Kansas State athletics, 1898-99: incremental improvement

Billy P. Williamson, about whom not much else is known, took over the reins of the Kansas State Agricultural College Aggies football team as fall 1898 came into view. Again, four games were scheduled, the first of which would be K-State’s first October football contest, on the final weekend of the month.

But the schedule only contained a single game against another college, the season-ending contest against Ottawa.

That first game was on the road, at Chapman High School. Once again, the Aggies fought Chapman to a scoreless tie. They came home to face Junction City High School on November 5, scoring the greatest victory in their brief existence in a 26-0 rout. A week later, Chapman came to Manhattan and — for the third consecutive time — played a 0-0 tie.

Finally, on November 28, the Aggies hosted the Braves of Ottawa College. Alas, for the third time in three attempts, KSAC failed to defeat a college team, although the game was mostly competitive. The Aggies fell 16-6, and finished the year 1-1-2.

The baseball team improved somewhat as well, going 3-5. Once again, we don’t know who coached the team, or any of the results.

KSAC had started things off as an independent. But that was all about to change as the turn of the century loomed.