News

Pro-Palestine Encampment Represents First Major Test for Harvard President Alan Garber

News

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu Condemns Antisemitism at U.S. Colleges Amid Encampment at Harvard

News

‘A Joke’: Nikole Hannah-Jones Says Harvard Should Spend More on Legacy of Slavery Initiative

News

Massachusetts ACLU Demands Harvard Reinstate PSC in Letter

News

LIVE UPDATES: Pro-Palestine Protesters Begin Encampment in Harvard Yard

CRIMSON LEVELS ITS SIGHTS ON MIDDIES

MACKINNEY'S INJURY REDUCES STRENGTH OF FORWARD WALL

By David B. Stearns

If it weren't for the presence of All-American Bill Busik in the Navy backfield and the absence of All-American Loren MacKinney from the Harvard forward wall, this afternoon's battle in the stadium might be described as a fight not between two teams, but between two great lines.

Both the Middies and the Crimson are acknowledged to have the best forward bulwarks in the recent history of the two institutions. When the cannonading starts at 2 o'clock the Blue and Gold wall will be complete from stem to stern, including 250 pound Gene Flathmann who is to mammoth Vern Miller what the Tyranausourous Rex was to the mastodon.

At game time the Crimson front line defenses, on the other hand, will probably be weakened by the loss of their most able operative, MacKinney, who according to Gus Thorndike and the medical staff, is still unable to participate-all rumor to the contrary notwithstanding.

MacKinney's condition is not so bad that he couldn't play if he was absolutely needed but Coach Dick Harlow, the big egg and fern man, knows which side his bread is buttered on and will probably not take any chances on not having "Mac" around for the season's final quartet of games.

With God on Bill Bingham's side and fair weather prevailing, close to 40,000, the biggest crowd in the stadium since the Yale game two years' ago, should be on hand to watch the undefeated Middies cavort. One of the strongest teams that has come forth from Annapolis in years, the eleven future admirals have gone unscored upon (technically) in four games while concocting a 129 point total of their own. The team is so good they even have scored against themselves-two points on a safety against Lafayette.

Busik, a 185 pound Junior who passes, runs, punts, blocks, and does everything but tear down the goal posts after the game, is the head sparkplug of Navy's eight cylinder backfield. Not only is he a dealer in speed but he also is highly dangerous as a broken field runner.

Second threat in the maritime backfield is Sam "Albie" Boothe, a left-handed passer and a left-handed punter. With less speed than Busik but equally as powerful, Boothe sparked Navy in their win over Cornell last week, scoring on a naked reverse from the 15 yard line.

A fast, hard-hitting fullback, Al Cameron, and an able 202 pound blocker, Johnny Harrell, fill out the Navy "A" backfield. They don't have a first and second string team, instead designating the two (or three) teams by letters and names.

At the beginning of the season when Coach Swede Larson was worried as to whether or not he had a good team the reply was, "Yes, three of them." If Swede has three lines on a par with the one which has Giant Gene Flathmann, a Clemson transfer, at left tackle, then it's time to fold up and go home.

Captain Bob Froude, a comparative featherweight at 175 pounds, gets the starting honors at left end, but the next man that comes in, Bob Zoeller, is the man to watch. Their favorite pass receiver, he also tosses a mean block. He wiped out Cornell's Stoffer to set up one of last week's touchdowns.

At left tackle, Navy has a 210 pound hippo-antelope named Bill Chewning, who intercepted a half-blocked pass against Lafayette and careened over the goal line for the score, pulling away from the other Middles who had come up to block for him.

At the starting guards are John Hill and Vito Vituccl, a 200 pound fire-plug. Jim Donaldson is at center and Lars Wanggaard at right end. Only lack of space prohibits a thorough description of the other two teams

Want to keep up with breaking news? Subscribe to our email newsletter.

Tags