OPPONENTS ISL
LACK OF SUFFICIENT TRAIN.
ING GIVEN AS CAUSE.

Smiths Ottawa High eleven were We
torious In only four Of the struggles.
The record, although better than that
of the 1920 season, does not live up
to the standard of previous years
The cause of the poor showing by the
lads composing this years eleven Is
baffling, and has caused considerable
gossip amcng sport deyotees or VI,
tawa who have watched the steps ct
the team in each OF its games TINS
season.
In the first game Smiths eleven was
victorious when they trounced Coach
Brynstad's p. V. l.. c. squad, 81 to "
at King field OF course, the hlsh
school warriors had a bit OF adyah'
tage over the college eleven, due 10
the experience they had had. Be
sides, it was Brynstad's first year al
the South Side institution and ne
probably didn't know where the men
would fit best,
The second win by the locals was
recorded when the Spring valley
squad trekked up to this city on OCT
/ and were defeated, to 2, in an eA-
citing battle on the local gridiron DC
fore a large audience. At that time
Spring Valley was reputed to be the
strongest eleven in the valley confer
ence and Ottawa's win over that team
caused local followers to believe that
Smith was going to turn out cham
pionship squad.
But on the following Saturday,
when they went to Moline, such hopes
were badly shattered, the locals being
swamped, 90 to 0. Critics who saw
the game stated that the Ottawans
outplayed the Moline team during the
first quarter. At the end OF the hrst
half the score stood IA to in faVoi
OF Moline. During the last half the
locals slumped and Moline stacked up
3S more points
Pontiac High was next on the care
OF events. The ref0rmatory cliy
eleven came over to this city and wol,
IA to 10, despite the fact that they
were outplayed by the locals. Schoch,
then playing half back for the red and
white. made touchdown in the early
stage OF the game, and Brick Farrell
booted the goal Shortly afterwafd
Brick stepped out and scored held
goal, making the score 10 to In thelr
favor. But the Pontiac full back
broke through the Ottawa defense
making a sixty-hve yard run for
touchdown. Shortly after that the
balloon went up and so did the ct
tawa players. Their defense weaken
ed and they seemed as though they
didn't care whether they won or not.
Pontiac made another touchdown ana
booted the goal, winning the game.
Smiths men went to Princeton on
the following Saturday and lost their
third consecutive game to that team,
ID to 6. OF course, the locals Werent
responsible for that loss, as they were
penali8ed 205 yards by the referee
during the contest and practically had
the game taken away from them.
Following the defeat by Princeton.
Rock Island came to this city and, as
usual, Smiths men fought wonder
fully well in the first quarter. Then
the usual slump occurred and when
the final whistle blew Rock Island
was at the long end of a "a to score
After losing these games slight
turn for the better occurred when
Morris High came to Ottawa and lost,
ii to 0. Morris had good team, but
the locals showed some wonderful
ability and succeeded in winning AT
that time it was thought that they
were going to shift into high geal
and not stop for anything.
But Coach Fellows OF La SallePeru
who didn't have any better material to
select from than Coach Smith did, Is
today able to boast of his team win
ming from the locals in the next bat
tie. Following tho game with Morris
the locals trekked down to the Twin
Cities and there on Matthiessen field,
before approximately 2,5G0 witnesses,
lost to the olive and maroon squad,
81 to 0. During the first quarter they
outplayed La Sale, as they did in
other games, but as the game wore on
they seemed apparently to have laid
down. La Sale worked simple cross
bucks and fooled them. Ottawa had
better material on the field but lack
OF training and proper coaching seem
ed TO be the real cause of their defeat
Following the La Sale game Smith
took his players to Lockport and wol
from that team, IA to 0. 1t was an
easy win for them because they
knuckled down to brass taeks, despite
the fact that they didn't get any Of
the good breaks.
Then on Thanksgiving day came the
final battle with Coach Dale's Strea~
ter eleven, and the big surprise of the
season when the Streator outfit won,
IA to 0. Spring Valley, who had fal.
len to defeat at the hands OF the OF,
tawans, badly trouneed Dale's team,
80 to 0, early in the season, and vic
tory for Ottawa was almost a sure
thing. But the same old thing oc-
CURED. Smiths players played q
wonderful game during the first quar-
ter. They outfought the Streatorites
and continuously had the pigskin In
the Hardscrabble territory, and then
took a slump which cost them the
game. Again the simple football
crossbuck fooled the Ottawans, result.
ing in Streators win, and right then
and there local followers of the game
were set to thinking.
Why wasn't this seasons football
team at o. H. S. a successful one?
That is the big question which now
confronts local followers OF the great
gridiron sport. There was something
radically wrong. The material at the
local institution was splendid and a
championship team should have been
n.