Alexis High School - Memoirs Yearbook (Alexis, IL)

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CONCERNING THE SEASON The year of 1920 proved to be a recaller of memory. The A. C. H. S. foot ball team matching the old A. H. S. team of 1912, who held their own against Burlington, Moline and Galesburg. Like the old 1912 fighting machine the boys of 1920 were unable to secure a game with their old opponents— the Maple City. If it could have been sched- uled it would have been one of the scrappiest games in the history of both schools. The Maple City team was a smooth running machine that would have found sand in its gears playing the Alexis team this year. Herbert Brown, better known as Brownie, received a fractured arm the night before the initial game. This was a real loss to the team because Brownie proved to possess no mean ability as a foot ball player in the last few games of the season, in which he was able to play. This was the only injury to the team until the Abingdon game in which our full back (Mathers) received an injury to his knae. Frank ' s fighting determination would not let him be idle and he miss- ed only a few quarters during the whole season. Our fourteen-year-old center (Bellinger) right guard (Patterson) and right half (Likely) were the only men who played every minute in every game of the season. The season started with very little enthusiasm but soon the pep and fight were shown on the side lines at every game and overflowed to the field enveloping the players who answered with flashy and dar- ing playing. ALEXIS 117 — WATAGA 0. In our 1920 debut the squad of A. C. H. S. walloped the Wataga High School team by a score of 117 to 0. Their team had material for a good team but lacked experience. This game proved a disappoint- ment to Coach Gates as he wanted to pick the men for their various positions according to their playing but the game was such a walk-a- way that he was unable to determine their playing ability.

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ATILETIC

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» A A ALEXIS 27 — STRONGHUKST 0. The Noonan field was the scene of action when the Stronghurst team invaded our territory. The purple and white team matched us m weight and also in confidence. Stronghurst won the toss and chose the north goal. After receiving they went South with ever increasmg speed until Likely intercepted a forward pass which proved to be the turning tide of the game. Because Stronghurst failed to get close enough to the goal to cause any anxiety until the last few minutes Alexis fumbled. Stronghirst recovered the ball but could not pierce the remodeled steel line of Alexis in four smashing plunges. The game ended with Alexis ball on Stronghurst ' s 9 yard line, that team being penalized in her last effort to snuck one over. ALEXIS 53 — KNOXVILLE 0. The A. C. H. S. mainta ned their record of not having been scored on so in the season. Our team outweighed that of Knoxville yet they had a lot of fight and speed. The Knoxville team was crippled twice during the game. In the beginning their quarter-back was laid out and soon after on the kick- off the ball hit their center in the face, laying him out. Captain Edgar took advantage of the soft picking and gave the subs a chance of showing their ability. Dale Laughead showed up in fine form for a sub and promises to be a leader in the coming year. ALEXIS 14 — ABINGDON 13. We invaded Abingdon (much in distress) for Abingdon had gain, ed the name of The Giants. They were giants in size but not in grit. We fought an up-hill battle the whole game but joyously came out on top. We were handicapped by crippled members — Purlee was sick along with Capt. Edgar, who had in the previous game injured the muscles in his leg. Both boys were impatient to get into the game when they saw the rest of the boys fighting, not only against a bunch that outweighed us 15 lbs to the man, but the officials too. We suc- ceeded in snucking one over in the first three minutes of the game. The first quarter being entirely ours while the second quarter was in Abingdon ' s favor, and she secured her f rst touchdown, although she missed kicking goal. In the third they got another one over, this time kicking goal, giving her the lead 13 to 7. This put the old fight to win spirit in the boys and we smashed through the heavy opposing line repeatedly. Then Mathers went through the line for 10 yd. and a touchdown. This was the best record of the season despite the fact iliai it was the first time we were scored on. ALEXIS 24 — ALEDO 0. Playing ten minute quarters on a wet field made fast foot ball treacherous. The ball was hard to hold our fourth shut out game of the season. A record breaking crowd stood in the drizzling rain, urg- ing us on with their repeated calls to make it peppy. Moorehead and Terry starred for Aledo while the whole Alexis team played at par. Aledo ' went steadily down the field, to within four yards of their goal. Here we held them for their four downs, after that we were never in danger of being scored on. Likely made the best play of the game running 46 yds. for a touchdown.