TEAM REACHES PEAK
Earl Blaik's first Dartmouth eleven reached its peak in the Harvard game. The showing of the Indians had the sports writers outdoing each other in the use of superlatives, the speed, brains and welldrilled maneuvers of the team attracting most praise. One expert was clever enough to declare that it was "a good football team without any good football players," meaning that it functioned well as a unit despite the lack of outstanding individuals. For a week the Big Green enjoyed its position at the head of the list of undefeated, untied and unscored-on teams.
The Crimson eleven carried the fight to Dartmouth early in the game, and secured the first break when it recovered Conti's fumble on the Green 82-yard line. Three rushes lost Harvard ten yards, and then Carl Ray, Dartmouth's sophomore center, intercepted Jackson's pass and carried the ball to Harvard's 32-yard line. The chunky center had a clear field in front of him, but speed is not one of his virtues, and Hedblom finally overtook him and brought him down from the rear. Ray's gallop, which placed a new complexion on the game, was the piece de resistance of the afternoon, and Bill Cunningham's classic description of the event is worth quoting:
"On the next play, Jackson did heave apass. He sent it whistling over center apparently to his right end. It never found itsdestined lodgment. Instead it zoomed intothe shovel-like paws of the blocky youngman who looks as if he has the possibilitiesof blooming into the greatest center Dartmouth has ever known. Young Mr. Carl P.Ray of Pawling, N. Y., at the momentweighs 195 powids. He is generously constructed along the old Sonnenberg pattern,being but 5 feet 10 niches in height. Amonth ago he weighed 225 pounds, but hiscoach, Harry Ellinger, has sweated anddieted the extra suet off him in the interestof speed and more speed.
In appearance, he's a throwback to theDartmouth of old. He approximates thefamous Hooper, up to now considered thegreatest center rush ever to wear the Green,in build. He plays with his jersey sleevestrimmed at the elbow in the fashion ofPop-Eye the Sailor. He roves and ramblesand journeys where he will. He anoints}he gluteal regions of the lax among thelinemen with a hortatory toe occasionally.He slaps another brother here and thereupon the back and is the general whooperupper and come-on-in-therer.
"He fades back on passes or sweeps assoon as he makes the diagnosis, and he hadfaded when Harvard's. Mr. Stonewall Jackson heaved that melon through the heavens. It landed ker-blam in his outstretcheddukes and he proceeded to pull off a runfor himself.
"While the Stadium trembled to thethunder of his hoofs and his still capaciousfront bounced along ahead of him likesomebody running interference, he shook,rattled and rolled 5, 10, 75, 20, 25, 30 yardsup the screaming Stadium with that ballhugged against his bosom like a bundle ofwet wash. About here, the Harvards beganto pen him. An end, crossing over, took ahard shot at him, and believe it or not, Mr.Ripley, young Pop-Eye paused in place until the end whizzed past him. He actuallycross stepped the Crimson tackier in thevery best backfield fashion and went onwith that football for 35, 40, and about45 yards.
"It looked for awhile as if he had a certain touchdown, but the Harvards wereganging him. It was the Crimson's Mr.Hedblom who finally laid him low. Mr.Hedblom took something of an unfair advantage. Mr. Hedblom weighs only 153pounds, and is something of a track man.Mr. Ray was all messed up with some moreHarvards and didn't see Mr. Hedblomcoming."
Harvard had the ball on the very next play, however, when Haley intercepted Handrahan's pass, but Hedblom tumbled as he sped through tackle and Deckert pounced on the ball on Harvard's 26-yard line. Aieta reeled off 14 yards to the 12- yard line, but there the Crimson stopped Dartmouth's running attack, and the unerring Mr. Hagerman dropped back and booted a field goal. The three points gave the Indians a lead which never seemed endangered during the rest of the game.
Shortly before the half ended, Frank Nairne went into the game and took a 30- yard pass from Bill Clark to advance the ball to Harvard's 5-yard line. One play was enough to send Nairne around end for a touchdown, and Hagerman kicked the tenth and final point of the afternoon.
Dartmouth dominated the game in the second half, and the powerful Green running attack began to pile up yardage. A march of nearly 70 yards carried to Harvard's a-yard line, where the Indians had three more downs in which to score when the contest ended. The end came suddenly with the scoreboard clock showing two minutes left to play and the Dartmouth stands clearing their throats to cheer another touchdown.
The major debut of Earl Blaik's eleven had been a howling success, the members of the team came through the battle in good physical shape, and students and old grads licked their chops in anticipation of Yale. Here, dear readers, the fairy tale ends.
