It's time to get serious. Over one month ago, the Kerrmen began fall practice to prepare for another big season. The opponents would be tougher, the team would be without a natural superstar. All of the long hours of practice, and all of the games so far, were meant to prepare the team for the part of the season that begins this weekend. Today, 29 men arrived in Saylorsburg Pennslyvania. They will have a light practice tonight, and then they will move on to Easton, where they will face the Lafayette Leopards. This will be the first of many tough games this year. Unlike Case and St. Lawrence, this is a game that can be lost. Colgate beat Lafayette 16-0 last year, but Coach McCrackens first team consisted entirely of sophomores. Every one of his players has returned, and they are looking good. Lafayette has both outstanding individual players, and the ability to play like a team. Colgate will be tested tomorrow.
Last weekend, Lafayette fell to Dartmouth by a touchdown. While the Leopards failed to score, many observers called it be best offensive effort by an opponent at Dartmouths home field in several years. The Lafayette eleven came within several yards of the endzone on more than one occasion. The Leopard backfield averages 180 pounds. Wright and Irwin are lighter, but they ripped the Dartmouth line to shreds last weekend. Andy Kerr has called this the best Lafayette team in the past 6 years. The captain, Cirillo, is the only senior on the team. He is a 153 pound right end. Ambrose, who is a guard, played last weekend with a broken hand, but he was still able to block the Dartmouth extra point attempt. Yount is Lafayette's left tackle, he was one of the men who was key in stopping the Dartmouth running game, and the defensive line was very consistant in stopping the other teams backs. "Dutch" Wermuth, played very well against Colgate last year, he will be at the other end position. In the backfield, the halfbacks have very good side to side ability, and are quite fast. Another strong point is speed at the fullback position, they are almost as fast as the halves. The Lafayette offense will combine the Warner and Pitt methods of play, with their biggest play being the off tackle run from the one wingback formation.
The Colgate lineup will be slightly different from last weeksm with several players winning their starting spots back. At left end, Winnie Anderson has recovered from an ankle injury, and will start. Vern Lee will start at the other end position. Joe Pasquale played very well in last weeks game, and will remain at the left tackle position. The rest of the line, from left to right consists of captain Smith, Peters, Hill and Ellis. Soleau will be the starting quarterback, while Ask, Antolini and Lyon make up the rest of the backfield. Bob Samuel is still uncertain for the game, he did travel with the team, but he is still recovering from his injuries. Fritts and Clare Anderson both had a good week of practice, and should get some more playing time. As usual, the team has been working hard this week. There is some news that cannot be fully reported yet, but the team has been working on some new plays. They have been saving them for this game to ensure that they cannot be scouted in the weeks before. These are plays that Coach Kerr has just developed, and have never been used before by anyone. The innovator of the Warner system just might have struck again! We will find out by the end of the game.
Colgate students planning on going to the game, have been advised not to by President Cutten. He has warned the students that he will not be closing campus this weekend, but a deal has been worked out with the students that they will be permitted to leave on friday of next week to go to the game at N.Y.U. I think that we should abide by the Presidents request. There are other ways we can help the team. There was a pep rally this wednesday. If there is good morale on campus when the team leaves, they will remember that. And when you show your spirit during the week, the team will add that to their determination to win. On weekends like this, let the players know that you are behind them before they go. There will be many alumni at the game this weekend to carry on the Colgate spirit at the game. There is a way to follow the game back in Hamilton. Smalley's theater will have the grid graph machine set up on the stage. As each play happens in Easton, it will be wired over Western Union to the theater, where the gridgraph will model what happened. Smalley's is the place to be this Saturday!
Despite the tightening of belts needed during this depression, Colgate's annual Y.M.C.A. charity drive was still able to raise $1,812.
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