Grand Island College - Islander Yearbook (Grand Island, NE)

Page 53 text:

Resume of the l9Z4 Football Season What, for Grand Island College, did the 1924 football season hold in store? G1'aduation had depleted somewhat the ranks of the Zebras, but with the return of eight letter men the arrival of several high school graduates from the different towns around the prospects for a winning team increased materially. Under the able leadership of Captain Orval Auhl, the Zebras set about their task with a determination to carry the fight to the finish. And, although at times, the adverse Winds of Chance smothered the Fires of Ambition, they carried on nobly to the end and established one of the best records of any team that has ever carried the Orange and Blue onto the gridiron. ' For four weeks the Zebras trained and drilled and scrimmaged under the skillful tutorage of Coach Ernest Frank. At the end of that period of training the Panthers of York College were beset in their lair and after much snarling and rearing the Zebras emerged from the fray victorious. The Chadron Eagles next swooped down from their aerie, bringing with them a wind that blew no one good but themselves. On a dry, dusty field swept by a strong wind and with the weight advantage on their side by several pounds margin, they were able to hold the Zebras in check and blew themselves to a 3 to 0 victory. Central College was next subdued in a ve1'y peaceful manner but it was only after much forceful persuasion, in the form of several hard raps from the sharp Zebra hoofs, that the Doane Tigers were content to hand over their pelt. An out of state game with St. Benedicts College of Atchison, Kansas, ended in a scoreless tie. The Warriors of Midland College failed, for the third time, to corra! the crafty Zebras which ran amuck and refused to be subdued. On Turkey Day, with a brilliant rush of color, the Orange and Blue triumphed over the Maroon from Omaha. And thus came to a close one of the most successful football seasons of Zebraland: a season in which a record was made that will undoubtedly stand until a championship team makes its appearance. The record made is that of a goal line uncrossed and eighty-three points scored by the Orange and Blue to their opponents three, a place kick by Chadron. Several men also won recognition as all-state players-Roy Rehder as first all- state quarterbackg Captain Orval Auhl and Bob Krall on the second team at end and right-half respectivelyg Elmer Scheel left tackle on the third team, and Harry Neumayer honorable mention. The end of this season marked the close of the college football careers of the Four Horsemen of the Orange and Blue, Captain Orval Auhl, Harry G. Neumayer, O. A. Niess, and Roy Rehder. THE SEASON'S RECORD G, I. C, U .......... 7 York College ...w. --- O G. I. C. --- --- 0 Chadron Normal -- --- 3 G. I. C. U- ---25 Central College --- --- 0 G. I. C. --- .... 10 Doane College --- --- 0 G. I. C. --- --- 0 St. Benedicts ----- --- 0 G. I. C. --- .... 9 Midland College ..... --- 0 G. I. C. --- .... 32 Omaha University --- H- 0

Page 52 text:

Resume of the Football Season, 1925 September was here again and the call for football men was sounded to all parts of the campus. Some thirty-five or forty responded in which there were only six letter men. This fact did not lessen the war on the grid-iron. Competition was close all of the time. The first game was with Hastings. This was a battle from start to finish. The Hastings Bronchos tried to score time and again but the strong defense of the Zebras held and the game ended with a tie-0-0. A long northern journey was taken next and led up into the Eagle country. Much to the surprise of the Southerners a deep blanket of snow awaited them. It is no wonder that the game was full of the 'jinx' for the Zebras. The match ended in a 26 to 0 victory for Chadron. The following week-end a game was held with the Doane gridsters. The field was snowy and slippery as before and the results a matter of luck. The score was 12 to 6 in favor of Doane. The game on Armistice Day was very close. The Zebras thought they had the Kearney Antelopes buffaloed but the honors were taken by the visiting Normal squad. The results stood 13-6. Midland was met next. The Zebras fought a hard game and at the end of the first half the score stood 7 to 6-the Lutherans only one point ahead! Once again the old G. I. C. 'jinx' settled down on those who wore the 'Orange and Blue' and for the first time Midland defeated G. I. C. The score was 19-6. Central's team was played the following week. It was one of the toughest battles of the season. Many times C. Foster and Haynes carried the ball within a few inches of the goal line, only to see Central strengthen and prevent a score. The second half was played in whirlwind style. When the Zebras got within a few feet of the goal line, one of the men fumbled and to the disadvantage of G. I. C. cost a touchdown by the Quakers. In the last few minutes of play Rush got away for a long run, thus making the score a tie-6-6. The last game of the season was with Omaha, Thanksgiving Day. It was played in the morning so that the G. I. C. gridsters might see the Notre-Dame vs. Nebraska game in the afternoon. Until the last few min- utes of play G1'and Island was seven points in the lead. Omaha secured a touchdown and another tieresulted--7-7. Although not a very successful season as concerns scores, the Zebras put up a hard fight and as men inexperienced in college football, learned team work and knowledge of the game. With the same material back at G. I. C. in '26 there is no reason why the Zebras should not carry off state honors. I RESULTS--1925 G. I. C. .... ....... 0 Hastings --- -- 0 G. I. C. --.- .... 0 Chadron --- -- 26 G. I. C. ,-- .... 6 Doane ..... -- 12 G. I. C. --- .... 6 Kearney --- -- 13 G. I. C. --- .... 6 Midland --- -- 19 G. I. C. I-- .... 6 Central ---- ,, 6 G. I. C. .--- .... 7 Omaha Uni --- ,- 7

Page 54 text:

ROOT DIL E. C. JONES, Foam-li MORRIS MYRBERC FOSTER RITCHIE WUKTZ NORINE KLEINKAUF NEAL HICUSNEIC JOHANSON Basket Ball, 1926 Due to the lack of a gymnasium in which to hold regular practice the Grand Island College basketball team did not get started until after the hol- idays. This put the squad nearly a month behind other schools in practice. Although the Zebras lost every game they were a scrappy bunch. Cliff Wurtz was the only letter man on the squad until Buck Myrberg showed up and demanded a berth on the team. He soon proved that he desei'ved it. Outside of these two veterans, the rest of the cagesters were inex- perienced men. The Zebras' first game was played on the High School floor against Midland. The boys fought hard but were decisively defeated. But with encouragement and training from one of the best coaches in the state, namely, Doc Jones, they became determined to do their best. The next game was with Cotner and was another walk-away, for the opponents. After this fast game Heusner and Norine declared they could do the Charleston. The next night the Islanders were defeated by Doane. The guards were indeed thankful that the opposing team refrained from putting in their giant. Morris was elected captain before the game. The team is still trying to find out how York Won the next game. It seemed as though the jinx was still trailing the Zebras. Even the Dean admitted something the matter. The Zebras were defeated by York again and lost to Kearney, Mid- land, Omaha, and Wayne. Hastings also defeated the Islanders. It mattered very little whether the boys were losing or winning- they played fast and hard, always keenly enjoying the game. Their cour-