Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-03
REFUSES TO NAME
."BEST" OF QUINTET
Picks eagle, SculI, Harpster,
Strong and Miles as
Leading Stars.
BY w. w. ROPER,
Princeton Foot Ball Coach.

T Asst Fall was a great season for
backs In the East. Some years
certain linemen stand out most
- prominently, but in 1928 the
backs seemed to have the edge.
The best of very fine lot were Chris
eagle, Army; Paul Scull, Penn; Howard
Harpster, Carnegie Tech; Ken Strong,
N. Y. IT,, and Mike Miles, Princeton.
It is hard to choose among them.
eagle, Harpster and Strong were brill
liant triple threats. They could run.
do something few backs can attempt
with success. He could run back and
then reverse his field and gain ground.
He also had an uncanny knack Of rum
ming back, reversing his field and then
making long pass to an end or back
way down the field.
Harpster was fine field general and
wonderful passer, besides being a
good runner and punter. Strong sell
dom failed to gain with the bali, and
he was great man in an open field.
Scull was the best drop kicker since
the days Of Brickley, a splendid de-
fensive man and wonderful pass re-
ceiver. It was Scull's great defensive
work against Harvard which contrib
uted largely to PENIS victory. He made
the only score with net drop-kick In
GIlc IlLSC quarter.
SculPs Amazing Ability.
Scull seldom, if ever, missed his try
for point. AS a pass receiver have
rarely seen his equal. He gave a WON
derful exhibition of how to catch a for
ward pass in the Cornell game. Time
after time he outran the Cornell backs
completely and recovered Shober's long
passes.
Miles differed from the other backs in
that he shone mainly for defensive work.
He was a wonderful back on the defense,
having an uncanny ability to size up
opponents plays, and when he hit the
ball carrier he rocked 'em and socked
EN-" to the queens taste. In his senior
year Miles proved himself quite a ball
carrier. He was also a great pass re-
ceiver. standing over feet and with a
remarkable reach.
OF these great backs eagle alone re-
turned this year. He is captain of the
Army, and have no doubt he will uu-
plicate last years brilliant performance.
Miles Is helping to coach Georgia
Tech, having charge of the backfield.
Soul is in business. I don't know what
Strong and Harpster are doing, but if
they display the same determination
and ability they showed on the gridiron
they are bound to succeed.
AL 1OOl UdlI lie DdCk WHO
can run. pass and kick is the one the
coach likes to have. With the defense
as sharp as it is, it is mighty hard work
FOR brilliant running back to gain
consistently unless he can pass. If The
defense doesn't fear the threat of the
pass, 1t can close in and make it hard
for any running back to gain ground
consistently, no matter what his abill ".
The Rack Who Tan p.~
But the back who can pass is a con-
slant threat. The defensive backs are
always fearful of a pass and are afraid
to come up too quickly to support the
line. A good passing back also has a
subconScious effect on the line. With
out realizing it, they play bit higher
than they should, and have the pass
on their mind. This really weakens
the first line of defense more than one
would think.
A really great back is born. Backs
of the type of eagle, Harpster and
Strong seem to come by their great
running and lodging ability by instinct.
Coaching has very little to do with it.
Trimble. Lourie and Slagle, the three
really great running backs who have
played on Princeton teams since I have
been coaching, could just naturally run
with the ball, and I must admit did
very little to help them.
The coach can develop plays to ut
back of this sort. and the rest of the
team can provide the interference which
Is so necessary. But when all Is said