Review of Foot-Ball Season

Wheaton College is now on its way to the port of winning teams. The team this year was 90 per cent green and inexperienced and got away to a late start but despite that fact they have forged ahead a fast pace.

The season of 1919 was in some respects very successful. The members of the team found out once and for all that their opponents could be stopped and were only human. To my mind the greatest handicap to be overcome was the mental attitude of the players. They had imbibed an idea from previous years and many sources that their opponents of various colleges were some sort of super-men and superior beings. Our men entered a game handicapped by this feeling and were content to act on the defensive. We all know that in any contest of life, the highest degree of aggressiveness is essential.

This mental state caused Wheaton to lose two games, by very close scores, to inferior teams. As the season came on the team began to lose the idea that they were the "houn' dogs" of this vicinity, to be picked on and kicked about. Their offense improved along with the defense until they finally began to think in terms of equality with the other fellow. Two victories followed in succession and then much to every one's disappointment our schedule was like Old Mother Hubbard's cupboard. We can consider the team a team not to be ashamed of and the prospects for next year are very good. If we all can bring back that much missing school spirit and get organized and become boosters instead of knockers I feel sure that next year's season will be one of the best.

The second team is deserving of more praise and consideration than the first team. It was due to them that the first team improved and grew better as weeks went by. The scrubs have no cheers of admiring friends, no newspaper adulation, nothing but abuse and hard knocks. If the school as a whole had one half of the spirit of the second team, Wheaton College would be known in athletic circles throut three states as a place where they have SOME teams and lots of pep. I can't do them justice nor is the reward of their class numerals anyways near sufficient. The scrub can feel proud, however. He helps the coach and first team more than any other factor.

After all self-satisfaction of a job well done is the best. A great deal of promising material had been uncovered in the Second team. This year they learned a great deal which will be unnecessary to teach next fall thereby saving time for more important work. So my hat is off to the second team and my heartfelt thanks to the following members of the second team:

• V. ViningF. B.
• R. KingH. B.
• S. WhittakerR. T.
• E. AppelgrenR. E.
• C. CorbinL. G.
• CoreyE. & C.
• J. AntisdelR. G.
• SagarE.
• BrundageE. & H. B.
• P. PentQ. B.
• HiattG.
• DilleG. & T.
• ChristophersonG.

They won the only game they played, St. Albans, 12—6. The work of Phil Pent, V. Vining, Whitaker and Applegren is worthy of mention.

Now for a short resume of the first team and their work.

Meebold, Capt.H. B.

A good general, could stand a great deal of punishment, possessing football sense, a good ground gainer, very elusive runner, a hard man to stop thru the line. Injured in St. Viators game. Broken leg. His loss was badly felt.

Jack ConleyH. B.

Quick, cool and knows how to "figure" the other fellow. Picks his holes well and sure hits 'em hard.

M. ConleyCenter

Aggressive, peppy and a fighter. His greatest asset is his ability to figure the opponent's plays and his aggressiveness on defense was worth a great deal.

A. ColemanL. Tackle

An excellent forward passer, punter and a "whale" on defense. His work on defense was steady, sure and dependable. He not only took care of his own position but helped everyone else. He was all over the field at St. Viators and was breaking up passes as well. With stiff competition he would have been of far more value to his team.

EkvallL. Guard

Steady, hard working and on his toes all the time. Improving very fast thru hard study and work.

NewberryRt. E.

His smashing of interference was excellent. In fact he almost smashed too hard. He was late getting into the game but soon hit his own stride. His speed and ability to catch passes was of great value. He was best, however, at turning in anything around his end and smashing interference. He showed particularly well in the Mt. Morris game.

SykesFull Back

Very fast, quick starter, good at plunging the line. Good at passing the ball. He was improving fast and should be a crack backfield man next fall.

DavisL. E.

Quick, heady and a deadly tackler. His quick, low knife-like tackles were a feature of any game this year. Got down under punts well and an end run by the opponent had a slim chance around his end. He was by far the best and deadliest tackler on the team. He possessed to the fullest degree the never-give-up spirit so essential to a team.

SmithR. Tackle

Quick thinker, aggressive, quick and hard at charging and kept his opponent guessing. He possesses a knack of diving thru interference and getting the man carrying the ball. Full of nerve—and able to take anything the opponent gives and return it with interest. His exhibition of endurance and ability to take a pounding and still come back for more, was the feature of our defense in the last half at St. Viators.

AxelsonL. G.

Good tackler—hard charger and was learning fast. He was fast on his feet and good at giving interference. A player of promise.

PolkR. Guard

Aggressiveness the outstanding feature of his work thruout the season. Plunging thru and dumping the secondary defense is a trick hard to learn and execute but he did it well. His and Ekvall's longing for the bottom of the pile up, stopped one of St. Viators' best formations time after time.

C. Vining

An excellent end and a good half back. He was taken to fill Meebold's place in the backfield after "Cap's" accident. Altho new to backfield work he was coming in great style. Good at interference and tackling, but A 1 on the receiving end of a forward pass. Good at open field running, a valuable man to any team.

EvansSub guard and center

Quick thinker, hard worker, excellent tackler and made good use of his hands on defense. Altho a green man he showed up well and should by hard work, make 'em sit up and take notice by next season's arrival.

A. AntisdelSub H. B.

Excellent line plunger, a fighter and full of pep and never-quitness, good punter. New at the game, he showed a vast improvement. His work in the St. Albans game was excellent all the way and proved that he was a good leader. He acted as captain of the second team. He is a player of much promise and should "bust 'em" wide open next fall.

A. PentSub H. B.

Fast open field runner, lots of nerve, good punter and full of fight. His work at Mt. Morris and St. Albans was very good. The way he circled the ends was well worth watching. With practice he will make a hard man to stop and a dangerous man for the opponents.

The following record is not really indicative of the improvement and ability of the team. As it reached the point of maximum power the schedule ran out.

We might add here. Y. College beat Lake Forest College 21—0 previous to playing Wheaton.

So we split 50—50 on our schedule and only wish we had had two more games to play.

Last week Northwestern and Lake Forest played a tie game. Wheaton beat Y. M. C. A. College 7—6 and Y. M. C. A. beat Lake Forest 21—0. Just where does Wheaton stand now?