Football

In 1957, 1958, and 1959 Dartmouth finished either first or second in the Ivy League. Last year the Indians came out with a respectable 5-4 overall record and a 4-3 Ivy record for third place.

As he looks ahead to next fall, Coach Blackman, as is usual with all football coaches, is none too optimistic. His 1960 starting team has been wiped out by graduation and they will be mighty hard to replace. Who could ever take Al Rozycki's place at right halfback, or Ken DeHaven's as center and linebacker, or Jack Kinderdine's, the league's top passer and punter? Gone are guards Hank Gerfen and Chuck Chapman, tackles Jim McElhinney and Mike Mooney, ends Connie Persels and John Henry, defensive quarterback Dick Beattie, fullback Dick Marrone, and halfback Tom Kins due to an ankle injury.

But somehow or other each year these men are replaced, and while you don't have an Al Rozycki come along every season, some of the reserves and sophomores have a way of developing and maturing. So there's nothing alarming or unusual about this situation.

Let's face it - coaches like to weep a bit. Dartmouth can be expected to field a strong team next fall with nine lettermen on the starting eleven, plus two seasoned reserves and five lettermen for the second unit. On top of this the Indians have some really promising sophomores stepping into varsity shoes, and if just a few of these lads can develop as predicted the Big Green could be a tough team to stop in Ivy competition.

A late spring run-down by positions goes like this:

ENDS: Carl Funke, Dave Usher and Mike Nyquist are all veteran lettermen, while Frank Finsthwait showed fine promise as a pass receiver in the last three games of the 1960 season. Three sophomores - Charlie Greer, Jan Dephouse and Scott Creelman - showed great promise on last season's freshman team and this post could be the strongest one on the 1961 squad.

TACKLES: Moving Don McKinnon from tackle to center has weakened the tackle squad somewhat, but Carter Strickland and Wally Grudi won letters last fall and both have strong potential. Sophomores Dale Runge and Dave Stenger could bolster this post considerably as they develop, while reserves Andy Zigelis and Roger Adelman will help considerably.

GUARDS: Look for Bill Tragakis, who backed up Ken DeHaven at center last year, to start at left guard, while lettermen Steve Lasch and Dick Couturier will battle it out for the starting right guard assignment. Ed Boies, a reserve, and sophomores Bill Curran and Dave DeCelesta also have good potential.

CENTER: Veteran tackle Don McKinnon moves to center this fall and could be an outstanding replacement for DeHaven. Chuck Hegeman is also here on defense. Last year's freshman captain, Jim Grace, is a good blocker but must improve his defensive play.

QUARTERBACK: This is a really key position in the Blackman V-formation offense and much of Dartmouth's attack next fall will depend on the progress made by letterman Billy King who steps into Jack Kinderdine's shoes. Tom Erickson, a reserve, could also develop as a Good replacement for Beattie on defense. Three sophomores - Dana Kelly, Ron Schram and Bill Madden - while not outstanding, have fair potential and should give the Big Green some added depth.

LEFT HALFBACK: A problem spot last year, the left halfback post could give the Big Green some additional headaches this fall. Letterman Greg Cooke, who showed flashes of brilliance last fall, should pin down the starting assignment. Sophomores Chris Vancura and Tom Spangenberg have both shown breakaway ability and could help considerably. Ernie Torres, who showed great promise last fall in this post before being injured, is expected to return and may be used either here or at fullback, depending on need.

RIGHT HALFBACK: While no one can, or is expected to, step into Rozycki's shoes, John Krumme, a reserve, and Gary Spiess, who was out last year with a broken leg, are expected to battle for the starting assignment along with sophomores Dan Connelly and Ray Peters. Depth could be a problem here.

FULLBACK: Captain Jim Lemen does not have the ball-carrying ability of Dick Marrone, but he is a fine blocker and very aggressive. Both Dave Evans and Ernie Torres will also be tried at fullback and could start here or at a halfback post. Sophomore Tom Parkinson looked promising as a freshman fullback and could be a real asset to the varsity.

Barring major changes due to dropouts or injuries, Dartmouth should field a well-balanced team. But because of the large influx of sophomores, 1961 will probably be regarded as a building year. If the sophomores develop early in the season, the Big Green could make a run for the title, but Yale has great depth and some really outstanding sophomores coming up, while Cornell, under a new coach, is a strong "dark horse" in the league and perennial rival Harvard continues to develop.

Look for a very tight Ivy League race next fall, with most of the eight teams strong enough to be contenders.

The Big Green schedule is the same as last year with seven Ivy opponents plus New Hampshire and Holy Cross.