Evening star., 1939-10-20
Whether Man or System Fails
Is Question; Capital Squads
Lacking in Monpower

the highest spends hours on pass
defense work, and yet look at the
number completed each Saturday
afternoon. Virginia's passing whip
ped Maryland in the last period; Alb
Pritchard of " M. I. passed with
abandon" against Vanderbilt; Penn
scored on Yale and won the game
with a 51-yard pass play; Prince
tons lone touchdown against Cor
nell was on pass, Southern Metho-
dist completed of II heaves against
Notre Dame, and Detroit all but up
set Catholic U. with its aerial game.
You can't find single instance in
which teams passing attack was
halted completely despite hours of
tedious toll and yet the customers
blame the system and the coaching.
In our book it's the individual who
is to blame. and we marvel at the
number of balls that are batted down
in comparison with those that nestle
in the arms of receivers. They do
pretty good job.
D c. Squads Lack Man Power.
AS for the size of our local squads
they aren't large enough successfully
to cope with major competition. Vir-
ginia had 48 varsity men, Detroit 81,
Syracuse Sc and Butler 46. Yet
Catholic u. with 80 players, topped
the District list. Maryland boasts
80; Georgetown and George WASH
ington IS each.
A squad can be too large, but
there appears to be little danger
OF that happening in this vicinity.
A more serious predicament is hav-
ing too few. Three teams would be
sufficient for any league if all 80
men were real football players guar
anteed against injury, but three
teams are woefully lacking in a
tough 8 or 10 game schedule If the
boys are only average Out of IS
men a coach considers himself lucky
to obtain Is good, solid men.
A team is only as strong as its
reserve power and, while we have
four good teams in the neighbor-
hood, their reserves are of an en-
tlrely different hue. Witness Bill
Pelnhart's struggle to replace
Johnny Kokoski, a guard stricken
with appendicitis. Maryland has
four ends and Georgetown is short
on backfleld material Catholic u.
is weak all around in man power. yet
Detroit blew into town with three
sets of good backs to throw against
the Cards-more real talent for four
positions than Dutch" Bergman
has for II berths.
Coaching Here of High Order.
A shortage of material seriously
handlcaps scrimmage work and lays
team open to more serious conse-
quences in actual combat. Some
players have tendency to loaf
along, secure in the knowledge their
jobs are safe, if no reserves are
pressing them for recognition. That
does a team no good. If they hap
pen to be hard, conscientious work.
ers the absence of good reserves
means it is impossible to give them
necessary work during the week.
Look over the rosters of any
major school. Army, Navy, Mime
sota Southern California. Duke,
Penn, Cornell, North Carolina and
countless others, and you'll under
stand why the caliber of collegiate
football in this bailiwick fails to
hit the upper brackets. It's good as
far as it goes, but it could go farther.
The success our teams have enjoyed
thus far this season and in past
years has been due to a good brand
of coaching and the cast-iron
physiques and unf1inching spirit of
the boys themselves.
They deserve hand, figuratively
and literally.