Sam Houston High School - Co Lon Neh Yearbook (Houston, TX)

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m '...i. i I 5 I 1 mmm . Q . The following week the Main Avenue team of San Antonio came to pay homage, but the dues seemed to have gotten mixed. The San Antonio team had been conceded a decided advantage, but the Tigers put up a stubborn defense and for the first part of the game, neither team gained the upper hand. In fact the Tigers played equally as well as the visitors, but they seemed to be too generous for their own good, and two well executed fumbles resulted in another defeat, I2 to o. The Tigers embarked for Austin to play the High School team of that city. When the game started the sun was again shining, but that is no longer an excuse. As usual the Tigers started off well, and for the first half, it really looked as if they deserved to be called a Central team. In the second session, however, the nearness to the state capitol took its effect, and the boys did several things that pardon needs to be asked for. They did not think the air attack of the Austin team was strong enough, so they helped the oor fellows out by throwing one across their own goal line. To be sure it was a mistake but it counted at least six points. The agony finally ended and the score was found to be 27 to o, favoring the boys of the Capital City. There was great commotion at Central, joy reigned on every hand, the echoes and vibration could be felt all over town. At first the school building was thought to be burned, but the reason was finally established. The Sam Houston Tigers had won a football game. Port Arthur was the victim. The game was called at 3 o'clock, on Octo- ber 31-that is, the Tigers started, the Yellow Jackets started some two minutes later, but that was too late, for the clawing Tigers had ut over their Hrst touchdown for the season-enough to win a ball game. The rest otp the game was on the I tag you, you tag me plan and was closely contested. The Black and Gold put on several drives in the 3rd quarter, but as usual the final punch was missing, and the game ended as it was when the visitors had started, 6 to o with the Black and Gold on top. The next week the entire Tiger squad journeyed to Beaumont to battle with the Royal Purple. From the first kick-off to the half it was a battle Royal. The Tigers, remembering a bitter defeat two years before, went into the game to give their all. They charged the much larger Purple team back to their oal line and it looked as if the Jinx would be broken, but the whistle blew at the hallg and when it did, Central's football team seemed to vanish from sight. The last half was another game, and with the combination of several injuries to the Tigers, the fine overhead game of the Beau- mont boys, and several well executed misplays by the Tigers-the result was not in doubt. The Pur le was not satisfied with one or two scores, but put over five counters before the end. 5Vhen the Tigers were revived, the score was found to be 33 to O. Of the Ball High game, little need be said, in fact it is a shame to say anything at all. 3759306

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G5 WD Football Semen 0 ,26 The origin of the fact that in the existence of successful things there are moments of dark distress and that success can't be had at all times is unknown, but the fact has become the greatest life saver the world knows, for in that little statement lies all the consolation that is held for the football campaign of 1926. That season must go down as one of the worst blots in the history of the sports of the school. Having sensed dark clouds in the distance, Coach Simons, held practice in the spring of '26, in order to try to enlighten some of the boys on the subject of football. To carry on further the preparation for one of the stiffest schedules on record, some thirty plow hands were taken in September to Camp Ross Sterling on the Trinity Bay. This was a great opportunity and undoubtedly did much good, but when the time arrived to come home the boys were not finished football carriers. The season opened on October 3rd with St. Thomas College as the opponent. In the first half of the game 4'Doc feeling out his material, used two whole teams. It was evident soon after the start of the game that the Saints could do nothing with Central's worst, so at the half, no damage had been done, and the Coach organized his team to the best advantage. They soon began to show signs of life, but not enough to wake up. In a game like that the breaks either win or lose, and the breaks broke the Tigers, for the Toms scored the lone points of the game on a fumble in the latter part of the third quarter. In the second game, the team plunged into the difficult schedule by journeying to the Alamo City to meet Brakcenridge High. San Antonio had three things on the field that afternoon, Old Sol, a football team, and some dry lime, while Central had only a football team and that for only a part of the game. The first half saw a mighty battle with the smaller Tiger team trying to hold its own with the Purple. The Black and Gold, thrown mostly on the defensive, had their backs to the goal most of the time. Near the close of this period, the Purple, with an extended effort and a penalty for the Tigers, succeeded in putting the pigskin across the goal. The second period was much the same. When the sun had gone down in the west and the lime had settled, the defeated but unconquered Tigers found in their possession the very small end of a I9 to o score. C32 QQ

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was E4 F5 396932 faux' lt must be admitted that the Black and Gold played four listless,uninteresting quarters, and nothing exciting happened until late in the last quarter when the Tornadoes began to play on the Tigers' well known weakness against forward passes and they proceeded to cross the goal for the only score of the game. For such a showing there must have been some excuse. On the one hand the Tigers were overconfident, and on the other Lhiy had not completely gotten over the shock of the Purple avalanche of the weak e ore. The time arrived for the game with San Jacinto. This game was to decide the second position in the city championship race. Because of this both teams were keyed to the fighting point. The Tigers were eyed a little too much, and several times in the first half they threw their own game away. Once a South End player ran a kick-off back through the entire Tiger squad for a score of 6 points. Doc,' at the half, must have used some kind of rejuvenating powder for when the hnal whistle blew the Tigers had gayed the best football of the season. They had scored I2 points and had scared the ears into their dens. However, fate would not have it a victory for Sam Houston and the final score was I7 to 12. The following week, Coach Simons got really ambitious and entrained his squad to go to Arkansas to play the National Cham ions. In the first quarter of the game, the Tigers were anxious to fight. There seemedp to be a chance for a generally interesting game, but soon appeared that eventually, why not now'l monster and the Tigers succumbed to the Hnowl' so definitely that eventually their goal line was crossed ten times, and the score was 66 to o. On December 4th, the hectic season was brought to a close with the most important game. Needless to say, the opponent was Heights. Time after time, during the season the Black and Gold had disappointed their followers and all seemed lost, for everyone thought that the Bulldogs were several touchdowns the better team. Nevertheless the Tigers grasped for one last chance, worked themselves into a do or die spirit, and went on to the field determined to give their all. After the kick-off the Maroon and VVhite got the jumps and soon rushed through the Tiger Defense for a score of 6 points. The Tigers acted as if they thought they were still in Arkansas, but they soon verified the well known saying that Hwhere therels life therels hope by coming back and fighting the Heights team. The 1926 football season did not produce a very enviable record to leave the old school but it was at least a different one. The season was not a total loss. It was a build- ing for the years to come, but by far the greatest value received was the fact that Cen- tral showed that they could lose as well as win. The team fought and lost, lost and fought, and in both the fighting and the losing found the school solidly behind them. SEEDS