FRIDAY. DECEMBER
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DEAR SANTA:
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The University h: d one of its best years, thanks to you, in 1956,
sports-wise and reco d-wise, but as you know all good things have,
to come to an end. So if you can possibly answer most of the re—
quests I have listed below maybe next year will be just as successful.
If you can, please bring a winner for John Egli, whose basket-'
ball team was the only sport to have a losing year. Maybe a bushel
of points and a win over West Virginia would be sufficient.
Your old pal Charley Speidel said to ask you if you can bring
a few replacements for his wrestling team. He needs a heavy
weight and a 177-pounder and then maybe a few sedatives so he
won't be so nervous watching his boys perform.
You sure made Gym Coach Gene Wettstone a happy man by
making him Olympic Coach, but you can probably do better by
giving him a national championship. He said to say "thanks" for
giving his boy, Armando Vega, an Eastern title at the tournament
in West Point last March.
And to Chick Werner a few of those phantom sprinters he's
been after would make a nice present_ By the way, Chick was over
joyed with the record, 4-1, his cross-country team had last season
and he's hoping that you could do as well for his outdoor track team.
Getting back to wrestling for a while. how about an individual
championship for Dave Adams? And as long as we're on the sub
ject of titles Golf Coach Bob Rutherford would sure like to win
an Eastern championship this year, so please do what you can
_for
him.
Rip Engle was overwhelmed by your gifts last season and if
he wasn't on the West Coast this week he said he would write you
personally. He said to tell you to forget that record "California,
Here I Come," and if you would bring another one of the "Pennsyl
vania Polka?"
Our old friend Joe Bedenk was well satisfied with his baseball
team and he was ,sort of lenient in his requests, but he did say to
ask for some more pitchers like Ed Drapcho and maybe a few more
boxes of gum for him personally. Last year he chewed over a pack
an inning and the supply , you sent him ran out early in the season.
Chuck Medlar, Joe's assistant and the team trainer, is back
on the smoking trail, so please send him a few more cartons of
those king-sized brands. He was grateful for the low percentage
of injuries his learns had in '56. so maybe some more good luck
with the teams will be sufficient for him.
Doctor Griess never stops talking of the beautiful new office
you gave him this year, so he had no requests for Christmas, but
for me, Santa, please send him fewer patients next year.
Sherman Fogg, our tennis coach, really needs some good boys
and his request is just plain and simpl& "Bring me some more
dependable players."
For Dean McCoy a few "presents" from the board of trustees
and maybe a few thousand dollars for his athletic teams would
be enough. Another thing he would like is his son to play as
well in football next year as he did this year with Michigan, •so
do what you can.
Ed "Cotton Bowl" Czekaj, ticket manager and our steady
companion, said that if he could kill a deer once in awhile he
would be satisfied. but maybe if some of our Collegian reporters
stop pestering him for information and tickets his job would be
much simpler.
"Ike" Gilbert is plenty happy over beating Ohio State, because
he had scheduled it as a "sleeper" and you made him look good.
So next year all he wants is a home attendance of 120,000, if that's
not asking too much.
We almost forgot Ken Hosterman, who is wishing that the
National title, that evaded him last year, will be returned to Rec
Hall next year. Ken lost only two 'games this year, so he's not too
disappointed, btit how about another undefeated season for him
in '57?
Ernie Baer, the new lacrosse coach, just wants one thing: a
successful market for the new lacrosse stick he has invented. That's
not too much to ask for one of the youngsters on the coaching staff
at Rec Hall.
His predecessor, Nick 'Thiel, sends his thanks for one of the
most successful coaching eras in the history of Penn State.
The Dot department of Gene Bischoff and Dutch Sykes con
tinue to boom with one of the best programs in the country, so
just keep the injuries at a minimum for them and they'll be
satisfied,
The remainder of the requests are the wishes of Rec Hall per
sonnel, who never enter the news much.
Old Faithful Oscar Buchenhorst, the equipment manager, would
like to have some of those new type hip pads salesmen are trying
to sell him, so send him some from your North Pole office as soon
as possible.
The boys at the -Public Inforniation Office—Lou Bell, Jim
Coogan, and Bill Ackermans—all send their greetings. Maybe if you
can send them a few more assistants it would save them those long
hours of work they put in.
And one last thing, Santa. Please send messages to all the
Penn State students, who boo our athletes for not winning and
tell them if they back their team, win, lose or draw, it would
make for better publicity to the outside world. They seem to
feel that booes don't bother the athletes, but you know as well
as I that they're wrong, so do what-you can.
Sincerely,
Fran Fanned
P.S. A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the entire
sports staff of The Daily Collegian.
21. 1956
Scanning
SPORTS
By FRAN FANUCCE Sports Editor
THE DAILY COLLEGIAN. STATE COL(gGE. PENNSYLVANIA
Egli\ earching for sth Nittany
Trophy in NCAA Tournaments
There is only one Man in Penn State basketball annals who was either a
assistant coach, or head coach on all four Lion teams that played in the annual
tournament. That man is the present 35-year-old mentor, John Egli.
Egli played on the 1942 Nittany basketball team, the first to ever go to the
tional tournament. The captain of that five was Elmer Gross, who invited Egli
his staff when he took over as head coach in 1949.
As assistant coach, Egli went
with the second NCAA squad to
the 1952 tourney. On that team
were freshmen Ron Weidenham
mer and Jesse Arnelle, 1954-55
co-captains
Egli wbrked with the third
NCAA contingent in 1954 when
head coach Gross became ill. The
team finished third in the tour
ney behind LaSalle and Bradley,
beating Southern Cal in the con
solation game. After the '54 sea
son Gross retired and Egli be
came head coach.
With seniors Arnelle - and
Weidenharnmer composing the
nucleus
. of his first Lion team,
Egli entered his fourth post
season grind, winning over
Memphis State and losing to
lowa and Kentucky.
Egli, therefore, has all four of
the tourney trophies awarded to
the Lions for competing in the
tournaments.
Egli claims that his greatest ex
perience as a coach came at the
'54 NCAA playoffs at Raleigh,
N.C., in the "Deep South," when
the crowd gave Jesse Arnelle a
standing ovation after he fouled
out of the game.
Al the end of his own colle
giate career, he entered the Ar
my and after recovering from
a German "Christmas present'
received in the Battle of the
Bulge, the ever-active Egli was
thrilled to play on a GI team
in France that competed
against a Russian squad.
After the war he coached at
Derry Township High and Du
bois Center before becoming
Gross' "lieutenant."
The massive 6' 3", 220-pound
coach formulated his ideal of
fense and defense while in his
playing year. The ideas started
coming to him when Penn State
and Temple locked defenses in
the • lowest scoring game ever
played at Philadelphia's Conven
tion Hall.
In the other contest, St. Jo
seph's of Philadelphia and Rhode
Island State ran up the highest
Delta Chi Wins, Retains Bowling Leads
League leading Delta Chi
defeated Delta Theta Sigma,
4-0, and Sigma Chi edged into]
second place when it scored a
4-0 shutout over third place]
Theta Chi, in Wednesday
Inights "B" fraternity bowling,
league.
Two team points separate the
top three squads in the league,
with Delta Chi scoring 32 points,
Sigma Chi 31 points and Theta
Chi 30 points. Rounding out the
top five teams are Alpha Sigma
Phi with 28 markers and Alpha
Chi Sigma with 26 points.
The remaining fraternities in
the league and their points are
sixth Delta Theta Sigma, 18; Phi
Epsilon Pi and Kappa Sigma are
WELL TAKE this opportunity
to wish all of you 'Happy
Holidays.' It's been pretty
nice serving every student
that has walked into the
store. And we'll be more
than glad to help you in any
clohting selection through
out the year.
We depend a lot on the col
lege trade and our satisfac
tion comes from serving you
every time any anytime that
you visit the store. You'll
receive courteous and ex
pert attention when you buy
any article—large or small.
Have a very Merry Christmas
and the best of luck in the
Hiles Meals Shop
New Year
By MATT PODBESEK
John Egli
Lion cage coach
point total amassed in the Arena
at the time.
After the games. Egli hoped
that someday he could have a
fast, long-passing, run-and
shoot offense like the Rhode
Island five and a rock-ribbed
defense similar to that which
the Lions displayed Mal night.
Egli claims that he came close
to that "Fabulous Five" with
Jesse Arnelle and Co. "During
Asnelle's senior year, we shot
through the 100-point barrier five
times. But the defense was lack
ing and that's what I would have
liked' o improved on," the mentor
mid.
"It's all in the personnel," Egli
said. 'Personnel determines the
coaching methods. Like this year,
people thought we were going to
be fast, but we're not. , Ramsay.
Baidey, and even Rainey aren't
that fast."
"With Arnelle I used a four
man weave with Jesse as the
post man in the slot:* the
tied with 17 markers; Phi Kappa'win of the night when it downed
16; Triangle, 11; Phi Mu Delta, 9;lKappa Sigma. Kappa Sigma's
and Alpha Epsilon Pi with 6 Sam Githens was high single
points, game kegler with 131 pins and,
,Dave Bucke led Delta Chi to Dennis Uhrin captured three
victory with a fine 199-563 series, game honors with 475 for Phi
in posting its 4-0 victory overiKappa. -
Delta Theta Sigma. Don Alcorn Alpha Chi Sigma gained ground
was the high man for the losers,, on Alpha Sigma Phi, scoring a
bowling a 169-445 series. 111-0 triumph. Alpha Sig's Ray
Second place Sigma Chi waslEuler rolled the highest single
led by Dick Thomas, who lbowledlgame score of the evening, 214
a fine single game score, 212. and points, and ended up with a total
tallied 537 pins for a three game:score of 527 points. Ken Chris
total. Don Cadzow paced Theta's ttiansen was the most consistent
attack with a 157-431 series. ;bowler for the winners, when he
Phi Kappa scored the only 3-llposted a 203-517 series.
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PAGE SEVEN
coach continued. "Now I use
the 3-2 and 2-1-2 a lot."
Egli explained that he usually
starts out with the standard 2-1-2
pivot play to feel out the oppo
nent's defense. In this, Ramsay
plays a set pivot and feeds the
backcourt men on the break with
the forwards dropping back to
the guard posts. After the shot
is taken, the capers set a 3-1-1
positioning with the deep man
acting as a safety on a fast break
by the opposition.
Against West Virginia and
Colgate. Egli let Ramsay move
' slightly from side-to:side and
gained better results as the de
fense had to double and triple
team the S'Er center, leaving
the forwards free.
After the opposition jams the
middle, the team will open the
"key" with a 3-2. This resembles
an umbrella defense in its initial
stage. All five player start out
side and eventually screen and
counter-screen a f ter an unsuc
cessful fast break, setting-up
clear shots for the following
break.
Egli claims that basketball
plays, defense and offense, are
i based on one theory: "Two de
fensemen can't stop two offen
sive men. Theoretically, they can
; only bother them. Therefore we
,have offensive screening and de
fensive switching."
I The Lions' defense is the slid-
I
lag zone. Egli uses the 3-2 and
I always keeps a man in the slot
to block against lay-ups.
"I'm thinking about that fifth
NC-double-A trophy," Egli. said.
"and it may come in the not-to
distant future. It may definitely
come with the acquisition of a
really good. big man. I mean
somebody at least 6-8 or 6-9.
"But first, I think that Penn
State basketball needs something
to build the tremendous interest
that is evident in the Ivy League,
the Big Ten and other associa
tions. I would love to be in a
league and bring more interest
l in basketball to Rec Hall," the
coach said hopefully.
player,
NCAA
invita
to join