The daily collegian. (University Park, Pa.) 1940-current, September 12, 1954, Image 14

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    PAGf FOURTEEN
Eleven Dampened
By Two Injuries
Injuries to key players and the loss of veteran guard Sam Green cast an unexpected
dim light last week on Penn N State football prospects as head coach Rip Engle began the
second week of drill for 53 gridders, including 17 lettermen.
Co-Captains Don Balthaser and Jim Garrity, both counted on as ‘mainstays in the
nearing nine-game campaign, suffered leg injuries in scrimmage. Engle said he did not
know how serious the injuries
were but both men were side
lined.
Green, 200 pound guard who
saw extensive action during the
last two seasons, was lost last
spring due to academic defici
encies and did not return to school
this fall.
However, the rash of injuries
haven’t slowed Engle and his
staff one bit. The squad has been
working since Sept. 1 and with
the opener against top-notch Illi
nois just two weeks away. Engle
has increased the pitch in an
effort to sharpen "his winged-T
offense and establish a ready de
fense for All-American J. C, Caro
line and powerful Micky Bates—
Coach Ray Elliot’s two biggest
threats.
Following the Illini, the Lions
must face Syracuse, Texas Chris
tian, Virginia,, Holy Cross, West
Virginia, Penn, Rutgers, and Pitt.
Despite his obvious gloom over
the possible loss of Balthaser and
Garrity, Engle did seem encour
aged about the appearance of the
squad as a whole.
“The boys all reported in good
shape,” he said, “and have been
working very hard. They’ve
shown plenty of spirit.”
The Lions’ biggest asset ap
pears to be a rugged and ex
perienced line, backed by plenty
of reserve strength. And he has
veterans to fill three positions in
his backfield. The biggest prob
lem is still at quarterback.
The loss of Tony Rados through
graduation opened a wide gap
there, and at the present Don
Bailey, who doubled as a half
back mid quarterback last season,
leads a flock erf contenders for
that position.
The Lions must play two
straight on the road—lllinois and
Syracuse—before they appear at
Beaver Field against Virginia.
Following that contest they enter
tain West Virginia and then tra
vel to Texas Christian and Penn
on successive weekends. Holy
Cross and Rutgers wrap up the
home schedule and then the an
nual battle with Pitt at Pitts
burgh will close the season.
By dick McDowell
Penn State Sport Squads
Prove National Rankings
By RON GATEHOUSE
Once again Penn State’s
coaches and athletes have
made it more than theory that
on the sports front the Nittany
Lions annually rank with the
nation’s best.
Last year the Lions finished far
in the black with a fine all-sports
won-lost percentage of .693 on
77 wins, 34 losses, and two ties.
The Nittanies also made an ex
cellent showing of themselves in
each ■of the five NCAA tourna
ments in which they were en
tered.
The Staters registered winning
seasons in ten of the 12 varsity
sports, and teamwise, recorded
one champ, three third place fin
ishers and a fourth in the na
tionals, an eastern winner, and
two third places in the easterns.
Undoubtedly the gymnatstic and
basketball teams gained the most
recognition when they placed
first and third respectively in
their bids for national fame.
However, three other Lion ag
gregations were not to be denied
-in their post-season classics. The
University’s number one winter
sport, wrestling, grappled its way
into a third place, as did the box
ing team. The cross country run
ners took a fourth in their Fall
finale.
The gymnastic, cross country,
and track squads completed their
campaigns with unblemished rec
ords. The three Fall sports, foot
ball, soccer, and cross country,
accounter for the best seasonal
record, posting a 15-5 log for a
remarkable .750 percentage.
Yet, tournament-wise, the Win
ter sports get the nod as having
accomplished the most. All four
took a third place or better. The
THE DAILY COLLEGIAN. STATE COLLEGE. PENNSYLVAWfA
wrestlers, cagers, and boxers cap
tured third places, while the
gymnasts settled for no less than
first place.
Here are thumbnail sketches of
how each of the University’s var
sity sports fared during the 1953-
54 athletic year.
Football—Under the capable tute
lage of Rip Engle, Penn State en
joyed one of its best years in the
king of fall sports. The 6-3 rec
ord turned in by the gridders can
be realized as an even greater
accomplishment when the fact
that they met some of the nation’s
top teams is considered.
Engle molded together a squad
that was hard hit due to gradua
tion and service calls and gained
his charges a final rating of third
in the East and 24th in the nation.
Led by pass-throwing, signal
calling Tony Rados, end Jim Gar
rity', and halfback Lenny Moore,
the gridders turned back Boston
University, Syracuse, Texas Chris
tian, Fordham, Rutgers and Pitt.
The Big Ten’s Wisconsin, Penn,
and highly-ranked West Virginia
proved too much for the Lions.
Co-captairi Rados finished first
in the East and fifth in the nation
in the forward passing depart
ment with 81 completions out of
171 attempts, good for 1025 yards
and eight touchdowns. He was
also 18th in total offense nation-
(Continued on page fifteen)
on-the-ball students
®f)£ Jfete* {fork Sime#, of course
Best way to keep on top of the class is to keep on top of the news. Best
way to keep on top of the news is to read The New York Times. Any on-the
ball student will agree with that. The Times makes those textbooks come
alive., .and keeps you in touch with your special interests, too, like movies,
the theatre, sports, art, radio and TV. Get on the ball!, Get in touch With
your Times campus representative today.
Rec Club Elects Lieske
Bruce Lieske has been elected
president to the Perni State Out
ing Club for the fall semester.
Other officers are Margaret Por
terfield, vice president; Alla Hor
ton, secretary; Patricia Olkkonen,
treasurer.
Officers for the winter sports
division of he club are Richard
SeaboM, president; Dolores Mc-
Hugh, vice president; Mary Mon-
keep up with the times*
CHARLES BRYSON
116 HAMILTON HALL
SUNDAY. SEPTEMBER 12, 1954
and Madeleine
roe, secretary,
Reilley, treasurer.
Field and stream division offi
cers are Raymond McCartney,
president; Robert Jenkins, vice
president; Dick Rice, secretary;
and Joseph Humphreys,. treasurer.
Presiding over the cabin and
trail division will be Gerald
Franc, president; Frank Boucher,
vice president; and Marilyn Quig
ley, secretary. A treasurer for this
division has not yet been selected.