The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-09-28
Schools Take Lead
in Keeping Football Alive.
West Point Team Lost Oliphant
and knight Only.
VETS BACK IN MOST COLLEGES
Rule Against Play of Freshmen
Is Still in Force.
Big Three Have Not Yet Decid-
ed To Call Practice.

New York, Sept. 2S.-Notwithstand-
ing the uncertainty regarding the. uIt1-
mate status of football among the
eastern colleges, practice has been
started at a number of institutions and
present conditions would appear to in
dictate a general carrying on of the
play, arranged for earlier in the year.
Encouragement is gained from the
fact that the leaders in the gridiron
activity are the two government aca-
denies at West Point and Annapolis.
It is the general opinion among
coaches and others interested in foot
ball that if the Cadets and Middies,
with their intensive duties and train
ing, can find time for the game the
average student enrolled in the various
college S. A. T. c., will have similar
opportunities for INDUCING in the
sport.
N Both the navy and army squads
have been practicing under competent
coaches for some time now, the num-
Der of candidates averaging well over
the hundred mark No attempt has
been made to curtail the schedules and
all games will be played as planned,
except where colleges engaged have
will be filled if opponents can be Sc
cured. This, however. is not a par
ticularly easy task as both the army
and navy have impressive elevens,
well under construction and other in
situations are loath to send their teams
against the Middies or Cadets unless
fortified with powerful material.
At West Point virtually the entire
first string combination of last year
has reported for training. Oliphant
and Knight are the two missing veter-
ans and their places are being eagerly
sought by a score of husky candidates,
some of whom have had considerable
fnnfhan aYnorianca nrOmlnPnt COL
Ieges. The navy is equally well pro-
vided with material Coach Dobie has
more than a hundred players out ev-
cry day, including many promising
veterans, last seasons substitutes and
first year men for every position. The
squad also contains a number OF fast
and heavy players and this weight will
be welcome as the Middies eleven of
1917 was unusually light, making up in
speed what it lacked in poundage.
Vets Are Back.
Two other colleges, which were rep
resented by sterling teams twelve
months ago, are also back on the
gridiron at Rutgers and West Vir-
ginia. Rutgers is in much the same
position as West Point as coach Fos-
ter Sanford has about 80 per cent of
his last season eleven upon which to
build for 1913. West Virginia Is not
quite SO fortunate as some of the best
players of year ago have been lost
thru graduation and entry into the
service. The new candidates, how
ever, are a promising group and in
dications point to a team which will
approach the high standard of 1917.
Lehigh and Penn State have COM
menced practice with fair prospects
Of winnings teams. Nine veterans
have already reported at South Beth
lehem while Penn State began work
with a squad of more than thirty play
ers. The freshmen rule, barring first
year men from the varsity team, is
still in force, which would appear to
indicate that material for the team is
not lacking.
Wesleyan and Washington and
Jefferson candidates are drilling reg
ularly and reports from the training
quarters are to the effect that both in
numbers and physical attributes the
men are fully up to the expectation of
the coaches Football work is sched-
uled to commence at Cornell and
Pennsylvania within a few days, and
If Princeton, Harvard and Yale de-
eide to resume play, even upon a lin
tied scale, the outlook will be promis-
ing for a season equal to that of last
year when interesting gridiron con-
tests were not lacking