Spring Football

A squad of nearly 70 juniors, sophomores and freshmen appeared on Chase Field on April 10 for the first outdoor drill of the spring football season. Prior to Easter vacation, the freshmen candidates had been drilling for two weeks in the indoor cage in order to catch up somewhat with the men who have already had experience under Coach Blaik. The entire coaching staff of Earl Blaik, Harry Ellinger, Andy Gustafson and Joe Donchess was on hand for the inauguration of outdoor practice, and Roland Bevan, new trainer, arrived from Dayton to become acquainted with his charges. Bill Hoffman, freshman line coach, is also assisting with the spring drills.

Four days after outdoor work began, Coach Blaik put the squad through a stiff scrimmage on a water-soaked field. Because of the slippery footing, speed plays were neglected for line plunges and laterals. Jack Kenny, Joe Kiernan, Frank Nairne and Eddie Chamberlain worked together in the first backfield, with the line made up to El Camp and John Matzinger, ends; Gordon Bennett and Dave Camerer, tackles; Joe Handrahan and Chuck Billings, guards; and Frank Young, center.

Three members of last fall's freshman team stood out in the scrimmage. Willard McNeill, tackle, and Merrill Davis, end, were impregnable on defense, while Herb Christiansen shone on line plunges from the position which John Handrahan played last fall. Christiansen was part of the second offensive backfield which included Phil Conti, Paul Lefebvre, and John Handrahan, who has been shifted the left halfback position in a move to bolster the gap left by the loss of Tack Hill Bill Clark and Jim Aieta.

A regular game of four ten-minute periods was played on Saturday, April 20 and the savage tackling that it brought forth had all the Green coaches rubbing their hands before the afternoon was over Defensive play stood out above offense for all four teams that saw action, and two of the three touchdowns were scored by the forward-passing route, Chamberlain to Camp and Handrahan to Nairne. Warren King, freshman speedster from Peddie dashed 35 yards for the third score.

The line-up of the first team remained the same, with the exception of Latta McCray for Billings at guard. The second team included Davis and Seidensteucker ends; McNeill and Schildgen, tackles-Duckworth and Smith, guards; Stratton, center; Lynch, Jenney, Lando and McGrath, backs.

Captain Don Erion has been watching spring practice from the sidelines, but Trainer Bevan is optimistic about his chances of leading the Green eleven from one of the tackle posts next fall. Erion suffered a shoulder injury last fall, but it has responded to treatment and a specially devised brace is expected to forestall any recurrence of the ailment.