The Washington herald., 1921-12-25
Local Gridiron Warriors
Fought for Love Of Game
Crowds Numbering Thousands Out to Witness
Battles-Southern and Mercury Threat
ened to Dethrone Mohawks.

In keeping with its reputation as
good amateur football town,
Washington did itseK proud last
fall In the way of turning out to
see the local gridiron warriors per-
form
Crowds running into the thou
sands witnessed quite q few games
and the contests between the small
grounds near the Monument and in
Potomac Park.
With the one exception of the
professional eleven staging Its
games at the Washington ball park
every local team was an out-and-
out amateur eleven. 1t Is obvious
that football has taken quite a hold
on the sport-follower here when
crowds OF 5000 braved all kinds of
weather to see the "amatoors" In
action.
The season was replete with sur
prises. especially the work of the
Southern A. c. and the Mercury A..
c., both Southwest organizations.
These teams came from nowhere,
practically. to turn in victory after
victory and force themselves into
championship claims. However,
they could not quite make the
grade. neither one defeating the
Mohawk eleven. long recognized as
the king of the sandlotters in the
grtdiron game.
Mercury Scared Indians.
The Mercury OUTFIT came close to
turning the trick, battling the Mo-
hawks TO a 90 tie on a muddy field
and In a game finished in a heavy
rain. The SoutherHs were not
quite so fortunate. Although they
scored frst in their game with the
Indians they held their lead for
only three minutes and a few min
utes later the Indians scored again
to go into the lead, from which
they were never ousted, the duel
ending IL to Z.
The Southerns hrst came into
prominence when they aesed out
the Dreadnaught eleven of Alex
andria. Is to 81 by scoring three
touchdowns in the closing minutes
of play. The aerial game was re-
sponsible for all three. The fact
that the Dreadnsughts. always ca
pable OF putting up a real battle
on the Eridiron, had received a S.
too drubbing at the hands of the
Richmond professionals, the day
before and were probably slowed
up as a result. may have had some
thing to do with their defeat.
However. later games showed
that the Southerns were about the
best opponents of the overhead at
tack In these parts and aerial play
figured largely in all of their con-
tests. They completed all twelve
aerial heaves they started in their
game with the Mohawks, a truly
wonderful record.
Lighter than the usual run Of
teams playing unlimited weight
elevens, they had In Murray Snow,
a back capable OF hurting the pig
skin long distances and accurately.
aud in Dan Kelliher and Edward
Garner, two classy little ends who
proved adept at the receiving end.
Peck Snow. a younger brother of
Murray and a star basebalier, turned
in some good performances at quar-
terback.
Mohawks Slow to start
In the Southern Mohawk game
all Of the scoring was turned in in
the third quarter. the former eleven
using the aerial game from the
kickoff to parade down the field
to q score. As though suddenly
awakened from q dream, the Mo-
hawks got going in short order
and the Mohawk backs bucked and
plunged their way to two touch
downs in rapid succession. Once
in the lead. the Indians settled
hack to play a safe game, holding
the iSoutherners at bay the remainder
of the contest.
The Mercury eleven. a heavier
outfit. won its game on sheer
power, using straight football most
OF the time. Ability to hold at
crucial moments stood II in good
stead the Mohawks twice having
the ball within the Mercury five
yard line with four downs to go
over and both times failed. In Sui
livan, too, the Mercury Club had
a classy punter and dropkicker, al
ways sure OF long punt out when
close to his own goal line and a