Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-11-04
ErdeIutz Huils
ForrestuI's PIuy
Against Irish
Navy, 20; Notre Dame, 6
BY CHARLES M. EGAN
suorts Editor of The Star

sports Bditor OF Inc star
Judging by the way 183-
pound Ray Wellborn and l60-
pound Ronnie Brence per-
formed as fill-in backs for Navy
against Notre Dame, Coach
Eddie Erdelatz might do worse
than wangle a few more SUBJ
stitutes into his starting lineup
before this week ends battle
with Duke at Baltimore.
When you lose backfield stars
like Captain Ned Oldham and
Dick Dagampat and still tram
pie a previously unbeaten Notre
Dame team on its home
grounds. you've accomplished
something.
Everyone knows by this time,
of course, about Wellborn's
spectacular three touchdown
performance as a replacement
for the injured Dagampat. No
substitute fullback ever had a
bigger day in a Spotlighted
game - unless it was Bucky
O'Connor, a second-string half
back on Notre Danes great
1880 team.
Knute Rockne secretly
switched Bucky to fullback after
losing both Joe Savoldi and
Larry Mullins with only South
ern California left to play in
an undefeated season, starting
in a strange position against
the favored Trojans, the UNI
sung O'Connor ran wild-just
as Wellborn did against the
Irish 81 years later-and scored
three times in a 27-0 upset.
Wellborn Converted
Wellborn, who is 6-foot-1 and
a little on the light side for a
fullback, also is a madeover
halfback. He played that po-
sition as a freshman at Rice
before entering the Naval
Academy. Earlier he was a
quarterback at Austin High
School in Houston. Tex.
Brence, a 5-foot-6 halfback,
is the smallest man on the Navy
squad. A senior from Beaver
dale, Pa, he makes up in speed
and determination for what he
lacks in heft.
Against the Irish, Ronnie
didn't grab any of the head
lines that went to Wellborn,
Quarterback Tom Forrestal and
Bob Reifsnyder, the big tackle
who was here. there and
everywhere. But he did a more
than adequate job of filling in
for Oldham, the Middies' best
running back who injured his
right knee against Penn the
week before. Brence didn't
carry the ball often. but his net
of % yards gained from scrim-
mage was higher than that of
any Notre Dame back except
Nick Pietrosante, Woodworking
fullback. Brence also did well
on defense despite his lack Of
height.
Secrecy Defended
In connection with Oldharl's
inJury-the knee was hurt
when it collided with a water
bucket as Ned was thrown out
Of bounds-Erdelatz vigorously
defended the decision to keep
the injury secret.
I'VE thought maybe it would
give the Notre Dame team lift
if it became known that our
captain couldn't play" Eddie
said, land I didn't want it to
seem like I was crying about
it,"
While the coach was lavish
in his praise of Wellborn and
Reifsnyder. it was easy to infer
from his post-game statements
that Forrestal is This boy"
After saying the triumph was
"a great team victory" the
usually cautious Erdelatz
couldn't help calculating: If
our Tom Forrestal isn't the best
quarterback in the country,
then I'd like to know who is"
Eddie might have something
there. for a study of the play
by-play shows Tom not only
ran the team flawlesSly but did
a little bit of everything-even
recovering a tumble. Among
the eight passes he completed
for l66 yards. one was a toss
that he caught himself. This
came about when Dick Roger,
Notre Dame end, batted a For
restal pass into the air and
Tom caught it for a 2-yard
gain.
Defensive Switch Works
In retrospect, Erdelatz and
his assistant coaches should get
a great deal of credit for the
victory which gave Navy two
straight over the Irish for the
first time since l933-34. For
it was Erdelatz who altered the
Middies' defense in the second
half after Notre Dame had con-
siderable success with draw
plays in the first two periods.
AS a result, the Irish gained
only four yards by rushing in
the last half after netting 70
in the first two quarters.
II also was apparent that
Erdelatz's assistants had done
a real good job in scouting No
tire Dame. If they've done as
well against Duke, it will help
a lot when the Middies square
of against a team anxious to
wipe out the memories of Sat-
urday's 1870 upset by Georgia
Tech.