The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1938-11-10

This week there are few home
games to draw the crowd among
Cardinals Big, Five, with Duke
we travel to- Syracuse, (and by
the way we were so interested
in that game we predicted it last
week. Carolina meets Fornham
Rams; State, Detroit; Davidson,
V. M. l.; and Wake Forest West
ern Maryland. Our predictions
as well as our loyalty goes with
our own state teams this week,
and we hope that a prediction
slightly higher than they we're
last week. Out of Is we missed
six which gives us a percentage
of .666. But there were other
dopsters as we'll as coaches which
were upset!
Appalachian was tops in score
by 81 to Tusculum's 0, all Of
which makes us believe we will
be safe in picking them over Le-
noir-Rhyne this week; but we
will have to take some chances
along with the players, coaches
and dopsters.
Caught i'm Passing
Here and there we hear COM
ments on current events which if
published under the above title
might make public opinion ap-
pears rather ridiculous, but if the
pigskin is caught in passing, by
the right man, it often changes
the complexion of the game. Yet
in addition to adding thrills to
the game this play is a great safe
ty measure, and believe it or not,
Carolina had much to do with it's
introduction. In the gay nine
ties it was brute strength and the
wedge play which injured most
of the players and made the game
slow-motion affair instead of
the present thrilling spectacle.
Sports annals relate that it was
in 1895 toward the close of a bit
ter scoreless tie game between
North Carolina and Georgia, that
the N. G. quarterback decided to
remove the ball out of his own
territory and called for the usual
punt formation, whereupon Ga.
determined to block the kick. The
little quarterback became a field
general and Immediately changed
his mind about attempting to kick
in the arms of mighty Georgia
team, he darted to the right,
raised the ball over his shoulder
and threw what is known today
as a short lateral. Luck and not
the present day perfect timing
was with him, for the ball was
caught by a teammate who ran
70 yards for a touchdown. The
pass was illegal, but the referee
who had not seen it refused to
call back the play.
John w. Heisman, one of the
greatest coaches of all times, saw
that desperate fling and immedi-
ately wrote Walter Camp, chair
man of the football rules COM
mittee, that he had found a way
to open up the game, to stop the
bone-breaking piling up of the
players; a method which would
substitute, speed, skill and per-
feet timing for brute strength.
For years the suggestion was ig-
nored, but Heisman knew its va
lue and again submitted it to the
rules committee, and in 1905 it
was accepted, thus bringing about
the greatest change in football.
More than any other play the
forward pass, added to thrill and
excitement of the game. The Sec
ond before the perfectly timed
pass lands in the receivers hands
and he speeds toward the goal,
brings millions to their feet.
Two perfect passers may make
an otherwise, little known team
famous over night. Perhaps the
greatest passing teams of all
times was Kn11te ROckne and Gus
Dorais, who wrote their names
among football immortals, at No
ire Dame in 1894. Incidental
ly these young athletes began
their passing while waiting on
tables at summer a hotel. They
achieved perfect timing with
serving trays, and round the same
system would work with foot
ball. It did not take the coach
long to discover they had some
thing, and Notre Dame passed
from the ranks of unknown elev-
en- to one of the nations best.
But all this is history and we
must pass ON to the present
! game. ..
Our Selections
AS usual this week we must
trust to luck, the. weather, and
our own judgment which is not