The Washington herald., 1921-11-27
$4,000 See Conroy Make
Only Touchdown at
Polo Seas"
MIDDIES AT HOME
IN BELOVED WATER
Annapolis Wins 3 Years
Straight-Barchet in
Fine Form.
By GRANTLAND RICE.

afternoon that was ideal for ducks
hsn. seals. porpoises. umbrella man.
4 fractures, bootleggers and pneu-
monia- Navy blue arose magnificent
~ above Army gray at the Polo
seas for the third successive year
No less than $4,000 of the beauty
and chivalry, drenched and be-
draggled. dripping and disconsolste
With wrecked hats and ruined
cloaks, saw Conroy supplement
Steve Barchet's mighty running by
skiddfng over for the only touch
down of the game shortly after the
second period opened.
So the score again was to o in
the Navy's favor. just as il was a
year ago. and once again the strong
er. better finished machine tri-
umphed by superior play. Navy
prows were at home upon a field
slightly damper than the Atlantic
Ocean and many parts of the Pa
cific. and for two great marches, or
rather, cruises, they split asunder
the billowy mud and the Army line
With Barchet's famous crawl stroke
and Koehler's trudgeon working In
midOcean form the Navy advance
through the greater part of the first
and second periods was more thar
any mere landsman, shut OF from
any seafarinC existence, could hope
to check
Must Have Worn Chains.
Barchet and Koehler must have
worn chains or else have adopted
the web-footed process of the duck
for there were occasions on these
ri rr-ha 10 Y
feet beyond all understanding above
the slippery. treacherous turf. Only
a seafaring elan could have reached
port under such conditions where
surely one of the two long drive,
deserved to score-and win.
A. it was the Army outclass>d
through the greater part of the
game. suddenly turned upon their
tormentors with three minutes &c
play. and with the <ast flying French
in full blast carried the ball to the
Navy's 7-yard line before the march
was halted in the nick of Navy time
The Navy blue waved above the
Army gray. but above them botf
was the dull. muddy brown ot
mother earth that soon turned
twenty-five athletes into charging
figures of mud and goo.
Field Is QuaRmire.
It was another lasting tribute tc
the grip of football that the great
est crowd in Polo Grounds history
should defy such weather and re-
spond. in large part, with such un-
broken enthusiasm over fhe mair
events of the day. Most of those
who came were fully prepared. but
here and there among the womer
were many who put art over ma
ture and decided to take a chance
with costly raiment thrown into ar
unequal contest against elemental
forces that were sure to win. YET
against these heavy odds the great
crowd continued to work its way
forward until every vacant spot
was filled and every water-soakeC
seat yzas occupied.
The field, none too firm and dry
at the start, was soon a quagmir,
from the churning feet that tor,
up sod at every start. Both teams
were numbered. but after the first
few minutes only an X-ray coulC
have penetrated the coating of mud
that lay in three-ply fold upon the
broad backs Of the rival parties
Navy Line superb.
Yet in spite Of such weather con-
ditions the two big elevens fought
out game and gallant battle
giving tFp best they had as clouds
Of steam and mist arose from their
water-soaked uniforms like a low.
land fog. The Army throughout
the battle elected to predominant
through the first three and the las,
vii n nj 10 fr
these two spots they made their
FIVE first downs and gave signs OF
offensive strength, but In the in
tervening fifty-four minutes OF
combat IL was all Navy with the
Army struggling and straininr to
hold down impending scores Su-
premacy in the Navy line with the
speed and dash of Barchet. Koehler
and others in sharp off-tackIe OF
line advances bore the Army de-
fense steadily back. in spite OF
good. hard fighting and continued
effort to hold these drives in
check.
After the Army had won the
toss. choosing the wind. and the
navy had taken care of the kickon.
a series of rushes by Smythe and
French took the ball well into
Navy territory in the course of
three first downs. But here an
Army penalty lost Is important
Yards and Wood drove the muddy
ball over the Navy line for a touch
back
Cenroy scores Toaehdown.
After an exchange of punts the
first of the Nays irresistible
marches swung under way. 1t was
worth all the discomforts of a ter
rible day to see the Navy line in ac-
ton. and the keen thrust of Navy
backs as Barchet, Koehler and Con-
roy began to slip, skid. wiggle,
twist and work their way along the
field. From her own 16-yard line
the Navy had rushed the ball SO
yards to the Army's 21-yard line
when the first period ended as the
big crowd arose to let the water run
from their hats and coats.
Here the Army defense braced
with stout courage but unable to
gain any ground, Wood was forced
10 kick. An exchange of kicks fol-
Continued on Page Nine.