Back Aa

Secret Play

<h2>CHAPTER XXIV BETWEEN THE HALVES</h2> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="Line-up"> <col style="width: 45%;" /> <col style="width: 15%;" /> <col style="width: 50%;" /> <tr> <th class="tdl">Clearfield</th> <th class="tdl"> </th> <th class="tdl">Springdale</th> </tr> <tr> <td class="tdl">Merrick, l. e.</td> <th class="tdl"> </th> <td class="tdl">Cummings, r. e.</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="tdl">Partridge, l. t.</td> <th class="tdl"> </th> <td class="tdl">Torrey, r. t.</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="tdl">Cable, l. g.</td> <th class="tdl"> </th> <td class="tdl">Furniss, r. g.</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="tdl">Haley, c.</td> <th class="tdl"> </th> <td class="tdl">Heath, c.</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="tdl">A. Beaton, r. g.</td> <th class="tdl"> </th> <td class="tdl">Connell, l. g.</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="tdl">Wayland, r. t.</td> <th class="tdl"> </th> <td class="tdl">Grey, l. t.</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="tdl">Felker, r. e.</td> <th class="tdl"> </th> <td class="tdl">Borden, l. e.</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="tdl">Cottrell, q. b.</td> <th class="tdl"> </th> <td class="tdl">Kelly, q. b.</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="tdl">White, l. h. b.</td> <th class="tdl"> </th> <td class="tdl">Sawtell, r. h. b.</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="tdl">Tupper, r. h. b.</td> <th class="tdl"> </th> <td class="tdl">Cook, l. h. b.</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="tdl">N. Beaton, f. b.</td> <th class="tdl"> </th> <td class="tdl">Norton, f. b.</td> </tr> </table> That was the way the teams lined up at the start, with no surprises on either side, unless, possibly, the absence of Brent at fullback could be considered such. But it had been Clearfield’s policy all the Fall to put Brent in only when a field-goal was called for, and the fact that he did not start the game aroused no suspicion. Morris, blanket-wrapped, sat beside Dick on the Clearfield bench and watched moodily as Sawtell caught the kick-off some dozen yards in front of his goal and sprang forward with the ball. Merrick tried for him and missed and it was Wayland who finally locked his arms about the runner and downed him on the twenty-yard line. Clearfield applauded the tackle and the teams faced each other. Springdale used a formation in which the ends dropped back a little and the backs made an oblique tandem behind right or left guard. A shift which placed a guard or both guard and tackle on the opposite side of the line was generally used, and sometimes the backs formed behind the long side and sometimes behind the short side, a feature which caused not a little perplexity to Clearfield during the first of the game. A split attack, the first man in the tandem going to the right, the second man straight ahead, followed by the quarter carrying the ball, and the third man to the left, was a favorite play and fooled the opponent many times. Springdale stuck to attacks between tackles all during the first period, punting when unable to gain by rushing. Her line was heavy and fast, played low and hard and usually managed to open holes. The backs started from close behind and struck the line almost as soon as the ball was put in play. Springdale’s policy was to “get the jump” on her adversary, and it must be acknowledged that she succeeded. The oblique tandem leaped into place just before the ball was snapped and often the play came through while Clearfield was still moving to meet it. From the twenty-yards to the forty Springdale worked her way without pause, the backs making short but consistent gains between Partridge and Wayland and finding the right side of the Clearfield line the easier proposition. Arthur Beaton was put out of the play time and again, and Dick sent Kent in for him at the end of some five or six minutes. Springdale’s supporters were cheering incessantly as the Blue plowed her way toward the middle of the field. Kent bore a message to Cottrell, and Clearfield, who had been playing six men in the line, now dropped her other end back. This allowed both halfbacks to close in toward the middle and the next two tries at the center failed. Still disdaining end runs, Springdale sent Norton back to kicking position and “knifed” her left half between guard and tackle on the left. But the fake had not deceived the adversary and Cook was stopped for a slight gain by Tupper. Springdale then punted from the forty-eight yards and the ball went out at Clearfield’s twenty-three. It was the Purple’s chance to applaud and a hearty cheer went up as the ball was brought in and the teams lined up again. Formation B evidently inspired the opponent with misgiving, for she dropped her backs into a deep basket formation, leaving five men in the line and spreading them well open. Cottrell tried out the other team’s defense with a straight plunge at center which went through nicely and followed it by a run off tackle on the left that added three yards. With two to go, Lanny piled through right guard for first down. Springdale brought her backs further in, being convinced that Clearfield’s strange arrangement of her backfield did not necessarily foretell a forward pass, and two tries at the left netted the Purple but four yards. Faking a plunge at the center, Cottrell sent Tupper tearing off to the right, but the interference failed and he was stopped near the side line for no gain. Lanny punted to Springdale’s forty and Felker downed the catcher in his tracks. Springdale, her quarter running off his plays like lightning, came steadily back. Kent was proving hardly stronger than Arthur Beaton, and many plays went through his position to be stopped by the secondary defense. Lanny played a magnificent defensive game, sensing the point of attack and jumping to meet it. More than once he was literally awaiting the runner when the latter shot through. Springdale was showing a powerful offense and her linemen were playing like veterans, which, with three exceptions they were not. Back past the center of the field the Blue progressed, using old-fashioned football all the time but using it so well that the brunt of the defense was falling to the lot of the Clearfield backs. Springdale got her plays off so quickly and from so close to the line that it was difficult for Clearfield to foretell the point of attack. A penalty for holding set her back but failed to stop her. On Clearfield’s forty-two, with four to go on third down, Kelly, the Blue’s quarter, again tried a fake-kick, and this time Clearfield failed to size-up the play. Kelly himself plunged through Cable and eluded Lanny for twelve yards and the Blue flags waved riotously in the stand. The pigskin was now almost on Clearfield’s thirty. The Blue’s fullback hit the line for three yards, and tried again for no gain. A split attack went past Haley for three more and, on the twenty-five-yard line, Kelly again sent Norton back. This time the play was a double pass, and Sawtell got through between Kent and Wayland, the defense having been badly fooled. The tape was used and first down was declared. Before the ball could be put in play again the quarter ended. The teams traversed the field and lined up again on the twenty yards. Clearfield now played her ends in and spread her backs. Kelly failed to gain at the right and Sawtell made three through the opposite side. Clearfield’s supporters were imploring the Purple to hold. Springdale sent Norton back and rushed two backs and an end to the left as the ball was snapped. Norton swung his leg, side-stepped and hurled across to the group. But the throw was short and Felker knocked it down. Again Norton went back, but the ball was passed to Cook and that youth went dodging and spinning through the center. But he was stopped on the fifteen yards and the ball went to the defenders. Two plunges gained four yards and Lanny kicked from almost under the goal. The ball went low and rolled erratically, finally being dropped on by Kelly close to the tee in midfield. Springdale accepted the challenge and punted on second down after a two-yard gain. Cottrell caught on his twenty-four yards and dodged back seven before he was thrown. From kick formation Lanny took the ball around Springdale’s right end for five yards. A forward pass was then attempted, Cottrell to Merrick, but Springdale had guessed the play and Merrick failed to make the catch. Lanny punted to the Blue’s twenty-seven and Cook brought it back five. Springdale now started at the ends and her first attempt sent Sawtell around Merrick for twelve. A fumble was recovered with a loss of four yards. Norton tried Cable but was thrown back and Cook failed to get through Wayland. Norton punted to the Purple’s twenty-six and Lanny fumbled but recovered on the twenty-yard line. Dick sent Hansard in for Tupper who was limping badly. Hansard bore instructions to Cottrell to get his plays off faster and an improvement in the speed of the team at once resulted. The teams were well over on the left of the gridiron and Cottrell pulled off the Number 6 play with success. This play brought Merrick running obliquely back from position before the ball went into play, Hansard going into the line between guard and tackle on the other side to maintain the required number there. Beaton played back in kicking position. The ball went to Cottrell, however, and he made a two-handed pass to Merrick as the latter swung by between him and Beaton and, with Lanny interfering, raced in a wide arc around his own right wing. Springdale was caught napping and Gordon covered eighteen yards before he was stopped. Enthusiasm took possession of the Clearfield supporters and purple megaphones howled and shrieked. Springdale was for the moment off her balance, it seemed, for a skin-tackle play on the left, with Lanny hugging the pigskin, went for seven yards. Cottrell speeded up the team and in two plays the ball passed the middle of the field. With three to go on third down, Hansard, keeping his feet wonderfully, fought straight through for six. Springdale tightened then and Lanny was thrown for no gain when he tried the left of the opponent’s line. Beaton fell back to kicking position and hurled the ball across the line to Felker. The latter got it but fumbled when tackled and the ball popped into the arms of a Springdale back, who was downed on his thirty-four. The rest of the period was Springdale’s, for she came back hard and for a time almost drove Clearfield off her feet. Wayland was hurt and gave way to Scott and Springdale replaced her right guard and her left tackle. But there was not time to score by the methods Springdale used. Only twice were runs outside of tackle resorted to, the Blue apparently striving to wear down the Purple’s defense by furious assaults. Once Cook nearly got away, but was pulled down from behind by Lanny after he had made almost fifteen yards through the right of the Clearfield line. On the Purple’s twenty-eight Springdale made a forward pass to the side of the field, and again, for a breath-taking moment, it seemed that the Blue was about to score. But Cottrell forced the runner over the line at the twenty yards and before Springdale could gain farther the whistle blew, bringing the half to an end. The Clearfield players trotted to the dressing-room and the visitors retired to a tent in a corner of the field. Cheers and songs started again, the band played its loudest and some twelve hundred spectators excitedly discussed what had happened and predicted what was going to happen. There was no gainsaying the fact that the Blue had shown the more consistent offense or that in the matter of punting she had fully equaled the home team. That Clearfield plainly possessed a more versatile attack was allowed, but whether she had plays capable of gaining inside the twenty-yard line was a question, except that, as everyone knew, Brent could be depended on to score from the field provided the line held. Doubtless Clearfield would do her utmost in the next half to reach a position where Brent’s science could be used. As to defense, it seemed a toss-up between the Purple and the Blue. Both teams had been well trained in that department. If there was any difference it lay in the fact that Springdale’s forwards were a bit quicker at charging, thus leaving less work to the backs. In the two periods played Springdale had made eight first downs to Clearfield’s three, not an encouraging showing for the home team. Perhaps Dick was considering that as he followed the team and substitutes into the dressing-room. At least, he looked sober enough in all truth. Springdale was not showing the signs of overtraining that Dick had more or less counted on, although there had been moments in the last few minutes of the second period when he had thought he could detect a falling off in the power of the attack. The removal of two linemen also suggested that the Blue was approaching its limit of endurance. For his own team Dick had no fears. They had stood the hard smashing of the Springdale backs excellently. Not a player had weakened under the strain and none of those taken out had sustained injuries sufficient to prevent his reinstatement. Dick expected the Purple to play better in the next two periods, expected it, in fact, to finish stronger than it had begun, for there was no denying that it had played a slower and more listless game than it had showed against Weston the week before. While the fellows were being rubbed and having their bruises attended to, Dick conferred with Lanny and Chester Cottrell. Lanny was pretty well keyed-up, Chester unusually grim and silent. “We’ve got to have Tupper back, Dick,” declared the captain. “Hansard doesn’t get into it.” “All right, Lanny. And look here, you’ve got to hump that line up on defense. Do you get me? They’re getting the jump on us every time. What’s the trouble?” “I don’t know,” replied Lanny rather wildly. “They’ve been letting every blessed play through on us. That’s a mean attack of theirs, Dick; you can’t size it up.” “I know, but you’ve got to watch the ball, Lanny. You can’t tell where the play’s coming by guessing. Another thing, fellows. It won’t do to spread your backs too much near goal. Better play your ends well out and force the runner in, and keep your backs behind center. They haven’t any running game that we need fear, I think. Of course they’ll try to spring something this half, and we’ll have to be on the watch for it, but, whatever you do, Lanny, and you, Chester, don’t let them score on a line play! They can’t if you charge quick and watch the ball. And, Chester, you’re not getting your plays off fast enough. I want to see things go twice as fast this half. It’s their kick-off this time. Let’s see if we can’t take that ball straight down the field, fellows. I’ll tell you frankly that you haven’t been putting up half the game you did against Weston or Lesterville. You’ve got to wake up and fight, that’s what you’ve got to do. I’m well enough satisfied with what’s happened so far. We’ve let them work themselves pretty tired, I guess, and we’ve held them off. But for the rest of the game we’ve got to jump and smear them. We’ve got to force the fighting, fellows. Line up quickly, get your signals off quickly and then—” Dick smote a fist into the other hand—“smash into ’em!” The others nodded, Lanny eagerly, Chester thoughtfully. “And use your delayed plays more, Chester. Try that Number 8, and if it goes keep on using it. And once near their goal hammer the left side of their line. That new tackle of theirs doesn’t look much to me. Stick Beaton through there a few times. Find the weak spot and hammer it flat! But, above all, play fast! You’ve got to do it!” Dick turned on his heel and sought Tupper. “How’s that knee, George?” he asked. “All right, Dick!” To prove it, Tupper arose eagerly from the bench and swung his leg. Dick smiled. “All right. Go in again. But take care of it. And, George, we’ve got to play faster than we’ve been playing. See if you can’t get more jump into it. Merrick and Felker, here, please!” For several minutes Dick spoke earnestly and in low tones to the two ends. Then Manager Cotner, who had been keeping track of the time, announced that only four minutes remained, and Dick swung himself over to the window and faced the room. The noise died away. “I’m not going to tell you fellows that you’ve played good football, because you haven’t,” began Dick earnestly. “You’ve let Springdale get the jump on you all through the half. You haven’t watched the ball as you should and you’ve been fooled time after time for that reason alone. You’re every bit as good as Springdale, but you don’t let them know it. You linemen have let play after play go through you just because you’ve been watching your opponents instead of the ball. You’ll never win that way, fellows. You’re putting too much work on the backs. They can’t do it all. You’ve got to keep your eyes on the ball and charge quick and hard. Some of you have been playing much too high. Get down low, and when you charge lift them up. Remember that you’re facing men several pounds heavier than you are. The only way to even that up is to play faster than they do. Don’t meet them on your side of the line; meet them on theirs!” “The same thing is true of you backs. You’ve started slow almost every time. And you’ve let up when you hit the line. Don’t do it! Get your speed before you strike the line and then keep on going! I ought not to have to tell you these things at this late day. You know them well enough, but you don’t do them. Or you haven’t done them. You’ve got to for the rest of the game, though, if you want to win. Some one’s going to score this half. It might as well be us. But if it is to be us we’ve got to play better football. We’ve got to watch the ball, play like lightning and fight like bear-cats! Springdale is going to tire before long, but she’s got a lot of fight in her yet, and you’ve got to work hard to keep her from winning. I want you fellows to go back there now and start in and everlastingly play football! Wake up and show something! You’ve got it, fellows, so show it! When you get the ball at the kick-off, hang on to it and take it right down the field and put it over! You can do it if you’ll only think so. That’s all. Play hard, Clearfield, and fast—fast—FAST! Now then: Merrick, Partridge, Cable, Haley, A. Beaton, Scott, Felker, Cottrell, White, Tupper and N. Beaton. All right!” “On the run, fellows!” cried Lanny. The door slammed open and out they trailed, the team to throw off their blankets and race into the field and the substitutes to huddle again along the bench and watch and wait. Cheers met them and the band started “See, the Conquering Hero Comes,” much out of tune, perhaps, but enthusiastically enough to make up for lack of harmony. Clearfield spread itself about the east end of the field and Springdale lined up behind its forty yards while Heath, the center, built up the tee and cocked the ball to his liking. The sun had gone behind the clouds again and a little cold breeze was quartering the field from the northwest, causing spectators to pull rugs around their knees and button coats at the necks and the players to trot about as they waited for the whistle. “Ready, Captain Torrey?” “Ready, sir!” “Ready, Captain White?” “All ready, sir!” The whistle blew, Heath strode forward and swung a long leg and the pigskin arched into air again. <hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

1 of 2

2 of 2

Update Required To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.