SECTION
THla-REE
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--mmwI a itk 41
SUMMERT
SUPPLEMENT
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, MAY 16. 1941
S POT O
LOSS OF HARMON HURTS
CRISLER HUNTS FOR BACKS
WESTFALL, CEITHAML RETURN
.. *By
Hal Wilson
* 0 0
OR THE FIRST TIME since 1937 Michigan's football team will
dig its cleats into the lush, green turf of the Stadium next fall
without Tom Harmon in the tailback slot.
Eleven Wolverine gridmen will surge down the field with the
sharp impact of 1941's initial kickoff - but missing for the first
time in four years will be the reassuring presence of old "98," the
Gary Ghost, Tornado Tom, the greatest halfback football has
ever known.
For six grueling weeks of spring grid drills Head Coach Fritz
Crisler and his capable corps of aides, Clarence Munn, Earl Marti-
neau, Wally Weber, and Cliff Keen, have been staging an exhaus-
tive search for the man who can best fill Harmon's mighty shoes.
It hasn't been a glorified talent hunt, Hollywood style, but-rather
one of tireless work and diligence. And the results of the unceasing
efforts of these coaches will be reflected directly in the final won
and lost column of the 1941 gridiron edition next November.
THUS FAR the tailback berth is still wide-open. Several grid-
men flashed a wealth of potentialities in the annual spring
intrasquad battle last Saturday. But none of them is the perfec-
tionist that Harmon was. All lack the poise and finesse requisite
for Western Conference standards of competition. This will come
only with experience.
All have their weak points and all have their strong points.
Some excel in passing, some are fine punters, some have flashed
exceptional running ability. It will be the coaches' task - and a
tough task - to mold this potpourri of talent ino a versatile,
powerful offensive machine in time for the Michigan State opener.
On the basis of past performances three men rate an edge in
the fight for the all-important tailback post, Norm Call, Cliff Wise
and freshman Don Robinson. Call and Wise are veterans, while
Robinson has only his yearling and spring grid drills for back-
ground experience.
PACKING 175 POUNDS on a six-foot frame, Call is a senior
speedster who has stood in Harmon's shadow for his first two
years. As a sophomore Norm saw very little action. Last fall Norm
was slated for a varsity position as the Ace's running-mate at
wing-back. -But in the opening California tilt he incurred a muscle
injury, which hampered him all season.
A shifty, wing-footed runner, Call is perhaps, best qualified of
any man on the squad to fill the bill in this department. In the
intrasquad clash Norm drove for his team's only touchdown. But
he has yet to demonstrate that he can pass and punt satisfac-
torily under competitive fire. Perhaps this will come with more
experience.
Ironically enough, wiry Cliff Wise has everything Call lacks-
but he's weak in the ball-carrying department. Cliff's main forte
is his punting, with his passing brilliance just a shade behind.
Best punter on the squad, the lanky junior saw service last year
only when Harmon rested, which was very seldom. 'As an aerial
artist, Cliff leaves no doubt of his ability. He whips passes into
receivers' hands on the gridiron with the same dexterity and un-
erring accurateness he tosses baseballs for Ray Fisher's baseball
team.
COMBINING all three talents, Robinson appears to have a pretty
fair chance to break into Varsity ball as a sophomore. The
hard-working Detroit lad was one of the highlights of the spring
drills with his fine triple-threat play. In addition to a need of
further seasoning, Don's main disadvantage is his size. Tipping
the scales at t165, which is light for his height, Robinson has thus
far taken everything that has come his way. But the Big Ten is
a rugged league, and Minnesota's 220-pound human battering-
rams play for keeps.
Another tailback possibility is the son of Michigan's famous
Dave Allerdice of the early 1900's, John Allerdice. John is a well-
built yearling who, like his brother Dave, Jr., a star at Princeton
last year, pins most of his hopes for a starting berth on an amaz-
ingly fine passing arm. Also a capable punter, John is handi-
capped mainly by a lack of speed and shiftiness.
OTHER HALFBACKS who,
are at present slated to
see action as
wingbacks, but who may possibly be shifted to the tailback
slot if the coaches deem it advisable, are Tippy Lockard, Davey
Nelson, freshman Paul White, and-Elmer Madar. The first pair
alternated at wingback last year, both turning in capable perform-
ances. White, a 189-pound package of running dynanite is a very
fine prospect, while Madar has demonstrated much improvement
as a ball-carrier over last year. Ray Sowers, another halfback
candidate, may possibly be shifted to end in order to help plug
the gap left in the flanking positions by graduation and the draft.
At the quarterback and fullback spots, Crisler is pretty well set
with veterans and highly-promising reserve material. Capt. Bob
Westfall, the stocky little pistol fullback who blasted opposition
lines so effectively for the last two years, will be back again, with
freshman Don Boor shaping up as an adequate replacement.
Behind them stand letterman Bob Zimmerman, fast-improving
Reino Romo, and Austin Miller.
Forest Evashevski's first-line replacement of last year, husky
George Ceithaml, promises to continue in the finest Michigan tra-
dition as an expert field general, hard-hitting blocker and defen-
sive man. Behind Big George the material is thin, however, and
some radical shifts in positions are very likely.
Sophs
Boost
Wolverine
Football
Hopes
i
Nine Displays
Power, Eyes
Bi TenTitle
Balance Keynotes Success;
Stoddard Paces Hurlers,
Harms Leads In Batting
Varsity Seeks First
Crown Since 1936
By MYRON DANN
At the half-way mark Michigan's
pawe W - baseball .team seems ,well
on the way to its first Big Ten cham-
pionship since 1936.
The Wolverines have won five out
of six conference games, and just
last week put the title contending
Illinois team out of the running by
winning the second of their two-
game series, 7-2.
The success of the Varsity baseball
team cannot be laid directly to any
department. The well - balanced
Michigan nine leads the conference
in team hitting and fielding, has the
individual batting leader, and the
top hurler. The Wolverines' team
batting average of -.29 is one pont
above Wisconsin, but its fielding mark
of .968 leads the league easily.
Harms Leads Batters
The varsity's batting leader Is
sparky little George Harms who is
toting an average of .525, while
Mickey Stoddard has won three con-
ference games on the mound for his
teammates and has gone through the
season so far without the aid of a
relief hurler.
With such an array of stars just
mentioned a Big Ten championship
seems inevitable, but it must be re-
membered that the Wolverines have
a difficult schedule ahead of ther.
They have six conference games
left, two of which are with the sec-
ond place Northwestern Wildcats.
The Purple nine has lost only two
games so far this season and is con-
sidered one of the heaviest hitting
teams in the Big Ten.
The remaining four conference
games are with Indiana and Purdue.
These games can not be taken too
lightly as both squads have dis-
played some extremely effective pit-
ching so far this season.
Meet California
The Wolverines will end their sea-
son on June 4, 5 when they meet the
fast stepping University of California
team. The Oolden Bears have swept
all Pacific Coast honors in sight and
are planning to come East with the
same intention. So, it is expected
that it will be the battle of the
champions when the two teams meet.
The Varsity has been plagued by in-
juries. Capt. Bill Steppon was the
first casualty when he contracted a
severe ring worm infection. Then in
the Illinois series Dixie Harms split
a finger when he was hit by a foul
tick. The same afternoon, Dave Nel-
son collided with Whitey Holman try-
ing to field a ground ball and Whitey
ended up with a bruised collar bone.
Dave has been troubled by a charley
horse since the start of the season
Big Ten Title Threat In Three Events
Gindermen Seek Fifth
Straight Big Ten Title
Indiana, Indoor Champion, Is Favored
To Win In Two-Da Outdoor Meet
Crisler Attempting
To Fill Vacancies
Left By Graduation
Gridiron Leader Harmon, vy, Kohl, Czak,
Frutig, Kromer, Sukup,
Fritz End Grid Careers
-Forced out of competition last year by a bad leg, sprinter Al Thomas
is back in form this year and must be rated as apotential Wolverine
point-getter in the century, the furlong and the mile relay. Al beat
Ralph Hammond, star Ohio State sprinter, to take a first in the hundred
in last Saturday's dual meet.
Freshman Wrestling Candid'ates
Expected To Strengthen Squad
By BOB STAIIIA
A powerful band of Wolverine
trackmen will begin a two-day quest
for its fifth consecutive Western Con-
ference outdoor title in :Minnesota's
spacious stadium this afternoon, in
a do-or-die effort to defeat the in
diana Hoosiers, Big Tet indoor chan-
pions and the favorites it today's
meet.
Michigan proved ia:t week. by its
00-41 victory over Ohio satF, that
it has the potenttal first- place witt-
ners necessary to top Indiana and the
rest of the field, and if Ken Doherty's
defending champions run the way
they did against the Buckeyes, it is
not impossible that they might suc-
cessfully defend their crown.
Two-Team Affair
From all previous indications, this
season's meet will be a two-tearm af-
fair, with Michigan presenting a very
strong and well-balanced aggregation
of individual stars against Indiana's
sensational running twins, lanky
Campbell Kane In the mile and half-w
mile and speedy Roy Cochran in the
220, the 440 and the low hurdles.
In a long list of what should prove
to be very close races, the half-mile
appears to be the feature event of the
meet. Michigan will present its ace
middle-distance runner, W arren
Breidenbach, against Kane, with
Buckeye Capt. Les Eisenhart also
expected to show the fans plenty of
fancy running. Michigan's vastly im-
proved Johnny Kautz and Dave Mat-
thews might be place winner : in this
event also.
Breidenbach Strong
Breidenbach, who set a new dual
meet record of 1:52,4 seconds for
Michigan in the 880 aaginst the Buck-
eyes last Saturday, will offer Kane
the strongest competition in the half-
mile. Kane is also entered in the
mile run, in which he will be pressed
to the limit by Eisenhart and Ed
Holderman of Purdue, so that Breid-
enbach's chances in the 880 will pro-.
bably depend on how fast the Hoosier
ace is forced to run the mile.
Past records from previous meets
this year presage some very close
finishes in the dashes. Northwestern's
great sprint star, Myron Piker, is fav-
cred to break the tape ahead of Mich-
gan's Al Piel, and Al Thomas and
Buckeye Ralph Hammond in both the
100 and the 220. However, Thomas
r an a very good race in defeating
Ilarinond in the century in the Mich-
igan-Ohio State meet, and Piel is a
very good possibility to gain an all-
import ant first place for Michigan
ii the 220. George Franck of Minne-
sota, who was also one of the favored
(Continued on Page 11)
Mermen Lose
Thee Champs
Coach Mann Must Rebuild
With Green Material
Sad news lies in wait for Michigan
swimming fans. The Wolverine tank
crew, Big Ten and National Inter-
collegiate titleholders, won't be the
same water powerhouse next year.
Coach Matt Mann's natators will go
into action this coming campaign
minus the services of many of their
outstanding stars of the past three,
years. Graduation and the army
will take their toll of the greatest
collegiate swimming aggregation in
Maize and Blue history.
Foremost among the Wolverine
stars lost through graduation stands
Charley Barker, selected by coaches
the nation Ever as the best swimmer
in the country. Big Ten 50 and 100
yard champ and National Collegiate
50 yard titlist, Barker's loss will be
keenly felt. Last year Barker swam
the fastest 50 yard race in the land,
covering the distance in the phenom-
enal time of 23 seconds flat.
Welsh Graduates
Another titleholder who will be lost
to the team by the graduation axe
will be Jim Welsh, holder of the
Western Conference 220 and 440
and the National Collegiate 220
crowns. He is regarded as one of the
nation's best distance men.
And the man who is second only to
(Continued on Page 13)
By KEV JONES
With four returning lettermen and
a host of gooli prospects from the
freshman squad, a rosy future ap-
pears in store for the wrestling team.
Coach Cliff Keen's recent remark,
"We usually win our share of them,"
seems to indicate anything but a
poor season for the grapplers next
winter.
In Captain Jim Galles, the Wol-
verines have their only Big Ten cham-
pion. Galles, the 175 pound junior
from Chicago, went through .last
year's conference schedule without a
loss, and it is likely that he will re-
peat the feat when next season rolls
around.
Courtright At 165
Also returning from this year's
squad are Bill Courtright, Ray Deane,
and Herb Barnett. Courtright, at 165,
gives every evidence that he will con-
tinue his rapid improvement of this,
year. With two more years to wrestle,
Bill, who took a third in the Big Ten
meet, should be one of the mainstays
of the team next year.
Deane, another soph, should be able
to take care of the 136 pound class.
Ray seems headed for another suc-
cessful season, and will probably be a
big factor in the Wolverines' meets
next season.
In the 145 pound class there should
be some competition for the place on
the team, with Barnett leading the
pack because of his experience. A
transfer from Oklahoma University,
Herb should do a good job for
the team. Another aspirant to
the 145 pound slot is Melvin Becker,
one of the Becker twins. Melv did
fine work all last winter and can be
counted on to be in the thick of the
fight.
Speek Improves
was not in the limelight this winter,
being in the midst of the troubled
heavyweight sea, but with Jack But-
ler and Emil Lockwood gone he looms
as best in the field.
Of the freshmen, Johnny Greene
and Tom Coffield appear best, Greene,
winner of one of the freshman Bissel
trophies, was on the squad for only
part of the season, but in that time
he proved that he will bear watching.
Cof field, a big boy from Grand Rap-
ids, was a good worker on the squad,
and, with Greene, will give Wilson
something to think about.
Kopel In 121 Pound Class
Dick Kopel, the other winner of a
Bissel trophy, is the leader in the
121 pound class. Kopel, a Detroit
boy, was outstanding this winter,
and is one of the best prospects for
next year,
Coach Keen is optimistic about the
outlook, and there is every reason
to believe that he is justified in his
view. Next year should be a success-
ful one for Michigan's wrestling team.
Bullet Bob Westfall, hard driv-
ing senior fullback, replaces For-
rest Evashevski as captain of the
Michigan football team. The husky
back has held a regular post since
he first joined the squad as a
sophomore,
University Golf Course
Is Long And Difficult
The University of Michigan's 18-
hole golf course, laid out over the
beautiful hills south of Ann Arbor,
leaves very little to be desired by the
golfer who likes his game the inter-
esting way.
Three Backs Battle
For, Harmon's _Job
By ART HILL
Suppose you were a football coach
and had Tom Harmon, Forest Eva-
shevski, Ed Frutig, Ralph Fritz, and
a few other pretty capable gridders
on your squad roster and then, all of
a sudden, you didn't have them? And
with a tough eight-game schedule
coming up?
No man could be reasonably blam-
ed for feeling a little down-hearted
in such a situation. And, in case you
haven't recognized it yet, that's ex-
actly the spot Fritz Crisler finds him-
self in as he prepares to start the 1941
football season.
Fritz Isn't Discouraged
Crisler has lost the four men men-
tioned above fron his 1940 Wolverine
gridiron aggregation plus Milo Su-
kup, Ed Czak, Paul Kromer and Har-
ry Kohl. But, although he is not giv-
ing vent to any visible signs of .glee,
neither does he spend his time re-
playing last year's schedule. Fritz is
looking ahead.
They've all gone, these eight, but
Michigan has some football games to
play in three or four months and Cris-
ier has already gone about the busi-
ness of rebuilding. Spring /practice
ended last week-end and the six-
weeks session revealed plenty about
the probable lineup when the Wol-
verines take the field against Michi-
gan State in their opening game next
fall.
First come the candidates for that
all-important spot vacated by Tom
Harmon. There are several of them
and each has, at one time or another,
shown flashes of brilliance. Certain-
ly, whoever gets the job will not be
uite as great as Harmon but he may
come surprisingly close.
Outstanding candidates for the job
are Norm Call, Cliff Wise and Don
Robinson. The speedy Call is an
excellent running back while Wise
excells in the passing department.
Robinson has been the surprise of
spring practice. A triple-threat man,
he may prove to be the boy for the
job.
Plenty Of Guard Replacements
Switching to the guard positions,
which also suffered heavily by grad-
uation, we find several capable re-
placements coming up to fill the shoes
of Sukup and Fritz. One, Bob Kole-
sar, has already proved himself under
fire, filling in for Sukup during the
last half of last season when the little
guy was out with a brain concussion.
Amnna t+hp 1arsannhving for ihp
j
Wolverine Sp rts Roundup
. . .. highlights Of Eventful Year
By HOE SELTZER
Dear Sports Diary:
May 16: Cuss my soul if the old
school year isn't fast approaching
the end of the line. Let's just mosey
back through the pages now and see
what the Champions of the West
have done in the arena of sport since
last September:
Sept. 28: Tommy Harmon runs
back the first kickoff of the season
98 yards against California, and fol-
lows it up with additional scoring
jaunts of 85 and 65 meters respec-
+tiv in o hnw +hp. Nn11vmnnr1 sent
tremely hot day and chalks up all
21 Michigan noints pe rsorally, which
fact alone saves the lives of one
referee, one umpire, and one head
linesman.
Oct. 26: It's the biggest game of
the country right here in Ann Arbor
as Reagan of Penn and The Great
Profile fight it out with ten men
each for weapons. Harmon's artil -
lery packs an extra special wallop,
name of Westfall, with which the
Reagan forces cannot cope, and they
therefore succumb, 14-0. The hard-
est, most hitterly nntested anme nf
Ways for rain. And gets it. Minne-
sota plays five minutes of good foot-
ball at the beginning of the game,
20 seconds of it in the second quar-
ter (playing time required for Bruce
Srith's 80-yard run and Joe Mer-
nik's extra point kick) and another
five minutes of same in the last
period to down the greatest Wolver-
ine team Bierman ever saw, 7-6.
Bob Westfall's performance ap-
proaches the superhuman in its sus-
tained savagery, the brilliance of
Harmon shines forth even in the
mil and glime. the whole team Itn-
and jump on them, 40-0. Terrible Tom
ends forever the Grange-Harmon
quibble as he betters Red's record by
two touchdowns. Kromer, a flop for
two seasons, rips off a 78-yard scor-
ing run that brings a lump in the
throats of those who know how that
guy loves football.
And Francis Schmidt starts look-
ing for a new job.
Nov. 30: The hockey team drops
their opener to London A.C, 7-5,
to set the precedent for the season's
several long, unbroken lines of de-