Gridders Still Optimistic

The Crimson football team--still posting a series of injuries from the Princeton game and before--worked out the kinks from Saturday's physical game at Palmer Stadium in a light workout yesterday.

Three games remain on the schedule--versus powerhouses Brown, Penn and Yale--and the Crimson may be at its loosest, since the squad is virtually out of the title picture.

"Not only is everyone really loose," senior halfback Ralph Polillio said last night, "but everyone's really confident. We know we have a really good team, even though all the games haven't worked out right."

Bummer Executed

Quarterback Larry Brown expressed similar feelings after Saturday's game.

"I was pretty disappointed at Princeton," Brownie said. "It seems we're capable of outplaying every team we've played so far, it's just minor mistakes that have stopped us. We've been stopping ourselves at critical times by not executing."

"We finish off with Brown, Penn and Yale," Brown continued, "and we can prove a lot to a lot of people. There's a great deal of pride at stake at this point in the season."

In Sick Bay

Injuries continue to plague the Crimson--20 defensive players shuttled in an out of the lineup during Saturday's razorclose game, largely because of the extent of injuries on the squad.

Dave Otto, Tom Temple, Matt Sabetti, Craig Beling, Bob Murray, Tom McDevitt and Fred Cordove (among others) are still ailing on the defense, while center Dave Scheper and halfback Paul Connors are hurting on offense.

Connors, Harvard's number three workhorse behind Polillio and fullback Matt Granger, sustained a neck injury in the first quarter at Princeton when he received a vicious pop to the head.

Fortunately for the Crimson, some depth has shown up at the running back spot with Jon Hollingsworth showing lots of promise at Princeton (9 carries, 55 yards), and Tom Beatrice and Chuck Sandor showing back-up potential.

The defensive line, while hardly a set unit since the season opener, has also shown some promise with key back-ups moving in. End Jim DeBello racked up six tackles Saturday and tackle Chuck Durst has really come on--Durst led the Crimson in tackles Saturday with eight.