“Kick as you never kicked before!”

Gridley fans could fairly hear themselves shake now.  Hats were off and waving.  The High School girls stood up, frantically waving their crimson and gold banners.

Cool, steady, like one without nerves, Thompson went back into the field and poised himself for the kick.

At the whistle the dull thump of a boot against the pigskin was heard all over the field.  The ball arched and soared.  Even before it came toward earth a wild “hurrah!” went up from the east side.  The ball went straight between the bars!

Score:  “Six to five!”

Badger and his young reliables were quietly smiling, now.  Captain Halsey began to look glum.

“Four bars of ‘Hot Time’ once more!” begged Dick Prescott, in a voice that sounded as if palsy-touched.

The band blared out while the teams were changing ends.

Once more Cobber got the ball on the kick-off.  A massed rush was made for Gridley’s goal, but it didn’t get far.  With eleven minutes left to play, and a lead on the score, Badger had resolved on using up all the reserve strength, if need be.  Gridley had not yet called on any substitutes, and several capable young “subs” waited just outside the lines, frantic for a call.  Let Cobber be rough, if that suited the college men.

Cobber lost the ball on downs.

Then Gridley took the pigskin.

“Play for time,” was Badger’s signaled order.

Not much in the delay line is possible under a vigilant referee, yet all the time that strategy could gain was taken advantage of.

Thrice the ball was fought over the center of the gridiron.  Then it settled slowly toward the High School goal, making slow, stubbornly fought advances.

Three minutes left to play!

Gridley H.S. got the ball once more, under the distance rule.

Now Badger called out the same signal that had been used for that most effective fake kick.

Captain Halsey smiled as he saw the High School fighters spread out swiftly, just as they had done before.

Halsey thought he knew this time!  That same old ruse of dashing around the left end; then a fake kick and a dashing race by Stearns.  Halsey’s swiftly telegraphed orders disposed his men to meet the former dodge more effectively.

The whistle sounded, and the ball was passed.  But what Halsey didn’t know was that, the second time this signal was called it meant the players were to do exactly what they seemed spreading out for.

So the ball actually went around the left end this time, Evans making the best sprint that was left in his stiffening muscles.

He covered twenty-four yards before he was brought to earth.

Here was where delay came in.  While Cobber was fighting stubbornly to regain the pigskin, the whistle sounded the end of the second half.

Gridley had won from the big enemy!