THE HALFBACKS

Outstanding ball carrier and all-around back on the field for 'the Green should be the veteran Joe Sullivan, who is rounding out an exceptional career in Dartmouth athletics (he has also been regular guard on the basketball team for three years). He has quarterbacked the football team for the past two years, where his passing and general defensive play have been excellent. He played at safety every minute of the time the opposition had the ball last fall and all but 30 minutes of the entire season at offense. Rightly concluding that his outstanding ball carrying abilities should not go unsung, the coaches shifted him last spring to left halfback, where he cavorted like a colt. He reported back this fall in excellent condition and weighing 197 pounds, additional poundage that will help him through another grueling season as the heavy duty back of the Dartmouth team. Hal Fitkin is the leading candidate for the right halfback post, a position which he filled regularly as a sophomore last fall. A devastating blocker for all his 175 pounds, Fitkin is extremely fast and can circle the ends with die best of them. His most spectacular sortie was made in the Brown game, when he skirted left end in the waning seconds to pull the game out of the fire by the score of 13-10. We trust that Fitkin's flight will be repeated, with variations, this year.

Sophomore Bob Tyler was the outstanding ball carrier of a very good freshman backfield last fall, a role which he filled primarily because of his blazing speed. Weighing only 170 pounds, he will be used often in spot positions this fall, not only in the rare moments when Joe Sullivan needs rest but also as an offensive threat in his own right. Ed Isbey is the other outstanding halfback from an excellent freshman backfield. He will play at right halfback behind (or maybe in front of, for all we know) Hal Fitkin. Isbey weighs about 185 pounds and is an excellent broken field runner. He has considerable speed and, with Tyler, comprised the breakaway performers for the yearlings. Isbey is also the best passer among the right halfbacks and will be a threat in this maneuver every time he has the ball. Behind these backs, Coach McLaughry has lettermen John Chapman, a strong defensive player; Larry Perry, who makes up in dash what he lacks in poundage; Eddie Williams, the speedster who threatened to break up more than one ball game last fall; Carll Tracy, a small but stocky halfback who will be playing his last year; Gene Howard, who won a letter in 1945 as a freshman and is just now back from the wars; and various and sundry other operatives from the freshmen and jayvees. The halfback situation seems reasonably under control.