Injuries Bench Four Grid Starters

Art Valpey put red jersies back on his team yesterday and began preparations for Columbia. It was as simple as that--except for the fact that four key men were on the sidelines, Stanford might have been merely a name.

These four injuries, though, look big. Captain Howie Houston and tackle-guard Chief Bender are out of the line; Jim Kenary and Hal Moffie were on crutches and probably won't be in the backfield for a fortnight. None of the four will play against Columbia.

But the team ran through signal drills yesterday at a fast clip, started work on the Lions' formations, and got in some shots at the dummies. Valpey was shifting men to cover in the holes made by the injuries--shifting that began during the game Saturday, when Houston, Kenary, Bender, and Moffie got their bumps.

Columbia will be good, That much was confirmed last night by end coach Elmer Madar, who scouted the Columbia-Amherst game. "I'd say they were 20 percent better than last year," Madar stated. "They're not as big as last season, but they are faster and in much better condition."

Russell Bulks Large

What about losing Cene Rossides, the great Light Blue back for three years? "Russell (now calling signals in the Little winged T) called plays very well, and ran the team capably. He is just about as good a passer as Rossides."

Where was Lou Little concentrating his attack against the Lord Jeffs? "They ran everywhere, inside as well as out. They were sweeping a lot." Apparently Columbia has a strong end-running attack--a fact that bodes ill for the Crimson on the basis of the weak end play against Stanford.

Valpey had little to say about Stanford. "They outhit us all afternoon. It wasn't that we didn't want to hit--they just got there first." Art had no excuses or explanations. "We just took a licking."

Injuries here and a good team at Columbia don't make a happy picture for the next five days. But there seems to be no mental hangover at all from the transcontinental headache--and Art Valpey is still going on his policy of last year, as restated last night: "We played Stanford last Saturday. We play one this Saturday, and next Saturday, and every week after that--one at a time."