DUCK TRACKS
By WALLY HUNTER
Assistant Sports Editor
'1 he big question in the minds of the followers of Oregon
football for the past few months has been whether the new
,\\ ebfoot coach would be able to hold the several football
players on the campus who can
graduate this year but who still
have a season of eligibility left.
Prominent in this group are di
minutive Jake Leicht, All-Ameri
can choice in 1945, and All-Coast
in 1946; Jim Newquist; Bob Koch,
one of the nation’s, top punters last
year; and Tony Novacic, a light,
fiery guard.
Their importance to the Ducks
JAKE LEICHT
ii'-t/ prospects are nara ro overlook, mis quartet coultl make
or break the ’47 machine. Leicht, Newquist, and Koch are
three-quarters of what sports writers last year termed the
“million dollar backfield.” Thus far gruff, pleasant Jimmy
Aiken is batting a red-hot 1.000 in his attempt to keep them
all here.
Leicht has definitely told Aiken that he will for the
present turn his back on pro offers and kick it around for
Oregon next year. Lightnin’ Jake made this decision in
spite of the fact that he was drafted by both the Brooklyn
Dodgers and the Washington Redskins. Score one for
Aiken on that.
Though neither Koch nor Newquist has definitely com
mitted himself the odds favor their return to the campus next
year. Neither of the pair has definitely said “no" and that
in itself is a moral victory for Aiken. Guard Novacic, the
final member of the quartet, has yet to make a decision but
the chances for his return are good. You can give Aiken and
his assistants credit for this too.
Not one member of this group was definitely planning to
remain on the campus after this year. They waited for a look
at the new coaching administration and evidently they now
like what they see in Aiken and his staff.
tdmundsen Pays Tribute to Beavers
Before Washington Basketball Coach Hec Edmundson
left the Oregon campus he flung a large verbal bouquet at
Coach Ambry (Slats) Gill and his Oregon State basketball
team. As quoted by George Varnell in the Seattle P. I. before
the first Duck-Husky battle here, “No team in the Northern
division will stop Oregon State short of the championship.
Coach Slats Gill has what in my opinion is one of the strong
est teams that has ever played ball in the northern division.
I not only expect the Beavers to take the crown, but I predict
they’ll be mighty tough for the southern division winner to
take. For my part the only possible weakness Oregon State
may have is a lack of weight.
“The Beavers have great speed, fine shooting ability,
accurate passing, an assortment of set plays which are well
conceived and an exceptional defense. What more could a
coach ask for in a team? I can’t see a chance for any team
to beat them out. Washington State may be tough for them
in the series in Pullman but not tough enough to halt any
pennant march.”
That compliment from Edmundson isn’t to be taken light
lv. Old, gum-chewing Hec has been around the northern
division for a long time and he’s seen a lot of good ball clubs
in action . . . including Oregon’s 1939 championship team.
Not only has he seen plenty of good teams in action; he has
sent several pretty fair outfits out on the floor himself.
Daring Dick Dunkel Keeps Kentucky Up
"It’s keeping up with Dick Dunkel time again. For the
week of February 7 Daring Dick labels Kentucky as the top
basketball team in the nation. No'. 2 is West Virginia, and
holding down the third spot is Notre Dame.
At the first of the current season very few western teams
were rated in the upper 10 in the nation by Dunkel, at present
he rates Oregon State, seventh; California, eighth; Washing
ton State, ninth; and Washington tenth. In the Far West
ern division the Webfoots are rated fifth behind the above
mentioned quartet.
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RESULTS YESTERDAY
A League
Fijis 28, Phi Sigs 20
SX 24, Stan Ray BB 8
Rowdies 81, Mintum 14
McChesney 20, Yeomen 13
Theta Chi 29, Kilroy 24
Mohawks 27, Phi Psi 19
Sigma Chi opened yesterday's
intramural basket'oall competition
by defeating Stan Ray BB 24-8.
The Fijis dropped the Phi Sigs
28-20, the Rowdies downed Min
turn hall 31-14, McChesney hall
beat the Yeomen 20-13, Theta Chi
turned back Kilroy hall 29-24, and
the Mohawks won from the Phi
Cards - South. Cal
Open SD 2nd Half
The southern division of the Pa
cific Coast conference opens its
last half of the schedule tonight
when the fourth-place Trojans at
tempt to climb out of the cellar
by playing host to Stanford in a
two-game series.
The league-leading California
Bears step out of the conference to
play two long-awaited games. Fri
day night they take on St. Mary’s
on their home court, and Saturday
go after the Santa Clara Broncos,
who upset the Bears by 10 points in
December. UCLA remains idle this
week.
Sneezes Raise Riot
With 'Mama' Cast
Playgoers who attend tonight's
opening or any successive per
formances of “I Remember Ma
ma” are assured that they will
“remember mama,” but three
members of the cast will look
back on the performances with
the thought, “I Remember Purrl.”
“Purrl, the feline lead in the
..play, has endeared herself to
Peggie Jene McClure, Marilynn
Rowling, and Mary Hoch, mem
bers of the cast, for they are vic
tims of fur allergies, and have
been sneezing violently in Purrl’s
presence.
Purrl’s apparent unconcern for
the success of the play, plus her
slightly antisocial tendencies,
have made her oblivious to the
plight of the girls, and, at last re
ports, they were still sneezing.
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Bill Stratton
Psis 27-19 to round out the sched
ule.
Sigma Chi had little trouble in
its game with Stan Ray BB.
Showing fine form in both ball
handling and shooting, the Sigma
Chi quintet jumped into an early
lead on two quick field goals and
then proceeded to run circles
around the slower opponents. The
half time score was 12-4.
Howell Stars
With Dick Howell dropping in
22 points, the Rowdies turned back
a weak Minturn hall squad 31-14.
Using- their height to advantage,
the Rowdies controlled both back
boards and forced their opponents
to cast off shots from out past
the free-throw circle. The half
time score was 16-4, with the
Rowdies in the lead.
Gene Hebrard paced the
Theta Chis to a close 29-24 vic
tory over the rough Kilroy hall
squad. Trailing by two points
at the half, the Theta Chi boys
outplayed their opponents in a
rough-and-tumble second half
I
to lead at the closing whistle
by five points. Ron Pupke and
Bob Reynolds kept the Kitroy
team in the game by bagging
six points apiece.
The Mohawks had to fight off
a last half drive by the Phi Psis
before they came through with
their 27-19 victory. The winners
had things their own way during
the first half with a 12-2 halfway
lead. Amburn and Burge con-*
tributed six points apiece for the
Mohawks, while Lou Robinson
paced the Phi Psis with 12 points.
Taylor Hits 1?
Trailing 11-4 at the half, Chuck
Taylor sparked the Fijis to a
second' half 28-20 victory over the
Phi Sigs. The Phi Sigs outplayed
the Fijis in the first half, but
Taylor found the basket in the
second half to rack up 17 points.
The fast McChesney hall squad
displayed accurate shooting as it
turned back the Yeomen 20-13.
With Mortenson dropping in eight
points, the winners led 11-8 at the
half.
«
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