Evening star., 1941-09-09
Cadets Down So lono
On Gridiron Il Has
Become Habit
Many Back From Lost
Year, Situation Could
Be Much Worse
BY SID FEEDER,
Associated Press Sports Writer.

Associated Press sports Writer.
WEST POINT, N. Y, Sept. g.
Red Blaik came over from Dart
mouth this season as Army's first
civilian football coach in 80 years,
and found out he's a doctor of
psychology as well.
This is no honorary degree, mind
you. but the plain fact that Army
football has been down for so long
it has just about become habit.
And breaking the habit Is Reds
biggest job.
Its like this" he pointed out to-
day as he stood watching his A
players cutting up their training
chores. I'VE have about the same
players, except for the 10 or IL we
lost. They're playing in the same
uniforms and eating the same food.
But we have to take losers-fel-
lows who've been down for long
time-snd make winners out Of
EN-. We have to teach EN- about
winning, as we'll as how to play foot
ball"
Just which is the tougher assign
ment, Red can't say. He had to give
his warriors nothing but scrimmage
during spring training, because
that's the only way to teach boys
how to play football" This fall,
there has been extensive work in
fundamentals, even among the older
hands, who should know all about
hew to knock other guys down by
this time.
Good Start Important.
Yet, Red and every one up here.
from the mustachioed majors right
down to the rawest plebe. figures
things could be worse. That doesn't
mean Army's going to take things
apart this fall. Red won't even pre-
dict he'll win half his games. and
right now is worrying what to do
about Virginia Military Institute in
the Cadets second outing.
1T all depends how we get
started" Red reckoned. THE boys
have been down so long, that if
they should lose the first couple,
they'll think this is where we came
in But if we take the first few
and get the idea, we might surprise
some folks.
"As far as I'm concerned, we're
playing them from week to week.
Well worry about each game as it
comes along"
Red admits things aren't as bad
here as they were at Dartmouth
this time last fall. Yet, he has enc
of the smallest Army squads in years
10 work with. And from the 1910
plebe Freshman to you) outfit,
came best wishes and not much else.
Except for Halfback Ralph Hill and
Henry Romanek, tiny 192-pound
guard, and one or two others, anv
resemblance the 1910 plebes had to
football players was purely acci-
dental.
HoIdover Backs Big Help.
But balancing that misfortune are
Jere Maupin, the Glendale (CalifD
speedster, and little Hank Mazur.
from Lowell, Mass, a couple OF hold
over backs who can really prowl.
pass and punt If given some slight
cooperation.
Ted Michel. 200-pounder out of
st. Paul, has been converted nicely
from tackle to blocking back. Then,
there's always Johnny Hatch, the
old reliable handy man of the ball
carriers. from Monterey, Calf.
Of spring training form, Blaik
has picked q line averaging 1870
pounds to front for these running
units. Navy might be interested to
hear one of the ends is Jim Kelleher,
who once went to Annapolis.
For reserves, Red has probably
eight or nine others who can step
in and take o hand without throw
ing too much of monkey wrench
into the works.
With that setup, Red looks for
ward to a cozy nine-game schedule
which opens gently enough with the
Citadel on October and then tears
right into v. M. l.. Yale, Columbia.
Notre Dame, Harvard, Penn, West
Virginia and Navy.
There are no high schools In that
lineup, brother.