Evening star., 1931-12-13
ARMY'S STAR BACK
SINKS NAVY ELEVEN
Provides Margin of Differ
ence in Triumph Over
Valiant Sailors.
BY III. C. BYRD.

n EW YORK, December H.
M Ray Stecker, Army half
L ' back, today provided the
margin by which the Ca
diets defeated a hard-fghting
Navy team before a throng of
1900 spectators in a game which
Is expected to net $325,000 for
charity.
Although Herb scored the touch
down that got the Army off In
front in the second period, when
Brown followed with field goal,
and also toted the ball over in the
final quarter, as we'll as converted
both points with placement kicks,
it was Stecker's brilliant ball-car-
rying and his only a little less
meritorious efforts on defense that
spelled defeat for the Midship-
men. Stecker was the only Army
foot ball player with whom Navy
could not cope.
The soldier halfback, without doubt,
established himself as one of the great
Army backs Of all time and placed
himself on a pinnacle alongside Oil
phant, Wilson and other Army gridiron
heroes, If indeed he did not surpass
them.
Not only great player, in that he
bao oHx ~
never consistently stop, not only was
he the man who threw forward passes
that two or three times broke down q
superb Navy defense, but he was the
one real leader of the Army legions who
was constantly rallying his men. He
was the spearhead of the offense and
the one outstanding back of the game,
although, at that, he did not outrank
10 any great extent Lou Kirn of Navy,
Stecker's Foes Worthy.
Stecker's performance was all the
more brilliant, considering that he was
not against weak eleven, but against
a strong, valiant and efficiently drilled
team that put up great struggle
against greater weight and experience
and actually might have been the victor
mad 1t got little better breaks on two
or three occasions.
The Army has great foot ball team.
Its whole scheme of offense seems to be
to shake loose either Stecker or his un-
derstudy, Fields, and, of course, that
gave both Stecker and Fields great op-
portunitieS. But, even so, 1t took a
great back to do the things that Stecker
did. Stecker graduates next Spring.
and today was his final foot ball game
for Army. II is doubtful if eight or
nine foot ball teams of next Fall, all
Of Armys opponents, will shed single
tear.
Lou Kirn, also playing his last game
lor navy, was the next outstanding
BACK IN today'S game. He was Navy's
main ground gamer, threw passes well
and measured up in the punting duel
lar better than he was expected to.
once ne stood on his own goal line and
booted the ball to Armys 40-yard mark.
Wn1le Stecker was doWned in his tracks
On that play on great one-arm tackle
oy Smith, Navy left end, for a moment
It seemed that Stecker had broken
away, and Elliott, Navy right end, also
love into him hard-dove into him in
, way that would have done Joy to
me neart OF coach-but officials, prob
sDIy a little overalert to prevent in
ur1es, penalized Navy Is yards, That
$ just a little aside from what kim
ild, put the Navy back may we'll carry
Rltn MIN into his later Navy days the
that his last effort was
lis best and that that best was brilliant,
Both Teams Well Coached.
stecker and Kirn did not carry the
Vnole burden of their teams by anv
means, though they were Outstanding
: was a case Of two well drilled units
nat played good foot ball from start
nnlsh and, while Army won, the ef-
orts OF both were such that neither
Ias any reason to feel a tinge of re-
ret. Inc victor was the best coached
rmy eleven the writer ever has seen
nd he has seen nearly all Army +eanos
or good many years. The Navy also
'as well coached, so well so that it is
ara to see how any more could have
cen got out OF the men who took part.
VI course, there were mistakes bv
o6n Sfues, tactical mistakes and mis-
axes OF Judgment. But what foot BAN
anne ever was played in which there
ere not mistakes. or what on the sec
nd guess usually are called mistakes
'nce In the fourth period Navy got
way q long forward pass from its own
0-yard line that was complete on
rmyS 4o-yard mark. Then on the
ext play, from point too close to the
oe lines, 1t tried a fake plunge into
1e line and a run around the weak
de TO the wide side of the field, The
rmy secondary defense was shifted
20 lar that way for the play to be q
1ccess, and it lost 10 yards. The
ext play was pass and Army inter-
spted. At that time the score was 10
2 and II Navy had given Lou Kirn
lie Dali on one play, then opened with
notner long heave, there might have
zen different story. But that is
cond guess and what the Navy quar-
roack actually did may have been
!st as GOOD as anything else he might
ave done.
Army, on the other hand. twice in
lie first quarter made the mistake Of
yng TO rush the ball on fourth down
Nays 35-yard line Had it.
TN the accurate punting it was GET
ng, kicked outside at the fiye-yard
ARK, IL would have kept Navy backed
against It's own goal instead of let
1g IL work out of the perilous posi-
Army Muffs Two Chances.
Army got two breaks in that first
riod, neither Of which 1t was able to
pitalize. The first was when it
oSACu NaVy punt on Nays 30
ro line and the second when it re-
vered punt fumbled when two
my ends hit Moncure very hard be-
re ne had got a good hold on the
IL. Army lost the ball on downs each
ne without any material gain, and
en- time brilliant work by Kirn got
: Navy out of the bad spots.
One tactical mistake the Navy re~
Ieral times was in failing tf
SContinued On Third Pax. A