Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-08-24
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By Bill Fuchs

The air, although still hot and
humid, is cracking with football
talk, a fact not too startling when
one consults the calendar, and we
wondered if the boys clubs were
prepared to shed their baseball togs
and jump into gridiron gear.
1t seems it's not that easy. Mort
Irwin, coach of the Western Branch
90-pounders, tells us there's quite
bit Of work involved in preparing
for the changeover.
Before the club closed last week
for renovation, football equipment
was brought from storage and re-
paired.
I'VE have junior staff of eight
boys" Mort told us, land they
worked afternoons and evenings for
over a week sewing up pants and
Jerseys and putting new straps on
helmets and shoulder pads. It's just
about the biggest job there is on
the fall cleaning schedule"
Another important hurdle to be
cleared before pigskin play can be-
gin is that of conditioning.
Eastern Branch Football Coach
Barney Ross uses the regular COL
lege method to get his boys in shape.
Barney, who played a lot of half
back and guard for Indiana U. in
the late '30s, credits Hoosier Mentor
Bo McMillin with teaching him the
proper method.
II weighed only about AS pounds, !"
Barney recalls. "but he (McMillin)
put me in such good shape could
stay in with the big boys. I stress
that point with my boys. Some
think they're too small to play. but
I tell them that if they're in shape
they needn't worry"
The Boys Club League will have
five classes-90-pound juniors, 90
pound seniors and los, 120 and l40
pound teams.
AS for types Of football, Eastern
Branch uses the T-formation, West
ern Branch specializes In the single
wing, while Alexandria Boys Club
Utilities a combination Of both, and
Merrick uses a box and Notre Dame
shift. These four clubs make up
the league, with Trinidad Boys
Club possibly joining this year.
An all-star team from the Boys
Club Of Washington Insect League
will participate in the Middle
Atlantic championships on Septem-
Der in Baltimore.
Washington meets the Philadel-
phia team at 2 pm. for the. right
to play the Cardinal Gibbons series
champion for the title at pm. The
affair is sponsored by the Touch
down Club of Baltimore and will be
staged at the Municipal Stadium.
Ollie Dryer is running the can
didates through a series of tryouts
to determine Washington repre-
sentatives.
Some of the boys out for the team
took part In the Junior American
League regional playoffs at Parkers-
burg last week. Among these were
law 0nt1 n11O opIhC DdlOuIll, UUGE
Eastern Branch Boys Club prod
ucts and Eastern High School stars.
Both are crackerjack infielders.
Johnny Hogan, another candidate,
took the trip to Jchnstown, Pa, to
play for Marx jewelers. in the Junior
All-America Amateur Baseball Con-
ference tourney. Hogan, a catcher
for Gonzaga last year, is mem
Der OF the Western Branch club.
Marx jewelers. almost had to play
the tourney without the services of
Marty Cribbens, Eastern High
School star, but thanks to George
Williams, Georgetown University
trainer, the smuggling first sacker
made it. Cribbens damaged an
ankle and was told he'd be out of
action for at least three weeks. Will
liams treated Cribbens with a swirl
bath which fixed up the ankle in a
couple of DAYS.