The possibilities of new football against the old game were demonstrated at Fenway Park yesterday afternoon when Oak Park High School of Oak Park, a suburb of Chicago, defeated the Everett High eleven, 31 to 14, thereby capturing what many will regard as the National scholastic championship in football.
Oak Park possessed the most versatile and varied attack ever shown by any school team in the East. Its passing game, which resembled basket ball, consisted of forward double/triple and even quadruple passes, which not only baffled Everett’s ends, but also wore down the home team’s defensive backs by the amount of work they were forced to do in tackling, so that they were tired out when their opportunity came to carry the ball.
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In a line-smashing game Everett was superior. Time and again Sweetland and Brickley, unaided, battered down their Chicago forwards and were stopped only by the sure tackling of Carolan, Barrett and Shiley, the Oak Park backs.
In the fourth period Everett High opened its play and successfully worked several forward passes to Reed, only one being incompleted. Had it varied this style of play with its line-plunging game, the Chicago eleven would have been forced to play its secondary defense more open, thus giving more opportunity to Everett when it resorted to skin-tackle plays.
The largest crowd that ever watched a school football game in this city was at the park. Upwards of 10,000, including thousands from Everett, were in attendance. Thousands unfamiliar with either of the elevens occupied seats in the grandstand and all were amazed by the passing displayed by the visitors. The Western style of play compared with the Eastern game, as shown yesterday, was superior in almost every way from a spectator’s view point, as well as from a scoring angle. Many went away from the game declaring that it was a more spectacular game than any of the big college battles this Fall.
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Prior to the game Everett High was a slight favorite, chiefly because the game was on practically home grounds and also because Oak Park would be at some disadvantage by reason of the long trip from Chicago.
But Oak Park evidently did not feel the effects of the trip, if the outcome of the game is any indication. Its superiority in offensive play. tackling, sizing up opponents’ play and ability to handle the ball cleanly were some of the chief factors in the victory.
Revelation of Open Game
The game was nothing less than a revelation of what “open play” can accomplish when executed by a skilled and well drilled team.
Although the field was soft, the Oak Park backs handled the ball cleverly and found no difficulty in executing their double, triple and forward passes to perfection.
Among the school and college coaches at the game were W.H. Lillard of Andover Academy, Leo Leary of Harvard, Dan Triggs of Volkmaon, William Broderick of Haverhill High, B.H. Squires of Beverly High, Dr. Harry Cahill of Worcester Academy, Daniel Sullivan of Dean Academy, John O’Reilly of Dorchester High, William C. Matthews of Mechanic Arts High, Fred L. O’Brien of Boston English High, Fred J. O’Brien of Boston Latin, M.J. Redding of South Boston High, Alfred W. Dickinson of Newton High, Henry Carrell of Brookline, Ralph Kendall of Medford High, Steve Mahoney of Somerville High, Edward Sherlock of Rindge Technical, Charles Linehan of Chelsea High, Dan O’Flaherty of Cambridge Latin, Harry Dame of Waltham High, Larry Duffy of Natick High, Leander Macdonald of Marlboro High and Ralph Good of Malden High.
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[There] has never been a better game played in New England, and Oak Park High can count on an enthusiastic reception if it ever comes East again.
Certain critics criticized St. John’s Prep for losing to Oak Park last Fall at Chicago, when it was beaten by 17 to 6. It may be that Oak Park this Fall is a better machine, but if it displayed the same game against the Danvers school, the latter team did exceptionally well to have averted defeated by a larger score.
Play built around Macomber
Oak Park High had most of its play built around Bartlett Macomber, who is better known throughout the West as “Big Six.” He was himself one of the greatest schoolboy quarterbacks ever seen in this section.
Goelitz, Oak Park’s left tackle, who was on the final end of the quadruple pass, was undoubtedly the most spectacular player of the game. He made many sensational runs, and time and time again when he was apparently safely tackled, he would slip through an Everett player’s hands and add anywhere from three to 15 yards to his distance.
It was Goelitz’s ability to receive a well executed forward pass on Everett’s 25-yard line from Macomber that enabled him to make the first touchdown of the game.
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Johnnie Barrett is deserving of a lot of credit for the exceptional showing he made at right halfback. He entered the game not in the best of condition and his teammates hardly looked for him to accomplish much. Yet, few halfbacks have been as active, speedy and as slippery as was he, and he shared the honors of the day with Goelitz.
Other Oak Park stars
Capt. Penn Carolan was always to be relied upon at right halfback for Oak Park. He gave a good demonstration of broken-field running, and handled and shifted the ball with unusual judgment for a schoolboy.
Shelley, at fullback, was not called upon to do much until Oak Park had advanced the ball to within Everett’s 20-yard line, but he did telling work there. Several times Macomber called upon him to carry the ball when the other players were slightly fatigued, but seldom did the visiting backs show any signs of weakening.
To the spectators the Chicago eleven’s backfield was the center of attraction, but the line should not be regarded lightly, when it is taken into consideration that Everett’s was more powerful, but not as fast, tricky or shifty. Whenever an Oak Park player put an Everett player out of the way, that was good and out and did not figure in tackling the back carrying the ball.
Throughout the first period the entire Everett High eleven were carried off its feet by the dazzling trick plays, delayed passes, forward, double, triple and quadruple passes resorted to by the Oak Park players.
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The Everett High ends proved easy picking for Oak Park High. Instead of playing wide and waiting for the trick plays to be completed, they were out of the play entirely, and before they could get back the Chicago team’s backs were running the ball back anywhere from 10 to 50 yards down the field.
Old football against new
Against this bewildering style of play, Everett used only old-fashioned football -- all it knew apparently. However, it did use a series of forward passes late in the fourth period, most of which were successful. But this was the beginning and end of Everett’s open-play repertory.
Capt George Brickley scored eight of Everett’s points, and in spite of the fact that he was not as spectacular as Barrett or Goelitz, his work told when he hit Oak Park’s line One thing evident to every fan was that Oak Park went into the game especially determined to stop Brickley, and innumerable times two or three linemen as well as the secondary defense tackled him when Sweetland or Harwood carried the ball.
Brickley proved himself a wonder, even though he was playing on a losing team, and not once did he let up, although at the start of the second period his ankle was troubling him.
Sweetland and Harwood
Fred Sweetland, at right halfback, end Harwood, at fullback, played splendidly, both offensively and defensively, but failed to shine as conspicuously as Brickley. The failure of the linemen to put their opponents out of plays and get out of the way of themselves often accounted for these two backs’ inability to be effective.
Sweetland did lots of telling work on skin-tackle plays, while Harwood was not used nearly enough, for he proved himself a steady ground-gainer when he carried the ball.
Open football was used by Oak Park almost entirely, although in the second and third periods its style of the play was changed. The visitors started their attack on open football, but when within striking distance of the Everett goal line they resorted to line plunging and end runs. Everett until the final period continued to use old-style football, and did not open up until the game was good as lost.
Trick plays by the Chicago eleven played a great part in its victory. Skin-tackle plays, end runs and line-bucking were successfully used by the visiting backs, and the powerful Everett line was unable to check the fierce onslaught.
The Game
Capt Carolan of Oak Park, Capt George Brickley of Everett High and the officials had a consultation at 2 o’clock when the game was scheduled to start and made ground rules. Oak Park High won the toss and defended the east goal, having the advantage of the wind at its back.
At 2:10 Capt Brickley kicked off to Capt Carolan, who ran the ball back 25 yards. It was here that Boston first saw the quadruple pass, or “Flying Dutchman” play, the ball finally going to Goelitz, who made 20 yards. Oak Park tried a forward pass which was incompleted. Carolan fumbled on Everett’s 35-yard line, Pierotti and Bold scrambling for it and the first-named Everett player recovering the ball.
Sweetland gained six yards, but Everett soon lost the ball on a fumble by Brickley. Then followed a 25-yard triple pass from Macomber to Barrett to Goelitz who made 25 yards additional and gave Oak Park the first touchdown of the game. Macomber missed the goal.
Macomber kicked off and the home eleven rushed the ball into Oak Park’s territory. The visitors soon received the ball on their 20-yard line, where Brickley kicked out of bounds. Another triple pass, Macomber to Barrett to Goelitz, gained 30 yards for the visitors.
Macomber made six yards on a delayed pass. Then Oak Park, by a series of trick plays, worked the ball close to the Everett goal and Carolan went through the line four yards for the second touchdown. Macomber again missed the goal. Score, Oak Park 12, Everett 0.
Brickley received the kickoff and ran the ball back 56 yards by clever dodging and skillful use of the straight arm. Everett was penalized 15 yards for holding and then lost the ball on downs. On a quarterback run Macomber carried the ball to Everett’s 24-yard line, and after the next play the period ended.
Everett scores in second
On the opening play in the second period John Barrett made 15 yards around Everett’s right end. Macomber advanced the ball five yards, and Carolan took the ball over the goal line, but fumbled, and Everett recovered the pigskin for a touchback. The ball was carried out to the 20-yard line and put in scrimmage by Everett.
Brickley on the first play made 10 yards and followed with a brilliant end run of 48 yards, shaking off Oak Park players right and left.
It looked as though he would score, but he finally downed. Brickley advanced 10 more yards, and Everett had the ball for first down on Oak Park’s 10-yard line.
Here Capt Brickley brought the ball to the four-yard line, and Sweetland gained two yards. Brickley then plunged through right guard for Everett’s first score of the game, and the first touchdown made against Oak Park High in three years. Brickey also kicked the goal. Score, Oak Park 12, Everett 7.
Everett kicked off to Oak Park’s 10-yard line and the ball was run back 11 yards. On a triple pass Goelitz gained 20 yards, but the next trick play resulted in no gain. An Oak Park forward pass was intercepted by Brickley on his own 20-yard line, and rushes by Brickley, Harwood and Sweetland advanced the ball to Oak Park’s 40-yard line.
Everett gained first down in two rushes and runs by Sweetland. Harwood and Brickley placed the ball on Oak Park’s 20-yard line. Brickley gained three yards. Harwood failed to gain, but Bold received a forward pass from Brickley and landed it on Oak Park’s 11-yard line.
Brickley took the ball to the seven-yard line. Harwood advanced it two yards, but Sweetland was unable to gain. On the last two plays Oak Park appeared offside to those on the sidelines and the spectators in the grandstands, but the officials did not see it that way. Interference with Everett’s center was also apparent on the succeeding play, but this also escaped the game attention of the officials.
On the fourth down Brickley gained only a yard, and Everett lost the ball on downs with 2 ½ yards of Oak Park’s goal.
Macomber sent away a beautiful punt from behind its own goal line, Brickley catching it on Oak Park’s 40-yard line, and after advancing it five yards was downed. The half ended there with the score Oak Park 12, Everett H.S. 7.
Oak Park tallies again
Oak Park kicked off to Everett in the third period, Brickey receiving the ball and carrying it 12 yards. Sweetland rushed it three yards and Brickley made first down. Everett got another first down on two plays. An offside penalty advanced the ball to the 40-yard line.
Carolan of Oak Park intercepted a forward pass from Brickley, but fumbled after carrying the ball a short distance and Everett recovered.
Harwood made first down. Brickley gained seven yards and Harwood then advanced the ball to within one foot of a first down, Everett losing the ball on Oak Park’s 25-yard line.
Oak Park, on triple passes, gained several yards, and on fake punts Macomber and Shiley gained 30 yards. Barrett made 10 yards around right end and Macomber dove through the center four yards for a touchdown. The attempt to kick the goal failed. Score, Oak Park 18, Everett 7.
Oak Park kicked off and Everett soon punted. Goelitz gained 20 yards, but the ball was brought back and judged illegal because it was contended that two forward passes were made. Oak Park punted, but Everett was unable to gain and lost the ball on downs.
Oak Park then used a series of trick plays, which, coupled with long runs by Goelitz, gained several yards; but Oak Park was penalized 15 yards for holding. Macomber kicked to Cannell and the ball was on the 36-yard line when the period closed. Score, Oak Park 18, Everett H.S. 7.
Everett’s second touchdown
Everett, by line bucking and end runs at the start of the fourth period, steadily advanced the ball toward Oak Park’s goal posts. Standing on the 11-yard line, Capt George Brickley tossed a forward pass to Reed, who was nailed on Oak Park’s 2-yard line. Sweetland then dove through center for Everett’s second touchdown, and Brickley kicked the goal.
Oak Park received Brickley’s kickoff and advanced the ball down the field on a series of trick plays, including criss-cross and forward passes. Goelitz made a pretty 30-yard run, but Everett put up a grand defense on the next play and held Oak Park without a gain.
Barrett plunged through the line for four yards on the next scrimmage for a touchdown. Macomber kicked the goal from a very difficult angle, it being the first made by Oak Park.
Everett decided to take the kickoff, and ran it back several yards. Shortly afterward it fumbled, which gave the ball to Oak Park. Barrett circled left end for 22 yards and Frier by a tackle-over play gained two more.
Carolan by a series of trick plays worked the ball down to the one-yard line. Everett held for one down and then Capt Carolan squirmed through the line for Oak Park’s final touchdown. Macomber kicked his second goal.
Brickley received the kickoff for Everett and ran it back 20 yards. Everett attempted a forward pass, which failed. Another forward pass, Brickley to Sweetland, netted 12 yards. The third forward pass, Brickley to Reed, was good for six yards, but an attempt to execute a fourth pass was intercepted by Macomber.
Oak Park tried a series of plays, which failed to gain, and Macomber punted to Everett, who started down the field once more. Everett continued to play the open game and was steadily advancing the pigskin toward Oak Park’s goal line when the final whistle sounded.