Adedeji Leads Yardling Candidates

"I was worried back there in September," freshman coach Dana Getchell said. "We were in very short supply of backs. But I spent the whole season training backs, and now I can say I couldn't have been more pleased."

When the season began, the Yardling booters appeared to be grooming only one prospective varsity player-forward Felix Adedeji. But now Getchell hopes that seven freshman "can contribute significantly to the varsity next year if they continue to develop."

Of course, Adedeji remains the top prospect. He scored 23 of the Yardlings' 35 goals this fall. "He's a tremendous dribbler," Getchell said. "He moves and handles the ball beautifully."

Another forward, Rick LaCivita, has a chance of making the varsity eighteen.

LaCivita was injured in the Princeton game, but played well against Yale. His greatest attribute is his ability to feed teammates.

Preppies

On the fullback line, where the Crimson will need help, Getchell has developed two prep-school players: Lawson Wulsin and Harry Dodson. Wulsin reacts very quickly, and Getchell calls Dodson "a great competitor."

On the halfback line, Getchell feels John Waciuma, Tom Gerold, and Peter Hoaglund could all contribute next fall. Waciuma is a defensive center halfback who uses his physical strength as an advantage. Gerold and Hoagland worked on speed at wing halfback.

"You're crazy if you try to project what they'll do," Getchell said. "Freshman players are very open-ended. I spend the year teaching them an enormous amount of skills, but the kids are uptight as freshmen. They don't know exactly where they stand and can't assert themselves.

"But at one point during the season, Gerold trapped a ball on his chest and the whole bench broke up," he said. "Sure they had practiced it a hundred times during the fall, but here it was right out on the field and, my god, it worked.

"Sophomore year can be amazing. If they relax, they'll start doing all the things I've taught, and that will break the ice."