FOOTBALL
This was one of the great Dartmouth teams. This column does not wish to engage in any invidious comparisons as to how great it was, in relation to other powerful aggregations that wore the Green in the past. Such polemics invariably evoke more heat than light, for how are you going to prove whether, for example, the '25 team could have gone undefeated through this year's schedule or whether the '38 team had more power than the '48 aggregation. Your correspondent, no pundit, is content to let the facts speak for themselves. This team, in short, deserves to be ranked well up among the outstanding elevens to take the field for Dartmouth.
Some of the aforementioned facts, compiled by my industrious colleague Roddy Wolbarst, director of athletic publicity, are as follows:
1. This was the first Dartmouth team that ever won six major games.
2. This was the first Dartmouth team that ever won five major games in succession.
3. This team scored more points against major opposition than any other Dartmouth team.
4. This team completed more forward passes than any other Dartmouth eleven, with 61 completions as compared with 56 passes completed by the great 1929 team.
5. This team had a total offensive average of 345 yards per game, making it second in the East in this department. This constitutes one of the best averages ever compiled by a Dartmouth team.
6. John Clayton, in his first season at quarterback, set a new modern Dartmouth record of 46 completions out of 90 attempts, thereby slightly shading the percentage established in 1943 by Don Kasprzak, who had 46 completions out of 92 attempts. Comparable data on Oberlander's record with the '25 team are not available.
7. Tom (Red) Rowe caught 7 touchdown passes this season, thereby tying the Dartmouth record established in 1925 by George Tully for the most touchdowns scored by a Green end.
This is only a partial list of the achievements of this young and vigorous eleven which Coach McLaughry brought along m his fourth year back from the wars. The most important consideration this season (and for every season since 1945) is the drastically changed character of the opposition over other years. Schedules in past years have contained from one to four breather games, warranted to serve as pleasant warm-ups for the big games to come but ordinarily not bruising and breathless encounters. This year, however, we played eight major games, one after the other, beginning with Pennsylvania and ending with Princeton, and with Holy Cross, Colgate, Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and Cornell in between. Hence the won-and-lost record of 6-2 was naturally not so impressive as an undefeated season or (as we missed by the one point defeat by Cornell) a 7-1 record. But considering the calibre of the opposition, this was one of the most remarkable achievements of any Dartmouth football team.
The emphasis upon undefeated teams knocked the Green out of national recognition at the very start of the season, following the defeat by Pennsylvania in the opening game. The team then won five in a row, dropped the heart-breaker to Cornell, and then went on to finish in a blaze of glory by swamping Princeton 33-13. During the latter stirring encounter we had one touchdown called back and were about to get another in the final minutes of the game. The team is losing Captain Dale Armstrong, one of the greatest ends who ever wore the Green; Joe Sullivan, who covered himself with glory in this his last year; Jonathan Jenkins, the powerful tackle; and Ray Truncellito, the burly and talented guard. In point of numbers, this does not look like an impressive loss, with a raft of youngsters back for every position next fall. But in terms of overall ability, each of these men will be hard to lose.
The variety of post-season kudos and awards to the various members of the team testify to the reputation of this Dartmouth aggregation. These commendations include the following:
1. Captain Dale Armstrong. This 210 pound end was placed on the first NEA Ail-American; on the second Grantland Rice and Associated Press Ail-American teams; on the first All-Eastern aggregation; on the first All-Ivy League team; on the first All-New England team; and was chosen for the East team in the Shrine game in San Francisco on New Year's Day.
2. Joe Sullivan. The workhorse of the Dartmouth backfield, Joe was the leading ground-gainer, and one of the most terrific all-around performers seen on the local field for many years. His special award is announced elsewhere in this column.
3. Jonathan Jenkins. The burly tackle was placed on the second All-Ivy League team; received honorable mention on the AP All-America team; and will represent the North in the annual North-South game in Montgomery, Alabama on Christmas Day.
4. Ray Truncellito. This is the fourth of the graduating group and it is apparent that the seniors have amassed a large share of the honors and will be correspondingly missed. Truncellito will be the second Dartmouth representative in the North-South game, received honorable mention for the United Press All-America team, as well as the All-New England aggregation.
5. John Clayton. The brilliant sophomore quarterback received honorable mention for the AP All-America and was selected for the second All-Ivy League team.
6. Stew Young. The youngest of the talented Young brothers, Stew was a tower of strength in the Green line for the third year in a row. He was selected for the first All-Ivy League team and received honorable mention for the UP All-America.
7. George Schreck. Although handicapped by injuries part of the season, Schreck was named on the second All-New England team and received honorable mention for the All-Ivy League team.
8. Hal Fitkin and Red Rowe were named to the second All-New England and received honorable mention on the UP All-America team respectively.
1949 FOOTBALL CAPTAIN: Herb Carey, hard-hitting fullback from Marblehead, Mass., will lead the Big Green eleven next fall. An all-around player, he stars on both offense and defense.
