The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-10-22
HARRIS AT LAST
HAS REAL TEAM
Plucky Coach Triumphs in Battle
to Assemble Efficient Fresh
men Eleven.
BY /. Z. Collins.

After five weeks of strenuous tryout,
during which three teams have been
met, Coach Sig Harris has at last sue.
ceeded in getting together team OF
university freshmen which he believes
with two weeks preparation can de-
feat the freshmen Of Wisconsin.
The process of wedding out has been
slow and Harris has labored under
handicaps that would have discouraged
most coaches. The 10000 people who
attended the Michigan game in 1868
know, however, that Sig Harris is not
man easily discouraged and he has
kept working away with his freshman
squad with determination to turn out
"a team that will be credit to the mi
versity and satisfactory running mate
to the varsity.
The makeup of the team as it stands
now is the best illustration Of the woe
full lack of freshmen material at the.
beginning of the season. Of the men
who played against Iowa five have been
in the game two weeks or less.
AS time went on one man after an !.
other who had played football in nigh
school or academy turned toward tie
open campus and joined the freshman
squad. After two weeks of practice
Harris saw that speed, not weight, must
characterize the team and he started a
campaign for speed which has been
kept up ever since.
Good Material NOW.
The work Of the last week has been
the best Of the year and the makeup
of the team can at last be announced.
Injuries may prevent some Of the regu-
lars from finishing the season, but there
are good substitutes, especially in the
backfeld, and unless something unfore-
seen happens the team which entered
the lists against Iowa will face the
Wisconsin freshmen on Nov. 4th.
In the backfeld Frykman, Ertile.
Merrill and Moore seem to be fixtures
and in Frykman and Ertle the fresh
men team has versatile pair Of bali.
department der nn Of the game. Frykman IS
fast, shifty, good punter and sDlen-
did defensive player. He is notneavy,
but he makes up for a lack Of weight
by his strength and he is a hard man to
tackle. Ertle, his running mate, kss
some. others. Line plunging is his forte
and in the secondary inc of defense lie
is one of the surest men on the squad.
i Merrill, fullback, has been in the
game only. two weeks and is new ut the
! position, but his work has been con-
sistently good and he backs up the line
} with the steadiness that have made
II hnOWlLOn, CurrenC ana OIHeT M1nHeSotA
fullbacks famous. At quarter Moore
Of delay in starting his plays and il he
can learn to give his signals rapidly,
! and get his plays off with speed no
, should make an ideal quarter. The
backfeld will average 160 pounds.
Moore is the lightest while Frykman,
: Ertle and Merrill are about of a size.
l The four men have been working well
7 | l. 1oc flo-+
dency to individual play.
Maloney Looks Good.
{ The acquisition of Maloney, pre-
!, paratory school fullback who has been
9 placed at tackle seems to have settled
4 ! the line problem. Right guard has
( been the weakest place since the IN,
s who gave signs of becoming good
linesman.s3 Several men have been tried
q in the place but none have proved en-
tirely satisfactory. Rollin Smith, the
e right tackle during the first month I
9 work, played guard in high school foot
y ball and preferred the place to tackle
n When Maloney showed that he could
e handle the tackle position, Coach Har
b ris decided to shift Smith to guard
thus filing both places and strengthen
it ing the line. These two men, MaloneJ
It and Smith, with Caster or Rogers al
h end will take care Of the right side Of
y the freshman line. Caster seems tt
70 have the lead in the. fight for right
l end, but Rogers is putting up good
IS game.
d At left guard Eakins is outplayins
I all opponents. He is a big man built
y on the George Case order and he viii
j. be heard from in varsity circles. Lief
IT tackle has been hard proposition fo
d the coaches, but the showing made b,
j. Foker, late candidate for the team
re- has given him the place. He is igh
s. but fast on his feet and he and Eakin
should be able to take care Of the lin
: plays which Wisconsin will send Int,
the Minnesota left wing. Coughli1
has the call for left end and his play
le ing has been one Of the most pleasin,
things in the freshman games. II
keeps his eye on the ball, follows tn
a. plays closely and is a sure and har
.. Dunn, the freshman center, Is of goo
10 weight, but he is new man at tn
= !, game and the coaches have been con
- - PEELED to teach him the work Of a Ger
in ter rush. He is willing, passes the bal
II well and is gradually overcoming ter
- dency to neglect to charge.
20 20 The line Of the freshman team WI
= average about 1859 pounds. None 0
N Ythe men are giants, but they are a
r. muscular and active. There is not
n fat man on the team.
If Diplomatic relations may be resume
or between Columbia and Wesleyan as 500