JVs, Freshmen Reign Over Princeton

Of all the absurdities of modern-day civilization, playing football in the rain on a mud-soaked intramural field is outranked in ridiculousness only by watching such a game. Nevertheless, over 500 people gathered at Webster field this morning to watch Bobby Leo and the Harvard freshman football team whip the Princeton freshmen, 7-0.

Meanwhile, before a slightly less numerous but decidedly more enthusiastic audience of six girls, the Harvard J.V. downed their Tiger opponents, 6-0.

The freshman game was a defensive debacle since the offensive drives of both teams, not unlike salt, tended to dissolve in the wet going. The Tigers kept the ball in Crimson territory for most of the first half as only Bobby Leo's long punts kept the men from New Jersey away from the Harvard end zone.

Neither team could get more than two first downs before the half, but the Crimson Yardlings came from the half time break looking hungry for Tigermeat. After Princeton received the kickoff and was stopped on three plays, Bobby Leo took the Tigers' punt at midfield and galloped back 22 yards to the Princeton 28. Two quick plays later Harvard had another first down and then Bobby Leo took a pitchout from quarterback Ray Kubacki and swept around right end. Two nice blocks gave him some running room, but at the ten he met four Princeton defenders. Hardly pausing to acknowledge this added company, he gave all four a ride as he bulled his way down to he three-yard line.

But on the next play, Harvard fumbled and the Tigers pounced on the loose ball. The Crimson defense not only held the Tigers to four yards on the next three plays, but also crashed through to block the fourth down punt and recover on the Tiger two-yard line. Two plays later Kubacki carried the ball in for the score from a foot out.

Although the Tigers seemed to come alive for a brief time in the fourth quarter, neither team threatened seriously again, as Crimson Yardlings racked up their third straight victory.

In today's mud-soaked J.V. contest, the Crimson emerged a narrow 6-0 victor on a 55-yard kickoff runback by quarterback John McClusky.

The Crimson victory hinged on a Princeton tactical error. Having kicked off in the first half, the Tigers choose to do the same at the beginning of the second half. The strategy was to take advantage of a brisk wind that was blowing across the field.

But after three illegal kicks, the Tigers had been moved back to their own 25 on three penalties. McCluskey took the fourth kick on the Harvard 45, broke slightly to the right and ran straight through the Princeton defense for six points. The kick for the extra point was blocked.