Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute - Acta Nostra Yearbook (Guelph, Ontario Canada)

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ACTA NOSTRA. 1926 23 With the Green and White on the Gridiron from Galt to Sarnia as Seen by Count For five weary years G. C. I. rugby teams had shed a few bitter tears. put away in moth balls what was left of their more or less aromatic outfits and closed the football season with a bright optimistic, wait till next year. Right toog they were tired of letting their friendly little playmates from the un-dies town gleefully insert them in second place. Accordingly in Septem- ber, 1925, there were many of them who decided that higher education was a fine thing and thus Exhibition Park saw again many familiar faces: faces of those who had managed the pig- skin in days of yore, faces of those who were not bashful in placing a friendly knee in the opponent's tummy. All went well. Under the capable tutorage of Coach Crop Knight and trainer Scottie Gildea. Esquire, the G. C.-V. I. dozen were soon ready to start their stuff. and they did. The first combat of the season was staged in Galt, on Saturday, October 3rd, l925. The whistle blew, the fray was on. everybody was happy. An in- accurate memory forbids your scribe to give a play by play account of the game. Let it sufiice to say that the teams did their best stuff right man- fully. Scoring wa.s done on both sides' at times things looked none too bright for Guelph. but with time the score stood 17-6 in favour of the G. C.-Y. I.. and Galt had been defeated in their own back yard for the first time in six years. Right there and then the boys decided that their serfdom was over and that once more the Hamilton Cup would reside on Paisley Street. There was only one incident to mar the day's fun: Dan' Pennylegion had the auda- city to get himself half killed. thus guaranteeing himself a vaca.tion for the rest of the season. Seven more days had rolled by and now the lads from the telephone town toured to our fair city. All went right merrily. Among other outstanding plays Jetfs tackling made a big hit with the crowd and his little running mate, Simp, got away for a 40 yard romp on an onside kick. Everybody was simply delighted. At half time the score stood 13-2 for the locals and with the final whistle 20-3 had been chalked up. The boys' condition was all that could be desired. Scotty Gildea's jerks having worked wonders with them. Then. October 17th, the squad journeyed to that town famed for its summer sausage and sauer-kraut. Things looked black for a timeg Kitch- ener without a doubt knew their oil. Then oui' little playmate, Michael Val- eriote, toddled through a broken field for a mere fifty yards. This brought the ball close to Kitcl1ener's goal line, and after the boys had put Meddy through his perilous flying-squirrel trick, for a touchdown, Guelph was out of danger. Kitchener at times ap- proached uncomfortably near Guelph's goal line, but the wing line of the green and white held firm as was their custom when in a tight corner. How- ever when the time-keeper played the closing hymn on his whistle the score stood 16-12 with Kitchener second best and thus ended another perfect day. Then came the day of days. On Sat- urday, October 2-ith, their bosom friends from Terriertown paid the local lads the call they owed them. Both teams were out for gore. It rain- ed for the greater part of the game, and consequently the field was treach- erously slippery as likewise was the ball. Both teams before long discov- ered that the pig-skin behaved some-

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24- ACTA NOSTRA, 1926 what like an elusive cake of wet bath-soap, and the resulting fumbles somewhat marred the game. For three periods the play horned in on no-man's land, but in the closing act Guelph's condition outclassed that of Galt, and the green and white started on a pil- grimage up the field. However, the score s-till remained two all, and time was going fastg then with only two minutes to go Kenny Atcheson hoofed a nice long spiral to the deadline and thus the game was won by one point. The worst was over now. Kitchener was next on the schedule, and if they could be beaten all would be hotsy- totsy. It was. Guelph was never pressed and everybody had ia Chf:LllC8 to show his wares. Hostilities ended wi-th the rather one-sided score of 24-0. lVith this victory the G. C.-V. I. foot- ball team won their group and became Inter-Scholastic Champions, the return game wit.h Brantford being unneces- sary. The coveted Hamilton Cup was Won and now the boys were ready to try the XV. O. S. S. A. Championship. On Saturday, November Sth, Owen Sound. winners of the northern group, were to be tirst honored by 'their presence. After much searching the boys found the playing field, which had been carefully concealed under one of Owen Sounds choicest bogs. In this quagimire did the green and white be- come the brown. Many deeds of val- our were done that day. On one oc- casion Meddy was seen playfully playing gooey mud on an opponent's face, and the star middle wing, Aub Doyle on more than one occasion prov- ed himself a master of the facial clay. much to his sparring partner's distress. At the close of hostili-ties the score stood 22-O, the northern lads having failed to score. Though the green and white went on the field as the terrible twelve. they left it as the dirty dozen. After partaking of a more or less repast, the boys were ready to start for home. On the return journey much harmony prevailed as usual, while Scotty. Dan and numerous others discussed high finance. By the time Q.. Harriston was reached snores drowned the roariof the motor, and as the Guelph post-oflice clock tolled two o'clock the bus rolled up to St. George's Square. Thus ended the OW-en Sound expedition. On the following Monday, which was Thanksgiving Day, the Sounders paid a return visit. A goodly crowd turned out to see the boys do their tricks, but were not impressed as the score was rather one-sided. However, some good rugby was played by both sides. Two pretty field-'goals which were beautifully done by Bus McTague. featured the encounter, while Mike Valeriote tore away for several long gallops, which put the crowd on its toes. Touchdowns were chlalked to Idy, lVlike, Kenny and Aub. With the close of proceedings the final score was 27-2, Guelph having won the round by forty-nine points. The prelimlinaries were now over, the green and white having gone through them without defeat, were now ready to play the rugby moguls of Sarnia. The C. N. R. kindly consented to convey the team to the western town after the required fares were paid. Af- ter a very, very light lunch the men dressed for the game, this took longer than usual due to the bad epidemic of nerves that had attacked them after having gazed upon the weight of their opponents. The bus, which was of the honest-weight type, provided ra pleas- ant trip to the playing field, which lay in a region of oily smells. The field with its broad expanse of water and weed-covered islands, resembled Pus- linch Lake more than any other body of water the writer has yet seen. The line-up was as formerly, though Dan Pennylegion, on the sub bench. thought his injuries were sutiiciently healed to permit him to get into the fray again. The play shifted from one end of the Held to the other. Guelph lost the chance of scoring a point when deep in Sarnia's territory. Kenny got away for nice broken Held runs till the Sarnia wings marked him. Mike was away for a touchdown on two occasions when he was slowed up by the lake which he