Page 41 - 1923 VES Meteor

THE )b:T.EOU 87
~ubstitute J:obnnl?
1\owll('rc, :\Iontauu, is a small city of ahout twenty thous- 111111 inhahititics nrc, wild ovc•r foot-hall. lu J922 the local l1igh school had all of the lnst _vC'ar's team back on the roster and most of the snhstitutcs. There was one, Johnny Ketchem, who hacl ahcady been a substitute for three years, but as yet had not played in one game. This year he was sure that he would play in at least part of one gnme.
As it was now two weeks beforc the opening game, the team was being put through daily drills. Ev£>ry day Johnny was the first out on the field and usually the first to leave, 011 account of injuries. Although our hero was hurt time after time, l1e never gave up, but was alwnys the first one to appem· on the field the next day.
Johnny \\"US really far from being a foot-ball pla.yer, bnt he tho\1ght he was and this helped him a little. The coach kept him on the squad only because he was such a hnrd worker. As the opening game approached, .Tohnny was sure that he was getting better and would be in trim to plny the :fir:lt game, if called upon.
The time for the opening contest was now only a few days off and ever~·one at the school was getting excited. •Tobnny was in extreme anxiety, for the first game was always the easiest und he might have a good chance to get in.
The day for the struggle arrived. Almost the whole town had turned out to see the affair. Johnny bad been very careful of what he ate for dinne1·, as he wanted to be in good condition. The game came out very differently from what eYeryonc had expected. Nowhere IIigh barely won and very few substitutes we1·e put in, at which J obnny was very