Page 190 - YB1899
P. 190
Training was begun shortly after the assembling cf school, but for the first few days the prospects were not encouraging. Several of last year's team, upon whom we had been counting, did not return, and we were compelled to develop new material. Captain Baker persevered, however, and by the t st of October, the date of our first game, he had succeeded in getting together a very creditable team. The work had not been of an easy nature, but our victory repaid all the efforts it had cost. The game was played on our own grounds with the Druid Outing Club, of Baltimore. From the beginning the superior playing of our boys was apparent and the victory soon assured. We noticed with a considerable degree of satisfaction that our backs, all of them old men, had lost none of their skill and vigor of the previous season. Both their offensive and defensive play was exceIIent. The line, too, showed surprising strength and our confidence in the team was greatly increased. When time was called for the end of the second half we' had scored three touchdowns and one goal. The second game was played on October 8, at Emmitsburg, with the strong Mt. St. Mary's College team, and the result, though not a victory, was very pleas- ing to us. Our opponents were much heavier and had also the advantage of being on home grounds. vVe were unable to score, although at one time in the second half it seemed as if we would. A bad fumble lost us the opportunity. Up to this point the game had been splendidly contested by our boys, but the strain began to teII upon them, and Mt. St. Mary's succeeded in scoring two more touchdowns- one touchdown and goal having been made in the first half. After this we began to speculate upon our chances for winning the inter- collegiate championship, and a decided interest was aroused in the team, for we were proud of the showing that had been made. Our prospects became even brighter, however, after our magnificent victory over the Maryland Agricultural College team on the following Saturday, October s. We played them on our grounds, and the result was six touchdowns and two goals to our account, while the other side did not score. There can be no question that our boys played good ball, the backs deserving special mention for the manner in which they skirted the ends and bucked the line. But still the first evidences of weakness appeared in this game-s-a weakness which was destined to be a continual source of vexa- tion to us. The trouble lay in our ends; they were too light for the require- ments of their position, and they did not seem to be possessed of that courage and skill of tackling and breaking up interferences so essential to an end. Yet there was no remedy, for the desired kind of material could not be found, or, if found, "it" could not be persuaded to play. Thus we went to Annapolis, on October 22, to play St. John's. We had felt rather confident of win'ning this game, but the weakness spoken of above became apparent in the first rushes. The two ends seemed wholly out of place; their 180
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