Football Days | Page 7

decided that it
would be wise to see Andover play at Andover the week before we
were to play them. Accordingly, Mr. George went to Andover, and
when he returned, he gathered the team around him in one of the
recitation halls and described carefully the offense and defense of our
coming opponents. He also demonstrated with checkers what each man
did in every play and placed emphasis on the work of Eddie Holt, who
was acting captain of the Andover team. To represent Holt's giant build
he placed one checker on top of another, saying, as I remember, with
great seriousness:
"This topped checker represents Holt. He must be taken care of, and it
will require two Lawrenceville men to stop him on every play. I am
certain of this for Holt was a marvel last Saturday."
During the week we drilled secretly and most earnestly in anticipation
of defeating Andover. The game attracted an unusually large number of
spectators. Lawrenceville made it a gala day for its alumni, and all the
old Andover and Lawrenceville boys who could get there witnessed the
game.
When the Andover team ran out upon the field we were all anxious to
see how big Holt loomed up. He certainly was a giant and towered high
above the other members of his team. Soon the whistle blew, and the
trouble was on. In memory now I can see Billy Dibble circling
Andover's end for twenty-five yards, scoring a touchdown amid

tremendous excitement.
This all transpired during the first minute and a half of play. Emerson
once said, "We live by moments," and the first minute and a half of that
game must stand out as one of the eventful periods in the life of every
man who recalls that day of play. No grown-up schoolboy can fail to
appreciate the scene or miss the wave of boyish enthusiasm that rolled
over the field at this unlooked for beginning of a memorable game
between schoolboys.
[Illustration:
Davis MacNider Dibble de Saulles Moffat Cadwalader Edwards
Walton Wentz Geer Rotter
WE BEAT ANDOVER]
This wonderful start of the Lawrenceville team was a goading spur to
its opponents. Johnnie Barnes, an ex-Lawrenceville boy, now
quarterback on the Andover team, seemed fairly inspired as he urged
his team on. Eddie Holt was called upon time and again. He was
making strong advances, aided by French, Hine and Porter. Together
they worked out a touchdown. But Lawrenceville rallied and for the
rest of the game their teamwork was masterly. Bat Geer, who was later
a Princeton Varsity player, Charlie de Saulles and Billy Dibble, each
scored touchdowns, making three altogether for their school.
Thus Lawrenceville, with the score 20 to 6, stepped forth into a new era
and entered the larger football world where she was to remain and
increase her heroic accomplishments in after years.
It is needless to say that the night following this victory was a crowning
one in our preparatory football experiences. Bonfires were lighted,
speeches were the order of the hour, and members of the team were the
guests of honor at a banquet in the Upper House. There was no rowdy
"revelry by night" to spoil the memory of the occasion. It was just one
simple, fine and fitting celebration of a wholesome school victory on
the field of football.

LAST YEAR AT LAWRENCEVILLE
It was up to Billy Dibble, the new captain, to bring about another
championship. We were to play Andover a return game there. Captain
Dibble was left with but three of last year's team as a foundation to
build on. Dibble's team made a wonderful record. He was a splendid
example for the team to follow, and his playing, his enthusiasm, and
earnest efforts contributed much toward the winning of the Andover,
Princeton freshmen and Hill School games. There appeared at
Lawrenceville a new coach who assisted Street and George. He was
none other than the famous Princeton halfback, Douglas Ward, whose
record as an honored man in the classroom as well as on the football
field was well known to all of us, and had stood out among college
athletes as a wonderful example. He was very modest. I recall that
some one once asked him how he made the only touchdown against
Yale in the '93 game. His reply was: "Oh, somebody just pushed me
over."
Fresh in my memory is the wonderful trip that we boys made to
Andover. We were proud of the fact that the Colonial Express was
especially ordered to stop at Trenton for us, and as we took our seats in
the Pullman car, we realized that our long looked for expedition had
really begun.
We had a great deal of fun on the trip to Boston. Good old George
Cadwalader was the center