1934 Cedrus Yearbook

FORTY YEARS OF ATHLETICS Cedarville's athletic career has been a checkered one, going from good to bad and worse to better. The history of athletics begins simultaneously with the history of the col- lege, for, while no athletic organization was sponsored and financed by the college in the early days, neither was it discouraged. The youths, inclined to display their prowess on the gridiron and diamond, were given all encouragement and the interest which these students had for developing their abilities in handling the pigskin and bat is manifested by the fact that they were willing to employ a coachat their own expense. Mr. Blackburn was the first coach employed by the college, taking his position in 1921. Following Blackburn the men at the head of the athletic department of the college were C. P. Warner, J. A. Talcott (who coached one year in addition to his regular duties as music director), E.F. Diedrich, A. M. Tuttle, R. M. Borst and the present coach, J. W. Ault. The football season of 1896 stands out as one of the highlights in Cedarville's athletics. Much credit for the success of the team that year is due J. C. Scarf, who coached the team and played the position of left-half. The record of scores for the season is quite interesting and one about which Cedarville will long boast: Cedarville, 0, Xenia, 0; Cedarville, 14, An- tioch, 0; Cedarville, 2, Wittenberg, 0; Cedarville, 36, Wilberforce, 0; Cedarville, 40: Lon- don, 0; Cedarville, 4, Wilmington, 4. On this greatest of all teams played some of our prominent alumni, namely C. C. Mor- ton, J. A. Orr, J. R. Harper and Wallace Ilife with his brothers Walter and Harry. Cedarville has not always been so successful, and there have been long periods when they played losing games, but always the spark of life was there and was kindled into flame at intervals. In 1903 Alford Memorial Gymnasium was dedicated and this year the first basketball teams were organized. The girls had a prominent place in this sport. Cedarville has the distinction of having the first girls' team in the state. A notable event occurred in 1911 when the girls' team defeated Miami University, for nine years undefeated, and wrested from that school the championship of Ohio. Student publications of those days give the information that the girls had to play a game in order to draw a crowd for the boys' game. In recent years Cedarville has been more victorious in baseball than in the other sports, defeating colleges with much larger enrollments. While our college has experienced its bright days and days of darkest gloom in its ath- letic career it has maintained through its four decades a never failing spirit of loyalty and fair play. Page Forty-five