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University Daily Kansan Friday, April 20, 1956
Mather: 1956 To Be Better
With a rugged 10-game schedule facing it next fall, the 1956 varsity football squad began spring practice March 17 with 85 candidates reporting for the opening session. Along with 22 lettermen, the squad was supplemented by 28 highly-regarded transfers and 48 freshmen, who were good enough to win two of three games last season.
HIT IT AGAIN!—Line coach Dick Piskoty drills a group of Jayhawk linemen by working out on the blocking sled in spring practice. After 10 days of workouts, coach Chuck Mather sent his squad through a game condition scrimmage, after which he termed squad progress about as well as could be expected.
Coach Chuck Mather is expecting next season to be Kansas' best season in his three years as head coach. Mather lists only Oklahoma, Texas Christian, and UCLA on the doubtful list.
Three Capable Teams
"We have the best personnel that we've had for three years," Mather said. "We have three teams capable of starting positions." He said his first unit was slightly better due to its experience, but with a little seasoning the other two teams will be pushing the first team.
"We're aiming for at least a .500 season, and if we aren't hampered by injuries, we could do even better."
Although Mather speaks highly of the transfers and freshmen, he said an improved group of lettermen will carry the bulk of Kansas' attack, and he would be disappointed if the returning starters failed to hold their positions.
"We are trying to get two complete teams ready to play. We must have that if we are going to meet our competition. The game's trend right now is back to platoon football. The only difference between platooning now and the old style is that it's being done with two sets of two-way players instead of one set for offense and another for defense." Mather said.
Depth Looks Good
The Jayhawkers will carry more depth in 1956 than at any time during the past three years. There is close competition in two's and three's almost all along the line. The question is how talented this depth will be, and how much above
ordinary the starting unit can lift itself.
Mather has been stressing individual fundamentals and controlled scrummage in his three-a-week practices. He has been adding new running and passing plays as the squad develops, and has been shuffling the players around to give all a chance on the first unit.
Players spent half of the two-hour practice on the obstacle course and on individual fundamentals. Workouts are climaxed with a 45-minute scrimmage, with several teams alternating on offense and defense.
The Jayhawker coach considers the center and quarterback positions the strongest on the team.
Centers Frank Black and Galen Wahmeier both have been performing well. Wally Strauch, Dave Preston and Bob Marshall all are in competition for the starting quarterback job.
First Team
Currently running on the first unit are Jim Letcvats and Lynn McCarthy, ends; Frank Gibson and Jim Hull, tackles; Bob Kraus and Bob Lewis, guards; Black or Walmeier, center; John Straucher, John Francis; Ernie Russell, halfbacks, and Joe Held, fullback.
All members of the first unit are lettermen except Lewis and Russell, who are transfers.
Other transfers who are looking good are Ed Prelock. Tom Horner,
Six Former Kansas Players Playing Professional Football
There are six former University of Kansas football players now playing with professional teams in the National and Canadian football leagues.
Football Schedule
Sept. 22—TCU at Lawrence
Sept. 27—Coll, Pacific at Lawrence
Oct. 6—Colorado at Lawrence
Oct. 13— Iowa State at Texas
Oct. 20—Oklahoma at Lawrence
Oct. 27—Kia, A&M at Stillwater
Nov. 3—K-State at Manhattan
Nov. 10—Nebraska at Lawrence (brompton running)
Nov. 17—UCLA at Los Angeles
Nov. 1—Worcester at Columbia
Tall Opponents Had Trouble With Harp
KU's new head basketball coach, Dick Hart, gained lasting fame as a post defender during his playing days of 1938-39-40 in a Jayhawker uniform. He perfected the "half-in-front" technique with marked success against the 6-4 and 6-5 "giants" of that era. Most spectacular job, however, was allowing only two goals to forward Ralph Vaughn in KU's 43-42 victory in the 1940 Western NCAA finals.
Harp put the Jayhawkers in that year's tournament with a long two-handed set in the final 30 seconds of overtime which allowed Kansas to clip Oklahoma A&M, M4-53, in the fifth district playoffs in Oklahoma City.
Tom Russell, and Ron Clairborne, tackles; Bruce Bynum, center; Paul Swoboda, Ray Lane, and George Giovanos, guards; Bruce Brenner, end; Bobby Robinson and Leon Robertson, halfbacks.
Freshmen showing promise are Homer Floyd, fullback; Marshall, quarterback; DeWitt Lewis, guard; Pete Whitenight and John Husar, tackles; John Walt and Dale Remsberg, ends, and Mike Fisher, halfback.
A. C. "Dutch" Lonborg, KU Athletic Director, is one of the 32 competitors to letter in three sports at KU.
Heading the list is Harold Patterson, football, basketball, and baseball letterman at KU. He is now playing in the Canadian Football League with the Montreal Allouettes. Last year the Allouettes won the Canadian championship, and Harold was awarded the Gray Cup which is symbolic of the most outstanding player in the Canadian League.
Bud Laughlin and Bob Hantla are now playing with the San Francisco 49'ers. A new addition to the 49'er roster is Ralph Moody, halfback on the KU arsity last fall. Bob is a sophomore with the team, while Laughlin is only a rookie. Hantla as a rookie started 3 ball games.
Mike McCormack, All Big Seven tackle, is the real veteran of the group, having played a year with Dallas, a year with New York, and two years with the Cleveland Browns. Cleveland last year, spear-headed by McCormack on the defense, won the National Football League title, and on to win the World Championship playoffs with the Los Angeles Rams. Mike was also a tackle on offense.
Two other Kansas greats are also slated for a crack at pro ball when they finish their service hitches, Center Merlin Gish, and fullback Galen Fiss are under draft to the Baltimore Colts and Cleveland Brownres respectively. Fiss and Gish both played on the Jayhawk teams from 1949 to 1952.
The New York Giants roster lists George Kennard, outstanding guard and tackle on the 1950-51 Jayhawk teams. Bev Buller, last year's varsity quarterback, has signed with the Giants, but it is undetermined whether or not he will make the move to pro ball.
John Anderson, a fullback, played pro ball with the Montreal Allouettes, but was forced to give up the sport because of a recurring knee injury.
FIRST IN RELAYS FIRST IN DAIRY PRODUCTS KANSAS - LAWRENCE Sanitary
THIS YEAR, AS IN THE PAST, SOME OF THE TOP TRACK AND FIELD PERFORMERS ACROSS THE NATION WILL COMPETE IN THE 31st KANSAS RELAYS. AND THIS YEAR, ALSO AS IN THE PAST, LAWRENCE SANITARY FEATURES SOME OF THE TOP DAIRY PRODUCTS - MILK, ICE CREAM, COTTAGE CHEESE IN THIS OR ANY OTHER AREA.