The San Francisco call., 1896-08-29
FOOTBALL.
Stanford and Berkeley Prospects
a Standoff-Olympic and Re-
lance Promising.

Stanford and Berkeley Prospects
a Standoff-OlympIc and Re-
lance Promising.
Football prospects with the various clubs
are beginning to assume tangible shape,
and the practice season with all of them
will open within the next three weeks.
Stanford and the University of California,
each with six vacancies to fill on the team,
will start so nearly upon an equal footing
that should there be no great advantage
for either in new men another Thanksgiv-
ing tie may be the result.
1t promises now TO be contest bet ween
Stanford's powerful line and Ransome's
remarkable punting for Berkeley. STAN
ford's plan will probably be to strengthen
her heavy center and rely upon the ex-
perience and force of the men in that po-
sition to break down the less experienced
Berkeley defense and prevent, if possible.
the effectiveness of Ransome's kicks.
To this end suggestion has been made
by ex-Captain Downing of the Stanford
team, who will help coach the Palo Alto
men. His idea Is to play Cotton, who
weighs over $50 pounds, at quarter, in
order to fortify the center with heavy
backing. This was Camps plan last sea-
son and in 1894, when he wanted Downing
himself to train for quarter. He said it
was all mistake to suppose that quarter
must be small man; quickness was the
chief requisite.
With the exception Of Anderson, half
back from the Oakland High School,
Berkeley has no men of known football
ability in the new freshman class, but
there is some likely looking heavy mate
rial that may develop into just such men
as are most needed for the Varsity line.
n cla man from the TInivorSitv
OF Chicago, where he was substitute, is
an addition to the large list of candidates
for back-of-the-line positions. Stanfordis
possibly more fortunate in getting new
men. No less than eight prospective fresh
men of more or less inflated reputation
are reported from different parts of the
coast.
The Olympics should have a team Of
club champions with the material in sight.
Nearly all of last seasons players Will be
in the field and in addition there are such
men as Code. quarter, and Weldon, full
back, two cid Stanford players. Frank
enheimer, Stanford's veteran halfback,
now a student in Cooper Medical College,
can hardly refrain from playing football,
and as the trip from here to the Reliance
grounds occupies three hours it is thought
that he will find the Olympic team more
Manager Gill has received letter from
Douglas, tackle last season for Berkeley.
He wants to give up his work at Angels
Camp and get employment in this City,
and will if he comes here try for the
Olympic team, though it already has Sex
ton and Porter for tackles. Madden, end
for Olympic last season, is going to Stan
ford, and his old position is 10 be tried for
by Sherman Stow of Santa Barbara, who
- han in
for the Berkeley team last year.
The Reliance Club has good material,
but some of it is in doubt. Walton, elected
captain Thursday night, has not yet ac-
cepted, nor will he during the next few
days of uncertainty attached to the ques-
ton of his future employment. On the
first of the month his present position
with a bicycle company in this City will
become vacant.
him employment somewhere he will play,
but he is not at all eager to 60 into the
game again, for he declares that he has
had enough and thinks that after man
leaves college he should let football alone
MiddIemas, mentioned in one of the
morning papers as a Reliance possibility,
will not leave the Olympics, SO Captain
Smith and Manager Gill positively as
serted Yesterday. Frank-nhelmer, another
Stanford quarter. will, it is believed, play
quarter for Reliance. Sherman, the
Berkeley end. will also play. And in ad-
ditlon to the weII-known old players and
such other new ones as were mentioned in
these columns last week Reliance will
have Wagner, guard on the Cornell Varsity
for the last three seasons. He is now IN
Los Angeles. but hopes soon to come to
Oakland. He is big. powerful man and
has faced all the h'g guards of the East.