University of Santa Clara - Redwood Yearbook (Santa Clara, CA)

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22 THE REDWOOD the captains aside. Hill won the toss and chose to defend the north goal. The teams lined-up and tense silence fell over the crowd. Miller kicked off and the ball sailed over the Cardinal line. It was brought out to the twenty yard line and put in play. Standish immediately punted. A perfect punt it was, sailing high for a full sixty yards before it dropped into the arms of the quarter-back who was downed in his tracks. The Saint Claire team lined up in its famous formation. Signals, 19-24,36, shift, the team jumped into another position like a flash, 32-56, Hip, like a great ma- chine, every part co-ordinating, the team shifted again and a fraction of a second later the ball was snapped. It was a concealed ball cross-buck and the double shift had so confused the Cardi- nal line, that as they rushed to the left to tackle the Saint Claire right-half. Hap Reddy, the left-half, darted off right tackle for ten yards. The Saint Claire rooters went wild, but their joy was short-lived, however, for, on the next play a forward pass was intercept- ed by a Standish back. It was a beau- tiful catch and he had dashed to the ten-yard line before he was stopped with a flying tackle. It was the Cardinal rooters turn now and they made the best of it. Touch- down! Touchdown! they cried in frenzy. Their full-back went through center for two yards. Hold! Hold! the Saint Claire rooters implored, seem- ing to put their very souls into the words. An end run was tried but result- ed in a two yard loss. The teams lined up again, the Cardinal quarter and full going back as if for a place kick. The quarter received the ball and dashed over to the right for about three yards, where he suddenly stopped and threw the ball. The Cardinal end stood free, off to the side and behind the goal line. The ball was flying straight toward his waiting arms, it was a sure touchdown. Suddenly a figure seem- ing to come from nowhere leaped into the air. He caught the ball with his finger tips and pulled it into his chest. The teams stood aghast. What a catch it was! The left side of the field was clear, a hundred yard dash for a touch- down ! The figure hit the ground, took a step forward and fell in a heap. He tried to squirm forward but it was too late. The Standish end was on him; it was a safety and two points for the Cardinals. The crowd was deathly still. Everything had happened so quickly that it was bewildered. After an in- stant the rooters found themselves and the Cardinal stands exploded. Two of the Saint Claire team were carrying the writhing figure off the field. It was Jack Miller. The old break in his left ankle couldn ' t stand the strain of the fall and it had given away at that crucial moment. The crowd cheered for him as he was carried out, a hero robbed of his victory. The Saint Claire crowd was sick; who would take up the punt- ing? There was no one who could com- pare with him. A substitute was sent in and the ball was brought out to the thirty yard line and put into play. Reddy went off right tackle for four yards, Hank Grady, the sub, hit center for two. The Red and White were fight- ing like demons. A buck off left tackle netted two and a half; Bill then made it first down through center. On the next play Reddy was downed for a three yard loss. A pass was tried and

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THE REDWOOD 21 Wait a minute, you old tub, 1 mean it, he cried, and he explained by tell- ing what the coach had said. Alright, said Fat, I ' ll do it. He was a fellow who had always had a note of confidence in his voice and he seemed to impart t hat spirit to the team. Even now as he said the words, all those who heard him, in their minds could see the ball go sailing over the goal-post for three points. It seemed to them that it was already done and that the victory was a realization. Such was the morale of the men as they donned their moleskins for the game. At one o ' clock the gates of the field were opened and the crowd began to pour in. On and on they came in an ever increasing stream. Soon the stands, which had been erected at both ends of the field were filled and the gates were closed as the other stands had been reserved for the rival student bodies. The sound of music was heard in the distance. The sound grew loud- er and louder until suddenly the main gate opened and with a crash of cym- bals the Saint Claire band followed by the rooters and the entire student body marched in. A great roar filled the air as the crowd caught sight of them. They filed into their stands and the rooter king dressed in a half red and half white suit jumped out in front and called for a yell. As it was given he jumped back and forth in cadence and ended with a hand spring. The crowd cheered its approval and anoth- er was given. The band then played the Saint Claire Anthem. It was not five minutes before an- other roar was heard as the Standish rooters marched in behind their band and took their stands across the field. The Saint Clairites greeted them with a cheer which they immediately re- turned. After that a battle of yells took place, each side trying to out-lung the other. The whole formed a picture to be remembered; the fresh green field, the gleaming lines, the goal-posts decorated in the hues of the two col- leges, the grandstands, masses of shim- mering color and the cloudless Autumn sky. It all formed a perfect setting for a royal event such as it was destined to be. An aeroplane flying high above the field, looping the loop and doing other stunts, fluttered down as an au- tumn leaf. The crowd gasped and then laughed to conceal its emotion as the bird gracefully straightened out. Grad- ually it came lower and lower and the crowd let out a howl of applause as it discovered that the plane was decorat- ed in the red and white of Saint Claire. Suddenly the stands throbbed with cheers as eleven Cardinal sweatered warriors came from their quarters and trotted down the field in formation, while scores of substitutes went to their places on the side-lines. A team of giants it was; well fitted for the smashing tactics that were traditional of Standish teams. The roar of voices was just beginning to die down when it began with renewed vigor as the Saint Claire team, led by Captain Hill, dashed upon the gridiron. The ovation ceased as both teams gathered around their respective coaches. The Saint Claire team, although composed of good-sized men, was dwarfed beside its rival and the knowing ones looked at each other and smiled. Jack Miller took the ball and tried a few punts and soon was followed by his cardinal rival. Both booted the ball to perfec- tion, most of the kicks being around the fifty-yard mark. The referee called

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THE REDWOOD 23 failed; Johnson skirted left for eight yards. It was the fourth and five. Fat dropped back and kicked; the punt was short and the pigskin rolled to- wards the quarter-back. Just as he was about to snare it, the ball gave an un- lucky bound and went over his head. He fell on it on his own ten yard line and was immediately downed. The ball see-sawed back and forth and at the end of the third quarter the two points looked good enough to in- sure a Cardinal victory. It was at the beginning of the final period, however, that the Red and White seemed to ab- sorb new life and starting on their own twenty yard line they brought the ball back forty yards in eight downs. Here they fumbled. Standish tried three plays and punted. Again the wearers of the Red and White started another march down the field. On and on they came, ripping the Cardinal line and skirting the ends. They were now on the twenty yard line ; twenty thousand pieces of humanity leaned forward. The first play resulted in a two yard loss. Reddy hit the line for three; a pass failed. After a consultation the teams lined up and Fat dropped behind the line. A tense silence reigned. Even the elements seemed to respect the sol- emnity of the occasion and not a breath of wind stirred in the approaching dusk. The ball was snapped and was just starting on its flight towards the goal when a gust broke the spell. The ball veered sharply to the left, hit the goal-post and fell inside the field. Fat dropped to the ground, lay there for a moment and then, with tears in his eyes, walked to the line where the ball was put into play. Not a word was said. Standish punted. Bill Stev- ens caught the ball and was hit by the Cardinal left end who came like a thunderbolt. The quarter lay still on the ground the ball yet in his arms. Suddenly the air reverberated with the stirring strains of Hail St. Claire . Bill stirred, rose and walked to his po- sition as a man in a daze. There were only three minutes to play. Sig-nals, 28—29— Signals! cried the center. 28—29—50— repeated the quar- ter-back in a far-away voice. Most of the line looked up as if bewildered and suddenly without warning the ball was snapped directly to the right-half; he turned and jumped back about three yards and shot the ball; it was a short bullet-like pass to Hap Reddy. The stands were on their feet as the ellip- soid bounded against his chest and fell to the ground. The apparent dis- appointment was manifest. Ten thou- sand Saint Claire rooters sank to their seats dismayed, for it seemed to be an utterly inexcusable muff. Probably not one stopped to think that Hap would have been tackled within a few feet and probably not one realized that the ball as it lay at his feet was a full yard behind the line of scrimmage and that the referee had not blown his whistle. The members of the teams started walking toward their former position. Suddenly a dark form wear- ing a Saint Claire jersey swooped down, snatched up the ball and dashed toward the Standish goal. Too late the Cardinals realized the situation and followed in mad pursuit, but to no avail. Hap Reddy was the fastest man on the gridiron. The touchdown was made and the goal kicked before the stands realized