FOLLOWING THE BIG GREEN TEAMS
IT is RATHER hard to tell just when Dartmouth football practice did begin this fall. Not counting George Price, who stayed in Hanover the entire summer and worked out, a sizeable vanguard of players had informal sessions going several days before the official opening. At any rate, things were humming on Memorial Field by Monday, September 10, and at this writing, just one week later, local onlookers have been rendered well-nigh breathless by the speed and dispatch with which Earl Blaik and his aides have launched the 1934 model of the Big Green.
A squad of only 52 men for early-season practice was a new one on Hanover, but Coach Blaik began work with a handpicked group which was "invited" back to participate in the first workouts. This group of nine ends, nine tackles, nine guards, five centers, and twenty backs will comprise the varsity squad with such additions as may be brought up from the junior varsity, which makes its introductory bow under Pat Holbrook's direction when College opens on September 20.
Culled, with a few exceptions, from the 138 candidates who reported for spring practice this year, the varsity squad is expected to boil itself down gradually to three full teams and a few spare reserves. Veteran material is scarce this season, and of the twelve lettermen back only five held regular positions on last year's team. Headed by Jack Hill, who this year restores the captaincy to the backfield, the Green lettermen include Dick Carpenter and El Camp, ends; Don Erion and Phil Conathan, tackles; Don Hagerman, Herb Stearns and Myron Ritter, guards; Jack Hill, Harry Deckert, Jack Kenny, Bill Clark, and Norm Rand, backs. The five who held a first-team status at the close of last season are Carpenter, Camp, Erion, Deckert and Kenny.
The center of the line presents Dartmouth's greatest replacement problem, and in an effort to offset this weakness Harry EUinger has converted Herb Stearns and Don Hagerman into guards. Stearns played second-string center last season, while Hagerman was understudy to Erion at the left tackle position. Henry Billings, a junior who suffered an ankle injury last year, and Latta McCray, a sophomore candidate, have progressed rapidly as guards; and a third pair is available in Myron Ritter, who won his letter last year as a reserve, and Howard Wardell, whose transfer from Michigan State College made him ineligible last fall. At center, Carl Ray seems to be the most likely successor to Moe Frankel, with Aldis Butler furnishing the stiffest competition for the regular job.
A husky crop of tackles is on hand this year. Gordon Bennett, at 188 pounds, is the lightest man in the group, and every candidate is over six feet. Sophomores have added a great deal of strength to the tackle posts, and in addition to Bennett, Don Otis, captain of last year's freshman eleven, and Dave Camerer have shown up well during the opening week of practice. Don Erion, veteran left tackle, is expected to retain that position; and also very much in the picture are Victor Kiarsis, George Tillinghast, and George Price.
At this point the most promising of Joe Donchess' end candidates are Dick Carpenter and El Camp, the veterans; Jack Merrill, sophomore from California; and little Tony Muello. Merrill is the rangy West Coast type of pass-receiver, while Muello is stocky and more of the blocking variety of wingman. Earl Arthurs, who was on an equal footing with Camp at right end last season, has passed up the gridiron this fall to give his full attention to studies.
The backfield situation is highly encouraging. Captain Hill, Harry Deckert, Bill Clark, Jack Kenny and Norm Rand form a nucleus of experienced ball-toters; and to this group there was added during spring practice a half-dozen sparkling newcomers, including Frank Nairne, Eddie Chamberlain, John Handrahan, Phil Conti, Tony Geniawicz, and Paul Lefebvre. It looks as if Earl Blaik and Andy Gustafson, his backfield aide, will be able to develop two or three galloping quartets of backs.
Already handicapped by his absence from regular spring practice, Bill Clark brought an infected hand back to Hanover and during the first week of training sustained a bad ankle sprain. Despite all these obstacles, he has been making a gallant bid for first-team rating, and has been one of the pace-setters on Memorial Field. Jack Hill, whose bad knee kept him out of action last season, hasn't participated in scrimmage as yet, but Trainer Harry Hillman reports that the Green captain is coming along well and that he has a better-thaneven chance of seeing service in the major games this fall. Hill's punting and passing will be invaluable assets, if the Indian captain is all right.
That is pretty much the picture, as far as material goes. Potentially the Big Green squad looks thoroughly adequate, but the candidates are for the most part inexperienced. The coaching staff is relying heavily on sophomore candidates and juniors who have seen practically no varsity service. Past rankings have been completely discarded by Coach Blaik in his search for the most capable gridmen, and the ability to run fast has proved a far greater asset than the possession of a letter or numerals.
Absurd as it is to call any group the "first team" at this early stage of the season, the temporary make-up of Team A will undoubtedly prove interesting to alumni readers. Dick Carpenter and El Camp, the veterans, have been holding down the end berths; Don Erion, mainstay at left tackle last year, and Gordon Bennett, a sophomore newcomer, have been at the tackles; Herb Stearns and Don Hagerman, revamped center and tackle respectively, have had the call at the guard posts; and Carl Ray, 205-pound sophomore, hasn't relinquished the center job since spring practice. In the backfield, Captain Hill and Eddie Chamberlain divide the halfback berth, with Frank Nairne, shifty junior who was ineligible last year, at the other halfback post. John Handrahan, a stocky sophomore, plays the position corresponding to quarterback; and Harry Deckert, veteran pass expert, is again at fullback.
Today's Team B, which may be tomorrow's Team A, includes Jack Merrill and Tony Muello, ends; Dave Camerer and Don Otis, tackles; Latta McCray and Henry Billings, guards; Al Butler, center; Bill Clark and Norm Rand, halfbacks; Phil Conti, quarterback; and Jack Kenny, fullback.
The so-called third team undergoes daily change and includes practically the remainder of the squad. Memorial Field is the land of opportunity for all, and fortunate is he who possesses a fast pair of legs. Speed is the dominant note in Dartmouth's much-heralded "new deal," and the main objective is to get away fast and keep going.
Coach Blaik disavows the introduction of any special "system," and declares thai tactics will vary with the size, speed and ability of the material available. It has become fairly obvious by this time, however, that Dartmouth will play fast, deceptive football rather than the straight power game characteristic of recent Green elevens. All the weapons of modern gridiron warfare can be expected to be in the possession of the Indians under Earl Blaik, the master tactician; and interesting football to watch should be the outcome.
The Green coaches have propelled practice along at a great rate during the opening week, and several short sessions of scrimmage have already been held. A dozen plays or so are now in the Green repertoire, and the stage has been generally set for the immense amount of ground that must be covered before the major campaign arrives. Rules, calisthenics, blackboard drills, cadence drills, wind sprints and the usual preliminaries have helped to fill out two sessions a day. Great care is being given to the matter of conditioning, and the Blaik syftem of holding wind sprints for all hands at the very close of practice is expected to give the Indian gridmen stamina for almost anything.
Perennial watchers of football practice on Memorial Field have been greatly impressed, and that is as definite a fact as can be passed along at this time. Things have got off to a fine start. Expectancy is in the air.
Green Leader Jack Hill, triple-threat back from Littleton, N. H., who will captain the Big Green through its first season under Earl Blaik.
Veteran Back Bill Clark, hero of the Harvard game last year, whose ankle injury has been the major misfortune of the early training period.
