Valpey Sets Up Defenses for Lions

"The team that wins will need at least three or four touchdowns." That's how Art Valpey sees the Columbia game, and yesterday afternoon he set out to see that the Lions won't get those touchdowns.

At Soldiers Field the accent was on defense. The three and a half hour workout started with skull work in the Field House and ended with 40-odd players doing windsprints by the light of the television tower; in between was mostly football.

Coulson, Moffle Return

Coaches were heartened by the return of Wally Coulson to limited service at end, and of Hal Moffle to unlimited action in the backfield. In the offensive scrimmage against the Freshmen Prince Hal flashed some of the running form which made him one of the few bright spots in the Stadium last autumn, but the layoff has cost him temporarily the split-second timing needed in the Michigan style single wing.

While Butch Jordan held his daily classes in the art of blocking and mangling, Valpey's unofficial Columbia team performed against only the ends, line-backers, and halfbacks.

52 Squad Takes Over

Henry Lamar and some 15 of his almost fearless Freshmen took over from where the eleven ersatz Lions left off. Against the yearlings, Valpey polished up the intricacies of his single wing offense with the first four teams and met with considerable success. Only fumbles caused by almost total darkness slowed the Varsity attack.

At the moment, two qualities seem to set apart the 1948 football team: (1) They are players in excellent condition, and (2) they know how to tackle.

Good Physical Condition

When a team is not in good condition, sprains, pulled muscles, and charley-horses are as common as Roosevelt dimes. Valpey scrimmages his squad every day and the players gayly test each other's stamina with right hooks to the midsection. Yet Cripples Corner has only one Varsity resident and the Crimson is in the best shape since 1941.

As to tackling, frequent scrimmages have proved that Varsity men can tackle each other. The only question is whether the Columbia Lion is a man apart.