The crowded bleachers were inspiring;the season was rounding out in a blaze of glory for Sunrise.The two teams were evenly matched,And the stern joy that warriors feel In foemen worthy of their steel,spurred each to its best efforts.It was a battle royal,with all the turns of strategy,and quickness,and straight physical weight,and sudden shifting of signals,fake plays,forward passes,line bucks,and splendid interference,flying tackles,speedy end runs,and magnificent defense of goals with lines of invincible strength and spirit.
With the kick-off the enemy's goal was endangered by a fumbled ball,and within three minutes Trench had torn a hole in the defense,through which the Sunrise team were sending Vic Burleigh for a touchdown.
The bleachers went wild and the grandstand was almost shipwrecked in the noise.
"Burleigh!Burly!Burlee!"shrieked the yell-leader as Vic leaped over the goal line and the rooters roared:
The Sunrise hope!
And that's the dope!
Never quails!
Never fails!
Burleigh!Burly!Burlee!
A difficult kick from a sharp angle sent the ball through the air one inch wide of the goal post,and the bleachers counted five.
And then,came the forward swing again,the struggle for downs,the gain and loss of territory,until Trench,too heavy for speed,failed to break through the interference quickly enough to hold a swift little quarterback,who slipped around the end of the line,and,shaking off the tackles,swooped toward the Sunrise goal.
The last defense was thrown headlong,and the field was wide open for the run;and the quarterback was running for the honor of his team,his school,his undying fame in the college world.
Three yards to the goal line,and victory would be his.
All Lagonda Ledge held its breath as Vic Burleigh tore through a tangle of tackles and sprang forward with long,space-eating bounds.
He seemed to leap through ten feet of air,straight over the quarterback's head and land four feet from the goal with the quarterback in his grip,while a Sunrise halfback out beyond him was lying on the lost ball.
The bleachers now went entirely mad,for from the very edge of disaster,the tide of battle was turned into the enemy's territory.
Before the Sunrise rooters had time to cease rejoicing,however,the invincible quarterback was away again,and with two guards and a center on top of Burleigh,now the plucky runner broke across the Sunrise line,and a minute later missed a pretty goal.
And the opposing bleachers counted five.
The second half of the game was filled with a tense,fruitless strife.
Five points to five points,and four minutes of time to play.The struggle had ceased to be a turning of tricks and test of speed.Henceforth,it was man against man,pound for pound.Suddenly,the opposing team braced itself and began a steady drive down the gridiron.With desperate energy,the Sunrise eleven fought for ground,giving way slowly,defending their goal like true Spartans,dying by inches,until only three yards of space were left on which to die.The rooters shrieked,and the girls sang of courage.
Then a silence fell.Three yards,and the Sunrise team turned to a rock ledge as invincible as the limestone foundation of their beloved college halls.