Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-10-01
FOOTBALL PROSPECTS
At ACADEMY GOOD
Coach Dobie Has Plenty Of Mater
ial For Developing Team.
WINS FIRST GAME, 27 TO 6
Expects Stiff Argument When West Vir
sinia Eleven Comes Here On
Saturday.

0aturday.
That Gilmour Dobie, called the
miracle man" of football because OF
his phenomenal success with teams
out West, notably the University Of
Washington State. will succeed in
rounding the Annapolis Midshipmen
| into a powerful combination, is the
prevailing belief about Annapolis fol-
lowing the initial contest of the sea-
sen on Saturday, when the Middies
met the eleven Of Davidson College
OF North Carolina and buried them
under score of % TO g.
OF course, not much was expected
of the players because of the short
time they had been at practice Both
teams, however, showed an article of
the game much above the average for
the start of the season, and Dobie's
remarkable success in the past, cou-
pied with the fact that he has appar-
emily been given free rein in the
handling of the sailor lads, a situa-
ton that is epochal in football at An.
napolis, cannot help but lead one to
look for big things before the season
Is over. despite the graduation of two
classes of Midshipmen since the close
of the last campaign, and the fact
that the welding of this years grid
iron machine is to be done, in a large
measure out of green material
Coach Dobie stated that he is
thoroughly satisfied with the work of
his pupils in their first attempt
While admitting that faulty plays
were noted here and there, yet the
coach added that nothing greater
could have been expected under the
circumstances"
The Middies are now training their
eyes toward the game with the eleven
of the University of West Virginia,
which is to be played on the Academy
gridiron the coming Saturday. And
the fact that the schedule. which was
hurriedly arranged, hardly compares
with the dates of former seasons, yet
the contest with the West Virginians
is being viewed as probably the stiff
est argument the sailor lads will en-
counter in the seasons campaign.
This feeling is based largely upon the
strong showing the West Virginians
made against the Pittsburg eleven on
Saturday They held the Smoky City
lads to a score of IA to 3, and virtual
| ly outplayed them in the two final
periods of the game, during which
stages they did all of their scoring.
This leads one to recall the Navy
rf,.s, &c -, sol,
the visitors exploited all kinds Of
good football to the surprise of the
Navy contingent, and they were look
ed upon as sure winners, but the
breaks seemed to go against them.
AS it resulted. the contest was placed
on the Navy side of the ledger by
score of IL to z, after it seemed as
though the Varsity boys would win
out by margin of one or two points
The visitors had uncorked fine
series of forward passes to the be-
wilderment of the Middies, and ii was
one of these plays that proved their
undoing, by taking from what look
ed to be a sure touchdown and also
the loss of the ball. The play hap
pened in the closing stages of the
game, when a toss of some thirty-odd
yards was made, and the man receiv-
ing the ball was beyond the Navy
goal line. but the watchful eyes of
the officials discovered some rough
work, as a result of which one of the
crack West Virginia players was
ruled out of the game.
Getting down to "brass tacks,' as
far as the Navy's prospects for the
season are concerned, there is plenty
| of material, and regardless of the
fact that a number of the men are
green or have only had experience
of year or so, general conditions
seem very favorable. There is null
titude of big, active men to fill the
gaps in the line, and likewise num-
ber of backfield candidates of good
ealibre. some of whom have had the
experience of one, two and three
years. here or elsewhere. Notably is
this the case-with Martin, Ingram,
Roberts and Butler, who started in
Saturdays game with Davidson. All
OF these were members Of last years
team. Speed in the backfeld. and
variation of the style of play were
two things distinctively noticeable in
Saturdays affray Captain Won
Heimbery did not get in to the play
at all. He has been suffering with q
strained ankle, and is taking nc
chances Of further aggravating the
injury. II is expected, however. he
will hold down one of the end posi-
tions. Not only is he hard and ag-
gressive player. but he furnishes 9
valuable asset to the team through
his kicking ability He is one of the
best punters of the squad. OF the
new material gathered from the
Fourth Glass, Coach Dobie is particu-
larly impressed with the work oi
Graves. at end; Wilkie, tackle; New
bern and Saunders. guards; Murray
Rhodes, McKineon. Combs and Whel-
chel, for the backield.
1t was felt in some quarters that
as there will be no game with the ri.
val Army Cadets this season, from
All indications. there would not be