A Quarter-Back's Pluck: A Story of College Football

by Lester Chadwick

  CHAPTER XIII

  SMASHING THE LINE

  "First down!" came the encouraging cry, when the mass of players hadbecome disentangled, and Jerry Jackson was seen to still have possessionof the ball. He had made a great gain.

  "Now, once more, fellows!" called Phil. "Smash the line to pieces!"

  Again there came a play, this time with Holly Cross endeavoring to gobetween center and guard. But, unexpectedly, he felt as if he had hit astone wall. Fairview had developed unusual strength. There was no gainthere. But Phil thought he knew the weakness of the opposing team, andhe decided for another try at line bucking. There would still be timefor kicking on the third down, and he wanted his team to have the ballas long as possible early in the game.

  This time he signaled for Dutch Housenlager, who was at right tackle, togo through left tackle. The play was well executed, but Dutch was alittle slow at hitting the line, and after a slight advance he was held,and only five yards were gained. Randall must kick, and the yells ofdelight that had greeted her first advance were silenced, while thesupporters of the co-educational academy prepared to encourage theirplayers by vocal efforts.

  Holly Cross booted the ball well up into the enemy's territory. Tom, andJoe Jackson, the ends, were down like tigers, but they could not breakthrough the well-organized interference that surrounded Roger Barnes,the Fairview full-back. On he rushed until Phil, pluckily breakingthrough, tackled him fiercely.

  "Now see how we can hold 'em!" called Holly Cross to his men, and theyall braced, ready for the smash they knew would come. Nor was it longdelayed. Right at the center of the line came Lem Sellig, the Fairviewleft half-back. But he met Snail Looper's solid flesh, supported byPhil and the three other backs. Yet, in spite of this, Lem managed toadvance.

  "Hold! hold!" pleaded Holly, and, with gritting teeth and tense muscles,his men did hold. But ten yards had been gained. Fairview was not aseasy as had been hoped.

  Once more the line-smashing occurred, but this time not for such a gain,and on the next try Fairview was forced to kick.

  "Right down the line, now!" called Phil, and, as if the cheeringcontingent understood, Bean Perkins, with his foghorn voice, startedthe song: "Take it to the Goal Posts, Boys!"

  It had been decided, before the game, that Randall would attempt onlystraight football, at least during the first half. Coach Lighton wiselyadvised against trick plays so early in the season, as there were anumber of comparatively new men on the eleven. So Phil, when his sidehad the ball again, called for more line-smashing, and his men respondednobly.

  They advanced the ball to the twenty-five yard line, and, though temptedto give the signal for a goal from the field, Phil refrained, as therewas a quartering wind blowing. He did signal for a fake kick play,however, feeling that he was justified in it, and to his horror therewas a fumble. Fairview broke through and captured the ball.

  Dejected and almost humiliated, Randall lined up to receive a smashingattack, but instead Fairview kicked, for her captain was nervous, andfeared the holding powers of his opponent's line.

  "Now we've got 'em!" yelled Phil, as Holly Cross began running back withthe pigskin. The Fairview ends were right on hand, however, and brokethrough the interference, so that Holly was downed ere he had coveredten yards. But it gave Randall the ball, and then, with a grimdetermination to smash or be smashed, the lads went at the Fairview linehammer and tongs. They rushed the ball to the ten-yard line this time,and then came a rapid succession of sequence plays, no signals beinggiven. Indeed, had Phil yelled the numbers and letters through amegaphone, they could hardly have been heard, so tumultuous was thecheering of the Randall supporters.

  Against such whirlwind playing as this the Fairview line crumpled andwent to pieces. Slam-bang at it came first Holly Cross, then Kindlings,and then Jerry Jackson. The latter, by a great effort, managed to wigglealong the last few inches, and placed the ball over the final whitemark.

  "Touch-down!" yelled Tom Parsons, and a touch-down it was. How thecheers broke forth then! What a riot of color from the grandstands! Howthe flags, ribbons and banners waved! How the gay youths and grave menyelled themselves hoarse! How the girls' shrill voices sounded over thefield!

  The goal was missed on account of the strong wind, and once more theplay started in. There was more line-smashing and some kicking, yet thehalf ended with the score five to nothing in favor of Randall.

  There was much talk in the dressing-room of the Randall players duringthe intermission. Some of the players pleaded for the trial of trickplays which they had practiced, but Coach Lighton insisted online-smashing.

  "I know it is more tiresome," he said, "but it will be better practicefor you now. You need straight football early in the season. Clinton,how is your shoulder holding out?"

  "Fine. It doesn't hurt me at all."

  As only minor hurts had resulted from the play of the first half, nochange was made in the line-up. Once more, when the whistle blew, didthe whirlwind work begin. There was a noticeable difference in the styleof Fairview. They had put in some new men, and were playing a kickinggame. They were holding better in the line, too.

  The result was that after several minutes of play, during which the ballhad changed hands several times, the Randall players were tiring. It waswhat the wily captain of the Fairview team had counted on. Then he senthis men smashing the line, and to the grief of Holly Cross he saw hismen being pushed back. In vain did he appeal to them--even reviledthem--for not holding their ground. But it was impossible, and,following a sensational run around right end, Joe Jackson missing aneasy tackle of Lem Sellig, the latter player made a touch-down. Thistime it was the chance for the Fairview supporters to cheer and yell,and they did it, the singing contingent rendering with much effect: "WeHave Old Randall's Scalp Now."

  The score was tied, as Fairview failed to kick goal, and at it theywent again, smash and hammer, hammer and smash. Phil called for a trickplay, and it worked well, but the gain was small, and a little later theball went to Fairview on a penalty. Then came the surprise of the day.On a forward pass the pigskin was taken well toward Randall's goal line,and after the down Ted Puder, the husky left-tackle, was shoved over foranother touch-down.

  The stands fairly trembled under the cheers, yells and excited stampingof the co-educationals. The girls sang a song of victory, and theRandall players, with woe-begone faces, gathered behind their goalposts. There was a futile attempt to block the kick, but the spheroidsailed over the bar. The score was eleven to five against Randall.