The Washington times., 1925-11-27

Coach owsIey Believed to
Have Kept Several Pass
Plays a Secret
By HUGH r. RILEY

ANNAPOLIS, Nov. ET.-Ihe
final practice Of the Navy grid
squad will be held today on the
Polo Grounds where tomorrow the
annual battle with West Point
win be staged before a capacity
crowd. The midshipmen were
guests of the Pennsylvania man
agement yesterday, watching the
Quakers triumph over Cornell, z
to o, from choice sideline seats.
After the game on Franklin Field
Coach Owsley took his squad to
New York for a nights rest be-
fore the final practice session.
The character of the practice
this week, being largely defense
against a wide running attack,
has indicated very clearly that
Coach Owsley feels that the great
est Army menace is the running
Of Wilson and Trapnell.
With that attitude toward the
Army team It is felt that II these
two brilliant runners can be checked
the Navy stands splendid chance
OF victory. It is the one point
according to the Navy belief in.
which the Army Is stronger than
last season.
The Navy has In Shakley a back
who is certainly the equal of either
OF the Army aces. Neither one Of.
the soldiers has In any game this
year, against an opponent OF any
where near equal strength, ap-
preached ShipIey's record Of 100
yards gained in nineteen runs from
ecrimmage besides big gains after
receiving q pass or running back
q kick.
Sllapley, indeed though possibly
not SO snowy as the two Army
backs and not so likely 80 carry
through p Spectacular rum, Is be, ];
Eeved here to be their superior 3
I'm average worth and moro likely 8
80 make regular gains. OwsleY
has devised formations which fit
Shapley's style Of running admir-.
ably and has also benefited him
Individually BY, his coaching.
Flippin and Caldwell are almost
certain to be the halfbacks, with
Hamilton at quarter. Both Flippin
and Caldwell are successful line
hitters and viii be called upon to
take their turns in carrying the
ball. Hamilton win be the field gen.
eraI and the utmost confidence, IL
held in him. Besides he Is q good
passer and fair runner ana
kicker.
The Navy win have q much bet
ter passing game than It had last
year, while the Army has displayed.
little in this line this season. The
Navy will be able to use the pass
ASA regular and well-drilled method
of attack, not the desperate and
half baked chances 1t took last
year in a wild effort to win against
a better team.
ShapIey will do the bulk Of the
punting. He Is a. good punter, not
among the best Of these on the
college teams, but It is believed
that he will have something on
TrapneIl, He VIII or Yeomans, the
trio Of Army kickers. Shapley
has been very consistent in his
kicking this season, has placed the
q. kick blocked.
In the past two weeks, dur.
ing which practice has been Of
the most secret kind, the Navy
has not only been polishing up
its offensive tactics, such as It
has been using during the early
mart of the season, but there Is
no doubt that IL has been work
ing on some new and novel plays
which will be sprung ON the
Army Saturday and which, II
Is hoped, viii take the Soldiers
entirely by surprise.
It Is known that number OF
sts pass plays have not been used
all this season and also that Its
most efficient players in receiving
the ball have done little OF 1t In
the other matches.
During the past few weeks, par.
ficularIy since the Bucknell game
on the same day. the Army was
being trounced by Columbia, con.
fidence in a Navy victory has been
growing here and it is evidently
shared elsewhere, as the change In
the odds from four to one in favor
Of the Army to five to- four in
favor Of the Navy seems to In
dicate.