1904WHS_Football

Indiana High School Athletics Association IHSAA was founded in 1904 and Westfield was a founding member.

Football Scores of Westfield High School

vs. Carmel: 17-12; 5-10

vs. Rensselear: 0-11; 0-34

vs. Shortridge Indianapolis: 0-34

The first annual IHSAA report contains a story about an issue between Westfield and Sheridan football teams

Link to JPGs: Page 52 - Page 53

The Case of Westfield vs . Sheridan high

On October 22,1904, the Board of Control met in the office of President Geo. W. Benton, at Shortridge High School, lndianapolis, to hear the case of of Westfield vs. Sheridan. A football game had been scheduled between these schools for October 8, but owing to the fact that two of Sheridan's men were protested by Westfield, the game was postponed until the protest should be decided by the Board or Control.

Floyd Williamson, a member of the Sheridan team, was protested on the ground that he was twenty-one years of age. In support of this protest Superintendent Jessup, of Westfield, presented two copies of the County Enumeration Record to show him that Floyd Williamson was born February 12, 1883. He also stated that many other flies of these records showed a corresponding date. In addition to this, it was asserted that Williamson was a member of the Knights of Pythias Lodge.

In defense of Mr. Williamson, Principal Spurgeon, of Sheridan, presented a statement, signed by the former's father, certifying that Floyd Williamson was born February 12, 1884. A further statement was presented, signed by the presiding officer and membership committee of the K. of P. Lodge, acknowledging that Floyd Williamson had been admitted to membership in the lodge when "he had not yet reached his twenty-first birthday, but that he was taken in at that age because he was In his twenty-first year."

In the face of such conflicting testimony the Board decided that the decision should be left to a sworn statement of both father and mother as to the date of Mr. Williamson's birth.

The following week a statement was received by the Board from Superintendent Dowers, of Sheridan, certifying that Floyd Williamson was born February 12, 1884, to which statement was appended the names of Mr. Wllllamson's father and mother. Since this did not comply with the conditions of the Board's decision, it was rejected and Superintendent Bowers was so notified.

On November 10, Mr. Bowers wrote to President Benton, of the Board, as follows: "In reply to your letter of the 7th inst, Floyd Williamson admitted his seniority and intelligibility last week and voted Tuesday. We are taking appropriate action to meet such offense, which we regret very much."

William Kercheval, another member of the Sheridan team, was protested on the ground that he had been a member of a high school athletic team for more than four years. This statement was supported by evidence.

The following defense was offered for Mr. Kercheval: He entered the Sheridan High School in the fall of 1900. About three weeks after the beginning of the term he was forced to quit school for some time, owing to a fire in which his mother received severe Injuries and his sister was fatally burned. On re-entering school he entered the eighth grade, and at the end of the year received a diploma from this grade.

The decision of the Board in this case was that during the year 1900·1901 William Kercheval was an eighth grade pupil, and that therefore his playing on the high school team did not make him ineligible to play during the present season. This decision was satisfactory to Superintendent Jessup.

The Board further found that both schools had acted with good faith throughout, and that neither was to be criticised. Although in the original charges Sheridan had asked that Westfield forfeit her membership and ten dollars, under Sec. 11 of the constitution, it was later admitted that no grounds existed for such forfeiture, since none had been stipulated in the contract between the two schools and the game bad been postponed by

mutual consent of both parties

.

The representatives of both schools present at thls meeting expressed themselves as satisfied with the decisions of the Board of Control.