DUCK TRACKS
By DAVE TAYLOR
, Emerald Sports Editor
1949 football at Oregon may be a thing of the past, but the
memory lingers on. During the last few weeks of the campaign
the Emerald sports department was receiving a flood of letters,
all to the effect of “Why can't Oregon win a game?” Well, the
letter that is printed in this column today should help give a
clearer understanding of the Ducks' misfortunes and a little of
what to expect during the 1950 season. The letter, written by
Coach Jim Aiken, is the same one that appears in the December
issue of Old Oretron.
The Coach's Letter
Pear Alumni,
1949 was a tough year for Oregon football fans. Last year, in
my annual OLD OREGON letter, I said that Oregon couldn't
winn all their games all the time—I even went so far as to say
that the Ducks might lose some games this season. But I didn’t
think we would lose as many as we did.
I had greatly hoped that the boys would be able to snap out
of their four-game losing streak to win the big game, the Oregon
State battle.
Mental lapses and mechanical errors, along with bad
breaks, time and again cost us games we should have won dur
ing the season. With the season’s most important game ap
1 proaching the final college game for 16 of the team members,
I hoped we would end the season with a victory. But we could
n’t quite do it. Everyone played hard and well in that game,
and gave their best, the most that can be asked of anyone.
A coach, as well as the players, hates to lose. It’s a blow to his
pricle when a game ends in defeat for him. He likes to feel that he
can send his boys against any team, and make a creditable show
ing. I have made the statement that Oregon will play anybody,
anytime, anywhere, and give its opponents a good battle. I don’t
intend to amend that statement just because we lost six games
this year. The Oregon athletic department is going to continue
to schedule tough opponents. It is up to the coaching staff tc
build a team which can meet these teams without fear.
This was the second time in my 27 years of coaching that my
team has failed to win half of its games in one season. I am nol
used to losing, and neither are the other members of my coach
ing staff. In the football coaching game, as well as in all othei
sports, one must learn to take defeat, but we don’t intend to make
a habit of it here at Oregon.
Fifteen veteran players departed from the team this year.
Next season we will have a younger, less experienced squad.
But these boys are willing and capable. Oregon had a good
freshman football team this season, one that lost only one
game. There are several members of this team who are fine
varsity material, fellows who are big and strong, who love the
game, and who will work long and hard to reach perfection.
Many players on the varsity this fall who will be back next
year gained valuable experience which will make them vital
members of the 1950 Oregon football team.
The task before the coaching staff is a big one. We will have
to work hard, and spare no pains, to build a football team o
_ which the alumni and students of Oregon can be proud. One
thing can be sure—next year Oregon will again field a fighting
team, one trying to win all the time.
Sincerely,
Jim Aiken
Football coach.
Notre Dame, Champion of Champions
Genial Jim is right. Oregon will have a fighting football teau
next year for, although 16 men will be gone from this year’*
squad, men like Stelle, Fell, Gibilisco. Daugherty, Patrick, Gib
son, and all the rest remain in the Webfoot camp to form th<
nucleus from which to build.
Added to tins group, as Aiken mentioned, is a better-than
fair bunch of recruits from this year’s Duckling team. Yes,,
.with a little luck and a lot of hard work 1950 could be another
boom year for Oregon and its followers.
Now looking to South Bend, Inch where Notre Dame ha:
been named the “champion of champions” of modern day col
lege football. The Fighting Irish beat out Michigan for the No
1 position in an appraisal of all the Associated Press final polh
since the feature was started back in 1936. The Irish have finish
ed in the first ten in 11 of the 13 final standings and have led thre(
times to be recognized as the national champion.
The Golden Gophers of Minnesota, the scourge of the lat<
’30s and early '40s, finished just ahead of Army’s Black Knight:
of the Hudson who dominated football during the war year:
when Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis were tearing up the tur
for many a first down.
■fc>
Minturn Edges Sias. 2-1
Santos Leads
Vet's Dorm Team
To Avenge Win
By PHIL JOHNSON
Two great planets o fthe vol
leyball universe collided yes
terday afternoon, and after the
smoke drifted away, the cham
pionship hopes of Sigma Chi
had disappeared, while Min
turn Hall was still following
the title path.
The fighting Sigma Chi ‘A”
squad didn’t give up the ghost un
til the furious 70-minute battle of
the giants was finally concluded.
The Chis won the first tilt, then
lost a breath-taking 15-13 struggle,
and finally dropped the deciding
game after waging a brilliant but
futile six-point rally.
It is generally conceded that the
two teams were battling for the
“A” division crown, although the
powerful Minturns must go
through the formality of winning
the championship game against
Chi Psi Thursday, and they will be
top-heavy favorites in that contest.
By winning yesterday’s thrill
er, Minturn avenged its loss to
Sigma Chi in the 1948 champion
ship game. It also ruined an un
defeated season for Sigma Chi
and successfully defended their
own unblemished record.
j. iiui, uxiij w ao a majui
encounter between two great
teams, but it also featured a per
sonal duel between Minturn’s Louie
Santos and' Ed Eveland of S. C.,
both, of whom played with their us
ual brilliant form.
Although the Minturns took a
3-1 lead in the initial clash, S. C.
knotted the count at 3-3 and then
pulled ahead 5-3. Minturn bounced
right back to tie the score 5-5 and
then go into the lead 6-5, but Sig
ma Chi again tied the score (6-6)
and regained the lead.
The combatants were dead
locked again at 11-11 and 13-13,
and then Minturn came within
one point of victory by gaining a
14-13 advantage. Then a Sigma
Chi rally accounted for three
straight points and a 16-14 vic
tory.
The second game almost de
veloped into a rout as the dormi
tory sextet roared to an impressive
8-1 lead, but S. C. suddenly return
ed to form and tied the score at 8-8.
It was tied again at 9-9, 11-11, and
13-13 before Minturn broke loose
for a 15-13 triumph.
The finale was tied at 2-2, 4-4,
and 6-6, bupt the Minturns then
gained the lead, steadily widened
the margin, and found -themselves
ahead 14-6 a few moments later.
That set the stage for one of
the great thrills of a thrill-pack
ed conflict as S. C. rallied and
gradually closed the gap sepa
rating the teams. Sigma Chi fin
nally succumbed 15-12, and the
curtain closed on the IM game of
the year.
In the only other “A” contest,
Chi Psi defeated Phi Delta Gamma
15-5 and 16-4 for the chance to
meet Minturn Thursday. Semi-fin
alists were determined in “B” di
District Court Hears
Gene Harlow, senior in political
science who was arrested Sunday
night, appeared before the district
court Monday and pleaded not
guilty to the charge of assault and
battery which had been placed
against him.
Ira McAtee, arrested with Har
low, pleaded guilty to a charge of
disorderly conduct.
No date has been set for fur
ther disposition of the cases.
vision games when Phi Gamma
Delta conquered Beta Theta 15-6
lasted Chi Psi 7-15, 15-9, and 15-11.
The Phi Delts meet Sigma Alpha
and 15-7, and Phi Delta Theta out
Epsilon this afternoon while Phi
Gamma Delta faces the Minturn
Bees.
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!
Starting
SUNDAY
We Will Be Open
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Special Sunday Dinner
Tables for Parties and Banquets
George’s Grotto
Pli. 5-1253 764 Willamette
Dixieland Jazz Concert
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"NAPPY" LAMARE AND THE
"BOB CATS" DIXIELAND BAND
When: MONDAY, DECEMBER 5
Time: 8:00 -10:00 p.m.
Where: McARTHUR COURT
Price: 60c GENERAL ADMISSION
sponsored by
STUDENT UNION BOARD
Be sure to hear “Nappy” Lamare, Zutti Singleton,
Brad Gowans, Pnd Brown, Stew Fletcher, Johnny
Costello, Bud Hatch, Harry Gillingham, and Miss
Patty O'Conner.