The Winslow mail., 1926-10-08
COACH UNDECIDED
ON STARTING LINE
UP FOR SATURDAY
(By GEORGE LAWS)


for the local Hi gridders when they
tangle with the miners in WinslOw's
first game here Saturday. Jerome
doesn't know what Winslow's start
ing lineup will be, neither do the
lads who will play, and for that
matter, neither does Coach Edison.
The many unforeseen occurrences
! that hamper a coach and a team at
| the opening of a season are begin
ming to make their appearance, and
so many shifts have been neces-
sary that the coach has been un-
able to formulate definitely team
that shall be designated as first
string. Several of the warriors
who were expected to carry the
brunt of Winslow's attack and de-
fense have thought little enough of
the athletic standing of their school
| to let their academic standing hit
the ineligibility mark, and the re-
suit is that several positions that
were considered well filled are now
| glaring vacancies.
Too, Winslow is at a disadvan-
tage by meeting in their first game
what is probably one of the strong
est teams in Northern Arizona, and
that without a preliminary game
| to give them a line on their own
strength and weakness, and to give
them confidence in what they have
Alibis are not necessary in adj
vance, and will never be necessary,
| if the local pigskin toters have one
quality-the old fight With every
thing else against them, weight, eX-
perience, practice and dope, if they
have that one important attribute,
the old fight, they can win.
Whether or not they have it re-
mains to be seen. Whether their
home town, their school, the feel
| ing of their friends, mean enough
to them to make them fight, and
fight hard, is the question whose
ultimate answer will also be the
decision on the game, in all prob
ability. All other things being
equal, or nearly so, the fighting
team always wins, and with all odds
the wrong way, the team with the
| old fight has good chance to cop.
The upsetting of dope, the deeds
of valor in the face of long odds,
the coming from behind to win
with nothing to help along but the
! fighting spirit, are the things that
make football the ultimate in sport
ing exhibitions, and the fact that
in most cases there is no incentive
to keep fighting except a love of
school and friends is what lifts the
game above the plane of brutality.
Coach Edison feels that the fight
ing spirit is there in his boys. Jer-
ONE will send a more seasoned
squad to face the Winslowites, and
weight, too, may favor the invaders.
Jerome may win, it is true. But if
the maroon and white of WinslOW
does go down, it should go down
fighting all the way, and there is
no sting in that sort of defeat.
Furthermore, if the home boys do
fight all the way, all these gloomy
forebodings will be unnecessary
In the backfeld there is reserve
strength. Only in the line is Edison
hampered for a lack of material
to fall back on Seven backfeld
men of ability have been uncover
ed, but some of these are working
out on the line, and may double for
regulars Saturday in case of in
juries. Parker and Rushing have
been calling signals, but nobody
has a cinch on the quarterback
berth, and Saturdays game will
probably decide this and other po
sitions. Captain Houck is holding
down one of the halves, but the
other side of the offense, and the
fullback office is undecided.
The first game may mean much
and it may mean little. A defeat
will only mean that a milestone
has been passed, and that another
page of the local lesson has been
digested, to the ultimate good Of
the team.
a victory will give the boys
heart, and will justify Edson's
hopes for his charges, and will set
a precedent to make the locals
fight.
That word fight is what it
| takes.
Of the lettermen of last year who
remain, each was asked for state
ment on the coming game Here
are their opinions: Houck, ''If Jer-
ONE wins, it will be after we have
exhausted every ounce of energy
and fight we have, and we have
plenty" Chacon, when the game
is over, they will know they have
been in a battle.'' Scott, "The
team has a new motto this year:
| 'Winsolw Fights" Hathaway,
with the increased number Of
men out for practice this year, the
team has taken on a new spirit
Rushing, "The spirit of the men is
such that in the event Jerome wins,
they will sure earn it." Simmons,
| Every man expects and is expect
ed to do his part to turn Jerome
back" Gallegos, Watch us get
the beef" Hancock, "We are go
ing to treat 'em rough this year"
Caballos, 1--WE are going to fight
until the last whistle blows" Scorse
1--WE are out for the. most success
full season we have ever had"
Coach Edson's statement also
bears out the fighting theory. He
says. Coach Zuppke says that
eleven men who can tackle hard
| r1olxoc a hard foam to defeat