FOOTBALL NEARLY AS USUAL

Because of the uncertainty in the spring regarding athletics, and particularly football, Dartmouth men were more or less doubtful of having a team with the calibre shown in previous years. During the summer C. W. Spears '17 had been chosen by the athletic council as the new football coach and as Capt. McDonough said at a mass meeting recently, "The only thing he had to begin with, was a field and a schedule." And the schedule is the hardest that the Green eleven has faced in years. It started out with five home games, Springfield Y.M.C.A. College, October 6, Middlebury College, October 13, West Virginia University, October 20, New Hampshire State, October 27, and Penn State, November 3. It had been hoped to have a game with West Point, October 27, in place of the usual Princeton "Pee-rade" but as this was impossible New Hampshire was finally found to fill the open date. Then there are three games away from home, Pennsylvania at Boston, November 10, Tufts at Man-chester, November 17, and Brown at Boston, November 24.

As in other lines of activity, the football outlook was brightened shortly after college opened by the return of unexpected material. McDonough, Holbrook and Youngstrom, "D" men of last year, Bevan, Lehman and Eastman, of last fall's squad and Myers and Phillips of the 1920 freshman team, found their way back to college. Coach Spears was also aided by excellent material in the freshman class, among the promising candidates being Presson of Worcester Academy, Crisp, former captain of the Needham High eleven and Shulting of Passaic, New Tersey.

Practice started shortly after matriculation, with between 50 and 60 men reporting. Coach Spears started the men with only light workouts and a daily grass drill, and about the second week began evening lectures. The main trouble with the team at first seemed to be with the line, but after practice was under way Youngstrom, Neely and Healey returned to College and reported. With these additions the line began to look as if it could do its part and Spears turned his attention to the backfield. At quarterback he had McDonough, who had played Dartmouth football for three years, winning his "D" in the Princeton game of 1915. He is a fast open field runner and a steady man in a crisis. At halfback positions he had S. W. Holbrook and Eastman. The latter hurt his nose, however, and C. Holbrook, a sophomore, took his place. The fullback position was fought for by Lehman and Phillips, fullback on the 1920 freshman eleven, and Myers, also of the 1920 eleven. Ross and Freedberg looked like logical ends.

With the teamwork in an undeveloped state the eleven met Springfield, October 6, and defeated the Training School 13-0. The playing was ragged and the team showed little power of offense. The defense was fairly strong, however, and the men were able to keep the veteran Springfield team from scoring.

Coach Spears had this point in mind during the next week and spent a good deal of time running the backs and shifting men in an effort to find an effective ground gaining combination. The result was a victory over Middlebury, 32-6, in which the first string backfield seemed to be able to gain at will. In the second and third quarters, however, Spears took out most of the men that started the game and gave some of the others on the squad a chance to show their fight.

The most exciting game so far in the season was undoubtedly that against West Virginia. The Southerners came to Hanover with much the same team as that which last year held the Green to a 7-7 tie, and with an expectation to win. They outweighed the Dartmouth eleven almost 15 pounds to a man and had at quarterback Harris, who last year played the same position for the 1920 Dartmouth freshmen. There was a mass meeting before the game at which E. K. Hall, Coach Spears and the newly-elected captain, H. B. McDonough '18, spoke, and on the afternoon of the game the stands were packed. The team, which for the two weeks previous had been the anxiety of the undergraduate body and Coach Spears, suddenly found itself, and defeated the heavier eleven 6-2. The touchdown came as the result of straight football, C. Holbrook taking the ball across the goal line on a straight line smash. West Virginia made her only score when a blocked punt was recovered behind the goal posts. At one other time she was in a position to score but was unable to force the ball across against the Dartmouth line which held as if of iron.

On the whole the prospects of Dartmouth for a winning team are extremely good, if the fight shown against West Virginia is any criterion. Every man outdid himself, and only two substitutes were sent in. Coach Spears seems to be doing the impossible—building a team out of practically new material.