Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-09-19
First Crown in Many
Years Gives Spirit
To Keep |tUp
Seven of Lost Seasons
Letter Men on Hand:
Central Main Foe
BY GEORGE HUBER.

SOilCclSuS dHlOilB ulSl SCIlOOl
coaches is that Western has the
team to watch. This is no smoke
screen thrown up to hide their own
hopes of winning, but genuine
conviction that the Red Raiders
have a team Of championship
caliber.
Western really is flying high. Last
year it won its first title since enter
ing competition in 1905 and the team
which has returned to the George
town school Is seasoned and conf
dent.
A bad break, such as happened to
Central last year when Harry Martin
was injured in the Western game,
can throw calculations to the winds,
but Westerns powerful and we'll
rounded outfit is such that it doesn't
need much luck.
1t used to be said that Central
teams could beat any other local
team from the neck up, but such no
longer is the case Western is a
smart team this year, especially in
the backfeld, where Quarterback
Jake Hilleary is in charge. Jake is
an exceptionally able field general,
with a well-rounded knowledge of
football tactics. That was as true
last year as 1t Is this, although he
generally was overlooked then be-
cause of the flasher play of Gen.
trails quarterback, Benny Steiner.
Central Its Big Enemy.
Any discussion of Western S
chances invariably brings up Gen.
trail. It's going to be close when
they meet. but the outlook on paper
gives Western the edge. While not
as strong numerically as Central,
Western has the edge practically in
every other department. 1t has the
size, experience and brains to beat
the Vikings. and numbers aren't
going to mean so much in an i'm
portant game, where the best 20 boys
or so are going to be used by both
sides. Central has more boys. but
that to some extent is a handicap
In preseason practice, for Coach
Hardy Pearce has a gigantic task in
seeing that every candidate receives
the proper chance and instruction.
Coach Dan Ahern's squad has
seven of last years letter men, Civ
ing it big edge in experience.
Western won seven of its eight
games in 1889, but in spite of its
great record it still is hungry for
another championship. There has
been no letdown of enthusiasm now
that the Red Raiders are on top.
Xanten Sterling Center.
In the backf1eld the letter men are
Hilleary, Buck Hurrlein and Jack
Sickel. Center Jack Xanten was a
unanimous choice for all-high last
year and this year will captain the
Red Raiders. AS a snapper-back he
is without a peer in schoolboy cir.
cles and in backing up the line he
Is demon.
Among the other letter men is
Harold Mitchell, an outstanding end.
Mitchell may be shifted to the back
field to do the passing. the only de-
partment in which the Red Raiders
possibly cannot top their rivals. AS
the setup is now, though. passing
probably will not be one of West
ern's main weapons. Hilleary and
Hurrlein. who will carry the brunt
of the offensive work. are big boys
and able carriers. Western especial
ly is strong defensively. This years
team is just better edition of last
years. which turned in three shut
out victories with only Central being
able to score more than one touch
down against it.
Even the schedule gives Western
a break as it looks for another fat
year after so many lean ones. 1t
has five games in the championship
series instead of the four booked by
most other schools.