Evening star., 1940-08-30
Team Nearer Limits
OF Rivals Available
Here Planned
Squad Sturts Practice
On September 9 Under
O'Leory, New Coach
BY GEORGE HUBER.


Dewitt School, whose football
teams in the past were so strong
and so packed with former scholastic
stars that high schools here con-
sistently failed to place it on their
schedules, is going in for deem
phasis.
This is a definite policy decided
upon by Headmaster John Byerly.
Football still will be a major sport
at the Upton street school. but the
accent will be on keeping the teams
more in line with those of other To-
cal institutions. When this is ac-
complished Dewitt again hopes to
book games with local and nearby
high schools and will have no need
to travel to keep distant out-of town
dates.
Taking over this program will be
a new coach, Jim OLeary, former
Tulsa star. His main objectives
will be to produce team that can
meet local high schools on common
ground and to improve relationships
with Washington and suburban
schools
Caliber of Teams Lower.
De-emphasis as matter Of fact
has been under way at Dewitt for
several years, but not as particular
policy of the school. The caliber of
football teams has fallen off-last
year it didn't win a game-and 1t is
doubtful that the gridiron squad
could have held its own against
Western, Eastern or Central had
those teams been played.
Dewitt has failed for several years
to book more than one or two local
football games. Coaches and ath-
letic directors here Stunned the
school, not so much for fear of being
defeated but because of discouraging
experiences in the past. 1t just was
no picnic sending a group of boys,
limited in the public schools to 18
years of age, against older and
heavier boys. some that already had
played three years in high school.
With the new de-emphaSis policy
N effect, all this probably will be
changed. There will be no athletic
scholarships and all players must
meet rigid scholastic requirements.
Merely being registered in the school
will not be the only requirement for
playing football. The boys, too, will
be younger and ages will be COM
parable in most instances to those in
the public high schools.
Gridmen Out September 9.
Coach OLeary already is making
overtures to coaches around town
for games next year, and it is likely
that he will be better received than
have Dewitt coaches in recent years.
The same thing will take place in
basket ball and he is making a real
effort to play all the local cage
engagements possible.
The football training season will
begin September 9. with squad
of only 20 or Is candidates expected
to turn out. Practice will be held
on the lot back of the school, al
though OLeary hopes later to find
larger spot for drills somewhere
near the school. possibly in Rock
Greek Park.
Another location for basket ball
practice also is being sought so that
OJeary may turn out better teams
than have been produced in the
cramped basement gym at Dewitt.
In fact. it is difficult to turn out
boxing team in the tight quarters
available.
Helped Pearce at Central.
The new coach succeeds Don Dun
lap, who now is in the District
Recreation Department. who, in
turn. succeeded Pug Shugrue last
year. Shugrue now in on the West
Coast.
OIeary assisted Hardy Pearce at
Central last year, and for two years
before that he was football coach
at National Training School. He
played collegiate football at Tulsa
one year under Gus Henderson and
in 1881 he played with Texas Tech.
He was quarterback of the Techs
the year they lost only one game.
Before coming East he coached at
East Oklahoma College and Jones
Academy, both in Oklahoma.
He has booked six games so far
this year, all but one of them out
of town, and has two open dates
he Is trying to fill with local en-
gagements.
The schedule:
october .. open: 5, at .Mercersburz