Evening star., 1932-09-19
COACH UNWORR|ED
BY LOSS OF STARS
Squad Built Around Dozen
Letter Men-Auburn May
Pull Surprise.
BY H. c. BYRD.

Y Y players by graduation,
its foot ball team, when
1t faces George Washington Uni
versity Saturday in the opening
game for both schools, is likely to
be made up largely of leftovers
from the 1881 varsity squad. The
Generals had II letter men avail
able for practice when they went
out two weeks ago, and probably
these will constitute the nucleus
OF this years eleven, with a
sprinkling of players from the
freshman team of last season.
Tilson, Mitchell, Bailey and Mattox,
all of whom graduated, were stars and
it may be difficult to replace them. AS
a matter of fact, the chances are that
no man In the Generals line this year
will equal Tilson, who all last season
left line position on offense to play
defensive fullback. He was one of the
really great players of the South. If
any man now is filling TilSon'S shoes
as well as Tilson himself did the job,
tklCll WdSIlulSGOIl d1lu 1CC Is lliOCCd
lucky. Mitchell and Bailey were 200
pound backs, and probably little too
slow for their jobs, while Mattox was
q fine ground gamer in the halfback's
position.
HOWEVER, the loss Of men like
1 i these does not seem to be troubling
the Washington and Lee coaches,
who probably do not yet realize how
strong team they are meeting in their
opening game. Coach Jimmie DeHart
never has been a pessimistic coach,
though which is not by any means to
his discredit incidentally, DeHart is
a good coach and has turned out some
fine teams About the only place where
he has not measured up to eXpecta-
tions was at Duke. and there were
circumstances surrounding DeHart's
stay there which probably made his
record as good as any other coach
would have made in the same shoes.
Henthorre, fullback, and Mattox,
halfback, both from the 1881 freshman
eleven, seem to have won regular jobs
in the backfeld, and they, with Bacon
and Sawyer, two letter men back from
the 1881 varsity quartet, are pretty
sure to compose the string on which
DeHart depends to do most of his
ground gaining. The final decision as
to the making of the varsity line has
yet to be made. One man who played
a good deal last year is Hanley. former
Eastern High School end.
WASHINGTON AND LEE has any,
w thing but an easy schedule. In
reality, it plays about as difficult
list of games this Fall as any school
in the country its size. The university
has about 700 students and there are
few ether schools with student bodies
of that size that undertake more am
bilious programs. In the first place, the
Generals begin with a tough assign
ment in meeting George Washington
It is not a secret that the George Wash
ington coaches down in their hearts,
expect to whip the Lexington school.
After the George Washington game
comes Davidson, October l. And David
son, whatever it may do this year, has
not been easy for any of its opponents
the last few years. October 10 the
Generals come this way to play Navy.
at Annapolis, and anybody who has
ever been against Navy at Annapolis IN
a foot ball game knows that Is going to
be an afternoon filed with monumental
tasks for the Generals. The following
Saturday comes Kentucky, one OF the
strongest elevens in the South. and after
Kentucky are to be met William and
Mary. Virginia Polytechnic Institute,
Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and
Duke
washington and Lee, as do Virginia,
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and Vlr-
ginia Military Institute. expects to have
a much better eleven this year than It
developed last. The Generals think
their material is better and they have
a good deal of faith in De Hart's coach
ing. Dick Smith. graduate manager OF
athletics, SAYS that I'VE think they
should be lot better this year, but in
this day of crazy foot ball I don't be-
lieve anything until I see it done"
Which rather homely statement Is not
far from true at other schools as we'll
as at Washington and Lee.
HOWN at Auburn, as Alabama Poly
l. technic Institute is familiarly
known, it is possible that team
may be developed capable of producing
some upsets. Last year Auburn came
along much faster and got farther than
anybody expected it to, and this year
Coach Chet Wynne may give some Of
the teams he is to meet rude jolts.
Wvnne is the best coach Auburn has
had. and without question is capable OF
getting about as much out of squad
as any other man. He is high type
chap, intelligent and lkable. He served
a session of the Oklahoma Legislature
before going to Auburn.
I'VE have about all of our men back
except Jordan. the regular center, and
our two co-captains. Bush, tackle, and
Davidson, quarterback" says Wynne IN
a letter in which he talks of his foot ball
r1rospects These men will be some
what of a loss but I feel that we should
replace them. We have four or five
fairly likely players coming up from last
wears freshman squad. Two Of the men,
guards. Houston and Welsh. seem to be
above the average for beginners Our
backfeld apparently is all rlgnt, with
Jimmie Hitchcock to do the passing ana
kicking. Our line may not be heaVy
enough to go very far, especially as we
have heavy schedule.
Incidentally, Wynne is like the other
coaches in the Southern Conference, as
he states that in his opinion Iulane,
Tennessee and Alabama should be rlght
at the top at the close Of the season.
Auburn opens its schedule with two
easy games. Birmingham Southern and
Erskine College, but after that has TO
meet Duke. Georgia Tech. Tulane. Mis-
sissippi. Florida, Georgia andA South
Carolina.
loot BALL in the two Mississippi
L State schools does not seem to be
on the upgrade to any appreclable
extent. although it is thought that
steady improvement will be noted from
now on. The situation in Mississippi s