Muhlenberg College - Ciarla Yearbook (Allentown, PA)

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191T CIARLA in this game, making a better playing combination. Witmer secured three baskets. The following week the team traveled to the little town of South Bethlehem to engage with the Lehigh collegians. The game was the poorest exhibition given by the team. The Lehigh team at all times held the team down, besides scoring almost at will. The score was 38 to 16. The fifth defeat came from the Bucknell quintet. The Bucknell team played a fast game, especially the forwards. The varsity pulled together a bit, but still lacked the right amount of pep. The score was 23 to 14. Finally the team struck their stride. They broke the ice and handed a defeat to the Moravian College quintet. Of the home games, all resulted in victories for the Cardinal and Gray, except one. The victory over Moravian came after much hard work. It required an extra period to settle this game. The game was full of excitement from start to finish. Captain Ritter decided the game by tossing a foul goal with but thirty seconds to play. Gaston was easily the star of the game, both defensively and offensively. The team then kept up this winning streak and handed a defeat to the Albright bunch. The score was 34 to 22. The team showed an unusual amount of pep in the second half. The first half was close, but in the second half Albright was helpless. Afflerbach was back in the game and did much to strengthen the teamwork. Gaston baffled all attempts to stop his wonderful shooting and repeatedly thrilled the crowd by some remarkable shots. The only defeat on the home floor was registered by Bucknell. This was Muhlenberg’s second defeat at the hands of the speedy Bucknell passers. The score was 35 to 32. The Lewisburg boys by some excellent shots near the close of the game won a well-earned victory. Captain Ritter starred with seven field goals and kept Muhlenberg in the running. Gettysburg came next. The battlefield boys were very confident, but they missed lire. They tried hard to duplicate the victory they scored on their floor. A little of the old fight and pep soon turned their ambitions to naught. The game was nip and tuck, as is shown by the close score. The score was 34 to 32. Mahaffie and Campbell both played a great game for Gettysburg. Witmer was the star for Muhlenberg, caging four field goals. A feature of the game was the long clean shots made by Witmer. No time was more opportune than the close of a successful season to hand a defeat to Rutgers. It seemed like a hard job. It came easy. The bigger they come the harder they fall, and Rutgers fell all over herself. The Muhlenberg team, to a man, played a ster- ling game. The news came as a most pleasant surprise to the Muhlenberg followers and adds a great deal of credit to this year’s team. The final score was 38 to 34. The game was hard fought and the boys had the earmarks for some time, Fitzgerald especially. With the defeat of Rutgers, Muhlenberg closed in whirlwind style a successful season. Out of the eleven games played five were victories, while the remaining games were played to a very close score. Every member of the team played his best and contributed to the great team work. They are all deserving of praise. Coach McCaa for the second time turned out a good team and deserves a great deal of credit. 131

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1 9 1 T CIARLA BASKETBALL SEASON 1915-1916 T HE college athletic authorities decided on a new policy for the 1915-1916 season in basketball for Muhlenberg. They agreed that the season of the year before had been too long and proved to be tiresome. There was not sufficient interest maintained for the home games. Accordingly the schedule was shortened and only eleven games were played. New York Law School, Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, Lafayette College and Susquehanna University were the teams dropped. The plan of shortening the schedule worked out very well and the students supported the team in fine style. There were five home games. Three of these games were played on the Allentown Preparatory School floor. This floor can be used next season both for practice and playing the games. Heretofore Muhlenberg did not have a floor where they could practice and also play the regularly scheduled games. In the early part of the season there was some lively practice to get the men in shape. The team was handicapped on account of several men being declared ineligible to play. Despite this loss a strong team was organized. The first five games were setbacks for the team. They were not able to strike their stride. These games were played away from home and usually on small floors which greatly handicapped the team. They were unable to accomplish anything. The first of these games was played with our old basketball rival — Penn. After a rather poor showing in the first half, the team pulled together and came back in the second half with more pep. Penn, however, was not to be overtaken and carried away the victory with a good margin, 38 to 13. It seemed as if the fellows were over-confident, having handed Penn a pretty defeat the year before. The second defeat came at the hands of the Gettysburg passers. The game was played hard and fast. The smallness of the floor allowed shooting from any angle. Mahaffie and Campbell starred for Gettysburg, having the ball taught to seek the iron hoops at all times on the Gettysburg floor. Captain Ritter starred for Muhlenberg, scoring four baskets and tossing fouls with great accuracy. The score was 51 to 34. The next night the team wound up the trip by playin g Lebanon Valley a close game. The first half ended 18 to 12 in Muhlenberg’s favor. The game was exciting thruout and the close score kept the interest at high pitch. Lebanon Valley finally put the game on ice by throwing two field goals and tossing two foul goals, while the score was 27 to 27, with but two minutes to play. The final score was 33 to 27. Gaston did excellent work for Muhlenberg, especially in foul shooting. Witmer and Fitzgerald changed positions 130

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191 T Cl ARL A AN ODE TO THE FAIR-GROUND FENCE (Hats off! If you ever missed the last car in zero weather with a thirty-mile gale a-blowing.) The good old fence becomes endeared, From years of association. Its worth to us could not be priced. “Night hawk,” what is your opinion? It shades us from the summer heat, And helps in all kinds of weather. Its value never seems to cease, For it breaks the winds of winter. So may it stand for years and years. It will ne’er be underrated, Till street cars run long after twelve And the zero weather changes. Romances cling about this fence. Exciting! Well, just ask Billow. Come, rush its gates, save fifty cents, But wait ! Let us first see Billow. : ! : ! : Romances come, romances go, But the fence stands graduation. Mention it in your prayers, fellows, Time will help appreciation. — Ben. A. Hubbard, T6. 132