PAGE SIX Frosh Gridders star in Practice Swinging into the third week of practice, the football squad has dinned its pads and started con tact drills. So far, the scrimmages have been limited to running off plays from one spot and not utiliz ing the entire length of the field. However, before long there may be regular intra-squad games. Resuming his coaching duties after returning ,from his yearly vacation, Joe Bedenk has inten sified the training of the lineman. The former all-Acerican daily teaches tricks of the trade, which he gained through playing and coaching to the gridders. Almost half the squad is com posed of freshmen, many here on scholarships. These first-year men will figure prominently in the plans for the coming season, Coach Bob Higgins said The Nittany freshmen candidates are Murray Cohen, Charles Drazenovich, Jim Emanuel, John Finley, Ralph Flamini°, Eucrett Frets, Al Gulba, WWilliam Hanley, Jack Harford, Ross Herron. Earl Hower, Frank Hoyt, Don Kanter, Grant Karsner, Bob Krit zer, Lou Langley, Lou Lehm, Merle Long, Bob Lindy, Charles [Murray. Ab Pennebacker, David PPlatt, William Rogers, Bob Russel, Rus sel Sadker, John Schilling, Al Spinner, Sam Tamburo, William Trapplett, William Turner, Mar tin Veater. Ex-State Athlete To Continue Career After War's End "I still have one more season to go and when I'm out of the Army, I intend to return and finish", said Lt. John J. Jaffurs, '44. Lieutenant Jaffurs visited the College during the week and made a literally blazing entrance as his car caught on fire when he ar rived. Now on his honeymoon, the former Nittany football great was I married on July 7 to Mary Eliza beth `McCurdy, '44. Arriving overseas in November, 1914, Lieutenant Jaffurs joined General Terry Allen's Tinaberwolf division during the siege of Archen. This division specialized in night fighting, and, as Johnny said, "I don't think that I was ever in a daylight operation." The Rhur River front proved to _be his nemesis as he was twice wounded there. After being hit the second time, Lieutenant Jaffurs was sent via Paris to a. base hos pital in England. He remained there until sent back to the States, arriving in New York on June 22. Not to be outdone by his for mer trainer Jack Hulme who wit nessed the V-E Day celebration in . Paris, the Wilkenaburg gridder viewed a similar demonstration in London. "The British seemed to have gone beserk at the news. The crowds milling through the streets and those congregated at Buck ingham Palace were overwhelm ing. The King and Queen made five appearances to the frenzied delight of the mobs.. England fought a long and tough war, and it was sure doing a good job in celebrating' its end, at least in Europe," Jaffurs said. At the, -end of his present sick leave, Lieutenant Jaffurs reports back to the'Woodrow Wilson Gen eral Hospital, Staunton, Va.,and then expects to be reassigne for further duty in the Pacific. During his days as a student at the College, "Jeep" Jaffurs played four seasons of football from 1940 to 1944, was on the '43 wrestling team, was a member of Parini Nous and Acacia fraternity. He was a member of the East team that played in the annual East- West bowl game in 1944. Six sports discontinued at Penn State as a wartime economy will be resumed immediately af ter the war. 5t 9 a 4) 11,,d11.14 Venezuelan D ' "As football is to the Ameri cans, so soccer is to the Germans and Latin Americans," says Herb Mendt. Herb, who is soccer coach along with John Hamilton in Bill Jeffrey's absence, can say this from experience. Born in Venezuela, he went to Germany with his family in 1932, just before Hitler came into power. While in Germany, his athletic ability first manifested itself. He became quite active in soccer playing. Running in various track meets and competitions, he re ceived awards for winning and placing in numerous races. He also was a memlber of a field hockey club which received the title of second best throughout the Reich. "Field hockey," he said, "is the second most popular sport in Ger many. It occupies the position, hn that country, that baseball holds over here." After graduating from high school, Mendt returned to Vene zuela in 1939, and in 1940 he jour neyed to the United States. Being unalble to speak English, he attend ed Franklin and Marshall Acad emy in Lancaster in order to pre pare himself for college. Besides learning to speak, read and write English, he was quite active on the soccer, track, and tennis teams. After leaving prep school, he came to Penn State, where he un dertook a phenomenal task. He is studying architecture and architec tural engineering at the same time, and hopes to get degrees in both courses upon the completion of his ninth semester. Because of his difficult schedule, Herb can only find time for his favorite sport—soccer. Not only does he enjoy playing the game, but he has proved himself quite expert at it. Emphasizing the fact that soccer is the national sport of :South America,' the Venezuelan pointed to the numiber of Latin Americans who are on the first team. He also mentioned that •in Germany even men up to the. age of sixty play soccer regularly. Soccer is a game requiring much skill and ability, resulting only Returned Vet Visits Matmen, then Mom They're telling this story on Lieut. Glen Alexander, an ex wrestler, who returned to his State College home after 28 months in Africa and Italy. When Glen arrived in town, he spotted a placard advertising the Penn State - Lehigh wrestling meet, and he went directly to Recreation Hall to see the bouts. But before he settled in his seat, he went to the telephone and called his .home. His mother was breathless, wondered how soon he would be home. He told her where he was. "It has been a good three years since I saw a wrestling meet," he told his mother. 4 Teams Enter League Four teams have entered the in dependent softball tournament, announced Jack Dickstein, organ izer. They are Grahams, Penn Ha ven, Penn State, Christian Associa tion, and Beaver House. Smart Shop THE COT 3 GIAN scusses Foreign Sports from long practice. Using this hard-earned skill to best advan tage, Herb plays an expert wing position. Despite the•team's many defeats last • year, co-coach Mendt still places Penn State among his list of the five top soccer outfits, the others being Army, Navy, Cornell and Temple. Because of returning lettermen and an expected 'large number of green, but well-drilled booters, he envisions excellent re sults for the team this fall. '45 Season Looms Bright for Roofers Prospects for a successful soc cer season loom bright as practice moves into its second week, ac cording to acting coaches Herb Mendt and John 'Hamilton. Among the 27 candidates, there are some who never booted a ball before, veterans from last years team, and one discharged service man who played on the 1942 var sity. Don Rider, recently discharg ed from the Army on points, has resumed his playing which was interrupted when he entered the service. As there are enough men re porting, daily scrimmages are be ing, held on the practice field be side the golf course. Besides this, the squad concentrated on short passes and goal kicking. Mendt• and Hamilton received a letter from Coach Bill Jeffries stating that he is presently on the outskirts of Rome teaching soccer to the troops. These men are awaiting sripment and his job is part of the Army athletic program to keep them occupied while wait ing transportation. Practice is held daily, except Sunday, from 3:30 p. m. to 5 p. m. "'Basketball Popular Overseas,' Lawther John Lowther, veteran Lion basketball coach, expects a new crop of collegians to spring' from cage competition overseas. Post-war teams, he believes, will be. dotted with thousands of boys who .have developed an in terest in the sport on make-shift courts all over the world.. "The game," Lawther says, "has acquired these recruits mainly be cause it doesn't require much equipment, and our (boys have been able to play it indoors and out doors, on small areas. "I've had first-hand accounts," he adds, "of games played aboard battleships, and on small assault ships, all over the Atlantic and Pacific." Lawther, who is looking .forward to his tenth season as Nittany Lion cage coach, looks for a new appreciation of the sport to de velop from its present popularity in far-off places. "In England alone," he explains, "more than 25,01:10 'boys have play ed the game, and will want to play it again after the war." Football Coach. Bob Higgins of Penn State is an avid golfer, plays 18 holes daily. IT'S SURE TO RAIN Don't be a bedraggled beauty stay dry in one of our raincoats and to protect yotir curls add a rain hat RALPH VENTRESCO Higgins To Build Squad Around Pre-War Star Among the swelling ranks of ex-servicemen who have return ed to complete their education at the College is Ralph Ventresco. He is outstanding because it is a round him that Coach Bob Hig gins intends to build his 1945 grid squad. Ventresco, whb last played in 1941, 'was understudy to Fullback Bill Smait when he left in 1942. He served for three years in the Army, seeing action in Africa, Si cily, Anzio, Southern France, and Germany, with the famed 45th In fantry Division. He was then dis charged under the point system and returned to Penn State. Having two years remaining before he receives his degree, Ventresco will greatly bolster the eleven and brightn the Lions foot ball hopes for 1945 and 1946. Ventresco, a hard-hitting back and one of the many ex-service men who are members 'of the squad, hails from Pitcairn. ASTP Begins intramurals The ASTP softball tournament began play this week. The tourna ment is divided into two leagues; Company A and Company B. Com pany A is composed of Barracks 4, 5, 'B, and 30. Compahy B consists of Barracks 7, 12, 1.7, and 28. • ,1n the initial games, Barracks 7 downed Barracks 28, 1740; and Barracks 17 topped Barracks 12, 8-7. FRIDAY, JULY 20, 1945 Navy Units Open Softball Tourney The V-12 unit softball tourna ment has gotten well under way in the first half. The seven-inning games are played on the golf course Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday afternoons. The winner of the first half of the tournament will play the victor in the second half in a two-out-of-three cham pionship series. League competition is scheduled to end August 211, weather perMit ting. In the opening games, Barracks 26 edged out Barracks 13, 5-4; Bar racks 9 defeated 36, 9-2; Barracks 37 won over Barracks 113, 9-0; Bar racks 26 dawned Barracks 36, 5-2; Barracks 26 beat Barracks 317, 9-2; and Barracks 13 topped Barracks 9, 5-4. In this week's games, Barracks 37 downed Barracks 9, 15-6; Bar:- racks as edged out Barracks 13, 3-2, in an extra inning contest; and Barracks 37 blanked . Barracks as, 14-0. The standings follow: Team Won Lost Barracks 26 3 0 Barracks 317 3 Barracks 9 1 2 Barracks 36 3 Barracks .13 1 3 6 Coaches' Sons Serve In Army, Navy, Air Corps Four memlbers 'of the athletic coaching staff at Penn State have sons in the armed services. Dean of the group is Boxing Coach Leo Houck, with sons in the Army, Navy, and Air Corps. Houck's 19-year-old son, Tom my, is finishing off his first year in the Navy as a seaman,• first class, aboard a fighting ship in the Pacific. His brothers, Leo Jr , and Eddie,, served for nearly a year in the 'European theatre. Leo Jr., a second lieutenant- in the Air Conps, won the Air Medal" for his part in the Normandy in-; vasion. As a glider pilot he par ticipated in every major action. Eddie, a private first class, in infantry, was returned to this Country prior to V-E Day becauSe of burns sustained on the Western front. Technician 4th class aim Lamy, - ther, son of John, the ; Lion bas, -ketball coach, is still in Germany with the American Army as a radio' technician. Ensign Art Jeffrey, son of Bill, the soccer coach, is in the South 'Pacific. He ipartiti bated in the Luzon invasion. Sea- Man first class Ken Rutherford; son of Boob, the golf coach, is aISO aboard a fighting ship in the South Pacific. ALWAYS . . . The Corner unusual
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