In the fall of 1918, with the country still embroiled in World War I, Harry Ewing was beginning his first year at Ohio Wesleyan, serving as athletics director and head coach of the football, men's basketball, and men's track & field teams.

One of the first questions Ewing faced was whether there would be enough student-athletes to field a football team.  Universities around the nation, including Ohio Wesleyan, had accepted units of the Student Army Training Corps, established by the U.S. War Department to aid in the training of soldiers.

The Transcript reported, "With Uncle Sam directing the athletics policies of the colleges of the country it was rather doubtful whether intercollegiate football would be included in the program of the SATC units of the state.  After an indefinite period of uncertainty the government authorities finally gave consent to a modified schedule of collegiate games which did not materially affect the plans of Ohio, and conference coaches began to groom their charges for the 1918 race.  Handicapped by the limited period allowed for drill each day, and the heavy routine of military duties the coaches worked against great odds in the development of their entries in the annual grind.  The lowering of the eligibility rules and the playing of freshmen, however, added strength to the various teams, and helped to fill the holes left by graduation and the calls of National service."

Ewing and the Ohio Wesleyan football team opened the season in fine fashion with a 62-0 win over Otterbein on Sept. 28.  Halfback Robert "Deke" Edler scored a school-record 5 touchdowns and tackle Ralph Thomson kicked a school-record 8 PATs, and spirits were high heading into the Oct. 5 game at Ohio State.

However, the second wave of the influenza pandemic was under way, and as it turned out, the Ohio Wesleyan-Ohio State game would be one of the events affected.  The Transcript reported that "Early in the week the prospects for a Wesleyan victory seemed to be the brightest in years, but as the local hospital list lengthened, all such hope went glimmering until it was only a question of how large a score State would run up on the crippled Varsity."

Edler and 3 starting linemen, including Thomson, were among the Ohio Wesleyan players who were sidelined, and the Buckeyes rolled to a 41-0 victory.

The following week, Ohio Department of Health officials issued closure order recommendations, and Ohio Wesleyan shut down, according to Columbus Underground.

Games against Case and Ohio University, scheduled for Edwards Field on Oct. 12 and Oct. 19 respectively, were canceled.  Ohio Wesleyan had a scheduled open date on Oct. 26.

The Red and Black returned to action on Nov. 2 at Denison, striking for 21 second-quarter points to build a 27-6 halftime lead on the way to a 34-12 win.

"November found conditions practically normal," The Transcript reported, "and a number of good games were played in various parts of the state, although government inoculations played an important role on several occasions."

Inoculations did play a part in the Bishops' next two games, according to The Transcript.

On Nov. 9, on a wet, muddy Edwards Field, Miami drove for a fourth-quarter touchdown to break a 7-7 tie and take a 14-7 win.

"Entering the game with the entire team in poor physical condition, due to their recent vaccination, and with the loss of Captain Thomson and halfback (Paul) Stager early in the game, the Red and Black, though outscored, was never outgamed...," reported The Transcript.

The team's physical condition did not improve the next week, and Ohio Wesleyan ended up canceling its scheduled game at Cincinnati.

"Vaccination and the 'flu' played havoc with the varsity team during the greater part of last week, and the Coach had difficulty in gathering enough men for a single eleven in each afternoon's practice.  The loss of Captain Thomson and Stager through injuries received in the Miami game had greatly crippled the team, and it only needed that widely advertised "second shot" to put the rest of the team out of commission," reported The Transcript.

"While it was a great disappointment to cancel the Cincy game, the most promising contest in recent years, nevertheless the verdict of the Army surgeon that the majority of the team would not be in physical condition to make the trip was final, and the Coach had no other alternative.  Coach Ewing wished to postpone the game and play at a later date, since Wesleyan will have several open dates in December, but the Cincinnati authorities would not agree..."

The week off would help the team recover, however, and Ohio Wesleyan closed out its season with a 38-0 Homecoming win over Ohio Northern.

For Ewing and Ohio Wesleyan, the remainder of the 1918-19 academic year would play out relatively normally.  The men's basketball team compiled an 8-6 record but did have two games canceled, Jan. 17 against Oberlin and Feb. 25 against Heidelberg.  The men's track & field team competed in indoor dual meets against Cincinnati and Ohio State, then defeated the Buckeyes and lost to Miami outdoors before finishing second to Ohio State in the Ohio Athletic Conference championship meet.