The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-09-25
Army and Navy Teams Ready to Meet Opponents
 and Will Be Formidable
 Foes.

Kew York, Sept. 25-Notwithstand- Ing the uncertainty regarding the ul- innate status of football among the eastern colleges, practice has been started at number of institutions and present conditions would appear to indicate 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 acad- emies at West Point and Annapolis. Ii is the general opinion among coaches and others interested in football that if the Cadets and Middies, with their intensive duties and training, can finn time for the game the average student enrcile din the various college s. A. T. C., will have similar opportunities for indulging in the sport
 Both the Navy and the Army squads have been practicing under competent coaches for some time now, and the number of candidates average well over the hundred mark. No attempt has been made to curtail the sched- ules and all games will be played as planned, except where colleges en- gagged have dropped football. These open dates will be filled if opponents can be secured. This, however, Is not particularly easy task as both the Army and Navy have impressive elevens, well under construction anl other institutions are loath to seno their teams against the Middies or Ca dets 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 vet yerans and their places are being eag- erly sought by a score of husky can didates, some of whom have had con siderable football experience at prom inent colleges. The Navy is equally well provided with material. Coach Dobie has more than hundred play CTS out every day, including many promising veterans, last seasons sub stitutes 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 jt lacked in poundagc.
 Two other colleges, which were represented by sterling teams twelve months ago, are also back on thf gridiron at Rutgers and West Vir ginia. Rutgers is in much the same position at West Point as Coach Eos ter Sanford has about ninety per cent of his last season eleven upon whicl to build for 1918. West Virginia :: not quite so fortunate as some of thu best players of a year ago have beer lost through graduation and entr! into tn eservice. The new cand dates. however, are a promising groui and indications point to team whicl will approach the high standard o 1917.
 Lehigh and Penn. State have com menced practice with fair prospects O winning teams. Ninety veterans hay already reported at South Bethelen while Penn. State began work with squad of more than thirty players The freshmen rule, barring first yea men from the varsity team, is still i force which would appear to indicat - that material for the team is not lack ing.
 Wesleyan and Washington and Jef ferson candidates are drilling regu larly and reports from the trainin quarters are to the effect that both i numbers and physical attributes tn men are fully up to the expectation C the coaches. Football work is sched uled to commence at Cornell an Pennsylvania within a few days an if Princeton, Harvard and Yale de eide to resume play, even upon a lin 1ted scale, the outlook will be prom ising for a season equal to that of la: year when interesting gridiron COT tests were not lacking.