New Britain herald., 1927-09-26
WESLEYAN HOPES
 FOR STRONG TEAM
Defeat Of Saturday Doesn't
 Bother Supporters Of Eleven

Although the cynics may say that
 Wesleyans football team, which
 started off it's season Saturday with
 a lS to defeat by Colby, intends
 to repeat it's performance of last
 year when it dropped most of its important games, it is evident to the
 student body and to the football
 world that Wesleyan's high hopes. based on the new coaching of Bill
 Wood, have not been entirely mis- | placed and Wesleyan has a fair
 chance to develop into a winning
 team. ] Saturdays game was regulation ! first encounter. The usual loose
 playing which is generally evident cn the field during the month of September, was there in full force. 1 Tackling by the Red and Black
 players could surely have been im- , proved upon and the line showed 1 the need of considerable practice. Several changes have been made
 in this years lineup from the team
 which struggled through hard sea- 1 son last year. Silloway, last years
 guard, has been shifted out to end , in an attempt to balance the lire. | Osborne, last years halfback, called signals through the greater part of Saturdays game while Bittenbcnder, last years quarter back, sat on the 1 bench and looked envious. Tetley, Weslcyans whirling dervish. ap- peared to be fully as able as his record calls for although he only i broke through the competent Colby squad on two occasions for runs Of any length. Bagg, the much herald cd new fuilback played a nice game throughout although he clearly showed the lack of interference by his teammates.
 Colby's line and backfirtd worked together with a surprising amount
 of efficiency for game so carly in
 the season. The line is especially
 worthy of commendation for it's strong offensive and defensive work.
 Although the Mddlctown team
 pounded the line from end 10 end in all quarters of the game, Colby's first defense was loath to give yards and time and again the Wesleyan attack crumplcd on stone wall of
 resistance.
 Wesleyan. unfortunately. was not equipped with the same,featurc, In the third and fourth quarter, the
 Maine school found no trouble in slicing through the tackles for ten or fifteen yards at q crack. In the offensive game the line neglected to make the holes it should have made and the plunging backs found them selves battering at the waiting Colby defense with no openings for them
 Tho Red and Black had one bright quarter, the first, when a misiudged punt and several passes brought the ball in position for kick. Captain Lee missed the kick by inches and after another attempt at q drop kick q llsiie later in the game, Wesleyan a.iti"i down 10 the hard grind of dct"Adins it's goal from the in vadcrs.
 Colby earned touchdown in thc second quarter, hammering out the score through pair of fast weaken ing tackles. Scott was sent in to replace Osborne at quarterback and succeeded in bracing up the team for the remainder of the half but when fumblod punt early in the third quarter gave Colby its second score Wesleyan's hopes dropped, and the team Was not dangerous from then OH. The last quarter was a nightmare, with Colby romping through the line at will. Wesley an stifrened at crucial moments and prevented another score by a super human effort that brought enthusi- asm from the stands.
 Captain Lees charges showed proficiency in the overhead game on several occasions, tossing the oval through the air for numerous sub stantial gains in the first and sec ond quarter, The bunting, done by Nas also effective, one kick boi,nding 70 yards down the field before it was captured by a Colby back. Al the straight game how ever, Wesleyan found 8 rock-liIlc line and a watchful set of backs too much for it and attack after attack pounded itself into oblivion on Coby's immovable line.
 Thirty of the Yale squad dropped in on the game. the New Haven school declaring a holiday for the weekend. They were unknown un- iii the half was oyer and then broke { into applause when the Wesleyan i stands included the Yale marching !, song in it's college medley. Upon 1. request the sens of Eli gave Wesley | an a cheer and good relations be- tween the two schools were definite ly established.
 Earlier in the afternoon a group ! of very earnest sophomorcs en- deavored to get the class flag from | a larger group of equally as earnest freshmen in the annual flag scrap, The neophytes proved too vindictive and the flag was still there when the closing gun closed the battle. Black eyes and crimson noses were in evidence in the stands through out the afternoon.
 Wesleyan's next encounter comes on Saturday, October l, when the sons of Wesleyan meet the Con- necticut Aggies at the Middletown : field. The line, in the meanwhile, | is due for some extensive workouts, i if the look on Coach Woods face | during the game meant anything.