Another Incredible Football Rout . . . 

Return to TedSilary.com Home Page

  In 1891, Penn Charter swamped Phila. Manual Training, 122-0, in a
non-league football game. In that era, touchdowns were worth just four
points, so the Quakers reached the end zone TWENTY-NINE times!!
At that juncture, PATs were worth two points. (So, there must have
been a safety as well?) Thanks again to PC teacher John Burkhart for
tracking down these particulars in the school's magazine. (The 1891
edition was too brittle to risk trying to scan it, so John typed out everything.)
In that 1891 season, according to records given to me two decades ago
by Dr. Roger B. Saylor, PC also won games by 78-0 (over Cheltenham
Military), 74-0 (over St. Luke's), 70-0 (over Friends' Central) and 70-0
again (over Germantown Academy). Somehow, the Quakers lost to
Haverford School and Hill School.  
  -- Ted Silary tedted307@yahoo.com

 
This story appeared in PC's school magazine, in Oct. 1891

  The largest score ever made by Penn Charter was rolled up against the Manual Training School at Fifty-second street on October 9th. The superior team work of the school eleven showed itself to a great advantage, so much so that the Training School was unable to advance the ball further than Penn Charter's fifty-yard line. 

  The team played well together; their running, tackling and interfering was [sic] well-nigh perfect.


  The touchdowns were made as follows: Pardee, 3; VanDusen, 7; Mackenzie, 8; Bates, 3; Disston, 4; Dilley, 1; and Binder, 3. VanDusen and Binder kicked goals.

PC's line-up:

VanDusen, Full-Back
 

Bates & Mackenzie, Half-Backs
 
Rodgers, Quarter-Back
 
Pardee, Right End
 
Dilley & Rosengarten, Right Tackles
 
Hearn, Right Guard
 
Calver, Center
 
MacDonald, Left Guard
 
Binder, Left Tackle [how does a LT score 3 TDs?]
 
Disston, Left End

Referee and Umpire: Mr. Woodruff

Overall Note from John . . .

  Following this game's write-up was a report of meetings of the Inter-Academic Athletic Association, apparently a student-operated league in those days ("Mackenzie, of Penn Charter, was elected President by acclamation"). They listed the football schedule for October and November, with PC's contests italicized. In brackets below the schedule is this note: "We print our own games in italics, so that absence of shouting ability at the games may not be excused by ignorance of dates." . . . How I miss that kind of subtlety!

Note from John on Joe Mackenzie, who scored eight TDs . . .

  Joseph Gazzam Mackenzie: center on Tug-of-War team, acting captain of baseball and 2B; FB captain and HB; won 400 yards dash at U. of P. winter sports (all according to same Oct. 1891 magazine, listing academic honors 1890-91).