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Pae 6
University Daily Kansan Friday, April 18, 1959
Football Team Quarterback Position Mitchell's Top Problem
Jack Mitchell is a man with problems. He's worrying over his first Kansas spring football practice, opening Monday.
For one thing the No. 1 quarterback, Bob Marshall, has an injured knee and probably won't be available next autumn. He is testing his knee in baseball at the present, but it was twice injured last season and there is doubt that he'll be able to go for 1958. Wally Strauch, nifty passer of the Chuck Mather regime, has graduated, leaving only Duane Morris with any genuine experience at the quarterback post, although Larry McKown played enough to letter.
As if this were not acute enough, the quarterbacks must learn the ball-handling and option duties of the sliding-T which will replace the standard-T used here after four years.
Although the Jayhawkers used the sliding-T during the J. V. Sikes regime, they have been essentially a standard attack team since George Sauer installed the pure Bear-T in 1946. Under Mitchell, the swing will be solid sliding-T.
"Quarterback always is a problem during the first year of any sliding-T offense." Mitchell said. "And you can't have a worse problem. You can't move just anybody in there and expect him to do the job."
Morris and McKown, of course, will top the spring list. Don Wrench, Lawrence, and Joe Spurney, Belleville, are the freshman newcomers.
The new offense also precipitates a second basic problem, getting the line to move out quickly as a unit. "We are going to work hard at this." Mitchell emphasized. "We've got to develop more quickness and speed."
This too will be a radical departure from the old offense, which featured considerable pulling at guard and tackle.
Begins Drills Monday
"Besides quarterback, our other personnel problems are at guard and tackle. We're going to find the best 14 linemen and fit them in at center, guard and tackle."
"We'll have the same problem on defense," Mitchell continued. "We'll try to penetrate a little more and play it a little more recklessly. Moving out together is important here too."
"Then, of course, we've got to work hard on speed, agility and fundamentals for everybody."
Eleven lettermen will graduate in June, including Frank Gibson, a 3-year tackle regular; tackle Jim Hull, a late-season starter; guard Bob Kraus, another 3-year regular; Strauch, and end Jim Letcavits, like Gibson an all-conference selection as a junior.
Also lost are halfback Larry Carrier, best dive-man among last year's backs, who dropped out of school at the semester.
Not counting Marshall, the returning monogram list lines up this way:
Ends—Grant Miller, Elmhurst, Ill; H. C. Palmer, Atchison; John Pepercorn, Mission; Dale Remesberg, Iola.
Tackles—Ron Claiborne, Amarillo, Texas; Don Hermick,
Mentor, Ohio.
**Guards—Bill Blasi, Pratt; DeWitt Lewis, Barnesville, Ohio; Tom Russell, Grove City, Ohio; Dick Rohlf, Kirkwood, Mo.; Ervell Staab, Hays; Chet Vanatta, Bartlesville, Okla.**
Centers—Bill Burnison, Ontario, Calif.; Walt Schmidt, East Greenville, Pa.; John Wertzberger, Lawrence.
Quarterbacks—Larry McKown, Oil City; Duane Morris, Salina.
Halfbacks—Homer Floyd, Massillon, Ohio; Buddy Merritt,
Ellis; Ray Barnes, Tacoma, Wash.
Fullbacks—Don Feller, El Dorado; Dave Harris, Washington, D.C.
Mitchell expects a squad of 75 to turn out
1958 Prep Carnival May Yield Many Records
For the first time in the 33-year history of the Kansas Relays, the state's high school athletes will be competing in one class and running along with the collegians when the big 1958 baton carnival unfolds here today and Saturday.
Never before have the state's best track and field stars been given the opportunity to compete in an "open" field here and this year's 2-day meet should result in some of the state's best alltime performances.
Almost sure to tumble are the relay records since this year's meet puts a premium on the baton events instead of the old 15-event meet. And since no team title is on the line, most schools are expected to "load up" for the five relay events on this year's schedule.
Some Finals This Morning
Today's schedule calls for finals in the high school shot put and javelin in the morning and the pole vault and high jump in the afternoon. Also
on the finals schedule are the 120- yard high hurdles, the 100-yard dash and the mile run—the only three individual running events on the slate All three are set for the afternoon
Saturday morning will find the discus and broad jump finals getting underway at 10 a.m. In the afternoon, the four feature relays—the 440, 880, mile and sprint medley—will take over the prep part of the big meet.
The big schools are expected to dominate the relay races. Shawnee Mission, the early season power in the state, has the best times in all three regularly run relays and will be among the teams to beat here.
The Mission 880-yard baton crew has run 1:31.6 this year which is only four-tenths of a second off the relays record set by Salina in 1955.
High Riding KU Nine To Missouri
Floyd Temple moves his baseball team into Missouri this weekend for its first Big Eight road test of the season.
The Javahawkers got away in the first weekend of the season in a triple-tie for second by clipping Iowa State's defending champions twice in a 3-game series. Like Kansas, Missouri opened with a loss to Nebraska on Friday then swept Saturday's doubleheader. Oklahoma won two of three from Colorado. All trail Oklahoma State by a game since the new members swent their opening set from Kansas State.
Kansas has arrived at a better-than-expected 4-3 over-all record because of Temple's maneuvering. His one-two pitchers, Larry Miller and Ron Wiley, are used in left field and third base, respectively when not on the mound. Barry Donaldson, a 2-year catching regular, moves out to third for Wiley when the latter is pitching. This shifts sophomore Carl Lauterjung behind the bat from the outfield.
Thus, Temple keeps his nine best players in the lineup for each game. "We'd like to have one more big pitcher." Temple points out, "but the boys are hitting pretty well and the defense has been sound."
Wiley, Miller and Gary Russell will throw in the order against the Tigers. The regulars are hitting 287 as a unit. Here is the order for MU—Art Muegel, 2b. 241; Barry Robertson, ss. 267; Jim Trombold, 1b, 344; Larry Miller, p-lf, 315; Carl Lauterjung, c-rf, 363; Bob Marshall, cf. 207; Barry Donaldson, c-3b, 421; Harl Hanson, rf. 111.
137 Schools In Relays
One hundred thirty-seven schools coming from as far east as Michigan and as far west as California will be represented in the relays starting this morning.
There are 17 entered in the university division, 25 in the small college class, five junior colleges and 90 high schools from Kansas and Missouri.
Those competing in the university class are: Oklahoma, Colorado, Marquette, Texas A&M, Missouri, Houston, Wichita, Baylor, Oklahoma State, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas State, Texas, Drake, SMU, Arkansas and Iowa State.
In the small college division are: Westminster College, Ottawa, San Diego State, Washburn, Nebraska State College, McPherson College, Bethel, Howard Payne, Lincoln College, Loyola of Chicago, Fort Hays State, Cornell College, Pittsburg State, Emporia State and Nebraska State.
University of Omaha, Northwestern A&M, Compton College, Southwestern College, Tabor College, Southwest Missouri State College, Southern Illinois, Hardin Simmons, Missouri Valley and Kansas Weslevan.
Coffeyville, Kemper Military Academy, Pratt, McCook, Nebraska and Hutchinson will be participating in the junior college class.
The Indians also hold the state's best time in the sprint medley (3:41.7) and the mile (3:28.7).
Top Time Here
The mile relay record here is also the state's best all-time schoolboy effort in that event. Wichita East did that last year, running 3:23.3 in the old Saturday afternoon special mile relay event for the top teams from Friday's finish.
East will present a formidable relay entry this year along with Topeka, Wyandotte, Washington, Junction City, McPherson, Wichita North and Pittsburg.
Three Stations To Carry Results
The Kansas Relays will be broadcast by at least three radio stations in the Lawrence area today and Saturday. Monte Moore, director of the KU sports network, has assembled an 11-man broadcast crew to keep radio listeners posted on up-to-the-minute results of all of the events and play by play reports on most of the major events.
The broadcasts start this afternoon at 1:15 p.m. on KANU-FM, the originating station and on KLWN, Lawrence. WREN of Topeka will join the network Saturday afternoon.
Microphones will be stationed around the track so the announcers can cover the running action on the curves from close range, and describe the field events.
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