Straus Play Starts Now For Jumbos

House jocks of all sizes will begin their annual quest for glory this week in the intramural athletic season. Touch football begins today and most other fall sports will start by the weekend.

Eliot House is defending the Strauss Cup, symbolic of overall athletic superiority, and will be a top contender again this year. The strongest challenges should come from Winthrop, Leverett and Quincy, who were the number two, three and four Houses last year in the final Strauss standings.

Leverett is defending tackle football champion, but Eliot should present as strong a challenge as last year, when Eliot finished second.

Quincy athletic secretary Doug Bromley says his teams are confident of winning both the touch football and cross country titles. The House has a strong nucleus returning from last year's championship touch football team and has 17 junior runners who led the team to a second-place finish in last year's cross country meet.

Bromley said the soccer championship is up for grabs, but rated Lowell's team, captained by Ted Voorhees, as a probable contender.

Asked to comment on Quincy's chances for the Strauss Cup this year. Bromley said, "With better administrative organization this year. Quincy should be a prime contender for the championship, but as usual, the final standings should be very close. "He said improved organization should come with the addition of an extra athletic secretary this year.