Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-01-01
|Merrick Team
Appears Strong
Gloves Threat
BY DICK OBRIEN
star stan writer

coach o. amateur boxing teams,
Glen Drake Of the Merrick
Club win be proud to present
one Of his finest senior aggre-
cations when The Stars Golden
Gloves tournament gets UNDER
way January II at the Capitol
Arena.
Led by Welterweight Randy
Horne. the Merrick Clubbers
are solidly stacked with veteran
stars. Judging from brakes
entry list. his team is definitely
the one TO beat this year for
senior honors.
Merrick boys have been a
powerful factor down through
the years in Gloves competition.
Always up among the leaders.
the Northeast group had its
best year in 1856 when it swept
both the senior and novice
team championships, the FIRST
time in the history Of the
Gloves any club captured two
team trophies in one year.
Horne Is one Of the highest
ranking amateurs In the United
States, rating him of his rec
ord IN Marine Corps compe-
tition. Horne has since been
mustered out and wants one
more shot at a Golden Gloves
title before bowling out Of anna
teur ranks.
Has Good Record
The Merrick Club has an
other formidable ex-service-
man in Ward Sullivan. a vet
eran n!ddleweight who saw
service in the Air Force and
won numerous titles while COM
peting for that branch. Before
entering the Air Force Ward
was one of the top amateurs
in this area.
brakes club is well fortified
with big men too with Jimmy
Bush and Salter Barksdale
coming back for action. Drake
has an unusual situation on his
hands with Barksdale and
Bush in the fold. Both are ac-
tually light-heavyweights who
can make the weight easily.
But both are potential heavy
weights too and do better
against bigger men, as their
records show.
Barksdale upset the dope last
year when he beat Gary lavish
in the semifinal round. He lost
in his opening round Of COM
petition in New York to Lee
Williams Of New England who
won the heavyweight crown.
Barksdale. however, gave VIII
liams the toughest competition
he had in the 1857 tournament.
With Drake in a position to
juggle Barksdale and Bush
either as l75-pounders or
heavyweights, the situation
gives him a running start
against other coaches in the
point-getting battle.
Shows Real Promise
Coach Drake is pulling out
all stops singing the praises
Of Featherweight Andy Better.
a southpaw whom he claims is
the best amateur boxer, pound
for-pound, in the city today.
Andy didn't get a chance to
compete in last years Golden
Gloves because of an injury.
He is the brother Of the SEN
Sational Sonny" Better, who
boxed one year in the Gloves
and then won a scholarship to
Michigan State University
where he is now q senior in
the School of Engineering.
Il think Andy will make a
better record than Sonny,
Drake says.
Merrick has other sharp guns
in the lighter divisions to
throw at the competition. Eu-
gene Hughes is one of its star
featherweightS. and Sammy
Mayo is carrying its standard
in the l35-pound class. Nate
Taylor is a consistent bantam
weight who figures to be up
with the contenders. and We'll
terweight Eddie Lincolns is re-
ported to be in flashing form
in the gymnasium.
Drake has a flock Of sub
novice and novice contestants
working for the Gloves. too, but
is not hopeful that he can match
the strength of the Catholic
Youth Organization. the Olym-
pic Club. Northeast A.C., Capt.
tol A.C. and the Falls Church
Jaycees.
Registration continues for
the Gloves until midnight, jan