FOUR HIGH SCHOOL GRID TEAMS BATTLE IN SEMIFINAL GAME SATURDAY

By Roy B. Henderson

Austin, Texas. Dec. 9th - Tomorrow the eyes of Texas will be focussed upon four high school teams remaining in the University of Texas Interscholastic League football race. These four teams, Abilene, Austin, Bryan and Dallas (Oak Cliff), either directly or indirectly, have eliminated more than 270 other teams, representing every nook and corner of the State competing under the league plan. Each of the teams surviving has come up fighting hard through a regular and logical series of eliminations; first sectional and then intersectional, building its claims not by arithmetical calculations upon paper, but by establishing superiority on the gridiron. These teams also have been required to live up to very strict eligibility rules, including scholarship requirements of the severest sort which have been enforced throughout the season, making it necessary for the members to attain a high standard of school work before being allowed to play. Moreover, eligibility, so far as participating teams is concerned, is a matter of proved and permanent record in the league office, and is not left to the unsupported assertion of interested authorities.

The most recent development in the league race was the victory by Dallas (Oak Cliff) over the Temple Wildcats last Monday at Temple in a thrilling game before 4,000 spectators, such as those frequently imagined but seldom seen. After three strenuous periods of seesawing back and forth, Oak Cliff put over a brace of touchdowns in the fourth quarter via the forward pass route, forging ahead of the Bell County boys and winning 28 to 17. Oak Cliff will now meet the strong Abilene team for the championship of North and West Texas in a game to be played at Abilene December 10. In addition to Temple, Oak Cliff has played and eliminated the following league teams: Honey Grove, Dallas (Forest HIgh), Dallas (Bryan High), Ennis and Corsicana. One or more of these teams, defeated by Oak Cliff, can show supremacy over every other team in North Texas, which clearly shows Oak Cliff as the strongest high school team in her section of the State.

Abilene, the pride of West Texas, has an immaculate record and is the undisputed champion of four sections, having won their sectional championship by defeating Comanche 20 to 7, they next eliminated Big Spring, the leader of Section 3. Electra, the champions of Sections 4 and 1, was making rapid strides towards State honors until Abilene defeated them on their home field to the tune of 28 to 14. Other teams that have felt the offensive power of Abilene are Sweetwater, Merkel, Stamford, Cisco and Brownwood.

At the same time Oak Cliff and Abilene are playing, Austin and Bryan will be fighting it out for the South and East Texas championship on Clark Field at Austin. Considered by many early in the season as the weakest team of the quartet, Austin has, under the able tutelage of George Foltz, won the undisputed championship of South Central and South Texas, defeating San Antonio (Main Avenue), Granger, Corpus Christi, Llano, Rockdale, Smithville and tying Georgetown, which team was later eliminated by Main Avenue. Austin has developed and improved with each game. The schedule has been handled in a masterly fashion and Hudson's boys will have to extend themselves to the limit in order to carry off the big end of the score.

The team from Bryan has stood out prominently from the beginning of the season, being the only one of the four survivors whose goal line remains uncrossed. Playing one of the most difficult schedules of any high school team in the State. Hudson's buskies have had only three points scored against them, and that by a 40-yard place kick in a game against A&M Reserves while they have run up a total of 360 points against their opponents. Being compelled to go out of their class to secure games they played the S.M.U. Freshmen to a 0-0 tie, defeated the A&M Freshmen 3-0 and lost to the A&M Reserves 3-0. None of these games have any bearing upon the league race. They are the champion team of three sections by reason of their victories over Bremond, Navasota, Conroe, Port Arthur, Nacogdoches and Eagle Lake.

The winners Saturday will play for the State championship on December 17.

Return to ---> 1921