Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-09-04
fine Defensive Team,
Short on Scoring,
Is in Prospect
Ahern Has Seven Letter
Men But Needs Posser
And CIimux Runner
BY GEORGE HUBER.

It's habitual among high school
coaches to say that last years cham
pion is the one to watch. 1t doesn't
always happen that way Eastern
won the football title in 1897, then
fell to a next-to-last-place tie the
following year. Central won in 1898,
didn't even get in the playoffs last
year
But this time it may be true.
Western won its first gridiron cham
pionship last fall and this year the
other coaches have solid grounds for
their fears that 1t may repeat. As
schoolboy football practice got I'M
der way yesterday at most schools
the Red Raiders came up with a
good squad that likely will get bet
ter.
Coach Dan Ahern has seven let
ter men returning. Eastern and
Central, Westerns chief COMPETE
tors last year, together can scrape
up about the same number. And
experienced letter men are highly
important; they form the nucleus
around which the team is built.
Seven men with which to start gives
Ahern team that, on paper, ap-
pears potent.
Has Seven Letter Men.
Returning Western stars of last
year are Bill Gray and Harold
Mitchell, ends: Allan Bishop and
Eddie Widmayer, tackles: Jack Sic
kle, guard; Capt. Jack Xanten, all
high center, and Jake Hilleary and
Buck Herrlein, backs. All except
Widmayer played enough inter-
high games last season to win letters.
About 40 candidates were on the
field yesterday as Ahern ran the
squad through its first PAGES and
about half as many more will join
the team this week, giving Western a
squad of 60 players from which to
pick those who will wear the red and
white this fall. They didn't do
much on the opening day, running
through light Setting-up exercises
and generally getting the feel of ex-
ercising again. They will receive
balls in few days and by early next
week should be in uniform and ready
for the serious work of real practice.
Some of the Boys Overweight.
Some of the boys aren't in too
good shape and will need the rest of
this week to drop excess poundage
and tighten soft muscles. Capt.
Xanten, who weighed about $50 at
the end of last season, now is close
to ITO and will have to lose about
10 of that. Several others are in the
same fix.
In spite of his good, experienced
squad, Coach Ahern has his worries.
He has no scoring punch in sight, no
climax runner and no real passer.
Unless something unexpected turns
up the WesternerS will have a good
defensive team that, unable to score
frequently, may prevent the opposi-
ton from scoring even less fire.
quently.
They had three passers last sea-
son and made use of them-George
Barnes, Ray Wrenn and Eddie In
glesias All are gone. Neither Of
GWO UdChllClu lCIGCl l1lCll-1141lCly
and Herrlein-passed much last
year. Hilleary was the kicker and
Herrlein a good blocker and de-
fensive back.
Makes Passer of End.
Hunting high and low for at least
one good passer, Coach Ahern may
call on Mitchell, one of his ends. to
take over the job. In practice
Mitchell throws a beauty. hard and
accurate, but whether he can do the
same thing under fire remains to be
seen. He at least will get chance.
Ahern also may dispense with the
huddle this year in an effort to get
more punch in the club. The time
taken in the huddle can be used to
run off three or four more plays per
quarter, something to consider on
team that lacks a good runner or
passer. Hilleary is one of the smart
est quarterbacks among the high
schools and can call signals with no
preliminary conference. That system
will be tried in preseason practice
with an eye toward using it during
the series.
They also will experiment with a
semihuddle, that is. having the line
take its position with the backfield
going into a huddle and the quar-
terback calling signals for benefit
of the line.