FRIDAY AFTERNOON, SEPTEMBER 1, 1944
THE BATTALION
PAGE 5
A Co. Places High In Swim Prelims
Intrasquad Game Slated for Aggie
Footballers Saturday Afternoon
Batt Sports Editor Gives Views on Team;
Squad to Be Heavier, Older, and Slower
F Co. Places Second;
Finals Held Saturday
Yesterday afternoon the prelim
inaries of Saturday’s intramural
swimming meet were held with an
excellent display of organizational
enthusiasm. There were five
events; 400 ft. relay, 100 ft. back-
stroke, 100 ft. sidestroke, 200 ft.
free style, and the 400 ft. military
relay.
One of the teams entering the
meet, A company, placed the high
est number of men in the Saturday
finals with a total of twelve. Run
ning a close second was F Com
pany with a total of eleven men.
The Indians took first place in
three heats and second place in
three heats. F Company earned
four second places and one third.
In the four hundred-foot relay
there were two heats with the sec
ond one being the faster of the
two. The teams that placed in the
first heat in order were G Battery,
A Battery, F Battery, D Troop, and
B Battery. In the second one it
was D Company, A Company, F
Company, and C Battery. This
event should prove the most inter
esting of all in Saturday’s finals.
With the best display of form
and speed, eight men placed in
the two hundred feet backstroke
event. There were four heats with
two men in each placing. In the
first contest Holbrook of the Band
with possibly the best time of all,
came in first and Giblin of F Bat
tery came in second. In order Har
rison of A Company and Honey
cutt of A Battery, Coates of G
Company and Cannata of F Com
pany, and Johnson of-E Troop and
Portale of A Company won the
other heats in backstroke.
Most interesting event from the
spectators viewpoint was the new
one hundred foot sidestroke. Each
entrant was given a towel which
was carried in the race and had
to be kept out of water. Palms of
C Battery, Crockett of G Com
pany, Felts of G Company, and
Ellis of G Battery came in first
in their heats. Vernon of D Troop,
Platon of B Battery, Telford of
F Battery, and Brown of F Com
pany came in second in each heat.
Overambition in the two hun
dred foot free style created a lit
tle excitement when one man
jumped and two of the contestants
swam better than a hundred feet
before they knew the event was
called for a new start. Winning
first places were Blackshear of A
Company, Coates of G Company,
Richmond of C Battery, and Irvine
of G Company. Second place win
ners were Holbrook of the Band,
Cooper of F Battery, Copeland of
A Company, and Turley of F Com
pany.
Possibly the most tiring event
of all was the four hundred foot
relay in which each contestant was
required to carry a weight of about
ten pounds in one hand. In this
event A Company and G Battery
took first positions, F Company
and F Battery second places, and
G Company and D Company third
places. This should prove to be
another interesting event in the
finals.
Saturday the finals will be run
off beginning at two o’clock. Div
ing events will also be held at that
time.
By S. L. “Slim” Inzer
Battalion Sports Editor
Although the weatherman may
have different plans, Coach Homer
Norton is hoping pretty weather
will enable him to put his Aggie
gridders through an intersquad
game Saturday afternoon. The Ag
gie mentor said Thursday he was
planning to stage some sort of
a regulation game in the week’s
final drill. He had not decided
who would play who, but in all
probability all candidates will
have a chance to show what they
have.
Rain caused the Aggies to miss
three workouts during the week.
Tuesday afternoon’s downpour
caused the latter part of that day’s
drill to be limited to a lecture per
iod. The only workout held Wed
nesday was under the stands where
the space permitted only limited
running.
The squad has been working
out about two weeks now, and all
but one of th eboys counted on
for this fall have arrived. Monte
Moncrief wil Inot be here until
the first of next week, having been
on the squad of the college all
stars who played the Chicago
Bears Wednesday night. However,
Monte is expected to be in good
condition when he arrives since he
has been'working out for the past
several weeks.
No starting position is definite
ly settled yet, but after watching
the squad in several drills, I feel
that the team will shape up in the
following manner.
The line will be bigger than
last year; in fact, Norton could
start a line which would compare
in size with any of the past Ag
gie teams. But size alone does not
make a good line; it is only one
of the basic elements.
At the* present time it looks
as if Bob Gary and “Greek” Tassos
will fight it out for the center
position. Both are returning let-
termen, although Tassos lettered
at guard last year. Gary, who
weighs 164 and is from Dallas, is
a fine offensive man, being the
pepper-pot of the line. Tassos, who
played center in high school and
as a fish at A. & M., is the bet
ter defensive player. He hails from
San Antonio and weighs 208. These
two boys, together with Mike Dem-
etries of Galveston and Herbert
Ellis of Kilgore, assure the Ag
gies of first class center play for
the coming season.
The guard positions offer a bit
of a question mark. Thomas
“Sleepy” League of Hamilton and
Bill Gray of Garland appear to
be the likely starters. League, a 201
pounder, is a returning squad-
man, while Gray, who weighs 215, |
won his numeral as a fish foot
baller in 1941. Joseph Sacra, a 187
pound squadman from Denison,
and Arthur Abrahams, a 180
pounder from El Paso, have also
showing up well in practice. Abra
hams is a transfer from Texas Col
lege of Mines, and may develop
into a standout performer. Wil
liam Walker of Dallas and Pete
Odoms of McAllen are two other
boys worth watching.
The tackles are numerous and
big. Monte Moncrief, one of the
outstanding tackles in the South
west Conference last season, will
probable leave nothing to be de
sired by his play at one of these
slots. The other tackle position
will be decided between any of
eight letterman from Sweetwater,
and Charles Shira, a 230 pound
giant who also won a varsity let
ter last year, appear to be the
most likely boys to get the start
ing call. However, Morton Shefts
and Alan Sparkman of San Anton
io, Bryan Flippo of Fort Worth,
Vernon Schmidt of Troy, D. M.
Denton of Harlingen, and Otto
Granzin of Miles must not be left
out of the picture. Any of these
boys could develop into a starter.
At the end positions, Grant
Darnell, a 190 pounder from Tulsa,
Oklahoma, and Eldon Long, who
hails from San Benito and weighs
172, are returning lettermen. How
ever, these two boys will have a
tough time gaining a starting posi
tion from Ja.mes Mitchell, a 197
pound giant from Ranger, and
Milton Cherno, who hails from
El Paso and tips the scales at
172. Walter Higins from Galves
ton is showing much promise, while
Clarence Howell of Nacogdoches
looks like the best pass receiver
of the lot. James Allen of El Paso
and Sammie Brice of Uvalde may
cause trouble at the end positions.
Bob Goff, 172 pounder from
Kenedy, looks like the best pros
pect for the quarterback post. How
ever, Jimmy Cashion, a College
Station product, appears to be the
best passer on the squad and may
break into the starting lineup.
Gene Spires, 150 pound speed mer
chant from Abilene, and Donald
Nicholas from Mineral Wells are
due to see a lot of action at this
position.
At the right half slot it looks
like a free-for-all between three big
boys. Mann Scot, from Athens and
weighing 197; Tom Daniel, 190
pounder from Kerrville; and Frank
Torno, 175 pound lad from Came
ron. Scott and Daniel are powerful
runners, while Torno is a fine
punter. At the present time it
looks like these boys will divide
time about equally.
Bob “Butch” Butchofsky, who
lettered at the blocking back last
year, is just about a sure starter
at the right halfback slot. Bob is
a fine blocker, a good runner, and
is a pretty nice pass receiver. Don
Kingery, 170 pound Lake Charles,
Louisiana, product, is the number
two man at this position.
At the full back position, George
McAllister, a returning letterman
from Eden, is being overshadow
ed in drills by three new comers.
Jimmie Parmer, 194 pounder from
Mangum, Oklahoma, looks like the
Bill James, Aggie
Line Coach, Takes
Over Job Thursday
The Aggie coaching staff was
brought up to full strength Thurs
day when Bill James, line coach,
arrived at the college. “Uncle Bill”
returned from Camp Stewart, his
camp for boys which is located
near Kerrville.
His arrival gives Coach Norton
four capable assistants with which
to build the 1944 team. Besides
James, Norton has Manning Smith,
backfield coach, Lil Dimmitt,
trainer, and Pete Jones, who han
dles the B squad.
best bet to be the starting full
back, Parmer is big, fast, and runs
with a world of power. Paul Yates,
Fort Worth’s all state back, and
Mason “Stubby” Matthews, who
is probably the fastest mover of the
group, will also be fighting it out
for a starting berth.
That is the way the Aggies have
shaped so far. Of course, a lot can
happen during the next three
weeks before the opening game of
the season. Some of these boys are
going to improve more than others,
and it is these boys who will be
playing most of the time this year.
Also, I have just taken the men
from the A squad. The B squad
has about 50 men, any of whom
could break into the starting eleven.
These boys I have named are the
ones who have looked best in the
early drills. Doubtless, I have over
looked a few boys who will show
up better as the workouts pro
gress. But, by this article, I be
lieve you can get a pretty good
idea of who will be on the 1944 Ag
gie gridiron machine.
Cross CountryWork
Will Begin Monday
The Texas Aggie cross country
team will begin workouts Mon
day, Sept. 4 for the season opener
October 7, with the University of
Oklahoma. Oklahoma officials
made arrangements for the meet
with Coach Norton and Track
Coach Lil Dimmitt at the recent
Tulsa coaching school. They desire
the race as an attraction between
the halves of the Texas Aggie-
Oklahoma football game at Okla
homa City. The race, a two-mile
affair, will be run on the track.
Prospects are bright for a good
Aggie team this year. Upperclass
men that should show up well this
season are Buddy Bradford, Dean
Brown, Johnny LeJeune, J. W.
Green, W. E. “Red” Berry, Jim
Jarrett and Red Grogan.
There is a fine crop of fish led
by J. D. Hampton. Several fish
should make the team this year.
Any boy can try out for the
team. High school track experi
ence is not necessary. If you can
run the P. E. course in ten min
utes you are a good prospect.
Bill Terrel of Navasota never
competed in high school and was
not a star in P. E. He came out
for track last spring and won the
two-mile event in every meet in
cluding the conference meet at
Austin.
Workouts are scheduled to be
gin Monday afteernoon at 4 p.m.
Positions are open to all prospects.
DO YOUR PART—BUY BONDS
LOUPOT’S
Where You Always Get
a Fair Trade
GET YOUR SCHOOL NEEDS AT
YOUR OWN STORE
We invite you to fill your needs for
school from - our big stock of high quality
merchandise.
Those essential items you need toward the end
of the term are important. Supply your needs at . . .
THE EXCHANGE STORE
“An Aggie Institution”