Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1940-11-21
ROTARIANS HONOR FOOTBALL.
TEAMS OF 1920 AND 1910

hOIAltlANS HONOEC FOOlDf1L1I
TEAMS OF 1920 AND 1910
Friday night four decades of To-
cal high school football was the
"tOpic for conversation" when the
M & M. Rotary club entertained
the Big Reds of 1910 and some OF
the. players Of the first squad 40
years ago at the Kennebec hotel for
dinner. Covers were laid for 63.
Following the regular custom adopt
ed come year ago the Rotary club
awarded silver footballs to members
OF this years team.
Going back 40 years ago the first
team was organized, with the fol-
lowing players: Atty Fleming H.
Crew, Everett Betz, Carlton C.
Hartzell, Harry Cheadle, G. e.
Fisher, Amer Floyd, Stanbery AL
derman, Chester Hatton, Charles
Abbott, Everett A. Dover, Curtis
Graham, Harry Thomas, William
Rutherford, Dan Shelby, Everett R..
Barkhurst, and John Mcbride. Three
OF them are deceased, Cunningham,
Graham and Betz. Six members Of
the memorable team present were
seated together, Stanbery Alder
man, C. e. Fisher, John S. Mcbride,
Everett Barkhurst, Carlton c..
Hartzell and Fleming H. Crew.
Joseph Floyd, who was the high
school principal, was coach. He is
now a judge of the county of COM
mon pleas, at Canton. Owing to
the snowy condition of the roads,
he was unable to be present. (See
picture on page five).
The team of 1900 and of 1910
were the same in two particulars
and that is both played the season
without losing single game, and
the old 20's were never scored
on but once and that was in game
with Zanesville; the other particu-
lar is that one of the first teams
outstanding players was C. E. Fish
er, and his son John, has had a
like standing with the 1910 squad.
The first team played on the
common, and since the uniforms did
not protect the players like the
present ones, together with the fact
that the rules permitted rougher
playing, injuries were more fire.
quent. In fact, football was looked
upon as being so rough and danger
Gus, that it was played here but
year or so, and then abandoned
It was not until after B. F. Fulks
assumed the superintendency of the
local schools in 1919, that foot
ball again made its appearance. Mr..
Fsulks encountered quite little
difficulty in getting the board of
education to consent to football be-
ing played. In fact there was then
so much opposition to it that it
was not a popular thing for news
papers to mention the game even
in the matter of news, let alone
giving it editorial sanction.
At the banquet Friday evening
kingum college was called at a late
hour to pinch hit for Judge Floyd,
as speaker. Holcomb congratulate
ed the M. & M. team on it's success
full season. He stated that foot.
ball, like other sports is a game Of
give and take, and remarked it is
impossible for high schools or col
leges to always have winning teams,
and said regardless of win or lose to
always keep up the chin. He con-
tinued, among the things gained by
playing football is learning to
think quickly; to take orders, to
have consideration for the other
fellow, and to develope team work.
Mr.. Holcomb recited a number of
the experiences of his coaching
some of them were very amusing.
Bob Gilka, sports writer for the
GAINESVILLE Signal also spoke brief
~. He too stated that it is impos-
sible for teams to always win. He
brought the information that M. &
M. was one of the 13 teams in the
state to finish the season unbeaten
and united.
Coach Joe Rich introduced indi-
vidually the members of his ''won-
derful team" and said the boys this
year were an ideal team, and they
deserved the success-not their
coach, or their coaching, but the
players themselves who played as a
team, and always with a good
spirit. He had praise for each and
every member of the team, who al
ways gave their best. Robert
Longley was captain. He played
three years during which he never
missed practice, was always on
time, never missed playing in a
game, and was never knocked out"
OF the II men playing this year
all are seniors. However Coach
Rich said, next year we will have a
team, and. whether it will equal
this years, remains to be seen.
Each Of the players of the 1900
team spoke briefly, telling of the
playing rules 40 years ago. That
memorable team averaged but 127
pounds, and they had to win
through speed and deception. They
explained some Of their winning
plays. That team, as stated, did
not lose game, was scored on but
once, and played three scoreless
games.
FAIR BOARD DIRECTORS
Saturday the fair board met and
the following directors were elected