Courtesy Van Wert County Historical Society
In 1912, the Van Wert team was playing on South Washington St. where the Central Mutual Insurance Co. building now sits. (In this photo, the house in the background is formerly the Elks building).
Photo of the team below :
1 – Harter – RE
2 – Lawrence Clark RT
3 – Floyed Kiggins RG
4 – Everett Gaddis RHB (behind #3)
5 – Kirby Fawcett FB
6 – Willson Brumback QB, Capt
7 – Horace Bickford C
8 – Lester Moorehead LG
9 – Dud Brown – LHB
10 – Earl Shaffer LT
11 – Harold Manship LE
The hub reported the game on November 16, 1912 – VAN WERT AGAIN DEFEATS DEFIANCE.. and is now preparing for the Hardest Game of the Season.
‘The football team representing the local high school lined up against the team from Defiance Friday afternoon and played a most interesting game, from every standpoint, and needless to say, the local fans are satisfied, as the home boys won, though by a small score.
‘The team from Defiance was very light, but they were quicker than cats, and the locals had much trouble keeping them from scoring on end plays, which Van Wert seemed to be unable to solve and break up.
‘Time after time, Defiance would circle the local ends for a nice gain, but at critical points always seemed to be unable to make her downs; Defiance only getting inside of Van Wert’s ten-yard line once.
‘In the second quarter, Van Wert, through a series of magnificent line bucks, and a forward pass, carried the ball across Defiance’ goal for a touchdown, which, however, was not allowed on a technicality. This seemed to put a little more ginger into the locals, and in the third quarter after three minutes of play during which they carried the ball from their 15-yard line to their 45-yard line, when Fawcett wiggled and squirmed through a mass of tacklers, and made a great 65 yard dash for a touchdown; Brown kicked goal making the score Van Wert 7, Defiance 0. And that was the only score of the game.
‘In the fourth quarter, the ball seesawed up and down the field with neither team getting within striking distance of the other’s goal.
‘The game Friday afternoon proves that under the new rules, a light team can make it very interesting for a team whose general line-up is as heavy as Van Wert’s, as the open play, and the forward pass give them many a chance to slip one over their heavier and necessarily slower opponents.
‘The attendance Friday was the best of the season, but still it was far under what it should have been, considering the game that the locals are now playing; the “faithful fifty” High School students were in evidence as usual.
‘The next game is with Lima, at that city, the coming Friday, and it will likely be the hardest game of the season, but we look for the locals to carry off the honors, but to do so, they will have to watch those end runs a little closer, and break them up a little faster.
‘The entire backfield play a star game Friday, while Clark as sual made his distance, practically every time he was called on to carry the ball.’
source: VWCo Historical Society files
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