Evening star., 1932-09-11

GlCO, 1COA &c w S6cAAAAAS3 WA etAANs
Maryland, are due within the next
two weeks to make much more
earnest preparation in their pre-
lininary foot ball practice than
any of the other four elevenS that
have their home gridirons here.
George Washington meets Washing
ton and Lee at Lexington in its first
contest September "a, while Maryland
lines up against Virginia at CharlotteS-
vile October l. Georgetown and Catho-
lie University play comparatively easy
games the first two Saturdays, con-
seouently do not need to push their
SQUADS. Gallaudet and American Uni
versity do not open until October s
and October IS, therefore are under
no necessity to rush their preparations.
George Washingtons opening, per-
haps, is more crucial than that OF
Maryland. 1t is the first test 1t has
had in years against one of the MAJOR
Southern elevens, and for that reason
alone it desires victory. But even more
important than that is the possible
effect of the game on the contest with
Alabama here October g. If, by any
chance, George Washington does not
prove strong enough to whip wash
Ington and Lee, the game with Alabama
will seem to be Just matter OF now
many points Alabama may score. In
other words, in order to make a really
big game out Of its meeting with the
Crimson Tide, George washington must
defeat the Generals. 1t would be
very real blow to the Colonials II they
lose.
However. according to the prospects
generally conceded George washington,
and in view of the way Coach PlXIee
is driving his men, 1t would seem tnat
Washington and Lee is in Tor rather
hard afternoon. Those tnat nave
watched George Washington at practee
seern united in the opinion that it has
about the best material Of the local
schools. And undoubtedly Pixlee real
Ives what his first game means ana Is
irving hard to weld together lou OF
veterans so that they may be strons
enough as q team to walk on with the
laurels.
NHARYLAND'S situation is not as
Nl difflcult In one sense as George
Washington's as it can better al
ford to take a whipping by virginia
than George Washington can from
Washington and Lee. However, con-
sidered from another viewpoint May,
lands task is harder, as it has to reoullo
a team while George Washington has
a veteran group. OF course, Maryland
wants to make a good showing against
Virginia, and is not likely to let any
grass grow under its feet in It's eHort
to make the best use of what material
is available. L.
To offer any suggestion as to the
kind Of team Maryland may develop
would be nothing more than the Wlo,
est conjecture. 1t does not have gooo
material. and the situation, as lar as
winning team is concerned, from the
viewpoint of an experienced coacn'
seems almost impossible.
However, Maryland has fine group
of willing youngsters, very Few OF "hom
know anything much about 1901 osIi'
who are of the type that may De oe,
pended on to give the best II mas, anu
such a group sometimes goes 1artner
than It seems to have any reason TO:
Whatever may be Maryland's lot-ano
right now it seems to have every prom
ise of being a hard one-one cannot
helm but admire the spirit and ef1ort
of the men who make up the squad.
CEoRGETowN opens its schedule
" with Mount st. Mary's on Oc-
tober l, then plays Canisius Oc-
tober 8, therefore does not have 70 get
in top form by the last of the month.
It will aim to be at its best by OCTOBER
IS, when it plays New York UnlverSlty'
Catholic University meets City Col
leea of New York october l and has
q game with it's own Freshman team
october 8, so it is not in hurry to get
going In top form either. Gallaudet
I3lays its opening contest with Wash
ington College on october 8, While
American University gets into the run
ming october IS with Bridgewater as
its opponent.
THIS is the time of the year when
foot ball coach realizes the value
of Spring practice. The coach VINO
went through 8 or 10 weeks OF WORKOUTS
last April and May knows Just Wnat tne
members of his squad are capable OF
doing, while the coach who did not now
has to waste time experimenting 10
learn for himself what he might nave
known at the beginning OF practice.
At one school not million miles
from here a coach has spent almost the
entire first week of practice In trying
to learn how best to utilize a lot OF
green material Rockne always SAID
that he made his foot ball teams In
the Spring, and in all probability ne
got such good results from Spring prac-
tice because he himself learned SO
much. The development OF foot oal
team depends almost as much on no"
much the coach knows about MS men
as on any other factor.
ONE local follower of foot ball Is
" somewhat at variance with tne
general view in regard to Catnolc
Tniversity's prospects. This man says
that it is his opinion the Brooklanders
may not show nearly as well as some
of their followers ana their coaches
think they will. He says:
&C. U. apparently has back veteran
squad, but when you look back over
its 1881 season and see by what close
margins it won some of its games and
attained its fine record, you may un-
derStand what l mean when say that
the team this year, with just as hard
a schedule. should consider itself lucky
to do as well as it did then. Person
ally, with all due respect to Coach
Dutch Bergman, whom l admire greatly,
and his men. l hardly look for c. u.
to wind up with as good record as 1t
had at the end of the 1881 season"
A S a matter of fact, Coach Bergman,
n while he is frankness personified,
has never said that he expects 10
make a better record than he had last
year. Bergman is far too Intelligent
to make public such an opinion even if
he had it. Too many factors enter
into the winning of foot ball game
for any coach to say what his record
may be, but what Bergman has said is
that he should have q better team than
last year, provided, Of course, he has
back all the material he expects to be
available.
And, without any consideration for
the number of games it may win, it Is
a good bet that Bergman knows Just
what he is talking about, and that
c. u will be a stronger team than in
1881. 1t may be all that and still not
win as many games as 1t did then.
H.