The Washington times., 1920-09-16

There is additional confirmation OF
the report which places the number
OF letter men entering West Point
from colleges which support strong
football teams at thirty. 1t was
pretty well known here some months
ago that Army officers. stung by the
defeat OF West Points eleven last
season and seeing no hope to de-
velop a team FROM the material al
ready at West Point. were doing
everything In their power TO bring
finished players there. their assistance
including inside information on secur-
ing appointments.
The Military Academy has not yet
recovered so fully from the drain
upon it's student body occasioned by
, the war as has the Naval Academy,
and this is the occasion OF the un-
usual efforts which are being made TO
develop team. The soldiers were
distinctly outplayed last season, and
they lost nearly all of their best
players, including their star back, Nc
Quarrie. by graduation.
On the other hand. the Naval
Academy has the majority of it's
, regulars OF last season and a great
many other excellent substitutes and
second squad men.
DOBIE WAS SURPRISED.
Gilmour Dobie. now at Cornell, VINO
| coached the Naval Academy the last
three seasons expressed his surprise.
| after the service game Of last season,
at the weakness OF the Army team,
| stating that IL the team of last year
1 was no weaker than the teams or the
two previous seasons. his teams of
| 1917 and 1918 should have won from
| them by 30 or 40 to o.
1t will be remembered that there
were no games between the two those
years, but there is no doubt that the
naval teams were much stronger than
| in last season, the last year for Dobie
at Annapolis.
West Points success in securing re-
| cruits from other colleges does not
cause any uneasiness at Annapolis.
| The maximum age at which candi-
dates have been admitted has always
been two years lower at the Naval
Academy than at West Point but the
Midshipmen have been able to meet
the Cadets on even terms. This year.
however. West Point has even
greater advantage, as the age limit
| has been raised by two years in the
case OF men who served in the army
during the war.
| The opinion is expressed here, how
| ever, that better results are likely
| to be obtained by the use OF men who
have learned the higher grade OF foot
ball here. The Naval Academy seldom
gets youths who have played on col
lege teams, the maximum age limit
| OF nineteen years making II unlikely.
| In the whole squad from the new
| class, with more than 100 members,
there are only two with college ex-
perience, Barchet, from Johns Hop
kins, and Dickie. from the Univer-
| sity of Idaho
SELDOM ARE WINNERS.
| It is pointed out that efforts to
bring together an "all-star" team sell
dom produce a winning aggregation,
and that the solidarity and team play
of an eleven OF players who learn
under one system of instruction gen
orally overcomes such an aggrega-
tion.
! Bob Folweli. who succeeded Dobic.
Is not making any radical changes.
Many of Dobies methods and plays
| will be retained or changed but
slightly. However. Folwell will prob
ably have wider variety OF open
plays,
Most OF the men upon whom Folwell
will have to rely learned all OF their
football under Dobie. and II is con-
sidered unwise to attempt to make a
complete change OF methods. Fol-
we'll has around him as his assistants
men who were closely associated with
Dobie in his work at the Academy.
several of them having played under
| him.
There are indications that the &c
rics OF games for the Navy team Will
p.ovo OF much Interest. IL is report
ed that North Carolina state, with
which tho Midshipmen open the sea
son on October 2, Is much stronger
than last year. and that Lafayette
and Bucknell which play on tho 9th
and 18th. will be ready to give tho
Navy team a hard fight.
Tho game at Princeton on tho 23d
Will be the bis event OF the Midship-
mems season, excepting tho final con-
test against the Army at tho New
York Polo Grounds on November %.