WITH THE BIG GREEN TEAMS

THE tailgates are closed, the last cheer has echoed its way across the campus, and the bells of Rollins Chapel are quiet for another year. By the time this is read the curtain will have come down on the 1961 football season, but even as this is written (November 18) we can chalk up another winning season for Coach Bob Blackman's Big Green eleven. The team has not won the Ivy League crown, but it came close and above all it was an interesting team to watch.

It has been a season, however, of ups and downs in which injuries were an important factor. It has also been a season when the sophomores and the second and third-stringers came through when the chips were down.

Such was the case on November 18 when Cornell came to Hanover for a traditional Houseparties game. Of the eleven men who had started the opening game against New Hampshire only six took the field against the Big Red. For three periods Cornell played the role of the favored and with ten minutes left to play the Indians had their backs to the wall, 14-0.

Led by junior quarterback Bill King, the Indians took the ball following the second Cornell touchdown and started to march. On the first play sophomore Dave Lawson, a third-string halfback, broke off tackle for fifteen yards to the Dartmouth 36. Four plays later, the Big Green faced a fourth-down-and-one situation on the 45. Again it was Lawson, this time leaping over the center of the line for three yards and a first down. On the next play King threw a perfect strike to Tom Spangenberg, another sophomore halfback, who bulled his way to the Cornell 25.

After a pass interference penalty had moved the ball to the eighteen, Lawson went wide around left end for ten yards and then he took a short King pass for the remaining eight yards and the touchdown. Gambling for a two-point conversion, King rolled out to his right and hit halfback John Krumme in the end zone to make the score 14-8. The Green was back in the ball game.

Cornell took the ensuing kick-off and proceeded to reel off two first downs. With the ball on the Dartmouth 42, however, the Green line finally stood firm. Cornell was forced to punt and the Indians took over on their own twelve-yard line.

Before the Cornell defense knew what had hit it, King connected with junior end Frank Finsthwait, along the left side line, on a pass that was good for 34 yards. Two plays later, the King-to-Finsthwait combination worked again. This time for 23 yards and a first down on the Cornell 35.

The next three plays gained little as a seven-yard carry by halfback Chris Vancura was nullified by a five-yard penalty and then a two-yard loss when King was unable to spot a receiver. A pass also fell incomplete and the Indians were faced with fourth down and ten to go. With the clock showing less than a minute and a half to play, King faded back and sent an aerial into the waiting arms of Finsthwait, who took the ball in the end zone for a touchdown. The play was good for 35 yards and tied the score at 14-14.

The Big Green now had the opportunity to go ahead and win. All eyes were on Bill Wellstead, a junior end, who up to that point had converted sixteen out of eighteen attempts. The pressure was on him as he advanced toward the ball and sent it arching over the cross bar. It was good!

This was the story on Houseparties weekend as the Big Green came from behind to win, but for a better look at the 1961 eleven let's turn back to October 21, when the Indians met the Crusaders of Holy Cross. Dartmouth entered Fitton Field in Worcester riding the crest of a three-game winning streak. Added to this was the pride of leading the nation in defense and having not been scored upon via the touchdown route.

HERO: Frank Finsthwait scores the tying touchdown against Cornell and later is carried aloft by his jubilant teammates.

HERO: Frank Finsthwait scores the tying touchdown against Cornell and later is carried aloft by his jubilant teammates.