Crimson Ends Can Run, Kick, Block, Tackle, and Catch Passes--We Hope

(This is the second in a series of daily articles describing talent at various varsity football positions.)

Traditionally versatile, Harvard's ends may do just about everything but sell peanuts this fall in the Stadium. The tipoff on just how strong his flank-men are came when Art Valpey switched tall Tom Guthrie, former first-string end at Notre Dame, to tackle when the 230-pound transfer student reported for practice earlier this month.

Mostly Local Athletes

If you cared to climb to the top of the television tower at Soldiers Field, you could see the home towns of most of this year's Varsity ends. Johnny Florentine and Stretch Mazzone live in Everett, Sophomore Bob DiBlasio comes from Newton, and Red Hill, makes his home in Arlington.

Walt Coulson, last year's Crimson punting whiz, is farther North in Lawrence, and Peirce Leavitt halls from Brockton. Out-of-staters include Jerry Bahn, from Malverne, New York, and Art Hyde, from Minneapolis.

Can Do Everything

These boys can do practically everything. They can run, block, tackle, kick, and, of course, catch passes. Right now the order of preference for starting berths, at least on offense, is Bob DiBlasio and Johnny Florentine.

DiBlasio, a six-two, 190-pound Sophomore with sprinter's legs, hit his peak last year in the Freshman Yale game as a back scoring twice on scintillating runs.

Now he is back at his original position (he was an all-scholastic end at Newton High) and his speed and shiftiness may enable him to click effectively on end arounds as soon as the Crimson offense reaches the stage where it can absorb that type of play.

Johnny Florentine may be remembered by Stadiumgoers as the man who pulled the Gionfriddo catch last fall on wobbly Gannon pass to beat Holy Cross 7-0. Shifted to center by Dick Harlow to plug the gap in the middle of the line last year, the former Boston College High athlete is now matriculating at his old position. He's a Junior.

Stretch Mazzone, who earned his nickname at Everett High for the obvious reason, stands six-four in his bare feet, and tips the scales at an even 200.

Jerry Bahn, former Jayvee who moved into contention as a starting defensive end this fall, won't be able to play for several weeks as the result of a hand injury suffered during a scrim-make. Up until Monday, Walt Coulson was also on trainer Jimmy Cox's "cripple" list, but he's back in action now and will probably play against Columbia Saturday.

He and DiBlasio have been doing most of the punting for the Crimson in pre-season drills and may drop back out of the line to perform that duty this fall. Both are carrying on the tradition of Harvard's famous punting end, Loren McKinney.

Other outstanding candidates on Elmer Madar's end squad include Art Hyde, who played Freshman football last fall, and Peirce Leavitt, a pass-catching member of the 1947 Jayvee team.

"We've got some good boys out there," is the way end Coach Madar feels about his flankmen. Madar won all-American honors at Michigan under the Crimson's present Coach Art Valpey in 1946. Last fall he played professional football for the Baltimore Colts. Valpey gave up his end-coaching job at Michigan to come here.