FOOTBALL: Early Games Return to Year-by-Year HOME
All of these scores come from the 1918 Yearbook (called The Flag). There was probably no football again until 1921. Hayden had trouble fielding teams during this period. The earliest photo we have shows only eleven players. SEE BELOW So injuries could easily have ended seasons in this era for a small school like Topeka Catholic.
1917 Football Squad (THE FLAG:1918 Yearbook)
Leavenworth Times describes the 11/26/14 meeting as championship game for Catholics in the state of Kansas. They describe "Assumption High" as undefeated ?? Meriden Ledger says "Assumption boys were very unmannerly" while losing to Meriden on 10-27-16. The Nortonville News said that TCHS played a clean game - but their fans smoked too much while winning the 10-25-17 contest.
The Topeka newspapers listed TCHS first football line-up in 1914 as follows: R. End - Stevens R. Tackle - McGinnis R. Guard - R. Monaghan Center - L. Marshall L. Guard - Lannon L. Tackle - J. Monaghan L. End - Brannon Quarterback - T. Marshall R. Halfback - Hartley L. Halfback - Ehrhardt Fullback - Dines. (TDC/TSJ). Hartley scored the only touchdown of the season in Thanksgiving Day game that 300 fans attended.
FOOTBALL | TEAM | PLACE | ||||
1914 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |||
10/15/14 * | St. Mary's Academy | L | 0 | 54 | ||
11/26/14 | Leavenworth Catholic | T | 6 | 6 | Western League Park - Topeka | |
1915 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |||
10/14/15 * | Highland Park | W | 12 | 0 | ||
10/21/15 * | St. Mary's Academy | L | 0 | 52 | ||
10/28/15 * | Meriden | L | 6 | 12 | ||
1916 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |||
9/30/16 | Lecompton | L | 0 | 44 | Lecompton | |
10/1/16 * | Highland Park | L | 2 | 6 | ||
10/15/16 * | Hoyt | L | 0 | 21 | Hoyt | |
10/27/16 | Meriden | L | 0 | 37 | ||
1917 | 3 | 2 | 0 | |||
10/8/17 * | Topeka High - B Team | L | 0 | 12 | ||
10/15/17 * | Delia (WTHS) | W | 12 | 8 | Delia | |
10/22/17 * | St. Mary's Academy | W | 18 | 0 | ||
10/25/17 | Nortonville | W | 19 | 0 | Nortonville | |
11/23/17 | Meriden | L | 0 | 19 | Meriden | |
11-26-14 LVT, 9-30-16 LS, 10-27-16 ML, 10-25-17 NN, 11-23-17 ML
Yearbook of 1918 describes a 64-0 win over Sumner Jr High - it is described as a "practice game" and is not counted in the records for 1917.
There is no record of football being played in 1918 or 1919.
* These dates are estimated - reported in yearbook with no newspaper verification.
Scene from an ancient football game - date and place unknown.