Evening star., 1935-12-01
INSTALNIENT XIX.

n over florence, a little team
from upstate. Bertwell's advent had
brought q new spirit to the institu-
ton.
The spirit was noticeable on the
faces of the students. During Nc
Brair's regime, there was certain
recognizable feeling of inferiority dur
ing the Fall campaign each year.
The important newspapers invariably
wrote of Colburn in a vein of aggra-
waiting diff1dence The Crimson team
in those days was repeatedly referred
to as the underdog
Not so since Bertwell came on the
scene. There was something dynamic,
reliable and infectious about the quiet
but impressive way be did things.
The team felt it. The students sensed
it. And the entire important battles
were yet to come, of course, yet the
vigorous and wholesome attitude in
which they were anticipates acted as
stimulant to the institution.
The press. almost unanimously, re-
garded Colburn as one of the coming
teams of the season. The more en-
thusiastic sport writer's didn't hes
itate to predict mythical champion
ship for the Crimson unit. In 20
odd years Colburn hadn't enjoyed
such complimentary publicity.
On Monday, the squad was cut to
IS players. The sleeping quarters in
the gym were abandoned, and the
members of the squad returned to
their respective rooms. The training
table personnel was named and
posted, and the team settled down to
a definite routine Chuck was still
confined to his bed, where he would
have to remain for a few more days.
After the strategy session Tuesday
night. in which Coach Bertwell, his
assistant, Jim Warwick; Paul Stevens
and two substitute pilots participated,
Stevens hurried over to Chuck's room
with handful of notes he had jotted
down.
How're you feeling, Chuck?" said
Stevens as he came in the room.
Pretty well, thanks, Paul. BY the
way, you know my roommate Sam
Barkley, don't you?"
Sure thing. Hello Sam We sit
right near each other in 'soccy' three,
don't we? Interesting duck, Prof.
Somers, isn't he? Talks by the hour
on anything"
Hes all right" Sam came back,
"but his line gets to be drip after a
while"
Sorry you had to miss the quarter
back session, Chuck. 1t was great.
7 never learned so much foot ball in
my life. Bertwell sure knows his stuff.
He never played quarterback, but
he's made study of quarterback
strategy, and what he can't tell you
about running a team is nobody's
business. Honestly, I never thought
there was so much to learn about the
game. Why, that big OK, McBrair.
never even believed such stuff ex-
isted. He used to say, get out there
and make that team sore. That's
about the only directions or instruc-
tions ever got" 100.
I'D like to have been in on it,
Paul"
ITS my fault you weren't, old
man. But think I've got the most
important dope right here for you
We can go over it together If you
like. I think there are some things
that need an explanation"
Fine. I'd like to-"
1.-THE first thing he said, Chuck" I"
began Stevens, sis that we should
regard the field as a plane, divided
into five sections. Like this" and
he pointed to diagram he had drawn
See, the first section is from the
goal line to the 20-yard line. The
second Is from the 20 to the 40 yard
line. The third from the 40 to the
other 40. The fourth, from the 40
to the 20. And the fifth from the
20 to the other goal line
He outlined a scheme of plays for
each section. In the first section
that is, between our goal line and the
) 2o-yard line-we should, assuming
that it is not in the dying minutes
Of the game, call only one line buck,
and then punt. You probably know
q more about this stuff than I do, and
it may be trite to you, but I'm just
giving it to you the way he did. I
must say, it's new to me-"
"It's new to me, too, Paul"
= Then he said, if we have the ball
: in the second section we should take
maybe two line bucks or so, and then
kick. He explained it by saying that
:. there's no use hammering away in
your own territory. You're only
wasting your own steam and tiring
out the ball club. He also remarked
. that it is a proven fact that a sus-
tanned advance of more than 60 yards
= seldom, if ever, results in a touch
down. The team either fumbles, tires,
or just peters out before it can score.
I'm the third section the same
rule holds, except that if you want to
you can sound out the opposing teams
strength by an of-tackle play, or an
end sweep. And if their backs are
up close you might even try a long
forward pass. If the pass is caught
1t is as good as a punt anyway, as
our ends will very likely tackle the
man when he catches the ball.
In section 4that is, on or inside
their 40-yard hne-you start to open
up with your attack. In other words,
he said. you begin building up your
sequence of plays, so that when you
get in scoring territory-that Is, in
side their 2oyard line-you have an
ace in the hole that should result
In a touchdown.
I'm this section of the field you
can run, pass, or hit the line. He
advised us to hold our reverses and
criss-crosses as long as we could, be-
cause they are all theoretically scor-
ing plays. The stuff he gave US about
q sequence of plays was great. I
: know got lot out of it, and maybe
you will. too. If you don't want to
: hear it don't hesitate to tell me. I
don't want to seem like a teacher,
but really, Chuck, it's great stuff"
"I'll say it Is" said Chuck, en-
Enthusiastically, go right ahead. I'm
eating it up"
well. let's see. Before I 60 into
i that better finsh I'm nm this 6ia oro ~,