By Leonard Turnbull
Last night the taller models of Webfoots entertained the
Vandal quintet from the University of Idaho. The why we won
or lost is carried on the right hand section of this page. At the
time of this writing all I know is of the condition of the team
and our possibilities of starting the conference record book off
right with a free-scoring triumph over the strong invaders.
Last term in squad workouts there was no worry over the
starting lineup. Five lettermen tossed baskets all around other
aspirants for the varsity starting lineup, so it was a cinch. Then
first off, Jim Bartelt received a call to replace an overseas
service man. Next, Reedy Berg received a painful blow in the
ribs resulting in internal injuries in the Ohio State game on
the eastern trip stopover at Columbus, Ohio. At present Dick
Wilkins is battling with a knock down case of influenza. Add
io this Bob Hamilton playing irregularly because of the tem
porary return of an old leg injury, and you have only one of the
original five left to carry on—Ken Hays.
HOBBY HAS NO CRYING TOWEL
With this piling up of misfortune, it seems most coaches
would at least have the crying towel on the hardwood floor,
Coach “Hobby” Hobson has redeeming features, however, that
may save the day. He has returning veteran lettermen, and all
o: the four lost cases will return to full scale action, except
Jim Bartelt.
Teamwork is the story underlying the clever ball handling
tin.' 1946 “tall firs” demonstrated last night at the Igloo. All of
the returning lettermen are good, but the}- understandably
play an individual style of .ball until the clicking is geared to
gether into a smooth functioning two-pointed machine. This
takes time and Coach Hobson has had only a few days for-the
welding process. Any outfit may be expected to improve as
the season coasts on, but this one may be expected to take on a
high gloss with more practice, then Roy Seeborg, Stan William
son, Marv Rasmussen, Del Smith, Wilson Maynard, Royal
I ‘(.niton and others will ring the hoop stcadilv.
LOOK WHERE WESTERN ATHLETICS ARE
A "salt in wound" spot with me and other followers of far
western athletics was brought to light with Sports Editor L. II.
(Gregory’s column in “The Sunday Oregonian." Last term 1
wrote two columns of Duck Tracks most of the way down on
why western football did not rank with that carried on by
eastern athletes. The story comes to light.
Gregory quotes an ex-Army Sgt. Ted Williams, formerly
stationed at the Portland air base, who returned to work with
the Philadelphia Inquirer, as saying, “Pacific coast football
took a pretty severe panning from the eastern press this season.
I suppose the boys were rubbing it in to alleviate the sore spots
of previous years, but we did have some very fair football
around here—Penn with a better-than-good civilian team, while,
of course. Army was the class ...”
PANNING WAS DUE FOR LAST SEASON
I agree with Sports Editor Gregory’s conclusion that this
is one time that the west had the panning coming. Alabama,
v ith its well-organized policy of getting players to register,
charged over the hefty USC west coast selection by the over
whelming count of ,14-14. Just to add a little bit, the Crimson
'l ide head man sent his first team to the showers at the be
ginning of the fourth quarter and ended the game with his lowly
scrubs holding the best the Trojans could offer.
Little giant killers from St. Marys' college bowed to Okla
homa A. <k Id. 33-13, after regularly striking down competi
tion in the west. This is too good an indication that football
out here is two to three touchdowns weaker than the brand
played on the east side of the States.
Unuting Irom the column of L. II. Gregory, brings the
matter to more light. "If this gives coast patriots an unpleasant
t: ste, have they noticed that basketball is now taking exactly
the same trend, and for the same reason? In large part this
certainly is the rigidly conceived code of eligibility, the so
called “parity” code, whose requirements go so far beyond
those of any other conference that about all we can look for
ward to is more humiliating football and basketball pan
ning . .
NOT ONLY DUCKS—NEW YORKERS HOP BEAVERS
Bull thought that the hottest criticism of Oregon State
boiled over from our campus on the pages of the Emerald. Not
so, read the following quote from the New York Daily News:
“The first game (City college 43, Oregon State 27) was a fraud,
one of the worst in Garden history. City college’s slick chicks
kept the lanky hicks from the west befuddled with a second
half shooting and passing attack. The visitors were ungainly
a id inept. The reflexes of these giants (they ran to such sizes as
.6-8 and 6-6) were terrible. They didn’t look like athletes.”
Ducks Edge Vandals
In Final Seconds 46-45
SPORTS STAFF THIS ISSUE
Co-Sports Editors:
Fred Beckwith
Leonard Turnbull
Staff Writers:
Dale Tyler
Carl Cluff
Bob Chapman
Larry Neer
Leicht Returns;
Rumors False
Contrary to rumors circulating
the campus recently, it was
learned Saturday that Jake Leicht,
Oregon's All-American halfback,
had not signed a professional con
tract to play football with one of
the new All-American pro league
ball teams. He started the winter
term registration process yester
day.
Leicht has been visiting at his
home in Stockton, Cal. after parti
cipating in the East-West Shrine
game New Year’s day at San
Francisco. What brought about
Leicht's denial was a syndicated
story from Chicago saying Jake
was signed with the Brooklyn
entry in the new professional
league.
.Take’s prowesd is not confined to
the gridiron as the fleet little ath
lete is a remarkable sprinter and
is being counted on by Track
Coach Bill Hayward to be the
number one sprinter on the Web
foot squad this spring. Leicht has
been clocked at 9.6 seconds over
the one-hundred yard dash during
his first year under Hayward.
‘Reedy’ Berg Connects
With Winning Bucket
By FRED BECKWITH
Howard Hobson’s Oregon basketball team did it the hard
way last night when they nipped a stubborn Idaho quintet.
46-45 before 3,000 screaming fans in McArthur court. Twenty
seconds remained in the contest when Reedy Berg canned a
lay-up shot that clinched the ball game for Oregon and gave
them their initial Northern division voctory of the season.
It was an uphill fight all the way, and Coach Hobson was
forced to dig deep in his bag of
tricks when, with three minutes
before the final gun, Oregon was
still trailing the Vandals by 3
points. He elected to send in two
reported invalids, Dick Wilkins
and Bob Hamilton, normally first
string men. Wilkins answered the
call to arms by firing home a
basket from twenty feet out, and
seconds later Hamilton scored on a
set shot. But the real hero in the
Oregon victory was the afore
mentioned Berg who wound up in
the high point leadership with 17
digits, eight field goals included
in this total.
Halftime Tie
The ball game was knotted 19
19 at half. Idaho got off to a quick
start and pushed out in front 8-3.
Oregon caught up with the Vandals
and after it was 19-8, not more
than three points separated the
two clubs at any time in the first
half. Gum-chewing Fred “Wimpy”
Quinn played his usually colorful
game, tallying 10 points for his
club. Carbough also caged 30
points for the Bloscovvites.
The Ducks were not too good on
OSC, Huskies Triumph;
Win Over ldaho/ Cougars
In. the opening round of competition among teams of the
Northern division, Oregon State college and Washington
university chalked up dual wins over the University of Idaho
and Washington State college respectively, last Friday and
Saturday. Oregon State, playing on the home court in Cor
vallis, took the measure from the Vandals by marginc of 49
49 to 40 and 49 to 45, while the Huskies in Seattle had a tough
weeKena grauomg tne pair or wins
from the Cougars by slight ad
vantages of 35 to 32 and 46 to 44
before 9,500 wild-eyed fans on
each occasion.
Gill’s Crew Handy
Coach “Slats” Gill's Beavers
from Corvallis institution had little
trouble disposing of the Idaho lads,
who fought gamely but were badly
outmanned on the backboards.
With the winter term in full ses
sion Gill has the advantage of a
complete new lineup, with the lone
exception of center Red Rocha,
and can floor a squad with each
man six feet two inches or better.
The smaller vandals just couldn't
cope with the huge Beavers though
they did come within two points
in the closing minutes of the Satur
day evening contest.
Washington State, the pre
season favorite to cop the division
flag, faltered twice against the
Huskies and had to be content
with second best honors as big
Vince Hanson, the nation’s leading
scorer last year, was held to twelve
and nine points for the two eve
ning's work. It was forward Jack
Pomfret who snatched the final
game from the Cougars with a
Yep from this side, it look
relax. You blasted well sed' it tl
the west coast to put our athleti
something will have to give.
last-second howitzer as the clock
showed seconds remaining'.
In the Southland the Pacific
Coast cage conference opened
auspiciously with the Trojans of
Southern California and the Cali
fornia Bears from Berkeley lead
ing the league. UCLA’s Bruins
took a double loss dt the hands of
their big brothers from up north
as the Golden Bears dropped the
Uclans, the Southern division de
fending titlists, 45 to 33 on Friday
evening and 37 to 35 for the fol
lowing night as substitute Forward
Bob Anderson slipped in the game
winning bucket with only ten
seconds remaining.
Stanford's Indians returned to
the league again this year after a
wartime layoff, but was too in
experienced for the fast-moving
Trojans of Southern Cal. The
sharp-eyed men of Troy tossed in
62 points against 49 for the Indians
during the Friday game and found
the hoop Saturday for 43 to 32 ad
vantage.
The only conference team un
tested in league competition is the
University of Oregon’s Webfoot
cagers who take the floor Monday
evening at Eugene against the
twice-beaten Idaho Vandals.
* like something will have to
at we have the class of guys on
cs on a par with easterners, but
j
the free throw line, a department
in which the Vandals excelled.
Throughout the second half, the
Hobsonmen were trailing by 2, 3,
sometimes 4 points. A minute re
mained when reserve guard
Ryan of Idaho dumped in a cripple
shot that placed his club in the
lead, 45-42. Enter Mr. Wilkins, Mr.
Hamilton and Mr Berg. It was
boom-boom-boom! Just like that!
Eleven Tide
Oregon used 11 men in turning
the tide of victory. Wilson May
nard, who lettered back in 1941,
put in a brief appearance, and
looked to be very fast in the short
time he was in the game. -Tho
Idaho passing game was a big im
provement over their previous ef
fort against Oregon State. It was
Idaho’s third consecutive loss.
Point tabulation:
OREGON (46)
FG FT
Bray, f.. 0 1
Seebcrg, f. 0 0
Hays, c. 3 0
Williamson, g. 2 2
Berg, g. 8 I
Rasmussen, f. 2 0
Hof fine, g. 1 1
Maynard, g. 0 0
Smith, f. 2 1
Wilkins, f. 1 0
Hamilton g. 1 0
PTS
1
0
6
■fr
17
4
3
0
5
2
2
20 6
IDAHO (45)
FG FT
Mortenson, f. 3 3
Phoenix, f-g. 2 1
Quinn, c-f . 4 2
Pyne, g-c. 1 2
Carbaugh, g. 3 4
O’Connor, f. 2 1
Rowe, f. 0 0
Shiferl, g. 0 0
Ryan, g. 1 0
16
13
46
PTS
9
5
10
4
10
5
0
0
2
45
Skiers Buy Bus
Tickets at Co-op
Final arrangements for the Uni
versity of Oregon Ski club's
weekend snow sliding trip at Hoo
doo Bowl January 12 and 13 were
announced today, along with
advice handed members to get
their tickets at the Co-op between,
the hours of 9 and 11 a.m. and
3:30 and 5:00 vp.m. today.
A limited number of bus tickets
are available. The price per ticket
is listed at $3.50. All members who
are signed up for the trip will have
preference if they purchase the
ducats today.
Girls who plan to ride on the
chartered buses must have per
mission sent from their parents to
Dean Wickham’s office before Sat
urday.
The cost of lodging for the night
will be $1.00 with bedding, and
$2.00 without. In order to cut down
the expense of the trip it is advis
able to take along box lunches. .
Buses are scheduled to leave
from in front of The Side at 7 a.m,
Saturday. The skiers will return
to the campus Sunday evening at
8:30.