Gordon State College - Taps Yearbook (Barnesville, GA)

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ln looking over The Crimson Cyclone one might see as valuable additions the following men: Jarrott, Faulk, Waldrop, Sanders. Poole. Jones Riley. Bran- ham and Strozier. All were steady and gritty fellows who were willing to iight until the last whistle blew. . Henceforth on, players and students were longing to know what the outcome would be the following Saturday. Manager Baker imported on the lirst train Satur- day morning the strong team of Boys' High School. from Atlanta. All hearts were beating above their normal allotted beats per minute when the whistle blew for the fray to begin. . From the kick-off until the last whistle blew it was really a famous gridiron battle. Back and forth in the center of the field the two teams went. First one. then the other in possession of the pigskin. Thus, for nearly three quarters. the game proceeded. In the last few minutes of play, in the third quarter, '4The Crim- son Cyclonet' swept down the field for the only touch-down during the game. The kick at goal was a flzzle. The season had now started and everyone was in ecstacy. Oh! If next Satur- day would only come! It was doped that '4The Crimson Cyclonev would pound Lanier down to fifty minus. Afterthe game was over Pace and Miller found that their long end around end runs had netted them fa. 73 to O victory. But the players and students had scarcely subsided over their easy victory when a vast gloom of doubtful expectancy was cast over them at the prospect of playing the strong Tech Hi School in Atlanta, Ga. 'Sixteen men were shipped to Atlanta on the following 'Saturday morning, arriving about nine bells, and the game was scheduled for ten. One hour! What a very short time for anyone to recover from traveling and especially inexperienced men, who had never taken a football trip before, but who were fully aware of the importance of their transpor- tation. Into a new dressing room, among strangers and in a strange land. and out upon a. new field. minus the hearty and unanimous support of many schoolmates-such were the outstanding difficulties among which they were thrown. All old men, realizing more than the new ones. the importance of coolness and self confidence, cheered the rest along. But even this didn't keep off cold shivers when. by chance. they- glanced at the grandstand and saw only Tech Hi,s colors and rooters. The old men's advice was to disregard the grandstand. But alas! how impossible. The game was on, Gordon receiving. Waldrop caught the flying oval, but had scarcely taken a step before he was downed by a Tech Hi tackle. Gordonts hall on their own Iifteen yard line. Zip! The ball had left center to be carried on a long end run. But -fate destined it to be fumbled by the new halthack. and in a Hash, Tech Hi had covered it. Tech Hits ball on the ten yard line. For three consecutive line plunges Gordoifs line held like a stone wall, hut on the fourth plunge the ball was fumbled just at the line of scrinnnlage and re- covered by the offensive making lirst down. Three more line plunges followed but all in vain. Then a short end run was attempted. gaining six and one-halt yards. but that extra half-yard netted Tech Hi a touchdown. ln kicking goal, the hall being unable to find the space between the goal posts. went at randomf

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A Y Lil' Review of 1917 Football Season On September the twelfth Coach Mosley made his annual call for foot- ball candidates. He wanted men who were filled with the true Gordon spirit -do or die-for it was from these can- didates that he was to pick his 1917 football team. 'lt was a sad evening for Coach when he went down to Suni- mer's Field to find only seven men re- porting for practice. lf he, himself, had not been filled with the true Gor- don spirit he would doubtlesslv have decided to -abandon the idea of even putting out a football team. lt cer- tainly was discouraging but Coach made another call the next morning in chapel and eleven men reported for practice. Xow it was possible to have a football team even if be was forced to use these eleven men. After another 1llOTlllllg'S call thirtv men reported for practice. Little did Coach Mosley believes that from these thirtv men he was to have the best football team Gordon had seen in niantv a day. Coach was now in the best of spirits. In looking them over he saw Da-v. Ielammond, Miller. Baker, Sanders. Pace and Lynch t'rom last vear's lettered men. But he nnist. have more than seven to wear G's and represent Gordon with true spirit. So now began the fundamental work. teaching ngreen hornsv what a football looks like. how it feels and how it should be handled. Hot! So hot until your Jersey felt as if it was melting. Xot a single one were Nquittersfi it it was a. little hot. Xow all were putthrongh' the strenuous barclening'i practice. Running. punting. tackling and falling on the ball were soineof the things these would-be veterans of the gridiron were put through. Beginning .a. thing is half the task and so with football. Dopes, milks, 'ice cream and sundacs must be laid aside. Everybody must abstain from indulging in the habit made famous bv Sir Walter Raleigh. Manager Baker arranged for the first real scrimmage with the Aggies on the Hillv to take place on 'Suinmei-is Field. This game was representative of the types that are played at a season's be- ginning. It was no more than a scrimmage for it continued only thirty-two minutes. Captain Day at tackle urged his team on to victory. Gordon carried oi the big end of the score to the tune of 39 to 0. lt was in this game that the Gordon hnskies earned their sobriquet of The Crimson Cyclone. As heard from a. specj tator, Geel That Gordon bunch going down the lield looks like a cyclonef' .And from another. 'tYes. they look like a cyclone. a crimson cyclone. From here on 4-lordon's team ol: 1917 was called 't'l'he tlriinson t'vclone.

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Immediately The Crimson Cyclonei' sa.w defeat staring them in the face. Time after time the ball was carried within striking distance of the oppon- ent's goal but it seemed each time that they were doomed to defeat or that Old Man Hardluck was playing ia. hand? In the second quarter, Gordon carried the ball almost the length of the field on line plunges when the whistle blew, announc- ing the end of the half. Again they were on the four yard line when a despicable fumble lost for them the ball. ' It was a sad squad that sat in the grandstand that evening and saw Georgia-- Tech wallop W. N L. They certainly knew how to sympathize with W. di L. lt was a sadder squad still when they stepped from the train at Barnesville to face the sad news that had preceded them. But as the old axiom goes, You can't keep a good manf, and so with The Crimson Cyclonef' The ensuing days showed a marked improvement in 'tThe Crimson Cyclonef' for it was soon to meet the strong team of the Second District A. tb M. School. All were happy when they boarded the train for Tifton. The Gordon huskies found their equal in the Tifton aggregation. as the scoreless tie shows. But all were happy over the result, for every individual felt in his heart that Gordon had won. To express it as one member of the team expressed it. Well, we made two touch- downs if they didn't give us one. We buckcd one over and they said that we were off-side, and we secured another by an on-side kick. which they said that they had barred just before we played them. Well, that's more than they can sayf' Enough sa.id, for it happened precisely as he has said, but we have no complaint to make. Again at home and waiting for Friday to come. lt was an easy task for The Crimson Cycloncl' to smother Locust Grove to a TO to O score the following Friday. This was sweet revenge for the old fellows had not forgotten the score of 1916, which was Gordon G, L. G. I. 20. ' Everybody was in good spirits, eagerly awaiting Thanksgiving Day to come. Manager Baker had arranged to play the plucky team of the Eleventh District Agri- cultural School in Douglas. Ga.. on that day. No one lagged in practice a.nd all felt sure of victory. After the last whistle blew, ending the season of 1917. every- one rejoiced over their splendid ending. Score: Gordon. 1-4: Douglas. 0. Smsox Scouts Oct. 1, 1917, Gordon, 39, lith A. M.. U Oct. G, 1917, Gordon, 6 Boys' Hi. H. Oct. 13, 1917, Gordon, '73 Lanier, U. Oct. 20, 1917, Gordon, 0, Tech Hi, 6. Oct. 29, 1917, Gordon, 0 2nd A. K M.. 0. Nov. 23, 1917, Gordon. 'TO L. G. l., 0. Nov. 29, 1917, Gordon,i1l. 11th A. M., O. Gordon. 202, Opponents, li Ar1ILi2ric EDITOR.