Football Welcomed Back;
Prewar Coaches Return
*1
DAILY EMERALD Thursday, August 16, 1945 Page 9
Oliver Unable to Predict
Caliber of Gridiron Squad
First in Oregon’s sport program for the 1945-46 season will
be football' arid Coach “Tex” Oliver is unable ta predict as yet
the aggregation of webfoots who will turn out this fall.
Only a handful of players with previous experience are cer
tain be on hand at the first practice. Roy Blatchley, former
blocking back from Eugene, and Bobby Reynolds, ex-halfback
from Portland are the two lettermen who are considering, a re
aurn to the campus this falll.
Returning war veterans and
transfers from junior colleges are
also expected to give the “Tex”
some top-flight material he is not
counting on. Oliver has intimated
that a revision might have to he
made in the Ducks’ style of play
stressing any unusually strong
phase of the game or the use of
.. any person with unusual talent, to
he able to compete with other Pa
cific coast conference schools.
Tex points out that California,
which held spring and summer
. practices, will have'hig advantages
fi wver Oregon and other schools re
turning to the gridiron after sev
, eral years absence.
“Practice, as in all other
sports,” Oliver says, “will natural
, ly make the southern team strong
■i er.”
The Ducks are scheduled to
play U. C. L. A. in Los Angeles
and the University of California
in Berkeley during the 1945-46
season. Home engegements will
be played against Oregon State,
Washington and Washington
State, and a single game will be
played against the University
of Idaho to fill out a nine-game
schedule.
Although Tex has served the
navy air fleets in both Pacific and
Atlantic war theaters as a com
mander of physical fitness, he-has
. kept his hand in the grid sport. Af
1 ter enlisting in the navy in 1942,
/Vex was head coach of the St.
Husky Grid Season
To Begin Sept. 1
Fall footoall practice at the Uni
versity of Washington will begin
Sept. 1, a week earlier than at oth
er northern division schools accord
ing to reports from Washington's
coach Ralph “Pest” Welch.
The coach explained he had de
cided upon the earlier start be
cause it coincided with the start
ing date for California schools and
that the Huskies will meet Cal
ifornian competition earlier than
the other northern division teams
—they play the University of Cal
ifornia Oct. 6.
According to reports Welch said
the off-season practice period per
mitted by the conference would
i start Aug. 13 for the men now in
l school. These are mostly navy
trainees and will number about 50
players, it was estimated.
last winter he coached the All
Star Navy team to victory over
the Army All-Stars in a “Pineap
ple Bowl” classic in the Hawaiian
Islands.
Some of Oregon’s gridiron pros
pects are attending summer ses
sion and are working out daily
under an informal program. Tex
hopes to start fall practices as
soon as conference rules allow.
The Ducks’ opening game will be
against the Huskies in Seattle
Sept. 29.
mm. - mmmsm
READY TO GO—G. A. (TEX) Ol
iver, head football coach who has
been serving as a lieutenant com
mander in the navy, is back in
Eugene making plans for his 1945
football season.
Travelling Ducks
Tell of UO Life
Giving advance first-hand knowl
edge about campus life to prospect
ive students, Betty Lu Siegman,
chairman of the Oregon Federa
tion, and Doris Hack, alumni sec
retary, have been touring the state
this summer. In addition to show
ing movies of the campus scenes
and activities, they answered ques
tions and told about rushing and
freshman week.
They have been assisted by fed
. eration. chairmen in various cities
and towns of the state.
Oregon Federation activities will
culminate with the picnic Monday,
August 20, at Jantzen Beach park.
Oregon Football Schedule [pU5
Sept. 29 .Washington at Seattle
Oct. 6 .. .Idaho at Eugene
Oct. 13 .Oregon State at Corvallis
Oct. 20.Washington State at Eugene
Oct. 27.U. C. L. A. at Los Angeles
Nov. 3 .Washington at Eugene
Nov. 10 .Washington State at Pullman
Nov. 17 .California at Berkeley
Dec. 1 .Oregon State at Eugene
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Duck Tracks
By JACK CRAIG
With the ending of war in the Pacific and the return of Ore
gon’s coaches, Hobson and Oliver, from their war time duties,
we can be reassured that the Oregon athletic program is tak
ing a turn towards the packed grandstands and bleachers of
the pre-war days. To many, an active Oregon athletic program
means only one thing—Football, and being about that time of
the year, it is only fair that we do a little speculating about
what kind of a Duck eleven we will have this year.
Although Oregon’s top grid man, Tex Oliver, feels that
California schools, where they have had spring and summer
practices, might have an edge over Oregon and other teams
who are returning to football after a long absence, other s
with their minds on the past glory of Oregon’s grid teams,
give the Ducks an equal chance with other teams in the league
sight unseen.
For a quick preview into what caliber of team Oregon
might field we have to place most of our hopes on 4-F's, re
turning war veterans, junior college transfers and high school
graduates. Two former lettermen, Roy Blatchley, former
blocking back of Eugene, and Bobby Reynolds, ex-halfback
from Portland, are said to be considering a return to the cam
pus for another season.
According to latest reports, the first football turnouts will
begin between September 1 and 5, which will gi\;e the Ducks
only about a month to get wdiipped into shape to face the Wash
ington Huskies at Seattle on the 29th of September. Oregon’s
first game with the Huskies should prove to be a good indica
tor of what kind of a season the Webfeet will have this year,
for Washington will field a team of players who have had the
benefit of a through-the-war schedule, besides having sumnuj
and spring practices.
At Washington’s first summer turnout a week ago the
Husky coach reported seventy candidates reported for call.
In the preliminary registration only three lettermen were in
cluded—Tackles Harry Rice and Bill McGovern and Fred
Osterhout, an end.
Ili:illllllllllll!ll!!lll!!il!l
Full Oregon Sports
Program Reaffirmed
The athletic board's ultimatum of a whodesale return to in
tercollegiate athletics during the 1945-46 school rear was re
afirmed this cummer with the return of webfoot coaches Howard
Hobson and lex Oliver. J he sevarsity coaches along' with
record breaking coach Bill Hayward will direct three varsity
sports during the coming year.
Gerald A. "l'ex” Oliver, a lieutenant commander in the
U. S. naval reserve for the past three years will pilot the web
foot football team next fall—the first Oregon gridiron squa since.
John A. Warren coached the Oregons in 1942.
Howard A. “Hobby'’ Hobson,
who served the U. S. army as a
civilian sports expert during his
year’s sabbatical leave, is back to
coach varsity basketball and base
ball. Oregon basketball has been
carried on through the war period,
but baseball was dropped after the
1942 season.
During the war three members
of the athletic department have
held the program together- Coach
John Warren, who also coached
varsity basketball last year,
will be Oliver’s assistant; Colonel
Bill Hayward, veteran Hack men
tor, plans a cinder squad for next
spring; and Anson B. Cornell,
graduate manager and head of the
department of athletics.
Another member of the depart
ment, Trainer Robert O. “Bob” Of
ficer, is expected to be given a dis
charge from the navy late this
summer and return to his regular
duties.
Minor Sports
Swimming, golf, tennis, skiing,
boxing and wrestling are also ex
pected to make their appearance
on the Oregon sports schedules
during the year providing other
northern division, Pacific coast
conference schools are able to fur
nish Webfoots with competition.
Early in the summer, Orlando
J. Hollis, faculty representative to
the Pacific coast conference, and
at that time acting president of
the University, approved the ac
tion taken by the athletic board
to resume full-scale program of
an intercollegiate athletic program
during the 1945-16 year. The ac
tion taken however, does not obli
gate Oregon to field teams in
other sports golf, tennis, skiing,
swimming, boxing and wrestling.
The ultimatum was issued with the
proviso that the other northern divi
sion members, of the conference
resume athletics in addition to
football and basketball, making
it possible to secure sufficient,
competition to warrant Oregon
squads.
Coaching personnel for minor
sports is usually selected from
idle members of the coaching staff
or Dr. Ralph W. Leighton's school
of Physical Education.
Requirement
Number One
For Future
B.T.O/s
(Big Time Operators)
BE WELL
DRESSED!
You'll find that Oregon
men dress casually—but
carefully. Those who
know choose their clothes
at Morrison-IIenning. We
have the smoothest selec-g
tion of suits, top coats,
sport shirts, and rainwear.
Remember
For that required Collegiate look,
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1022 Willamette