AT THE END OF THE FIRST HALF
Saturday dawned clear and crisp, with a little westerly breeze stirring the tops of the leafless trees and fluttering the big maroon flag with the grey B that hung from the staff at the back of the grand stand. That was not the only flag displayed, for here and there all along the Row small banners hung from windows, while to add to the patriotic effect all the red and grey cushions in school were piled against the casements to lend their colour. There were few recitations that morning and there might just as well have been none, I fancy. The squad got back from Oakdale at one-thirty, after an early dinner, and were driven directly to the gymnasium, pursued by the school at large with vociferous greetings.
Claflin began to put in an appearance soon after that. Hitherto Brimfield had travelled to Westplains to meet her rival, and this was the first time that the Blue had invaded the Maroon-and-Grey fastness. Hoskins did a rushing business that day, for Claflin had sent nearly her entire population with the team, and many of the visitors were forced to walk from the station. There was an insouciant, self-confident air about the Claflin fellows that impressed Brimfield and irritated her too. "You'd think," remarked Benson, watching from a window in the gym the visitors passing toward the field, "that they had the game already won! A stuck-up lot of dudes, that's what I call them!" But Benson was not in the best of tempers to-day and possibly his judgment was warped!
The Claflin team arrived in one of Hoskins' barges and took possession of the meeting-room upstairs to change into their togs. They were a fine-looking lot of fellows, and they, too, had that same air of confidence that Benson had found annoying. By a quarter past two the stage was set. The grand stand was filled to overflowing, the settees and chairs, which had been brought out to supplement the permanent seats, were all occupied, and many spectators were standing along the ropes. Over the stand the big maroon-and-grey banner floated lazily in the breeze. The field had been newly marked out and the cream-white lines shone dazzlingly in the sharp sunlight. It was a day for light wraps and sweaters, but many visitors, arriving in motor cars that were now parked behind the gymnasium, were clad in furs. It was distinctly a social occasion, for fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, aunts and uncles had descended upon the school in numbers and half the fellows were parading around before the hour set for the game with admiring relatives or friends, showing their rooms and the dining-hall and the gymnasium, and looking all the time a bit bored at the fuss and secretly enjoying it. Harry Westcott was seen with his father and sister in tow, while Roy Draper was surrounded by an enthusiastic flock of female relatives.
Overhead a clear blue sky, scarcely so much as flecked with a cloud, arched radiantly. The breeze was much too light to place a handicap on either goal, and when, at a quarter after two, the visiting team trotted across from the gymnasium, ducked under the rope at the end of the grand stand and started to warm up it was seen that the long punts she sent away showed scarcely any influence from the wind. Of course Claflin, banked at the east end of the stand, greeted her warriors royally, and, of course, Brimfield gave them a hearty cheer, too. But that acclaim was nothing to the burst of applause that went up when the home team, twenty strong, led by Andy Miller, romped on. Then Brimfield shouted herself hoarse and made such a clamour that the cheer which the Claflin leaders evoked a moment later sounded like a whisper by comparison.
Ten minutes of brisk signal work, punting, catching and goal-kicking followed, and then, while along the road an occasional screech from a belated automobile sounded, the teams retired to opposite sides of the field, the maroon-and-grey megaphones, which had been keeping time to a song sung by some hundred and thirty youths, died away and the comparative quiet that precedes the beginning of battle fell over the field. The officials met on the side line and then, accompanied by Captain Miller, walked to the centre of the field. From the farther side a blue-sleeved and blue-stockinged youth advanced to meet them. A coin spun, glittering, in the air, fell, rolled and was recovered. Heads bent above it, the group broke up and Andy Miller waved to his players. Then blankets and sweaters were cast aside and ten maroon-sleeved youths gathered about their leader. There was a low-voiced conference and the team scattered over the east end of the field. Brimfield had won the toss, had given the kick-off to Claflin and Captain Burrage had chosen the west goal and what slight advantage might come from a breeze at his back.
Andy Miller and the two coaches had arranged the line-up the evening before. There had been some indecision as to filling one or two positions for the start of the game, and the line-up as it was presented when the whistle blew held several surprises for the school. Here it is, and the Claflin list as well:
BRIMFIELD. CLAFLIN.
Roberts, l. e. r. e., Chester Lacey, l. t. r. t., Mears Fowler, l. g. r. g., Colwell Innes, c. c., Kenney Hall, r. g. l. g., Johnson Williams, r. t. l. t., Bentley Miller, r. e. l. e., Mumford Milton, q. b. q. b., Ainsmith Harris, l. h. b. r. h. b., Burrage Kendall, r. h. b. l. h. b., Whittemore Norton, f. b. f. b., Atkinson
"Are you ready, Brimfield? Ready, Claflin?"
The whistle piped, a Claflin linesman stepped forward, swung a long leg and the battle was on. Williams caught the ball on the thirty-yard line. On a fake kick play Miller tried Claflin's right tackle and made but two yards. Norton punted to Claflin's thirty, where Burrage fumbled the ball and Ainsmith recovered it. Claflin at once punted out of bounds to Brimfield's forty-five-yard mark. Kendall made three yards around the enemy's right end and then, on the next play, failed at the line. Milton tried a forward pass to Miller, but the ball grounded and Norton kicked to Claflin's twenty-yard line.
Two tries by the Blue netted little and she again punted and the ball was Brimfield's on her own forty-seven yards. Harris failed to gain through Claflin's left tackle and Brimfield was penalised fifteen yards for holding. On a criss-cross against left tackle Harris was tackled for a loss and Norton then punted to Whittemore and the latter ran the ball back fifteen yards before he was stopped. On a try through Hall the Blue's full-back failed to gain. But on a second attempt at the other side of centre he smashed through for seven yards. A delayed pass by the Claflin quarter gave his side first down on Brimfield's thirty-five-yard line. Atkinson again tried Hall and gained less than a yard. Ainsmith attempted the Brimfield left end and was thrown by Harris for a five-yard loss. Captain Burrage tried Brimfield's right end and failed. With one down left and fifteen yards to gain Burrage tried a forward pass. It was successfully captured, but the distance was short and the pigskin went to Brimfield on her thirty-eight yards.
Norton punted on first down and Claflin returned it. Kendall misjudged the ball and it rolled to the Maroon's twelve yards. Milton fell on it there. Kendall and Norton gained two yards each through centre, and Norton punted to Brimfield's forty-five yard line, where Burrage made a fair catch.
The stands grew very quiet while the Claflin quarter-back poised the ball. Then Burrage stepped forward and sent it speeding away. But the kick was short and Norton caught the ball on his five-yard line and, behind excellent interference, ran it back to the thirty-yard line before he was thrown by Chester. From there Norton punted to the Blue's thirty and Claflin returned the punt on first down to her adversary's forty yards. Harris caught it, but was nailed in his tracks by Mumford, who made a spectacular tackle which won applause from friend and foe alike. Time was called for an injury to Mumford, but he was soon on his feet again.
Claflin was penalised for off-side on the next play. Norton went through right guard for first down and Brimfield shouted joyously. Kendall failed to gain. Norton made a yard and then dropped back to kick formation. The play, however, proved to be a forward pass to Roberts. Roberts was out of position and the pigskin was intercepted by the Claflin quarter. It was then the Blue's ball on her forty-five yards. Hall let the runner through for a yard and Claflin pulled off a successful forward pass to her left end on Brimfield's thirty-nine-yard line. The Blue's full-back was stopped in an attempt on the opposite right tackle and a penalty for off-side brought the ball to near the middle of the field. Claflin then punted to Brimfield's seven yards and the whistle sounded the end of the first quarter.
The stand cheered while the players traversed the field to line up under the shadow of the west goal.
Brimfield thrust Norton at the Claflin centre when the play began again and the big full-back made three yards. Then he dropped behind his goal-line and punted, the ball going out of bounds at the twenty-four yards. Claflin cheered loudly as the teams lined up.
Claflin's full-back made a yard through the centre, but lost the distance when, on the next down, he went against Lacey. Captain Burrage dropped back to kicking position on the thirty-five-yard line and once more Brimfield's goal was in danger. The pass was straight and true. Burrage dropped the ball and swung his foot. But two Brimfield forwards had broken through and as the ball left the ground Andy Miller blocked it. There was a mad scramble for the pigskin, Williams at last falling on it on his twenty-five yards. Norton punted poorly, the ball going diagonally across the gridiron, and it was Claflin's first down on Brimfield's twenty-eight yards. Atkinson came through centre for a yard, and then Burrage once more dropped back for a try at goal. The attempt looked rather desperate, for the kicker was standing almost on the forty-yard line, but Brimfield's supporters held their breaths until the Claflin half-back had swung his long leg. Then a vast shout of relief went up from where the maroon-and-grey megaphones waved tumultuously, for Burrage had made a bad mess of the drop-kick and the ball rolled along the ground and was captured by a Brimfield back.
Still went in for Harris, who had been hurt in the scramble. On the second down, with seven to go, Norton received the ball at full speed from Milton, broke through the Claflin line and, pursued by the wild cheers of the Brimfield spectators, made fifty-five yards through a broken field, at last landing the ball on Claflin's twenty-yard line. It looked as though Brimfield's moment of victory was at hand. Time was taken out for a Claflin injury and eventually Atkinson was replaced by a substitute. Brimfield made two tries at the enemy's right end and gained four yards. Williams dropped out of the line and retreated to Claflin's twenty-five-yard line. The ball was almost opposite the middle of the cross-bar when it went back to him on the pass from centre, but Innes had thrown it low and Williams was hurried by the Blue's forwards, who came crashing through. The ball went three yards wide of the left-hand upright and Brimfield in the stand groaned.
Claflin put the ball in play on her twenty-five yards and Whittemore punted to Milton on Brimfield's forty-five. Milton plunged back some twelve yards before he was brought down. Norton punted on second down to the Blue's ten yards and the ball was run back ten by the Claflin quarter. The game then became a punting duel and after three exchanges Kendall, getting the ball on his own thirty-five-yard line, ran it back to the opponent's forty, dodging beautifully through a broken field and throwing off at least a half-dozen tacklers. Brimfield tried Claflin's left tackle twice and totalled five yards. A penalty, however, set her back ten yards, and Norton punted again to Claflin's twenty yards. Gleason was sent in by Coach Robey in place of Lacey. Claflin failed to gain and Whittemore punted to Still on the Maroon's forty-four yards. Norton tried the enemy's centre and failed of a gain and then punted out of bounds at Claflin's fifteen. Claflin sent in a substitute right end and Coach Robey put Corcoran in for Kendall. Claflin punted to midfield and Corcoran made one yard through the enemy's centre. An off-side play by the Blue gave Brimfield five yards and took the ball to the Blue's forty. Still gained two at left tackle and the half ended with the pigskin on Claflin's thirty-eight yards, the score 0 to 0.
The teams trotted off, blanket-draped, toward the gymnasium, the substitutes trailing along behind, and the stand broke into excited discussion of the game. So far the honours had been fairly even, although toward the end of the second period the ball had remained in Claflin territory most of the time. In fact, after Williams' try for goal, the pigskin had never been nearer to Brimfield's last white mark than her thirty-five-yard line. Claflin averaged some four and a half pounds more than the home team, but in spite of that an unbiased critic would have given Brimfield the honours in the attacking game. Her play seemed smoother, her men better drilled. Neither team had shown great ability at line-plunging, although Norton's fine rush of fifty-five yards and Kendall's run of twenty-five gave Brimfield the benefit of the ground-gained figures. Each side had good reason to claim the ultimate victory, and each did so, meanwhile cheering and singing and working the enthusiasm up to a fine pitch.