November 19, 1898

DICKINSON 44-GETTYSBURG 0. 

What in many respects proved to be the most pleasant and noteworthy feature of the football season thus far was the game with Gettysburg on Wednesday afternoon of this week, by the which cordial relations were once more resumed between the two colleges after a period of five years’ unfortunate misunderstanding. Every feature of the contest, both on the part of player and spectator, was marked by the elimination of everything tending to unpleasantness; in fact, Dickinson hospitality did itself proud and received the intense appreciation of the visitors.

Of course, all interest on the side lines centered in the size of the score which the home team would make against the enemy, the defeat of Gettysburg partaking somewhat of the nature of a foregone conclusion. The final tally, 44-0, was highly satisfactory to the “faithful,” although those who take comfort in comparing scores would have gloried in larger results, as State won their game with Gettysburg by a 40-0 score. But for Houston’s sheer “hard luck” at goal kicking and a failure of the locals to play their “level best” at every juncture, the score would have completely out done even this latter class.

The playing of the home team lacked much of being above criticism, their chief sins being a painful slowness on the offensive and an unfortunate tendency to fumble. Very little excuse can be offered for either fault, as the men were not “stale” nor the pigskin waxed. Something was wrong too, either with the interference or the runner, that allowed Hann to be downed frequently by a Gettysburg “sub” for a considerable loss. The players must remember that Hann is a “light weight” and reliable when unaided only in a comparatively open field. The man himself must not forget to follow his interference in plays directed against the line. In defensive work the left side of the line was most seriously at fault; Bonner and Deal failed to play low enough, and Shiffer frequently gave attention to everybody but the man with the ball when the play came around his end.

The brilliant individual flashes of the Dickinsonians were the numerous 25 and 30-yd. dashes of Hann, the telling advances of Houston, made mostly on tricks, the superior all around playing of Craver and Smith and the fine 10-yd. runs of Shiffer.

Gettysburg relied altogether upon open plays for their success, scarcely once resorting to the tricks which teams usually employ in the hope of scoring “just once.” Their beefy guards did finely in the celebrated “guards back,” and their entire system of interference was compact and difficult of solution. They exhibited unfortunate fumbling tendencies and aimed too high in their tackling, besides being weak at punting, all of which increased the score against them. Loudon was the brightest star of the visiting constellation, his 10 and 15-yd. dashes being frequent and timely. His unfortunate injury gave a chance for Emmert to display remarkable talent at tackling. Young, H. N., Gilbert and Doty were not far behind these in playing ability.