Evening star., 1940-11-05
Maroon Is in Running
For Title for First
Time Since 1896
Will Find Western Much
Tougher Than Last Week
If Final Is Reached
BY GEORGE HUBER.

Tech High, which hasn't been
within shouting distance of the
schoolboy football championship
since it won in 1896. is right in the
thick of things this season and is
all set for the game on Friday which
will make or break it.
If it can get by Eastern, defending
East Division titleholder, this week
it should be a cinch to take Anacostia
the following week despite the jinx
which for the last two years has re-
turned the Indians victorious. And
after division series comes the big
playoff with Western, champion last
season and already winner of the
West Division honors this time.
Tech has taken the Red Raiders
once this season-it was 21-6 vic
tory last week-and on paper could
be favored to do it again. 1t won't
be as simple as that. of course. For
one thing, should Tech get in the
playoff against Western it will meet
an entirely different eleven from the
one it took so handy last Friday.
Western wasn't popped up for that
game and four of its regulars were
missing with injuries, and this takes
no credit away from the Techs who
played bangup game.
Still Has Two Barriers.
But before thinking of meeting
Western again with the title at stake
there's that business of first dispos-
ing of Eastern and Anacostia. Cur
rently Eastern Is division leader with
three victories and needs only to
dispose of Tech this week to be in
Coach Mike Kelley claims he has
one of his best teams at Eastern
and he has been around for a long
time
Techs road still is difficult but
not impossible. 1t has one victory
and tie on the books and can win
by taking both Eastern and Ana
costa. That Eastern will be tough
goes without saying and even Ana
costa, which had most of its fight
taken out by Western and Eastern
as it was knocked from the race,
can prove a stumbling block.
This Tech team is the same
which at the start of the season
had Coach Artie Wondrack singing
the blues. The team has come
along nicely, though, but he still
won't admit it has chance.
Strong in Fundamentals.
One reason for Techs success is
that the boys have an excellent
working knowledge Of football fun
damentals and are not afraid to
block and tackle. In the Western
game, for example, Jackie Walsh, in
scoring the first touchdown on TO-
yard run, had excellent downfield
blocking all the way. In fact. one
of the best blockers in high school
today is Techs Vernon Hollidge, a
lad whose name seldom gets in the
story Of the game except in the
lineup But it is his sure and swift
blocking as much as ANYTHING else
which is responsible for Techs sue
cess.
Tech has been a power club most
of the time, and little is known
about its passing. Against West
ern last week it threw only one
pass, but it was heave from Walsh
to End Henry Brent that was good
for a touchdown. Walsh perhaps is
Techs biggest threat. Carlton
Smallwood and Bill Dellasstatious
are other potent backs, especially
on power plays.
These four - Walsh. Hollidge,
SmallWood and Dellastatious-wo
behind one of the most colorleSs
but at the same time one of the
most efficient lines in the city. It's
heavy and we'll knit. and while it
does nothing spectacular it is diff
cult to get through.