West Plains High School - Zizzer Yearbook (West Plains, MO)

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Foot Ball. During the last few years football has at- tracted more attention in the West Plains High S,choo1 than any other sport although last year was the flrst time that a regular football team was organized and then only two games were played. At the opening of the 1913-1914 season the boys began an early fall practice for their chosen sport. Suits were purchased for the team, a new ball was supplied and the boys' interest in the game caused them to go so far as to rent the old ball park, at their own A HOTLY CONTESTED GAME. expense, for grounds. Every afternoon all through late Sepetmber and early October one could see the grounds lined with boys in red and white engaged in scrimmage or tack- ling practice. An early game was matched with the Town Bucks, or the old Come Backs who had spent years with the pigskin, The big boys from the town were husky and well trained, some having played on the large college teams of the state but the school boys took the first game with a 12-0 score. The people of the town and the students turned out well and the game was properly suppor- ted. The boys received much encouragement from this game and longed for more. John- son was elected manager and Cordell, the most efficient man on the team was unani- mously given the ofllce of Captain. Johnson began an early correspondence with schools all over the state for a game. Every school of any importance from Spring- field to Memphis was challenged but without results. The boys soon grew tired of constant practice without the hopes of a game and their enthusiasm began to wear away. The fleld was left unkept, the goal posts were 'r-roken down and the suits and ball were stored away in the basement. A long inter- val elapsed and football was never talked of. The signals were forgotten and the boys grew stiff and lazy. One Thursday afternoon when least ex- pected a telegram was received from Spring- field desiring a game for the next Saturday. Although in no condition to play, the boys accepted the challenge and with one afternoon of constant signal practice under the eth- cirnt coarh Dave Hogan, the boys left for the bloody encounter. After a nights' ride on the train and a day of dissipation in the city the boys were in no condition to meet the fresh and mighty Springfield lads. On a muddy field in a cold drizzly rain the game was called at four o'clock. The game opened for the visiting team and we made four or five successive gains around Springtleld's ends, but the tide soon turned and after the loss of Allen, one of our best men, we steadily lost ground. Springfield captured the ball and all during the first quarter they broke through our lines and around our ends. The opponents much out weighed our comparatively small players and as we had depended largely on speed and skill, we were com pletelr routed by their constant line drives on the slick and muddy field. At the end of the first half the score stood 48-0 in favor of the home team. On re- tirement between halves the boys received some valuable pointers and renewed vigor from the worthy advice of Coach Hogan. When the bell rang for the second half every boy went into the game with a fresh supply of energy and although somewhat disheartened at the already high score, they

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III. ATHLETICS

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were determined that it should go no higher. After about tive minutes hard fighting and a fumble with the ball on our part they suc- ceeded, in the first quarter, to make another touchdown, making the score 55-0. The score was 55-0 during this quarter and the last quarter and every boy on the team is to be given credit for his knowledge of old time, knock-down and drag-out football. All scientific rules were forgotten the result be- ing that several of the antagonists were car- ried injured from the field. At the end of the hard fought game the score still stood 55-0 in favor of Springfield, and although I - it :seal , -- . AROUND THE COURT the boys had lost the game they had learned more fcotba11 than they had ever known before. Johnson next matched a game with Moun- tain G-rove for Thanksgiving day and although there was not much time for practice, they all felt sure of success. Hogan put the boys through some l1al'd practice a few davs he- fore Turkey Day and left them in 80011 condition to meet the long and hated rivals of the W. P. H. S. Thanksgiving day found it again muddy but the sky overhead was clear. Mountain Grove's hopes were high when they saw our line up of small men compared to their in- vincible huskeys but their hopes dropped when on first play, Cordell, with go:d sup- port tore around their right end and running forty yards scored a touchdown for the hsme team. The Mountain Grove bojs tried line drive after line drive but without effect for our uniform line held like a brick wall. They seldom gained their ten yards, either around the end or through the line. Rice and Lee broke their flimsey lines time and again making long gains down the sloppy field. Shadburne made useful prac- tice cn his favorite method of stiff arming, sending many of the big boys to a muddy bed. Mantz and Green showed up well on the ends although the slippery ground can'- ed several errors on the forward pass. Both men with the support cf the halves held down the end well and stopped many of their opponents behind their line of de- fense. Hogan, at guard, is to be given credit for some of the best playing that was done on either side. Hogan, that slow and lazy Hogan, forgot his manners. It is said that someone poked him and woke him up. Evi- dently something must have happened for the big bull broke the opponents line at every chance, several times tackling the Mountain Grave quarter before he had delivered the hall. Johnson at tackle made some fast runs and plucky tackles and is to be given credit for a good game. Spears encountered his first game with the Mountain Grove lads and showed up well. Spears is a freshman, a big lad and a fast man and with another year of football we feel that here will be one of our choicest men. Harlin, our refined center, our noble P. I., as usual. showed the people that in football he was never timid and always responded readily to the systematic sigrals of our cool headed quarter. - At the end of the first half the score was 13-0 in favor of the home team and with a desire to make it 55 the boys went cheerfully into the second half but the bell rang with the score 39-0 in our favor. Paul Rettig, another freshman was tried out for the first time in this game and showed signs of being classed next year among the lest on the first team. Summing up our team in general, we consider that we have the roughest, one of the fastest and one of the best teams in the state with rnly a lack of games to show our superiority. XVAITING FOR A HOT ONE Center LINE UP. -------------H------Amos Harlin Culrds ..... -,Thad Kenney, Senator Hogan Tackles ......... Clint Johnson, Dick Green E11dS ------ ----.. H erhert Mantz, Guy Allen Quarter ------ .-........ - -Dick Snadburne Half -------.. ---Dick Rice, Herbert Cordell F1111 ---- -- ------ -- ------- ---Francis Lee SubS, ---NVill Spears, Paul Rettig, Orr Reed