Evening star., 1940-11-20
Surprising Maroons
Appear as Better
Balanced Eleven
WI. and 6. W. Settle
Nearby Virginia Title
! In Morning Contest
BY GEORGE HUBER.

A well-balanced line and q
smooth working, experienced back
field has made Tech q slight IA
vorite to take the public high foot
ball crown tomorrow when 1t meets
Western, defending champion, at 2
o'clock at Central Stadium. The
game originally was scheduled for
Saturday, but was moved up to avoid
conflict with the Georgetown George
Washington tilt.
In another outstanding holiday
schoolboy attraction George WASH
ington High of Alexandria and
Westinghouse High of Ballston
meet at 10 am. at Ballston in their
traditional Old Oaken Bucket clash.
Techs last championship was
earned in 1886, and its surprised
scholastic followers as we'll as its
coach, Artie Wondrack, by coming
up with strong, well-knit eleven
this season that carried 1t to the
East Division championship.
Only scoreless tie with Central
marred its series schedule Of four
games.
Western. winner of its first crown
since 1905 last season, carried
through as expected in the West
Division and retained its sectional
title with three victories in five
games, losing to Central and Tech.
Why Tech Is Favored.
That Tech loss is one reason the
Red Raiders will be underdogs.
Score of the game was 21-6, but
such an edge hardly is in prospect
tomorrow. Western did not play at
its best in that game. 1t was suffer-
ing a letdown after having clinched
its divisional crown the previous
week and was playing without the
services of several stars, among them
Jake Hilleary. its passing, kicking,
plunging back, and George Grey,
one of the city's outstanding ends,
who has seen little service because
OF an injury in the opening game.
Both boys have regained their full
physical powers, however, and are
expected to play important parts in
the Raider drive tomorrow. Other
outstanding members of the red-clad
eleven are Capt. Jack Xanten,
center, and Buck Hurrein in the
backfeld.
Xanten is one of the most versatile
players in schoolboy ranks. He's an
excellent ball passer and a power on
defense. but he has other attributes.
Coach Dan Ahern would like to have
him IN the backfield because of his
speed and blocking ability and he
was used there during the first half
OF the Central game. His absence
weakened the forward wall so much
that he was returned to the line for
the second half
Hurrlein Is Big Asset.
Hurrlein is another almost i'm.
pregnable on defense and probably
is without equal as a blocker. His
vicious path-clearing is a great asset
and he's 40-minute player. Never
once has he missed action because
of injury.
Westerns line is one of the best
In local schoolboy circles but a slight
edge in this department is owned
by Tech. In Paul Jennings and Bob
F1ormanti. Coach Wondrack claims
two OF the city's best and most un-
sung guards while Art Newsome Is
topped by Xanten at center.
Behind that good forward wall
works a smooth backfield combina-
tion that is the envy of other
coaches. Jack Walsh. Carlton
Smallwood, Bill Dellastatious and
Vernon Hollidge have played to-
gether since their freshman DAYS
and handle the ball with ease that
somes only from experience. Walshs
kicking especially is outstanding and
for a high school player he has ex-
ceptional ability at placing his boots.
Has Jinx on Western.
A remarkable thing about the
Tech-Western series is the jinx
Tech seems to exercise over Western.
They have met every year with the
exception Of 1918, during the in
fluenza epidemic, and last year,
when no game was scheduled be-
cause Of the split series, but West
ern has been unable to win since
1916. In "a games since then Tech
has triumphed except for four ties.
Their meetings generally have
been heated and, in fact, one of the
most exciting moments ever ex-
perienced in Schoolboy title came
during the 1884 engagement. With
Tech leading in the last period, 26-O,
a fight broke out among players. It
spread to spectators and the young
riot which developed forced cancel
lation of the rest Of the game and
the championship series as well.
Tech was declared champion, hav.
ing won two games and tied one.
The championship Of nearby Vir-
ginia Is at stake in the game be-
tween George Washington and
Washington-Lee with over 5000 ex-
pected to attend the clash.
Washington-Lee is a slight IA
vorite on past performance this sea-
son, but comparative scores and
earlier games, like in most tradi-
tional clashes, have little value.
NATIONAL IEAGJH