I never played a game without Prescott, and I know I'd be a hoodoo if I did." Though a great lot of pressure was brought to bear upon him, Holmes still held out.

It was his privilege to refuse to play, if he so chose.

Above all, the coaches, who were Army officers, could not urge him.
"That man Holmes is just the fellow we need to round out the team," complained one of the players to Durville.
"Yes," sighed the captain of the Army nine; "and Holmesy tells me that he's a tyro to Mr.Prescott." "Then Mr.Prescott must be a wonder on the diamond," grunted the other cadet.
"I hear that he is," assented Durville.

"By the way, you remember Darrin and Dalzell, who helped the Navy team to wipe the field up with us last year ?" "I reckon I do." "Well, it seems that Prescott, Holmes, Darrin and Dalzell were all members of the athletic squad in the same High School before they entered the service." "Darrin and Dalzell are going to make it possible for the Navy to wipe us up again this year, too," continued the other cadet plaintively.
"I don't believe they would, if we could put in Mr.Prescott and Holmesy for this year." "But we can't, Durry." "No; I know it." "So what's the use of talking." Nevertheless, there was a lot of talking, and dozens waylaid Greg and tried to induce him to reconsider.

But he wouldn't, and that was all there was to it.
No one even thought of lifting the ban from Prescott in order to gain either or both of these cadet athletes.