FRESHMEN SHINE IN SPRING FOOTBALL
As for spring football practice, it has gone along as rapidly as the elements will permit. The freshmen worked before vacation as a group and looked like a million dollars compared to the freshmen candidates of a year ago. Hastily we add that this is so partly because the freshmen candidates last year were rather slim pickings. This is not the whole story, though, as the present frosh seem to have a lot of spirit, show every sign of having the rock and sock attitude that makes a football team click, and some of the men have good chances of making it uncomfortable for any veteran who tries to slide along on last fall's playing ability. Center Maurice Dampier, 205, has looked like no baby backing up the line in the pseudo-scrimmages that have taken place, and veteran Stubby Pearson will have to step to nudge him out of the picture. Freshman Captain Harry Gerber has displayed as much smack as any Dartmouth wingman we have seen in several years. Of course two men won't make an outstanding football team, but these two should help somewhere along the line. Veterans Lou Young, left guard, and Bob O'Brien, left tackle, have stepped into their old positions from 1939 in line-ups in the cage. These two men played the most consistent football last fall, in my opinion, and both should have great years this coming season if they can be properly supported.
On the sad side of the football story is the fact that as yet there has been uncovered no quarterback, or No. 2 blocking back, who looks as if he could impart the necessary sock for this vital position. All in all, though, things look better than 12 months ago, and let's hope that the workouts outdoors will not burst the bubble, as they have had the sad habit of doing.
We hesitate to start in on the tennis prospects. By now you can picture what the tennis courts look like. On the southern trip the netmen were more than satisfactory to Coach Red Hoehn. On a sixmatch schedule the Indians split even, win- V.M.I. and Wake Forest, and dropping their engagements to North Carolina, Duke and Navy. We would also like to pass along this commendation Coach Hoehn received from Ted Ellsworth in his farewell sports column in The Dartmouth. Said Ted in retiring as assistant sports editor: "He is the best coach on one of the greatest athletic staffs in the country.". . . .And believe you me, Red has done a swell job with his squash and tennis teams in the last two years.
It was our pleasure to attend the annual National Intercollegiate Swimming Meet at New Haven on the first week-end of the vacation, and we were thoroughly impressed. From it we gathered that Coach Karl Michael has brought his men up to the point where the Indians are not so far out of the running in even the best of competition. Dartmouth swimmers were unable to place in any finals, but the margin of difference between the best of the lot and the Dartmouth men was gratifying to see. We also understand better now what Karl is striving for, and we think his leading swimmers entered in the Championships realized also why he. has not been satisfied with winning performances when the times were not of the highest standards.
