Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-12-23
Gonzaga Places Five
On AN-Mefro Team;
Attendance Heavy
BY BOB MCLEAN.

The scholastic football season Just
past was remarkable in that 1t pro-
duced attendance rivaling that of
prewar boom days and produced
two stars who can take places be-
side the au-time District grid
luninaries.
Andy Davis of Tech and Billy
Earl of Bulls are The Stars choices
as the players of the year."
Neither played on team that won
any championships or went through
the schedule undefeated, but both
displayed football skill and savvy
that made every one of their games
thriller.
There is little to choose between
the two halfbacks. Both are triple
threaters who stand feet II and
weigh in the neighborhood of ITO
pounds. Both possess what their
coaches call football brains" OF
the two Earl may be trife speed
Ter, while Davis has a slight edge
as kicker.
Davis is the standout on The
Stars al-high eleven and Earl is
the big gun on the all-Metropolitan
eleven selected by this newspapers
sports staff. Davis is one of two
Tech representatives. on the all
high team, while Eastern and Cool
idge each placed pair of players
and one player was chosen from
Wilson, Anacostia, Western, Wash
ington-Lee and Central.
Earl's school was overshadowed in
the all-Metropolitan selections by
a Gonzaga team that placed five
youngsters, as compared with the
three Bulls lads on the team. st.
Johns earned two berths and the
remaining position went to st. Al
bans.
Gonzaga Dominates Selections.
The competition Davis and Earl
received this year in winning their
player of the year" ratings makes
their performances all the more
notable. Davis battled that great
Eastern backf1eld in the balloting
and was chosen on the basis of in
dlVldual performance. Sonny Settle,
Bobby Lyles and Jack Bobb worked
in a smooth grid machine that per-
mltted few solitary heroics, but the
other member of the Eastern back
field, Jerry Osborne, was a unan-
1mous choice for the fullback slot.
Don Llchty of Western certainly
was the quarterback of the year. AS
the only experienced member of a
featherweight but spunky team,
Llchty proved to be the ideal field
general. Light GAO pounds) Lichtv
put his faith in strategy, deception
and speed and he was thorn in the
side of bigger, better teams all
season.
Lewis of WI. Chosen,
AT the halfback spot alongside
Davis, Dick Lewis of WASHINGTON
Lee is the choice. His 70-yard GAL
lop that set up the all-highs touch
down in the scholastic aIl-star
game was in the pattern of brilliant
play throughout his teams schedule
In the line, there is aggressive
Phil Cocimano of Eastern at center;
Dick Scribner of Central and Chuck
Kieseen of Coolidge on the ends, a
pair OF dream" ball-haWks: big
Clarence Drayer of Tech and Char
ley Alderman of Coolidge at the
tackles, and capable Roger Reybold
OF Anacostia and Alan Fitch of
Wilson at guard. 1t isn't big line,
with the exception of Drayer, but
it's lightning fast and quick think
ing.
Earl was in for a fight in the
all-Met voting in a Gonzaga back
field that was one of the big hits of
the year. Billy De Chard, the stellar
quarterback of that hard hitting
crew, made the grade as the all
Nets pilot. Bob Abelman. Bulls
teammate of Earl, who scored the
touchdown that upset Navy Plebes,
is the other halfback, while Knute
Flanery of st. Johns is the fullback
choice.
John O'Keefe of Gonzaga and Phil
Smith of st. Adams, both big and
fast, are at the ends in the line; a
pair of Swampoodle Wildcats, Bernie
Lawns and Joe App, are at the
tackles; Jim Nails of Bulls and Bob
Silk of st. Johns are at guard, and
the sparkplug of Gonzaga's terrific
forward wall, Jim Gardner, is at
center.