Evening star., 1948-09-08
19 LetterImen Back,
Y. N. !. Is Expecting
Improved 0ffense
BY the Asseeiatsd Pres.

LEXINGTON, Va, Sept. 8.-Vir-
la Military Institutes Keydets
are starting their 1948 football sea-
son with a better future than they
had in store a year ago.
The Keydets are strong at the
guards. at. the ends and at that key
quarterback slot in Head Coach
Arthur w. (Slick) Morton's T for
nation. And, too, Morton and his
staff are not freshmen to the South
ern Conference, as they were last
year.
Definitely tabled to show a wide
open, improved offense with passing
galore, the Keydets don't cheer
Morton great deal at this stage of
brand-neW season.
Il can't see a l948 team any
better than last years." is a part
of his comment on the squad. VMI
won three games in 1947.
But" Morton admits, "our Of
fense will be better. It's a question
as to whether our defense can
hold up"
Lost Some Fine Players.
Morton's touch of gloom has a
basis. VMI lost 10 potential or
proved standouts since last Thanks
giving via graduation, academic
hurdles and transfers. The alb
sentees include Malachi Mills. sec
ond-team all-America tackle; Backs
Billie and Dick Stewart. Joe CAN'T,
George Crowson, End Dick Jarvis.
Guards Art Gianelloni, Ed Jarrett
and Jack Pantaze and a fine CEN
ter, Cal Woodward.
Losing those men hurts, but there
are more than few good football
players on Morton's squad of go
candidates including 10 lettermen.
Quarterbacking and passing in a
T formation go together like ham
ard eggs and Morton, a sharp grid
iron cook, has the needed material
In Bobby Thomason, Joe Veltri and
Bill Leck. Thomason, a senior. is
one Of the Nations finest collegiate
passers. He came back after weeks
of injuries last year to pass VMI
to an unforgettable, 28-14 victory
over Virginia Tech in the season
finale.
Veltri proved himself a capable
reserve while Thomason was side
lined and Leck will complete still
more tosses for the Keydets. Nor
ton also is putting Vince Ragunas
on the list of tossers by shifting him
to fullback from right half
Backfield Coach Lou Brownson's S
other material includes Ragunas
understudy, Joe Stump, capable
sophomore, and Lettermen Jack
Hutchinson, Ray Tamalis and Jack
Lowden as halfbacks. Freddie An
son. John Leddy, Mike Gustavo and
y. w. Sheffield are also ready to
go in the backfleld
Up front where the going is al
ways rough, Line Coach Clarence
(Pop) Strange is happy about his
ends and guards and satisfied with
the center material.
Capt. Jim Cobb heads q trio Of
experienced guards all mono
grained seniors. Tom Phillips and
200-pound Cameron Thompson are
Cobb's mates at that position. Be-
hind them come Howard Bass, Andy
Lawrence and Leslie Spellings, all
developing.
The f1anks look even better. Six
lettermen, five of them 6 feet tall
or more, will be hauling down passes
from Thomason and company
Their names read like a VMI scor-
ing summary-Harold Reed, Claude
Patton, Fritz Crytzer, Jimmy Gill,
Thatcher Watson and Eddie Lutes.
Fill Center Positions.
The center job will be handled by
Kirby Bernich and Ken Darlington.
They'll get assistance from Tom
Hedge and Jerry Eggleston. Morton
may use two of his centers for line
backing to save wear and tear on
his backs.
Charles Schulter and Bob Smith
won their monograms at tackle last
year but will need help filling the
job with Mills gone. Morton has
potential tackles in Claude Eley,
George Stock, Tom Watt. Joe Adeeb,
Willard Hayes and E. L. Quisenberry
He is shifting Billy Noftsinger, a
letterman guard last year, to tackle
in an effort to bolster the position.
Looking over his obvious tackle
problem and the usual V. M. I.
shortage of capable reserves, Morton
explains, 1--WE are still in the process
of building and it will be some time
yet before a great deal of improve
ment is apparent"
Here's Virginia Military's 194S
football schedule:
September %, Catawba at Lexington.
October ,. George WASHINGTON at Wash
ington; g. william and Mary at Norfolk;
Is, Richmond at Richmond: %, Virginia
at Charlottesville; 80, Davidson at Lexins-
ton.
November 6. Tulane at New Orleans; 13.
The Citadel at Lexington; 25, Virginia
Tech at Roanoke.