I
January, 1923.
THE MIDGET
Pag:e 11
VORSAY’S LUCK.
(Robert Cranford.) . .
For long years past Vorsay High
School had been the pennant-holder
or champion of the prep school foot
ball league. This year most of the
letter-men had graduated or quit
school, and the surplus in scrubs
was anything but promising. The
coach had managed to get 11 men
in shape for the varsity team, and
this year’s subs were either a lot of
soft fellows, whose mamma objected
to playing football because it was
rough or a lot of yearling lads too
light to work in a cork factory.
Our first game was with Enid
High. We looked like 30 cents be
side them, as they trotted out in their
new uniforms, and we didn’t look
much better as we trotted back to
the gym after the game, beaten 34
to 6. And what hurt us was the
fact that everybody from Reed and
Vodder High Schools, old enemies of
Vorsay, was there, and they were
yelling themselves black in the face
for Enid. We had dreaded this, but
the height of all our dread was yet to
come—meeting the coach. As we
were lying around in the gym, he
walked in. But there’s where he
made his grandstand play. He walked
over to me, as I was on the verge of
tears, gave me a slap that nearly
salivated me, told me to brace up,
and made a little talk to the team,
and even went so far as to praise us,
also telling us that the season was
only started and that we had plenty
of time to win the pennant. The
very thought that this man loved us,
was wiir.ng to stick to us through
thick and thin, sink or swim, made
us all cry like babes, and I believe
we could have licked any team in
the state even if we were tired and
worn-out.
The season went on, Vorsay fight
ing every inch of the ground for
dear life. At the end of the season,
it was found that the championship
j was between Reed and Vorsay. The
I final game was to be played at Vor
say on Thanksgiving day.
It was now Thanksgiving day.
Vorsay’s single and main street look
ed like Broadway, and all the board
ing houses were filled to their capac
ity. A special train arrived at 11
o’clock, bringing in the Reed team
and rooters. We listened to them
while practicing, and tried to catch
on to their signals, but we might as
well have been listening to a bunch of
Greek parrots. At 3 o’clock we
gathered in the gym for final in
structions from the coach, after
which we filed through the gate at
our end of the field. Upon our ar
rival, the packed masses of humanity
rose in one large cheer. We espied
the Reed team as they came in at
the other gate, and I think the spec
tators cheered them, but we didn’t
hear that.
Finally the whistle blew for us to
line up. Reed kicked off and Scotch
Hern received the ball, and after
playing with it for a while, started
toward the enemy, but was stopped
by a big Reed husky on the 20-yard
line. A forward pass was called and
blocked. We tried a line-buck and
fumbled, whereupon a Reed man ran
for a touch-down. The score was
now 6 to 0. It went on thus until,
in the second quarter we were on
i the enemies’ 15-yard line, and play-
j ing ring’s around them. The signal
I was called for me to take the ball on
a center plunge. I hit the line with
all my might, but Reed hit low and
blocked the attack. I got up bloody
and eyes swimming—but Chandler,
our center, had his leg broken! Our
visions of the pennant began to fade,
and our hopes for a successful sea
son to sink. '‘Red” Hall, right guard
knew all the signals, so he took
Chandler’s place. Shorty Frye was
called out to substitute for Hall.
After hauling and pulling at his
sweater for a full minute, he took
two more to get into his position.
Working over a big contract of
chewing gum, and searching, it
seemed, for someone in the grand
stand, he got into position.
Shorty stood six feet, including
the two on the ground and was
I widely known for strength and abil-
I ity to wrestle. The Reed bunch
I sized him up for a softy, and tried
i a play over right guard. He was
trampled on something fierce, but
rose with a grin. After several oth
er plays similar to this, and
after having become sore at so
much of this he began to step aside
to let them pass. I knew this must
not go on, so on the next play, I
closed my eyes and fell back for a
knockout. I heard someone call for
water and after they had worked at
me for a while I got up and hopped
I across the field to where Louise
j Robeson, Shorty’s girl, stood. It
j lacked only five minutes until the
j half would be up, and in my haste, I
I forgot to limp. I finally came to
I where she was standing.
“Kid are—are you hurt much?”
she asked with a sorrowful look.
“Hurt nothing! Louise, I am
going to bring that Reed player with
the nennant around him over here
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