Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-09-22
WUS SQUAD GREEN AND
LIGHT BUT SHOWING
ABUNDANCE OF FIGHT
Coach Mathews Expects To
DevelOpe Fast, Scrappy
Team From Recruits

Coach K. l.. Mathews Of Willamette,
east his eye over his squad Of gridron
aspirants as they trotted out for their
first secret practice last night and di-
vided them into squads for practice in
handling the ball.
we are somewhat shy in weight and
mighty short in experience but the boys
are showing plenty Of fight and the
real fight that wins, too. The boys are
willing to learn and will show the
people of this city the first real foot
ball they have seen on willamette field
in some years If the squad comes up
TO my expectations
Coach Mathews went on to explain
that ii had been necessary this year to
put his men through the preliminary
practices Of falling on the ball and
handling it, tackling and running, all
Of which should have been learned in
prep school
"In fact, said the coach, there is
only one thing | do not have to drill
into them, and that is fight, fight,
fight. They are going to be the liyest
aggregation among the non conference
colleges this year or they will fall by
the waysidc. II is not the beef that
makes the football star il is the speed
and clear grit.
Coach Matthew'S has been forced TO
use up lot Of valuable time in the
early season by teaching the rudiments
Of football but he believes in building
up for future years. While he may
not turn out n0n'conference cnam'
pionship team this year he intends to
build toward this end aud the non.
conference champions will come when
the field Is well stocked with ambi'
tious youngsters with plenty Of meat on
their frames and who have been coach
cd in his style Of play in other years
the Willamette. pigskin crew this year
is green and mostly freshmen which
means that some OF them will be back
for several years TO come and though
they may not make il this year tdey
will have gained the experience for
next that will put them TO the front
when tne football call is issued next
autumn,
Captain Flegcl is the only letter mar
back though one or two others hay,
promised TO show up later Small, tn,
diminutivc speed merchant that scoreC
a touchdown on Oregon two years ag'
is making arrangements to don his
padded togs again this year Mr.
Small and Uncle Sam conduct the IT, )
hail business at Turner and "Smally
is endeavoring TO persuade his uncle a
Washington, D. G., TO let him off TO
the football season.
Tho way the squad sizes up at pres
cnt there Is not n heavy man in thu
bunch, regardless of age, color, or pre-
vious condition of seryitude. The man
moth Of the squad looks like he woul,
Zip the beam at about 1876 pounds an,
hc may lose some flesh in making tn
team and weigh bit less before ia
final call is made. This means tha
Willamette's line will average abou
l50 pounds or perhaps less and th
backfield may be even lighter, Ye
there is often plenty Of ground game
by l50 pounds az real man, IL he ha
the fight and stiff backbone as we
as Stiff upper lip and Coach Mathew
is endeayoring TO make up In snap nm
ginger what is lacking in weight an
experience.
Next Friday game Is scheduled wit
the Alumni and for the first time tn
squad will be lined up in actual bostil
scrimmage, II means sending q gree
team against the stars Of other year
hut football IL only learned by bump
and after the bows have rubbed sou
arnica into the black and blue plac,