The Washington times., 1919-11-05
H|LLTOPPERS ARE
D|SPLAC|NG ARMY
by HUGH r.. RILEY.

ANNAPOLIS. Nov. 5.-Next Satur-
| days game here against Georgetown
is the one football contest of the
Naval Academy schedule which is
able to divert the attention of the An
napolis contingent from the clash with
the Military Academy on the New
York Polo Grounds at the end of the
season. So strong is the rivalry be-
| tween the two teams, and so spirited
has been the fight whenever they met
in recent years, that for this week
local enthusiasts are talking George
town and not Army.
At the beginning of the season il
| looked as IL Georgetown had the
better chance to win, with announce
| ments that stars of two seasons were
returning from their war service and
strengthening the material left from
| last year.
At present the Navy people feel that
| they have an even chance to win, par
| ticularly as the newly arranged back
| field did so well against West Virginia
Wesleyan on Saturday, and is improv-
| ing with every days work this week.
I Incidentally, the showing made by
| Georgetown against the same team
/ was just about as good as that of the
Navy. No other team has been played
| by both.
Will Test Two Teams.
Besides being a contest between two
| coaches, Gilmour Dobie, a product of
| the West, and Al Exendine, who
| learned his football under Warner at
| Carlisle, the game is likely to test the
| comparative merits of supremacy in
line and backfield. 1t is probable that
the Navy has a stronger and more
4 h.,
| there is little doubt that Georgetown
| has the speed. experience and bril-
| liancy in the backfield to a superior
| degree than any combination the Navy
| can produce.
The Navy this year is particularly
| strong from tackle to tackle. 1t is
| probable that it never had a better
pair Of tackles than King and Murray
| or better guard than Denfeld. The
| three are powerful and aggressive.
stiff on defense, and having the ability
| to be at the right place, and great
| helps on the offense in opening up and
| putting opponents out of the play.
| Larson, center, and Moore, right
| guard, are good players, though not
| quite reaching the standard of the
| other three. while there is good sub
| stitute center in Sanborn and plenty
! of good second string guards in Rich
| ards, Wallace. Willkic, Niemeier. and
| Nilsson.
Even May Play.
| The matter of ends is still giving
| some trouble. Captain Even is salts
| factory on the right side OF the line
but he has been kept from the game
so much this year by injuries that his
! value to the team has been dimin
| ished. Parr and Lowe have been
| working for the place without either
| making his title clear. Woodruff and
Graves are fighting it out on the other
| side OF the line. and Owsley a power
| full fourth classman, has done such
| good work with Squad B that there
is talk OF shifting him to the main
| bunch.
Dobie seems to have struck a good
| combination in his backfeld with
| Koehler. Clark, Cruise. and Waters.
| These four have emerged from the
| big lot OF back candidates as some
what better than the others, though
| they are pressed closely by Rawlings,
Benoist, Taylor, and Waters.
| 1t may be noted that there is a
Waters and waters" among the
backfeld men at the Naval Academy,
the former a/second classman and a
lacrosse and basketball player, as we'll
as football. The latter Is a fourth
classman, and Is one of the best of
the substitutes.
1t is not claimed for any Of these
backs that they are stars, but they
| are all hardworking and capable
backs, and are improving with every
| week. 1t will not be as brilliant a
backfield as either Georgetown or
| West Point has, but with the power
full and aggressive forwards and the
efficiency that is being acquired in
putting through Dobie's varied as
sortment OF plays, it is not likely to
prove a weak one. either.