Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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RALPH ORECOY, Spm. aS , SNak Weew Mw LeJ Ii .Lake PkpMmoo* gALPH GREGORY: Ii!sport There are plenty of question marks surrounding the 1951 edition of the football Gamecocks and if they are to be any more sucepaful than last year's team some of the answers will have to be in the affirmative. Question number 1: What are the hopes for an accurate passing attack? Chances are that the quarterback position will be well filled if early practices are any indication. Dick Balka, Johnny Gramling and Billy Stephens have all shown up well. So far Balka has the inside track and will in all prob ability start the Duke game. 'Dick showed last year that he could throw the ball. He engineered the Birds in their wins over Georgia Tech and George Washington. His passes set up the winning touchdowns in each of the games. Gramling is the slender passing wizard of the 1950 Biddy team which lost only one game. There is no doubt about Johnny's passing ability but he suffers the handicap of in experience. If he can handle the ball as well under varsity fire as he did for the freshmen he may take over the quarter backing. Billy Stephens pl4yed very little in his junior year. He got his big chance in the final game. against Wake Forest. He did a pretty good job of leading the team and scored the only Carolina touchdown in the final period with a fifty-yard gallop. This year he. showed up well in the first few prac tices but suffered from injuries for more than a week and lost valuable time in rounding into shape. The quarterback slot, though important, is not the only problem of Enright's machine. Question number 2: Can the Birds find enough good linemen to fill the holes left by graduation and injuries? In the long run this problem may be more important than lack of a passing threat. The loss of Dave Sparks, the Skinners and Bob King will pose a serious rebuilding prob lem. One note of optimism was sounded when Don Early, sophomore sensation, returned and was found to be eligible. Some of the linemen are going. to have to pull double duty to plug the gaps in the defense. Larry Smith, Alex Kavounis, Vince Gargano. Paul Stephens and Harry Stewart are the heavyweights in the middle of the line. Guard Louis Harrel son hac been a pleasant surprise with his early defensive play. The ends should be improved somewhat over last year. Coach Ted Petoskey has been working overtime on pass receiving. Question number 8: Will the fullback position be im proved over last year? There is a good chance that it will for it will be filled by another member of last year's Biddy team, Bobby Drawdy. Drawdy is a bruising power runner who can really step when he hits the secondary. If-he is half as effective as last year he will certainly improve the offense. Chuck Prezioso, out standing in 1949, will definitely be lost this year. Chuck missed nearly all of the '50 season with a leg injury that is still present. Hootie Johnson is likely to round out the backfield with Steve Wadiak. Johnson has to fill the shoes of Bishop Strick-. land. In case the Gamecocks can fill these vacancies they have the potential team to give North Carolina and Maryland a battle in their supposed ride to the title. Duke poses the first obstacle on a long hard trip up the league ladder. Duke is always one of the teams to beat in the Southern Conference and should the Birds pull the trick, they may be on the way to a brighter football future. Just Checkin' . .. Should the Gamecocks score on the Duke team Saturday it will break a three-game touchdown drought against the Blue Devils. The Birds last scored on Duke in 1944. . .. Steve Wadiak was ninth in the voting in the Collier's magasine pre-season All-American poll. Larry Smith was named to the Baura Evnn Post and Col lier's roll. . .. Bishop Strickrland is doing his running now for the pro San Francisco D. . . . Wadlak was named as captain for the 1951 football season. Usually the senior mem bers of the team alternate as captains until the season is over when a permanent captain is elected. This year it was de cided to name a season captain. COOBURN'S GRILL The Buuinaesmen's and College Boys' "60-Mini LARR1 Smith CoL Cog Of Bii Recently Coach Rex Enright told a local sports writer that the loss of Larry Smith for any length of time would be worse than losing Steve Wadiak. His statement only goen to show the ,romineuiL rule Smith plays in the Gamecock plans for a successful football season this year. Larry is being counted on to handle both the offensive and de fensive duties 1at. gmter for JJu Birds. Smith will be virtually a 60-minute man. Larry was a fullback in his high school days in Ford City, Pa., but Coach Enright saw him as a bet ter center than back and im mediately switched him. So far Enright has no regrets since Smith L.as become one of the better pivot men in the long line of fine Game cock centers. During his sophomore y e a r Smitty, as he Is known to his team mate., was used strictly on offense. Hie became one of the best offen sive centers in the conference. Last fear he was used on defense and difense and came through in fine style. South Carolina sports writers e e 0 S 0 0 .0 0 0 - 1 0 0 0 0 9B1 - C.hOLUB. sB e ~C ate Man" SMITH ~nted Main ~d Machine recognized his all-around ability by naming him to their all-state team Collier's magazine named him as runner-up to North Carolina's Chuck Holdash on their All-Soutl squad. Smith was mentioned for "lineman of the week" honors na tionally after his fine game agains Georgia Tech. The popular senior will probabl3 have a busy time this year for thi defe'nsive line situtation is nothing to brag about. Missing are tw( regular guards. and several othe. reserve linemen. With this situa tion the linebackers are expectinj to have their hands full. Smith is a blond, handsome 210 pounder whose smooth voice belle his ruggedness on the gridiron. H4 stands 6 feet, one inch. - Larry was also on the Bird base ball team for a time playing in the outfield where he hit about .250. Don't be surprised to find hini nominated for a lot more honors than he received this year. Smith has a knack for doing what is ex peeted of him and Gamecock fans are really expecting a lot. streaNlRed with wmart: raised 3040 8... 4,S.C Sports quiz The Gameeock, with the co operation of the Carolina Theater, I is again sponsoring a Sports Quil for the interest of Gamecoek I rea?ers. To get things started for the 1951-62 season, here is the initial 1 The religious meeting was being held on the fifth floor of a midtown building. The preacher was warn ing his listeners of the dire fate in store for them if they continued their wicked ways. "You'll go to hell," he rasped, "and you all know that hell is full of nothing but liquor, slit skirts, one-piece bathing suits, cigarettes, and that atrocious music called boogie-woogie." Just then the elevator operator opened the door and shouted invit ing, "Going down!' Better Half: "The engagement ring you gave me has always re minded me of a state capital." Other Half: "Which one, dear?" Better Half: "Little Rock." INI The_n'V smoKini IM INOI Hi SFORr COLUMBIA'S NERB PAUL TALLEY KELLU PUONI S4aM1 uestion: What University of louth Carolina quarterback, in the 942 football season, played the em ire football schedule without sub titution, and was voted the team's nost valuable player for that eason? The person who first answers he above question will be awarded wo tickets to the Carolina Theater. fall your answer to Box 79, Game ock Sports, Campus. Louis Harrelson, senior guard whom South Carolina teammates rood-naturedly referred to as 'judge" because of the time spent MI TCII ELL'S STYLE AN] CLOTHING and 1431 Main Street ,Yc IAL u're hel 1 PN=1LIF I r v ...becess" P Ldefinitely !j dAef=dtely other leoi PROVE CIGARI LNGOV ORE SMOKINGI 'HILIP N E's HERE 1 DANCR BAND MAKINO MUSlh -THE LaBOSA SI AL CORUAN BLEASE KILT WI AND PAUL LaROSA VtAKE YOUR bAMWR A SUccESI PAUL LaROSA rags Five on the bench, will likely discard that tite this year and get into the thiek of battle maey tines. Derrick's Amoco Service STUDENTS! For Your Best Service Stop By and See Us SERVICE is Our Motto MEN'S SHOP QUALiTY FURNISHINGS Columbia, S. C. 'U ter off uORRIS imP MORRIS Is Irritating, Ilider the. auy 11mg bramdI IT YOURSELF ng PHILUP MORRIS !~I ETTE ER PLEASU RE I IORRIS 'STED POR YV JAY PAE AE nnXsAJaIa , .