Nelsonville High School - Saga Yearbook (Nelsonville, OH)

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6 The Scarlet and Gray THE ANNUAL GAME This season had certainly been a booming one for the Burgeston Basket Ball team. They had played nine games with a victory at the end of each, al- though three or four were won only with a very close score The chief fact- or of their playiag seemed to be their quickness. The team that they had challenged for their next game had lost but one game that season so both teams were living in hope. The Bur- geston boys had been practicing hard for the past two weeks, and every evening after practice they would gath- er together in the reading room and talk about the coming game. It was Wednesday evening and the game was to be on Friday. The large hall clock at the Y. was pointing 8:30. With the slamming of two or three doors and a noise which sounded like many horses, six boys entered the read- ing room. An earnest conversation commenced. Jack Pennring, the Capt., was speaking, “William Perceval Jones have you your rubbers on?’’ “Purty bad night for a boy of your size to be out,” added Max Reid. With a grieved look William Perceval Jones departed. “Be sure and tell your mother where you’ve been,” yelled Jack. Jake Wells had just finished con- structing a velocipede out of some magazines. “Oh Iook!” he shouted, “At this machine I made!” “Oh piffles, any fool can do that” answered Wallie Stanton. “Well why don’ you make one?’ re- torted Jake and with this he stepped upon his machine which collapsed into two “World’s Works” and five “Pop- ular Mechanics.” Jake looked angry and Wallie Stanton laughed back a reply. “Well smart people like you, ought to make their inventions of stronger material so they wouldn’tcollapse when you look at them.” “Wallie I wish you would go home,” said Jake, “you worry my brain.” “Well I’m goin’ ” answered Wallie, and he took up his cap and started. When he reached the door be yelled back, “Hey Jack when did you say we would practice next?” “I didn’t say,” answered Jack, “but I’m goin’ to. Tomorrow after school.” Wallie started again but turned around and asked “What position are you go- ing to play Jake.” “I suppose I will have to play guard again, but I can play forward as well as some of the rest of the guys around here,” answered Jake in a angry tone. Wallie knew that he had got his foot in hot water (as he expressed it) so he departed and the rest of the boys soon after left for their homes. There had always been a hard feel- ing between Jake and Jack. When the team was first organized, Jake had been placed left forward and kept that position until this year when Jack who had been elected Captain had put Max Reid in his place because he thought him the better player and also had better grades. The next day after school the boys met again at tne gym and‘practiced as usual. All of the boys seemed to be shooting baskets but Jake who did not seem to take any life in the game as he had formally done. “Well Jake for Pat’s sake come out of that trance and wake up. Don’t you know tomorrow night is Friday night?” said Jack. “He don’t seem to know buttons from fish hocks tonight,” said Wallie. Jake gave back a smart reply and with another remark from Jack he drew back to strike him, but was prevented by Wallie who grabbed his arm and said, “Heie, here not so hard Don’t you know you are liable to hit him?” This made Jake’s anger rise to still a

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The Scarlet and Gray 5 tomorrow night the g«me”, said Pat “Wish they had sent along a diction- ary,’’ said Skinny. “I’d like to know what constitutes ‘Us’ ” Sounds girlish to me”, replied Bob. “Gee, don’t Tom look sad. poor kid he thinks his girl won’t speak to him if he gets beat. ” “Now look here Skinny,” answered Tom. “Cut out this foolishness.” But Skinny laughingly went on; “Gee I’m glad I’m free, no wedding bells for me’ —He had to hurry the last two or three words, because Tom took after him, with an Indian club in each hand. “I’ll murder you yet”, yelled Tom. “That is if Pat has’nt hanged me in the meantime”, yelled back Skinny. The boys could hear him slamming doors behind him as he ran through the Y” “Say fellows”, said Pat. “I’ve thought of something,—this game is going to come on New Year’s eve. I never thought of that before.” “Well you’re some thinker,” laugh- ed Bob. And sure enough the big game was going to be played on New Years eve. The next day was spent in preparing for the game. By seven-thirty the gym was packed with people, old and young. On ene side of the room was a group of girls, who had just arrived; they all seemed to be very excited over some- thing. The game was to start at eight o’clock, and the E. H. S. boys were shooting many baskets, but everytime it came Bobs’ turn he seemed to get excited, he was not himself that night. The Greenville team had arrived on the six o’clock train, with them came some of their own rooters, they seemed all to feel sure of winning the game. “I wonder what is the matter with Bob tonight?” asked Manag“r Delton. “He setms to be a little excited.” He was speaking to Pat Conly “I don’t know; there is something wrong with him”, answered Pnt, “But I’m rather afraid to say anything to him.” The whistle blew and the boys took their places. Tom Blinkly was center. The referee tossed the ball between the centers, the Ellisburg guards dashed down the court, but Tom did not reach the ball, the Greenville center slapped it past the Ellisburg guards, who were running too fast to check their course, ir. time to get the ball. It bounded quickly to one of the Greenville for- wards. who was waiting to receive it; he passed it to his male, who shot a basket, with very little trouble. By this time the visiting rooters were wild, everyone was jeering Tom, to think that he had not hit the first ball. Again the referee threw the ball between them, this time Tom reached it first. But Red fouled his opponent, and when the Greenville captain stood on his foul line and dropped the ball into the bas- ket from the free throw, the visiting team had scored three points, there was nothing but a zero mark for the Ellisburg Hi. The girls were looking rather glum, but the boys stood their ground, with a light of victory in their eyes. Time after time baskets were made by the Ellisburg team, but back came the Greenville squad with just as many lucky throws. Again the Ellis- burg center stood ready, one finger up- on his right hip, he sprang up, reached the ball, and tapped itforward. In rushed Pat, picked the flying ball from the air. Straight over his shoulder he shot it, Bob dashed forward, into his hands came the ball and he sent it flying into the basket. Ellisburg was now only four points behind. The building was fairly shaking with the roars of the people. The time was passing quickly, they would have to play fast if they expected to win. Everyone was cheering Bob, but Manager Delton saw that Bob was slowly giving out. “Do something!” cried the people. “Do it, and do it quick!” Pat, who played right forward, watched the center for the signal, Tom (Continued Page 15) I

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The Scarlet and Gray 7 higher point and he left the gym mut- tering oaths under his breath and de- claring “he would show them, he wouldn’t play tomorrow night.” Wil- liam Perceval was put in his place and played good ball for a person having so little practice They were to be excused from school on the following rfternoon for their last chance for practice before the great game. That night Jake Wells sat in front of the fire in his room until a late hour, trying to tnink of some plan by which gain revenge on Jack Pennring and the others. He thought of tripping but upon a second thought he concluded that no, because they would certainly find out who did it. Finally he came to a conclusion and swore he would caray out his plan no matter what happened. Early the next morning he telephoned to the Carlton Captain and told him if he would arrive on an earlier train it would be to his advantage. The earlier train arrived the next morning and on it was the Carlton Capt. He met Jake on his way home from school at noon ard they conversed very earnestly for a few minutes. Wil- liam Perceval stepped out of a restaur- ant close by and as he did he saw Jake and his companion. Just then Jake handed him a little white article, while he received something in return in the palm of his right hand. William thought no more it but instead went on towards his home wondering if his mother would have pie for dinner. Max Reid and Jack Pennring who were always the last ones leaving school came around the corner just then. Max saw the other two boys first and asked Jack if he knew who the stranger was. “Nope,” answered Jack, “maybe it’s one of Jake’s rich relations.” Neither of the boys ever thought of it being the Carlton Capt. for two main reasons--lhe first because Carlton had telephoned Rurgeston their boys could not arrive before 5:30 and secondly they were not acquainted with any one from Carlton. Jake Wells seemed to be the only one who recognized the opposing team’s Capt. but it was not going to be known if he could help it. He turned around and saw Max and Jack. “Hey there Jack” he yelled, “this boy says he is Carlton Capt. and wants to see you”. With this statement the two boys stepped toward each other. Max was introduced and the Carlton Capt. gave a very good explanation of his presence ai an earlier hour than expected. He went home with Jack for lunch and Max and Jake whose homes were in the same direc- tion preceded toward their destinations. “I wonder what’s doin’ that made that guy come on this train? Seemed to want to see our Capt. awful bad.” It was Jake who spoke, and he played his part alright, because Max answer- ed, that that was what he had been wondering for the last five minutes. They said very little after this but thought a lot during the rest of their way. Jake was wondering under an unpleasant conscience whether he would ever be found out or not. He couldn’t possibly see how they would blame him if u were discovered, Jack would cer- tainly be the one. One o’clock P. M. brought the boys back to practice and good team work was displayed. Meanwhile Sue Elliot, a very intimate girl friend of Jack Pennring was walking to school with Jake Wells. He explained to her why he wasn’t going to plav that night and shifted the blame of their quarrel on Jack. Six thirty P. M. and Polly Ellsworth ran down the stairs slamming on her hat; she grabbed her coat from the hall rack and went into the library to get her gloves and bid her parents fare- well for theevening. “Good-bye people, I’m oih’ ” “Hey there Sis, where you goin’?” asktd her little twelve year old brother Ralph. “To the game, why?” said Polly. “Well now why can’t I go dad?” At (Continued Page 9)