Rome Free Academy - De O Wain Sta Yearbook (Rome, NY)

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THE SENIOR ANNUAL FOOT BALL TEAM Foot Ball Schedule for 1907 Games Position. Age. Weight. Height played Wendt Q. and E. 20 148 5 ft. 6 in. Bronson eee 20 150 5 Chaptiatt 3. uae cece ae 19 150 Gromer... 2. eee ae es 17 155 ENG. ac-, SC eee 15 96 Selden, Mgr. and Act. Cap. F. 20 145 Groff oo. 17 147 CUB se te . EB. 19 145 Waser |... Sea eee R. 23 173 epee eee er ee amie 18 140 Barnard as 17 130 Sweet =... a 18 129 Barker 7 Or 152 Millington 4 160 Bright . ‘ 190 Rattfauf Pra i 172

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Tue SENIOR ANNUAL Lees years ago High School athletics throughout this part of the country had lost much in interest as to High School sport, because of the use of ‘Ringers’—men not attending or not bona fide students of the school. While this custom was in vogue the various teams were composed of strong players, and while good players were obtainable outside of the school no manager or cap- tain bothered to train material in the school, for it was much easier to make a good team out of old players than “‘raw” material. in this way a great percent- age of Rome Free Academy’s, as well as other school teams, were not bona fide students, and the student body hardly cared to see such teams play. The ob- ject of athletics in our schools is for the enjoyment and development of the stu- dents, and as they were, in a way, shut out from taking part they gradually ceased to try for the team, and attend- ance at the games dropped off. As most public movements draw toa climax, then turn with some sudden con- vulsion; so all at once the order of things changed. and with the change came in- terest and renewed school spirit. Mr. D. R. Campbell, Professor of Sci- ence from to , is responsible for the change, and Prof. H. W. Harris, our principal then and now, has constantly aided the good cause, and the school will forever remain indebted to them for this great service. Under the new regime our teams are doing just as good work. The attendance at the games is excellent —the old spirit is reviving, and the teams feel that they can rely upon the school and fight their games to the very end, while the student body now feeling that the team is truly a part of itself, back, the team with an enthusiasm and and interest never before seen. Adhering strictly to our “‘pure athlet- ics” rule, our 1907 foot-ball team is one of the biggest successes of the school year. The team was one of the strongest, cleanest playing teams we have had, and the interest they excited during the fall season is well shown by the manager’s report, by which we see money laid up for future use and all bills paid. In those happy foot-ball days, how we anticipated the games, how we cheered the boys on and sang songs, for even when losing we knew the fellows were doing their best, and we liked their spirit as, like tigers, they sprang against the opposing wall of muscle and sinew, ripped it apart, or, by clever manceuvre, shot a swift runner from their midst to dash down the field with the ball. When this jolly aggregation struck a town people knew someteing had arrived, for the spirit which wins games is hard to hold down and yells and songs announced

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THE SENIOR ANNUAL 23 there was going to be something We expected something in the that doing. ‘07 team, were out for practice, the captain for even in the spring they and manager working hard with them and the older players showing the new and inexperienced the ways of the game so the work was much lightened for Mr. Curtiss, the coach, who had charge of the team in the fall. look- ing forward to the 1908 team, not that it We are now has been doing anything this spring, but because we think the material is good and the management excellent. William, better ‘Billie’? Sweet, the manager, is of the kind that keeps things foot-ball shows. was kept out of the the early practice, but was on hand at every known as moving, as his past career Last game by year he breaking his arm in game and was the originally elected cap- tain. Fred Wendt is another martyr to the cause, for in the fierce game at Oneida he did more than his share of the play- ‘on the shelf” rest of the season, though he ing, and, as a result, was for the pluckily tried to position was at quarter-back and end, play again. Fred’s but at quarter-back we soon found War- ren Noble, ‘the little man,’ for he only weighed ninety-six pounds and was so small that he often got lost inthe rushes the ball advanced. Noble out to be the hero of the team, when turned and, as the was girls especially remember, played a fine game. They thought the poor little dear would surely be killed, but he has survived to play on next sea- son’s team. Chapman and Grower at right and left half respectively played good, hard ball, and many a touch-down is credited to each. On the line, Millington, though a new man, made rapid progress and became a fine center. Bright also did well, though circumstances prevented his playing much. The center of our line was exceedingly strong and most teams thought it was the hardness of the ground which caused bruises when bucking center, but, in reality, it was only the compact playing of Barker, Curtiss, Millington, Wingatz and Raffauf. Barker was that tall R. G. who looked easy but stood like a tree. (C'urtiss, just off the farm, had beef and brawn enough to charge anything in the foot-ball line. Raffauf, at right tackle, put up a fine game, and Wingatz, same position, an old Cazenovia player, was one of those men whom a team feels it must have. He played in that which inspires confidence. the will be easy, strong style Groff remembered Next we have ends, and Owens. 30th their interference-breaking. great times when we watched them fly for Those were at the legs of the opposing interference, and we expect to see them in their posi- tions again next year to block end plays and do their old good work in running down punts. Olney, Hendy and Bronson did good work at various positions but were unable to play regular. We are glad to observe that Barnard is growing fast, for his size and weight were the only things against him last season. Ray Williams also shows much promise and Selden de- serves mention. This has been a splendid season, and even now in the spring, while we are en- joying base ball, we still are thinking and planning for the team which will battle for the honor of the school in ’08, and hope sincerely for the success of R. F. A.’s favorite form of athletics—Foot- Ball. “He ruled till L-i- T-a-m-n. he died with no inter- ference.”