Kalamazoo College - Boiling Pot Yearbook (Kalamazoo, MI)

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Back Row-Fortner, Dobson, lildred, Reed, Stone, Kraushaar, Benedict, llulett, llinga, Coach Street. Middle Row-Assistant Coach Vroeg, Sproul, Otto, NVhitney, Carson, Garrett, Nleeker. Vurtis. Front Row-Skeen, llarold Voorhees, Black, Faptain Jacobs, Merkley, Ilarseh, I,aCrone. But Kalamazoo playing a great game threatened to win the game at several stages. Had fate been kind a l-l-l-l tie might have resulted. As it was lXIerkley's touchdown was the only Kazoo score while Albion made three touchdowns. The game with Lombard on 'lihanksgiving Day was an exhibition of super- College football. Lombard outplayed the College in every department and looked the best of any team liazoo met, li0t excepting Notre Dame or Detroit. VVhile the College lost ten straight games it must 1' , , be remembered that the contests included games with Las? 5 the University of Notre Dame and Detroit and the intercollegiate leaders of Iowa, Dhio, Illinois, and Hlichigan. The team showed steady improvement as evidenced by the Hillsdale and Albion games. Con- tinuing steadfastly in the face of certain defeat, fight- ing gamely and consistently, the team deserved and was given steadfast and loyal support by the student body at all times. Captain Ardell Jacobs and Harold Voorhees won their third 'lK s in football. Second Kms were awarded to Bob Black and Darwin lllerkley. First year men are Hinckley, Lafrone, lleeker, Harseh, VVinne, XVhitney, Sproul, Garrett, and Skeen. Rus were given to Benedict, Newland, Dobson, Carson, Stone, Otto, and Curtis. Ifldred received a service sweater. CAI'lAIN'EI.lZCT BLACK 113

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CAPTAIX JACOBS HE most disastrous football season in the his- tory of the school characterizes the 1923 grid- iron regime of the Orange and Black. Ten games were played and that number were lost. Kala- mazoo averaged 3 points per game to opponents' aver- age of -1722. In six of the contests Kalamazoo was unable to make a point. In spite of this amazing record of calamity the football season was declared in some quarters a most remarkable series of moral victories. ln defense of the football team and Coach lklaynard Street, entering upon his first campaign with the Baptists, it can be indisputably said that they faced the hardest football schedule ever framed for any Kalamazoo football squad. Added to this, the material was the slimmest ever. Of the expected veterans only Captain Jacobs, Casey Voorhees, Captain-elect Black, Harsch, Fleming, and Sproul answered the football summons. VVith only four K men and a disheartening number of freshmen recruits, Street opened the season at Notre Dame with a team of little more than high school calibre. The Catholicls first, second and third teams 1'3.11 up 74 points in three quarters on Kalamazoo. But in the final period the battered Streetmen braced and held the heavy and fresh lrishmen scoreless. Kalamazoo was unable to make any first downs and Notre Dame was held for downs only three times. The University of Detroit, but slightly less powerful than Notre Dame on the next Saturday walloped Captain Jacobs eleven 73-0. Black, Jacobs, Fleming, and Voorhees were badly crippled in this game. The opening 111. 1. A. A. game showed how woefully weak the college football outfit really was. For the Hrst time in twelve years the Crimson crew was able to triumph 20-7. Skeen made Kalamazoo's touchdown on a line plunge after a pass of 30 yards to Harry Voorhees had been carried to the 5-yard line. The first home game against llorningside, of Sioux City, Iowa, was a replica of the university combats. Outweighed 30 pounds to a man in this and in the succeeding game at llarietta, Ohio, the college was held scoreless while big scores were run up by the opponents. The sixth defeat was at the hands of Ypsilanti at home by a 19 to 3 score. Blackls drop-kick from the 35-yard line accounted for the Kazoo trio of points. In this game the fighting liazoo spirit displayed itself to a marked degree. Hillsdale forced the Kazooks into undisputed possession of the cellar in the NI. 1. A. A. race winning 27-13. Skeen and l1Ierkley made touchdowns while Black made a try-for-point good. Four regulars, Jacobs, Hinckley, H. O. Voorhees, and Garrett we1'e out of the Alma game on account of injuries. In spite of this the eleven made a fair showing against the ll. 1. A. A. Champions holding them 38 to 0. Kalamazods ninth defeat was in many ways more glorious than a victory would have been over a lesser team. Albion came to Kalamazoo doped to win by 50 points. 112

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There were no quitters, no sobbers, no kickers, on the college team. Every man was game and depended on that gameness to carry him through four struggling quarters of each contest. Captain Jacobs, guard on the mythical all- lXI. l. A. A. team, has been a valuable asset to the Kalamazoo team and an incentive for the new men to work hard. After wearing the K for two successful seasons he returned to college last Fall with the realization that he was to lead a losing team. VVith a spirit of optimism he was determined to make the most of the least. His presence on the team was an added encouragement to the Freshmen and instilled in them the old fighting spirit of Kazoo. Jacobs certainly will be missed when the whistle blows for the kick-off next Fall. Captain-elect Bob Black was the strongest individual player on the team. He is an all-round man and well worthy of being captain. He is a fighter and a consistent ground gainer with his kicks and passes. YVith a stronger line to aid him he would have starred as one of the best ends in the lliddle VVest. Black's punting averaged 40 yards and he drop-kicked accurately when given a chance. Darwin llerkley is a hard fighting, clever quarterback. He generaled the team in an experienced fashion and proved himself to be the best returning man on the kick-offs on the team. One of the main-stays of the line was Gerard Harsch. Playing his Hrst year as regular, he displayed great defensive ability. His large, muscular frame stopped many an enemy plunge which was directed at his side of the forward wall. lXIaynard Sproul, the diminutive half back, was given a chance on the varsity this year and made good. Despite his smallness of stature, he was able to make considerable yard- age for Kazoo, due to his fleetness of foot. Allison Skeen, the human battering-ram , was the big star of the backfield. He played more quarters than any other member of the squad, only being out two in the entire season. As a line plunger he is hard to beat. He did ex- cellent defensive work and gave perfect interference on end runs. The Voorhees brothers both were valuable assets to the team. Casey was slowed up by injuries a good portion of the time but when he was at his best he proved a formidable problem for the opposition. His gameness alone kept him going in several of the affrays when he was suffering from injuries, and exhaustion. Harry showed up best at the re- ceiving end of passes. Harry Hinkley tackled more oppo- nents on kick-offs than did any other man, and on several occasions he gave the crowd a thrill by snagging long passes. lX'Iuch promising material was found in the Freshman class, from which next year several stars should develop. Ronald Garrett was the fastest open field runner on the squad. LaCrone, Whitiiey, YVinne, and lWeeker won reg- ular berths on the Varsity by merit of the fighting spirit which they displayed at all times. 114- 'X -l11 SPROUL SKEEN Q- 3 -lii .5. MERKLEY - - ll HARSCH l H. A. VOORHEES N2 sk-'fi i ii V'-ffwbksw -p I-.