CHAPTER XXII

NORDHAM SPRINGS SOME SURPRISES

The next afternoon when Dan reported for practice he found that a few moments of passing and a half-hour of signal work was all that was required. Saturday’s contest had been a hard one and there were lots of lame muscles and stiff joints among the fellows who had participated. Even on Tuesday the practice was still short and there was no line-up. On Wednesday occurred the first scrimmage and then several surprises were sprung. Dan was at left end, Hill was back at center, Little was tried in Folwell’s place at tackle, King, of the Second Team, was at quarter and Gerard was at full. Gerard was a second-string man and his presence in the line-up merely signified that Kapenhysen was still feeling the results of the Brewer game. Dan didn’t dare believe that his elevation to the First Team was anything more than temporary pending Williams’ recovery. He played the best game he knew, however, in the hope of “making good,” and in spite of King’s mistakes, for the Second Team quarter was oppressed by the unexpected honor of being made varsity substitute, managed to play a brilliant game. But on the whole things went badly. In spite of the easy work of the last two days many of the fellows played a lifeless game that wrought Payson to heights of disgust. His comments were more caustic than usual and the tempers of his charges shorter, and the result was that when practice was over the entente cordiale between coach and players was somewhat strained. Andy Ryan, quick to note discord, hovered around like an anxious, clucking mother-hen. At supper appetites were erratic and dispositions more so. Plainly a slump was threatening, a slump the more dangerous for being so long delayed. With only two days of practice before the Nordham game the outlook didn’t please Payson at all. He had planned to rest the fellows the first part of the week and to drive them hard Thursday and Friday. Andy had agreed with him. But now it seemed that they had made a mistake; to have worked the team on Tuesday and Wednesday and given them light practice Thursday and Friday would have been more advisable. Payson had three new plays to teach and he had been counting on to-morrow and the next day; now he seriously doubted if it would be wise to attempt it. He and Andy got together in his room that evening and faced the problem.

“There’s no use in forcing them, sir,” declared the trainer. “It’s a critical time and we’ve got to humor ’em along the rest of the week. If we don’t they’ll go up in the air like a lot of crazy balloons, sir. Colton’s all on edge, and there’s others no better off. Take my advice, sir, and humor ’em.”

“That’s all well enough,” grumbled Payson, “but there’s a lot of work to do, Andy. You know that as well as I do. The team’s a week behind this year, for some reason. You can’t do anything the last week but polish up. And there are new plays to learn, man!”

“Give ’em a blackboard talk, sir, to-morrow instead of a scrimmage. Maybe they could walk through the plays afterwards in the gym.”

“Yes, they might do that. And how about Friday?”

“We’ll wait and see, sir. But we’ll have to lay Colton and Hadlock off for a couple of days, I’m thinking.”

“How about Loring?”

“Uneasy, but all he needs is work. He’s the sort that can’t stand in the stable, sir, without getting the fidgets.”

“And Kapenhysen?”

“Fit, sir.”

“And Williams?” Andy shook his head.

“He won’t be round by Saturday unless for a few minutes of the game. In fact, I wouldn’t advise you to put much faith in him for the rest of the season. He’s mighty uncertain, sir.”

“Well, there’s Vinton. Vinton is doing good work. If he can keep it up we won’t miss Williams, I guess. You think, though, that Williams is the only one we’ll have to keep out on Saturday?”

“As it looks now, sir.”

“I’ve been thinking I’d start the game with the second string of backs, Andy; Stevens at left half, Dyer at right and Gerard at full.”

“Yes, sir, but King won’t do at quarter, I’m thinking.”

“No, no, Loring will have to play the game through if he can.”

“He can do it, barring injury, sir.”

“It’s too bad about Clapp. This is his last year, too, poor chap. How’s he getting on?”

“First rate, sir. He’ll be able to see the Broadwood game, likely.”

“That’s good. Well, I guess I’ll take your advice, Andy, and cut out the scrimmage to-morrow. I wish we might have a spell of good cold weather.”

“We need it, sir; this sort of thing takes the life out of ’em. It’s a touch of frost they need. They ain’t eating right. If they don’t pick up by Friday, sir, I’d say give ’em a signal drill and hand ’em over to me for a walk.”

“All right, Andy, you know your end of it better than I do. But remember that I ought to have three days of hard work yet and give them to me as soon as you can.”

Instead of improving, the weather got worse. Thursday and Friday were soft, muggy, cloudy days without a bit of life in the air. The only consolation Payson could find was in reflecting that the conditions were just as unfavorable for Broadwood as they were for Yardley. Thursday there was the blackboard talk in the trophy room and the first trials of the new plays on the gymnasium floor. Friday signal practice was held out of doors, there was a little punting and catching for the backs and then Andy took them off for a five-mile walk along the shore. At supper that night the trainer thought he could detect an improvement in the spirits of his men. Appetites were better and the talk was more sprightly than it had been since the Brewer game.

Saturday dawned bright and warm, but there was a light breeze off the water that promised to freshen as the day advanced. The Nordham game was set for three o’clock. After luncheon Gerald showed up and he and Dan spent a half-hour together before the latter went over to the gymnasium to dress. Gerald was an enthusiastic Yardley Hall boy now; one would have thought that he was already enrolled.

“You’re coming home to dinner with me, Dan,” he said as they parted at the gymnasium. But Dan shook his head.

“There’s a meeting of what Payson calls the Advisory Committee this evening,” he said. “Can’t I come to-morrow night instead?”

“Yes, but I wish you’d come to-night. Anyhow, I’ll wait for you here after the game. Good-bye.”

Nordham, like Yardley, had gone through the season thus far without a defeat and the game had awakened a good deal of interest in the neighborhood. So by three o’clock Yardley Field was filled with the largest audience of the Fall. Nordham, who had journeyed down from Western Massachusetts, had played Broadwood the day before, and, using her substitutes whenever possible, had managed to escape with the score 12 to 9 against her. Yardley expected a hard game, but not such a difficult one as that with Brewer. Nordham had only won twice during the last six years, and then by small scores; usually Yardley managed to win decisively. But to-day Payson was in doubt, for there was no denying that his team was backward. The line-up when the game began was as follows: Vinton, left end; Little, left tackle; Hadlock, left guard; Hill, center; Colton, right guard; Mitchell, right tackle; Dickenson, right end; Loring, quarter-back; Stevens, left half; Dyer, right half; Gerard, full-back.

Nordham Academy’s team was, theoretically at least, an ideal one. From tackle to tackle her men were both heavy and fast; her ends were rangy, hard-running and fleet of foot; her quarter, a veteran of three seasons, was one of the best on the school gridirons, a plucky, determined player and a good general; her backs were fairly light, fast and “tricky.” She had been drilled in new football until, to-day, she was far in advance of her opponent in that line. Having won the toss she placed herself with the breeze, which since morning had strengthened a good deal, at her back. Kapenhysen kicked to her ten yard-line and Dickenson nailed the runner for a scant gain. Then Nordham sprang the first of many bewildering surprises.

Leaving her center absolutely alone in the middle of the field, the rest of her line-men spread out until the ends were close to the side-lines and an average distance of four yards separated them. The Nordham quarter went back ten yards and a little to the right of center and the two half-backs stood ahead and at either side as though a kick was to be made and they were to protect the kicker. The full-back was a little in advance of the quarter and ten yards or so to the right.

It was open formation with a vengeance, and Yardley was at a loss how to meet it. No one had ever seen such a play and for a moment consternation reigned in the ranks of the Blue. Finally, deciding that a punt was coming, Yardley spread out in a half-hearted way, Dickenson following his opposing end and Dan starting to do the same until the position of the full-back struck him as peculiar. By that time Nordham was giving her signals. Dan abandoned his end and took up a position in front of the Nordham full-back.

The ball flew back to quarter at an angle, the Yardley forwards ran through the open line and the Nordham full-back sprang straight ahead. Dan saw him coming and tried to upset him, but the Nordham chap was too much for him and the next moment the ball was arching across the line into his arms on the prettiest of forward passes. Had Yardley met the formation by either keeping her line closed or by opening it up wide it is probable that the Nordham full-back would have got away for a good gain. But as it was he was nabbed before he had made three strides with the ball in his arm. But Nordham had gained ten yards and Yardley was still bewildered.

After that, as though to lull suspicion, Nordham settled down to plays on tackle and wide runs at the ends. There she made a mistake, for had she attempted another trick at that time--and she still had plenty up her sleeve--she might have made a good gain, for Yardley was for the moment quite demoralized. Payson, for one, drew a deep breath of relief when he saw the enemy return to ordinary formations.

For awhile Nordham stuck to plain football without frills, making gains now and then through the left of the line from guard to end and now and then getting a back away around one corner or the other. It is only fair to say that Dan’s corner was less easy than Dickenson’s, for the latter was plainly off his game and allowed himself to be put out of the way frequently. But the gains were all short, and on Yardley’s twenty-eight yards the ball was lost on downs. Kapenhysen kicked and the struggle began all over again. Nordham now began a series of shifts which worked well until Yardley, who had been coached to meet them but lacked experience, solved them.

There were fumbles on both sides and the ball hovered for some time around the center of the field. Finally Nordham worked a quarter-back kick and recovered the ball on the Blue’s twenty yards and the game took a new turn. Yardley was on defense almost under her goal-posts. A forward pass netted Nordham six yards, a penalty set her back five, several tries through the line left her little better off and finally she tried a drop-kick for goal that only missed by the narrowest of margins. On the stands the Yardley supporters breathed with relief and their cheers took on a more hopeful tone. Later, Yardley reached her opponent’s ten yards only to be held for downs. The half ended with the ball in midfield, with no score and with the honors belonging to Nordham.

In the second half Payson put in his first string of backs. It was Nordham’s kick-off. Yardley had the wind in her favor now and instead of running the ball back from the ten-yard-line, Loring passed it to Kapenhysen who punted. The ruse worked well, for Nordham’s backs were well up toward the center of the field and had to turn and run back to get the ball. By the time they had reached it Yardley’s ends were down on them and there was no advance. Again came the wide-open formation. It had been talked over in the gymnasium during intermission and Yardley had been instructed how to meet it. Her ends strung away after the opposing ends, but the rest of her forwards and two backs lined up in rather close formation, the backs reinforcing the line in front of the Nordham full-back, who, with the right end, was the only player in position to get through and legally capture a forward pass. But this time, instead of going to the quarter at an angle, the ball went straight back at short pass to left half who got off a quick, low kick from close behind center. It was nip and tuck, but he got the ball away before Colton and Mitchell smashed into him. It was a nervy play and even the Yardley sympathizers were forced to voice their approval. Dan put out his opponent, but the Nordham left tackle went straight down the field without molestation, as did the Nordham right end. Loring, however, was fleet of foot and although the ball had struck the ground before he had reached it he managed to recover it deftly on the rebound and make the turn toward his opponent’s goal before he was downed. Nordham had gained thirty yards and better.

On second down, with six yards to go, Yardley tried a bunch forward pass, but it failed to work and a fifteen yard penalty set her back to her fifteen yards. Kapenhysen kicked and the pigskin was Nordham’s again near her fifty-yard-line. She tried a quarter-back kick and gained twelve yards. Another plunge at right tackle for a scant three feet was followed by a fake punt in which the left half took the ball between his own left guard and center for a first down. Trick after trick was tried and Yardley was fairly bewildered. Then a fumble by quarter gave Yardley the ball and Kapenhysen kicked on first down, the ball settling into the Nordham left half’s arms on his ten yards. He reeled off ten more before he was stopped. Nordham’s line opened wide across the field again and Yardley tried to guard against a kick by dropping her backs further from the line. This time the ball went to quarter and he sprang away outside of Yardley’s right tackle and had put four white lines underfoot before he was stopped. A few minutes later the same formation was used again, but by this time Yardley had learned her lesson. She made her line compact at the center and trusted to getting through and upsetting the play before it was in motion. The result was that Nordham was set back for a five-yard loss. That was the last of the wide-open play that day.

But she never allowed Yardley to become bored. She had more tricks than a juggler and Loring’s brain fairly seethed. Getting the ball on her forty yards, Yardley punted to Nordham’s twenty-five and Dan dropped the runner at the second stride. Here, thought the Yardley supporters, was where the Blue won the game! Mindful of what had happened in the Brewer game, Loring called for a forward pass to Dan, but Nordham was too cute and Dan found himself besieged by the Nordham right half and full, and the latter secured the ball. Nordham quickly punted out of danger. Yardley settled down now, with ten minutes to play, to steady attacks at the opponent’s line. This programme, interspersed with an occasional try at the ends, worked well for short gains and yard by yard the pigskin crept back toward Nordham’s goal.

But it was slow going and Nordham killed all the time she could. She was lavish with new players, sending in substitutes here and there all along the line and, before the game was at end, providing herself with a brand-new backfield. With two minutes to play and the ball on Nordham’s fifteen-yard-line Loring called again for a forward pass, but again Nordham solved the play and spoiled it and again kicked out of danger. Disheartened, the blue-clad warriors took up the journey again. Loring was taken out and King sent in. Connor tried the end without result and Capes had little luck at the other corner. Kapenhysen kicked. Nordham returned it. Connor got away through tackle for twelve yards, Capes seized three more through the same hole, Kapenhysen plugged center for four and then came another punt. This time Nordham kept the ball and began an attack on the Blue’s line, but before she had made her third down the whistle blew and the game was over with no score.

Yardley had one consolation, however, and she made the most of it; she was still undefeated.