Commerce High School - Commerce Yearbook (Cleveland, OH)

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lows worked hard in this game and at times took the Glenville bunch off their feet. In the back field Crebbin, Porter and Corry showed great form in breaking through the opposing lines. On the defensive work Romanis and Crebbin repeatedly dropped the Glenville team back for losses. This was the cleanest and best played game the team put up during the entire season. Our game with Akron was merely a slaughter about which it would be cruel to write. In this game our half-back Corry was severely injured, and this proved a severe blow to the team and dampened the spirits of the fellows, as Corry was one of our best players. The game with South High was played on a slow field. In this game Commerce made two touchdowns which proved to be the only points we gained during the entire season. Lebowitz intercepted a forward pass in the second quarter and ran sixty yards for a touchdown, while in the third quarter Jake Weintraub intercepted another forward pass and ran ninety yards for another touchdown. This put spirit into the fellows and we played the South Siders to a standstill, but lost by the score 25 to 10. The next week we met Tech and were defeated 30 to 0. This was a hard, grueling game, as our boys played in snow two inches deep. The season closed and the High School of Commerce was awarded the title, “Stellar Championship, upon which we can look back not with grief or shame but with proud feeling in our hearts that we had fought under adverse conditions to the very end. We have gained the respect of the other high schools by showing true spirit and gameness that is so desirable in a football team. Morally some of our fellows deserve more credit than star players on other teams who are sure of victory. Let us remember then, that our fellows were game to the very core and made of the best stuff It is as well to be a proud loser as a proud winner. It is only the low that can rise. We hope Coach Evans will not be discouraged but will continue to coach our teams, for we believe that in time he will be able to produce a team of the highest caliber. Let us. then every one, boost this sport with heart and soul and live in hopes. When the letters were presented the fellows were sorry that three of the faithful members were not given the award. The rule requires participation in five games. Leopold in the very first game was severely injured and was forced to quit for almost the entire season. Wilson at the beginning of the season knew little about the game and as a result played in four games only. William Corry, the captain of the football team of ’ll, was severely hurt in the Akron game and was obliged to drop out for the remainder of the season. As a result he played in but four games. Thus through misfortune these fellows failed to receive the letters. Manager Groman took care of his end of the business to perfection. He was always down to practice and encouraged the fellows who were hurt and kept up the spirits of the entire team. He certainly was the busy manager, and it was mainly through him that a financial stringency was avoided. 06

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At the beginning of the year 1910, the problem that faced the faculty and athletic board was, shall we have a football team? It was a mighty big proposition too. Think of it! No money and green material, since but few of the fellows knew how to play the game. The decision was cast. Coach D. M. Evans issued a call for candidates, and over thirty aspirants responded. Among these Leopold, Steigerwald, Crebbin, Romanis, Porter and Corry were the only ones that had ever played the game. The rest were of the greenest kind. Coach Evans had to drill the fellows into the necessary plays and formations, and as a result little scrimmage was indulged in before the game with Lincoln came around. By displaying nerve and skill, which was certainly characteristic of our fellows, we made a good showing for our first game. We were beaten by a respectable score of 26 to 0. A severe blow was dealt the team, in this game, as Leopold was so badly injured that he was compelled to drop out. Our coach in this game noted the many defects of our boys and they] were given a hard week in scrimmage and signals. New plays and formations were introduced, and as a result our resources were now far in excess of our liabilities. The next game we played was against Central, who defeated us by the score of 46 to 0- The Central bunch was much heavier and had played together for years, but for all that we showed better form against them than against Lincoln, and we defeated their hopes by keeping them from scoring sixty points against our team. As a result of the hard game, the fellows were considerably battered up for the game with East. As to defensive work, we found East impenetrable, and they ran up 60 points. Allowing the game to go on for nearly double the usual time resulted in our fellows being terribly battered up. We entered the Glcnville game with Leopold back in harness. The fel- 65

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Just a Bream—Commerce bs. Lincoln THE “reds” had won the choice of goals. They elected to play with what little wind there was at their backs. Selbach of Lincoln placed the ball before him on the ground. The bell rang. He took two strides forward and the ball went sailing into the expectant group in front. For a moment there was grasping and turmoil among the “golds.” Then from the crowd emerged Romanis the “gold's” captain, with the ball under his arm running like the wind, without interference. His team trailed behind. He met the “reds” who had started at full speed down the field the moment the ball started. The first red” hurled himself at the runner, but Romanis swerved slightly and was missed. The second was passed in the same way, but the third caught him by the legs and threw him. Romanis fumbled the ball Crebbin who had been the nearest, scooped it up and proceeded down the field reeling off twenty yards before he was downed. The “golds” had recovered the advantage lost by the “reds” kick-off and were greeted with roars of applause. So the first half went. The throng swayed a little backward, a little forward, an inch lost, an inch gained, neither side scoring. The crowd yelled itself hoarse. First it was Commerce, then Lincoln, then a song, and again a yell, until the bell rang at which time the teams retired for the ten minutes of intermission. The play had been, as all good judges predicted, nearly equal. The reds” had a slight advantage with a pound or so in the line and about three behind. The second half started, similar to the first. The ball was on Lincoln's forty yard line. The game proceeded very slowly. Now a yard was made by an end run, now one by a line buck, now twenty or thirty by a punt, then back again. The ball always hovered over Lincoln’s forty yard line. The teams began to get desperate and put all their energy into the game. Both sides wanted to win. With about a minute and a half to play the score stood 0 to 0. Then with thirty seconds to play and the ball on the “reds fifteen yard line, Hilberer signaled for a try for goal. The ball was pasesd. Porter received it, and poised for a kick. The line held for a few seconds, then Gordon broke through, flew at Porter and struck him just as the ball left his toe. It seemed an age in its flight but luck favored the gold, for it settled right over the bar and between the poles. The crowd went wild, clapped their hands and yelled with all their might. The bell rang, the scrimmage cleared up, and there lay Porter unable to rise, but happy, having won for the “golds” a victory over the reds.” 67 HENRY R. REICH. 1913.