The High School Left End; or, Dick & Co. Grilling on the Football GridironHancock, H. Irving (Harrie Irving)
General
The High School Left End; or, Dick & Co. Grilling on the Football Gridiron
Hancock, H. Irving (Harrie Irving)
Football -- Juvenile fiction; High school students -- Juvenile fiction
During the interval Captain Wadleigh went quietly among his men,
murmuring a word of counsel here and there.
Nothing in Wadleigh's face or tone betrayed worry; intense earnestness
alone was stamped on his bearing.
"Now, remember, fellows, don't get a spirit of defense grafted
on you," were Wadleigh's last words before the second half began.
"Remember, its to be a general assault all the time. If you
get on the defensive nothing can save us from losing."
No sooner was the ball in motion than Gridley's line bore down
upon the enemy. So determined was the assault that Filmore found
itself obliged to give ground, stubbornly, for a while. Yet Captain
Pike's men were not made of stuff that is easily whipped. After
the first five minutes Pike's men got the ball and began to drive
it a few yards, and then a few yards more, over into Gridley's
territory.
As the minutes slipped by the ball went nearer and nearer to Gridley's
goal line. Another touchdown must soon result.
Twice Pike tried to throw the ball around the left end. Wadleigh,
Hudson, Darrin and Prescott, backed by quarter and left half,
presented such a stubborn block that the ball did not get another
yard clown the field in two plays. But Pike, who was a hammerer,
made a third attempt around that left end. This time he gained
but two feet, and the ball passed to Gridley.
Of course, after having had its left wing so badly haltered Gridley
was bound to try to work the ball through Filmore's right. As
Wadleigh's signals crisped out, the Gridley players threw themselves
out for a play to right.
Quarter received the ball, starting fiercely to the right. Left
half dashed past quarter, receiving the ball and carrying it straight
to Dick Prescott. For a moment this blind succeeded so admirably,
that even those on the grand stand did not see the ball given
to Prescott, but believed that quarter was rushing the ball over
to the right.
Then, like a flash, the trick dawned.
Dick Prescott had the oval, and was running with it like a whirlwind,
with Darrin and Hudson as his interference, and with quarter dashing
close behind them.
Dick sprinted around the first Filmore man, leaving his interference
to sweep the fellows over.
At Filmore's second attempt to tackle, Dick ducked low and escaped.
In the next instant the would-be tackler was bowled over by Darrin
and Hudson, and Dick swept on with the ball.
By this time all the home boosters were on their feet, yelling
like so many Comanches.
Filmore's half and full contrived a trap that caught young Prescott,
and carried him down with the ball---but this happened at Filmore's
forty-five-yard line!
In the next play, Dave had the ball, on a short pass, but with
Dick dashing along close to his side, and Hudson on the other
flank. Before Darrin went down on the ball it had been carried
to Filmore's thirty-yard line. Then it went beyond the twenty-five-yard
line, and Gridley still carried the pigskin.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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