Grants Pass High School - Toka Yearbook (Grants Pass, OR)

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ATHLETICS Football After resting for two years football started off with an unusual amount of pep, with some of the old stars and ex-service men back. Former Captain Bearss and Robert Bestul (Bobby) both appearing at the first of the year, then came Wilbur’s little brother. Howard Bearss. Malden Leroy and Sherman Smith which completed the list of old star players. Many other promising men came out in suits and hard practice was soon started on our solid gridiron which was followed by some interclass games. The Seniors and Freshmen banded together on this and first played the Sophmores. This ended in a victory for the Senior-Frosh team. 6-0. Next they played the Juniors which also ended in a Senior-Frosh victory 14-6. This entitled them to the interclass penant which will be given in the following years to the winning class in football. Captain Bearss playing fullback and doing most gallant work in holding the moral and spirit of the team. Captain Bearss has served the high school this way for four years and his g.eat ability for football was greatly appreciated. Robert Bestul holding the fort as right half was the best line smasher on the team. He was a steam engine on offense and a whirlwind on defense. He has served the school for four years. 31

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Freshmen Don Barnes Otis Blllick Rodney Britten Claire Brown Roy Clark Norris Clement Hubbard Day Howard Dorman Wesley Egger Herman Farrin Clarence Ford Norman Hanseth Deland Goff Charles Hillis Lee l ee Houck Hontz Johnson Norman Kendall Arthur Knox Allen I acey Dyke Duckett Fred Linkhart Orville McCarthy Don Megaxgle Louis Missall Jack Murphy Horace Myers Harold Potts Ted Randle Evelyn Anderson Elnor Applegate Sharlot Banta CLASS ROLL Zenna Banta Vernlce Beagle Elizabeth Boesch Bess Brock ley Elizabeth Bunch Merle Cart Dorothy Clapp Doris Dean Martha Green Virginia Green Margret Hair I»uise Hammerbacher Julia Hendrickson Hazel Heath Irene Hyde Thais Kasdorff Katherine Knox Myrtle Lamphere Nellie I eet Beatrice Lewman Ellen Lloyd Mildred ILowden Dama McKinstry Vrera Moore Florence Morse August Reich Merle Rimer Boyd Robinson Everett iRobinson Touglas Ross Emory Sanders Gail Swinden Roland Wardrip Mike Wilcox Chester Williams Kennith Woodin Owen Hogan Frederick Kismann Minnie Morse Ruth Nichols Mabel Potts Dorothy Reagan Louise Reich Margret Rengstorff Eunia Roberts I eona Roberts Josephine Robinson Vera Robinson Marion Ross Philippine Sauer Thelma Sheehan Flora Tolin Susan Tolin Margaret Truax Fleeter Turner Audrey Wallace Ethel Wardrip Cleo Welch Florence Williams Ruby Horricks Violette Baker Vida Wells

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Howard Bearss played left half and did most wonderful kicking and interference work. His work in the past three football seasons has been a great help to us. Cedric Fields, a new man at the game held his place as quarter with the combination of speed and fight which always wins. Sherman Smith, a former 1917 star, did great service at left end. He was said to be the find of the year, which it proved to be at the end of the season. His speed was remarkable and tackling very effective. Steven Woodin, the flee weight of the team, showed wonderful speed and grit at right end. Malden Leroy did his bit at right tackle, never letting a play go through him. He showed great strength in powerful tackles. Leonard Kendall, another tackle, played on the left side of the line and got his man every time. (Effose) Leroy Heston played a splendid game at left guard, living up to his uncle's standard's as a football player. Royston Lacey was valuable any place on the line, but especially as guard, which he held on the right side of the line and did most splendid work. Landa Gillette, the surprise of the season played center. He was handicapped by light weight but he stopped his man as if he weighed 300 pounds with his cannon ball tackles. These men were supported by just as able men as they themselves, H 'old ishan-(Ish) as a substitute quarter and Floyd Bailey and Eugene Murphy as either line Jr backfield men. Ish is noted for his speed and dodging ability. While Floyd Bailey and Eugene are hard tacklers and speedy runners with the ball. These men soon became efficient in the useful plays taught them by Coach Allen and Captain Beaiss and became anxious for a combat. I he first game was with Ashland October 25 on our own grounds. The score at the end of the game was 26-0 in our favor. This game resulted in a few broken bones on the part of Ashland but no casualties on our part. This game showed the stone wall our line could make and terrible charges of our backs. d he next duel was at Medford. They had plowed their gridiron and made it as soft as possible so that none of their players would run the risk of getting bruised. But after all these precautions there were many sore bones and a few knockouts on their part. The final score was 20-0 in our favor. We were called rough by the Medfordites because we so ruthlessly mauled their team. Our next battle was to be on our own field with Medford but they came down and examined our campus which we always played on, with the index finger and pronounced it “Too Hard so the game was forfeited to us with the score of 1-0. Another great victory was fought with Cottage Grove November I I on our own field the ground not being too “hard for them. This gave us a score of 53-7. In t 'is game we pul our heavy men in the line and some light men. including the substlt :tes. in the backfield as an experiment, but it did not prove satisfactory as it let them have a touchdown. This was the first and last time our goal line was crossed by a high school team. Then in taking in teams farther north we played Lebanon November 27. This wa a'so played on our field but owing to so many knockouts and exhaustion Lebanon war. force I to forfeit the second half leaving neither goals crossed but the game going de-He 'ly in our favor. On account of the forfeit the gams was called 1-0 with the decision in our favor. A game was scheduled to be played with Ashland on Ashland’s campus, but for some unknown reason it was cancelled, probably due to stage fright. The last game was played with the American Legion on January I, 1920. The game was a good one, but due to their superiority in experience and weight we were de- 32