Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-09
ANNAPOLIS SQUAD.
PLEASES COACHES
Material Is Available for
Great Team Needed to
Meet Schedule.
BY H. C. BYRD.

NNAPOLIS, Nd. September g.
n Optismism and foot ball are
IA synonymous at the Naval Acad-
4 \ edy these days. II there Is any
body here who believes anything
other than that the Navy will have
one of its strongest elevens, that person
cannot be found. Those especially In
terested in the sport drop out on the
field, take a look at the husky and
rangy and fast group that meets his
ewes, and turns away or continues TO
gaze with a satisfied smile.
Bill Ingram, Navy coach, is not an
exception. He feels just as much as do
others that Nays prospects are far bet
ter than year ago. Anyway, accord
ing to Bill, Navy is going to have a
much stronger eleven.
I'VE are going to have much better
team than last year. Virtually all our
squad are back. and with the addition
of experience we ought to do lot
better. OF course, you can never tell
about a foot ball team, but barring the
unforeseen we ought to have good
year.
Speaks From Shoulder.
Which, coming from Bill Ingram
means q lot, especially when considera-
ton Is given to what Navy did last
the team came along rapidly and won
from both Pennsylvania and Princeton,
and both Penn and Princeton had
strong elevens. Penn was generally re-
garded as one of the best in the coun-
try until Navy came along and knocked
it of its high perch.
Navy last year probably would have
gone through great season had 1t not
been for the unfortunate death of
,r.L- - IL
brilliantly in the backfield. That put a
damper on foot ball that simply could
not be removed except by time, and 1t
not only affected the squad but the
coaches as well. One Navy coach said
to the writer: II don't see how the
squad ever got over it, because it just
knocked the. spots out of me for nearly
the whole season"
That being the case, then Nays real
strength Of last year must be judged
from the time 1t began to recover from
the effects Of Fox's death, which was
late in the year, when It whipped Penn
and Princeton. And If Navy Is going
to be stronger than it was then, the
only conclusion to draw is that Navy
is going to have one of its strongest
combinations and of its best years on
the gridiron.
Has Veteran Material.
Navy has back an array of veteran
material. Virtually the whole varsity
squad is on hand, with promising mate
rial from last years plebes. Three var
slty ends of 1928 again are available
Moret. Byng and Crane-all being in
uniform and looking just as capable as
when they proved such fine hankers
last season. The three men who did
most OF the playing in the tackle posi-
tons also are doing their stunts. They
are Bowstrom, Bryan and Chambers.
The three fine guards who moved down
center opposition late in the year seem
to be just as good as they were then,
and every time that the coaches take a
look at Koepke, Chapple and futile
they fall to see how anybody Is going
to hurt much the center of Nays line.
Hughes is back to play center, and
f1ve backs, in the persons of Castree,
Spring, Davis, Clifton and Cannon, seem
just as capable as when they ripped
Pennsylvania's line asunder on Franklin
Field. Castree starred in the victory
over Penn, and all Navy people look
for him to be a great back this FAN.
Big, rangy and fast, he seems to have
al the attributes Of . real foot ball
player.
Faces Dennison in Opener.
navy begins It's season the last Satur.
day in this month with Dennison Uni
versity. which is by no means weak. If
Navy gets by that contest without any
difficulty, plenty of others are scheduled
in which they will face trouble. Will
liam and Mary. which appears at An
napolis the first Saturday in October.
may not be so easy, and after that,
with Duke, Notre Dame, Princeton,
Penn and Georgetown in a row, enough
real opposition is sure to satisfy every-
body's desire. no matter how strong an
eleven may be developed.
Following the Georgetown game, two
weeks OF comparative ease is likely. as
neither Wake Forest nor West viz
ginia Wesleyan is likely to present sum
Gent strength for anything more than
good workouts. The final game will be
with Dartmouth at Philadelphia Noyern-
Der 80, and, with the exception of come
OF the games in which 1t took part last
year after being pretty badly crippled,
dartmouth is seldom an easy nut to
crack. Navy apparently will have a
great team, but it also has a great
schedule to combat