1946 Season Sixth
hi Oregon for Oliver
Plans for Future
In Other Fields
(Continued from page one)
“We wish him well in his new ac
.ivities, whatever they prove to be,
rncl are sure that the institution,
ind particularly his players, will
give him a rousing farewell season
ly playing some fine games he re
riainder of the year.”
Anson B. Cornell, athletic man
ager, in his statement concerning
he resignation said, “I hate to see
Tex leave, but inasmuch as he has
nade up his mind I wish him all the
tuccess in his future ventures.”
Oregon’s faculty representative
o the Pacific Coast conference, Or
ando J. Hollis, dean of the law
school, said, “I was greatly sur
mised to learn of Mr. Oliver's res
gnation. I don’t know what his fu
„ure plans are, but I am sure that
f he remains in the coaching field
le lias a bright future ahead of him,
is he is generally regarded in the
°ar ific Coast conference as an out
standing student of the game of
ootball.”
Oliver came to Oregon in 1938
ollowing a successful coaching
stay at the University of Arizona,
tie entered the Navy following the
1941 football season, and was re
eased from duty late in the summer
>f 1945. He immediately returned
o Eugene and took over the coach
ng reins of the 1945 Webfoot team:
No football teams were fielded by
iregon during the war years with
..he exception of 1942 when John
Warren, freshman coach, guided
he Webfoots through an eight
hs me schedule.
Dpener Announced
Basketball Coach Howard Hob
son announced yesterday that the
opening games of the 1946-47 bas
ketball season will be played in
McArthur court against the Uni
versity of British Columbia No
vember 29 and 30.
Iports Staff:
Bill Stratton
Bernie Hammerbeck
Wally Hunter
A1 Pietschman
Elwin Paxon
Bob Whiteley
Shyster Gridders
Still Unchallenged
By BOB WHITELY
Fenton Hall Correspondent
“Everyone is afraid to play us,”
beamed head coach Don Walker of
the Legal Eagles, law school foot
ball aggregation, “as our open chal
lenge for a joust on the turf has not
been accepted by any organization
as of today. Our line-up of gridiron
stalwarts was enough to make wim
men weep and strong men shiver
from an attack of the vapors.”
Chief Trainer “Sparks” Helger
son in an eleventh hour communi
que dolefully announced that the
squad would be without the servic
es of its outstanding end, “Uncle”
Bulgy Meldrum, along with their
triple threat scat-back, “Crazy
Legs” Carmaechal. The latter was
partaking of a light scrimmage ses
sion in the Pi Phi back yard and
surreptitiously slipped on a de
licious apple necessitating medical
attention. Helgerson stated that he
will be ready to go in a few weeks,
but so far his face hasn’t responded
to treatment. Law school president,
Hay Cutler, has moved up from
Coach Walker’s junior varsity to
amply fill Carmaechal’s shoes.
“I have had so many requests
from undergraduate girls to put out
a booklet containing pertinent data
and pictures of our squad, that I
am contemplating putting out a
picket-sized “brochure” containing
all the necessary information,” vol
unteered Coach Walker.
“Just like the big boys,” inter
rupted line coach Marcus Winkler.
Contrary to existing reports, the
law school six will not .play with
their traditional green visors on, as
they would interfere in their com
plex shifting huddle that is reminis
cent of a Strauss waltz. Coach
Walker released the names of ad
ditional squad members including:
A1 “Gumshoe” Gray, “Humper”
Hinkle, James Nelson and Jesse
James.
“I guess that we are too potent
for the average competition,”
sighed Coach Walker, “but honest,
we won’t play rough. Our challenge
is still on the blotter.”
Record of Oliver-coached
Teams Considered Good
The 1946 football season at Ore
gon has been the sixth for Tex
Miyer. He is the 22nd coach in Ore
oci's 50 year history in collegiate
notball and this year ties a record
*—becoming the fourth coach to
•irect the VVebfoot teams for six
ears.
Oliver’s record at Oregon has
>een good. His teams have beaten
he University of California four
hues in six games, Idaho twice in
wo games, Washington State three
imes in six contests with one tie,
dontaaa in the only game played,
ISC once in four times with one tie,
ICLA twice in five games. Wash
lgton twice in six games, College
f Pacific in their only meeting, and
Iregon State once in a half dozen
ttempts.
The Beavers have the best
record against Oliver-coached
teams, and yet have won one
game by one point, two by five
points and one, the first, by 14.
Oregon's victory in the series was
by the widest margin, 20 points,
in (910.
Tex came to Oregon from the
iniversity of Arizona, where his
teams won 32 and lost 11 in a period
of five years. Before entering the
collegiate coaching field he had an
outstanding record at both San
Diego and Santa Ana high schools.
At the outbreak of World War II,
Oliver entered the Navy. His first
assignment was to coach the power
ful 1942 St. Mary’s Pre-Flight team
that nosed out John Warren's Ore
gon varsity in the final seconds of
the game, 10 to 9, in Portland. He
then was assigned the tremendous
job of establishing the physical
training program for the 70,000
officers and men of the Atlantic
Fleet Air Force. After his tour of
duty in the Atlantic he moved to the
Pacific where he was physical train
ing officer for the air bases in the
Central Pacific.
At Honolulu he set up an eiglit
team football league and at the
end of the 1944 season, he coached
the Navy All-Stars to a 14 to 0
win over the Army in the Poi
Bowl. Tex served with the artil
lery in the first war, and he is the
only pre-war head football coach
i ntlie conference who served with
the armed forces.
MARCHIE SCHWARTZ ... is shown (standing) with his 1946 Stanford grid squad that has been one
of the surprise teams of the Pacific Coast conference this season. The Indians have two wins under their
belts—Idaho and Clipper Smith’s highly touted USF Dons—and this weekend the Indians tangle with
UCLA, current favorites for the PCC flag. (Courtesy the Oregonian.)
Webfoots Scrimmage
Behind Closed Doors
Coach Tex Oliver held a secret
practice session last night as he
pushed the University of Oregon
VVebfoots through their paces in
preparation for the oncoming Uni
versity of Montana Grizzlies.
Thus far this week Oregon’s jun
ior varsity squad has been running
Montana plays against the varsity
with success. Coach Doug Fessen
den’s style of T-formation razzle
dazzle, as demonstrated by John
Warren’s JV squad has proved po
tent.
Head Coach Oliver’s biggest
problem in the Saturday tussle is
expected to be the Montana back
field, which is considered one of
the fastest quartets on the coast.
Bij* Johnny Reagan, Grizzly half
back who played ball against the
Webfoots in 1941, has been used
sparingly this year which gives
some idea of Montana potency in
the backfield.
According to Backfield Coach
Ben Winkelman, who scouted the
Montana-Eastern Washington Col
lege of Education game last Satur
day, the Grizzlies play an inspired
brand of ball. If Montana has a
weakness, it is in line reserves.
Coach Fessenden can throw two
backfields of equal strength at Ore
gon.
Hayward ratones Jake
Though Oregon’s All-American
left half Jake Leicht is still on the
injured list, there is hope that he
will see action against the invaders
from Missoula. The leg injury that
Leicht received in the season open
er with the College of Pacific has
been getting the attention of famed
Colonel Bill Hayward. Webfoot ob
servers are hoping that with one of
Colonel Bill's wire and glue protec
tors Leicht will be able to play.
Right Guard Jim Berwick is still
ailing from his early season scrim
mage injury and probably will not
be ready by game time. Left end
Dan Garza, another ball player with
a bad leg is also in doubtful condi
tion. Reserve fullback Bob Sanders
is the only injured back.
Though the Webfoots are well
stocked in the point after touch
down kicking dpeurtment, with
Jake Leicht and Jim Newquist,
still another kicker was added
when left guard John Kauffman
was used as converter in practice.
Kauffman showed proficiency in
Pipkin Peuietv... S^iad Sckland
Tall, blonde haired Brad Ecklund
leads the list of centers for the Ore
gon football team this year. Brad
has been a starter in all the games
thus far and has consistently shown
his ability as an outstanding center
both on the offense and defense.
Big “Shoes” Brad is a tower of
strength in the line and one of the
men that Tex Oliver could count on
at the beginning of the season to
deliver the goods. He is especially
apt while on the defense where he
assumes the line backing position,
making the center of the Duck line
one of the hardest spots to pene
trate.
An ex-marine with almost four
years of service to his credit, Eck
lund received valuable experience
with the Jacksonville Air Station
in 1943 and 1944 before he wTas
sent overseas. One of his team
mates on this service eleven was
Oregon’s potent blocker, Duke
Iversen. While playing for Don
Farout’s team, both these men
were picked for the mythical
first-string of the all-Southeast
ern servioe conference. Both boys
were later chosen for the third
string of the All-American ser
vice teams. '
While with the marine corps,
Ecklund saw duty in the South
Pacific and on Okinawa where he
was attached to the 2nd Marine divi
sion. He was discharged November
27, 1945.
Frosh in 1941
Besides the experience with the
Marine team, Brad played one
year with the undefeated Frosh
club of 1941 and had high school ex
perience with the Milwaukee, Ore
gon, Maroons.
In his opinion Oregon’s one-point
the art ot place kicking when he
added an extra point in a scrim
mage against the junior varsity.
In the punting department Ore
gon's Webfoots are expected to hold
their own against the Grizzlies. At
last reports the Webfoot fullback
has an average of 43 yards per punt
this season, which is one of the high
est in the nation.
Brad Ecklund
victory over the California Bears
didn’t show the true facts. He be
lieves that the Ducks showed the
needed fight and consistent playing
to forget the statistics that gave the
Bears the edge. “It was a rough
game; we had good blocking and
tackling, plus spirit that was tops,’'
was his opinion of the contest.
He views the Montana game
pessimistically and does not think
that they will be a pushover. In
fact, he expects them to be just
as tough as the teams Oregon has
faced so far.
The Pacific Coast Conference Is
a hard-hitttng and full-of-surprises
league in his estimation. He pointed
out that you don’t know who to
watch out for. The men who receive
the ballyhoo are good, but there is
usually some unsung player that
gives just as bad a time, and who
hits and blocks just as hard.
Played Baseball
Football is not his only interest in
the athletic world. He enjoys play*
ing baseball and was a member of
his high school team. He also played
while he was in the service.
Along with his sports mindedness
are his hobbies, which include hunt
ing and fishing. Like all the other
grid men who list hunting as one of
their favorite pastimes, Brad is un
able to sojourn to the mountains
this year to engage in the yearly
hunting season.
Two more years as center are
on Brad’s slate as he is now a
sophomore in physical education
with plans of graduation listed
(Please turn to parje six) ,