YANKEE CONFERENCE

HERMAN HICKMAN SAYS: The battle for the Bean Pot, symbol of the Yankee Conference championship, should be won again this year by Connecticut. Boasting a veteran squad that could field a letterman at every position, the UConns are the "people's choice" to repeat. Practically this same squad was inexplicably routed last fall by Springfield in the opener and then came back to lose by a hair's breadth to Yale, the champion of the Ivies. From then on they went clean except for a 0-0 tie with New Hampshire. This year should find Connecticut even stronger.

Chief Boston's New Hampshire teams have always been right up at the top in the conference, and this year they have all-conference Bobby Trouville leading an intact veteran back-field. Despite problems in the line, they should be right up to the usual Boston standards. The loss of Quarterbacks Ken Parady and Pete Kosty will be sorely felt by Coach Harold Westerman at Maine. This current crop has four 1956 starters and a below-par freshman group. Still, the Black Bears are always in contention.

Despite the fact that 15 lettermen are missing from his 1956 Massachusetts squad and that he will have to go mostly with sophomores, Coach Charlie O'Rourke of Massachusetts sounds a note of optimism: "If these sophomores don't make the mistakes of sophomores we will surprise many teams. The back-field won't be as good as last year, but the line is deepest from tackle to tackle in history—mostly composed of those same sophomores." 1957 should be a building year for the Redmen but sophomore spirit may surprise.

CONNECTICUT
Storrs, Conn.

COLORS: Blue and white
BASIC OFFENSE: Wing T, unbalanced line
1956 RECORD: won 6, lost 2, tied 1
LETTERMEN RETURNING: 16 of 25
WATCH FOR: The running of Lenny King

THE DOPE: The UConns won the Bean Pot last year, and there is absolutely no reason why Coach Bob Ingalls' 1957 edition shouldn't do the same thing. He has 16 lettermen returning—more than any other squad in the conference—and is speaking confidently of fielding an all-letterman starting team. Among the returnees is Lenny King, the halfback who holds the UConn record for rushing and who was named to the ECAC All-East 11 last season. He is fast, and he can punt and pass as well. King is the key man in a backfield that includes John Livieri, Halfback Larry Day and Fullback Norman Chaban. Besides these, there is an ample supply of veterans waiting in the bullpen, along with a sophomore hot shot named Brad Leach. Ingalls also has a pair of fine ends—Reino Manninen and Ron Vernet—backed up by capable replacements. In the center of the line there is the boulderlike Lou Mooradian, another All-East choice of last year. Ingalls confesses to some concern about men to place around him, but there are a number of lettermen, all of whom have at least some game experience. The UConns play their first 10-game schedule in 56 years, but are certainly the quality folkof their conference.

1957 SCHEDULE (1956 score):

SEPT. 21 at Springfield (12-41)
SEPT. 28 at Yale (14-19)
OCT. 5 at Rutgers (27-7)
OCT. 12 Massachusetts (71-6)
OCT. 19 at Maine (13-7)
OCT. 26 Delaware (26-14)
NOV. 2 New Hampshire (0-0)
NOV. 9 at Northeastern (26-0)
NOV. 16 Rhode Island (51-6)
NOV. 23 at Boston U. (no game)

MAINE
Orono, Me.

COLORS: Pale blue and while
BASIC OFFENSE: Wing T
1956 RECORD: Won 5, lost 2
LETTERMEN RETURNING: 10 of 22
WATCH FOR: A team emphasizing defense, the running of Bobby Bower

THE DOPE: The Black Bears, after finishing second to Connecticut in 1956, are in the midst of a rebuilding program. Coach Harold Westerman has just four regulars returning from last year and he cannot expect much help from the 1956 freshman team which was, he says, "below par." The '57 team will probably be weakest where its predecessor was strong—at quarterback. There are no logical successors to Ken Parady and Pete Kosty. No sophomore seems able to take over the controls and, until a solid candidate emerges, Westerman chooses to stand mute on the subject. At the other backfield spots he does have Bob Bower, a fine broken-field runner, and Vernon Moulton, David Rand, John Theriault and Charles Thibodeaux, plus a couple of promising sophomores in Robert Bragg and Kenneth Pinkham. Three lettermen guards are returning, but only one tackle, one end and no center. Among the returning is a pretty good pass-catching end, Niles Nelson. But who will throw to him? Hopefully holding that problem in abeyance, Westerman has decided to concentrate on defense, where his linemen seem to show the most aptitude. But it is doubtful that the rafters will ring with happy Maine shouts this year.

1957 SCHEDULE (1956 score):

SEPT. 28 at Rhode Island (40-7)
OCT. 5 Vermont (14-0)
OCT. 12 at New Hampshire (29-7)
OCT. 19 Connecticut (7-13)
OCT. 26 at Bates (13-19)
NOV. 2 at Colby (26-7)
NOV. 9 Bowdoin (33-7)

MASSACHUSETTS
Amherst, Mass.

COLORS: Maroon and white
BASIC OFFENSE: T
1956 RECORD: Won 2, lost 5, tied 1
LETTERMEN RETURNING: 10 of 25
WATCH FOR: A scrappy, upset-minded team manned mainly by green players

THE DOPE: The Redmen seem to be in for a rough autumn. Coach Charlie O'Rourke has lost 10 starters from last year's indifferent team, along with five other experienced lettermen, so half of this year's squad will be composed of sophomores. "But," says O'Rourke, "Massachusetts does have the potential for a winning football team." He bases this sanguine outlook on the spring showing of his sophomores. Less problematical is the potential of some of the Redmen veterans. John O'Keefe and Bob Ferriani flank a big line and senior Quarterback Ronnie Blume will be back to run the new straight T offense. There are a couple of fast and shifty sophomore halfbacks, Armand Sabourin and Billy Reynolds, who could run very nicely with Blume. Guard Bill Goodwin, hampered by injuries last fall, should lend experience to a line which "is the deepest from tackle to tackle in our history," according to O'Rourke. The catch there is that the depth is all provided by sophomores, and at center there seems to be nothing at all. Should O'Rourke's sophomores come up to expectation, the Redmen could be the upset makers of the conference. Under any circumstances, they seem capable of improving on last season's record.

1957 SCHEDULE (1956 score):

SEPT. 21 American International (6-6)
SEPT. 28 at Boston U. (6-19)
OCT. 12 at Connecticut (6-71)
OCT. 19 Rhode Island (13-34)
OCT. 26 Northeastern (12-6)
NOV. 2 Vermont (26-19)
NOV. 9 at Brandeis (14-40)
NOV. 16 at New Hampshire (7-28)

NEW HAMPSHIRE
Durham, N.H.

COLORS: Blue and white
BASIC OFFENSE: T, Split-T
1956 RECORD: Won 3, lost 4, tied 1
LETTERMEN RETURNING: 9 of 19
WATCH FOR: An all-veteran backfield led by a fine quarterback, Bob Trouville

THE DOPE: The Blue Wildcats are looked upon by other conference coaches as the group most likely to give Connecticut a battle for the Bean Pot. This attitude is not shared by Coach Clarence (Chief) Boston, but he cannot deny, however, that he has last year's starting backfield intact. And that group includes junior Quarterback Bob Trouville, who led the league in punting and passing, was a splendid runner and wise beyond his years as a team leader. Running with him will be good Halfbacks Pete Stewart and Dick Southwick and Fullback Ray Donnelly. What bothers Boston is lack of experience in the line where only Center Rollin Gentes of 1956's starting seven is back, and he has been shifted to guard. But Junior Bob Pascucci has had some experience at guard; Jim Gerding, Gentes' 1956 understudy, will take over at center; reserve End Bob Hildreth returns; and senior John Burnham can play a very adequate tackle. Although this front line does not inspire the confidence that last year's did, everyone else in the league is also worried about the line situation. So if Boston can make it presentable, this could be a better than average season for the men from Durham.

1957 SCHEDULE (1956 score):

SEPT. 28 at Dartmouth (0-13)
OCT. 5 at Rhode Island (13-7)
OCT. 12 Maine (7-29)
OCT. 19 at Delaware (6-14)
OCT. 26 Brandeis (20-13)
NOV. 2 at Connecticut (0-0)
NOV. 9 at Springfield (14-40)
NOV. 16 Massachusetts (28-7)

RHODE ISLAND
Kingston, R.I.

COLORS: Blue and white
BASIC OFFENSE: Split-T
1956 RECORD: Won 2, lost 6
LETTERMEN RETURNING: 7 of 17
WATCH FOR: A green team, led by the versatile all-purpose back, Jimmy Adams

THE DOPE: The Rams have no place to go but up. After a four-year record of 25 wins and two ties, climaxed by the unbeaten 1955 season, they fell apart last year like Humpty Dumpty. This year, the second for Coach Herb Maack, their fortunes may take an upward turn, but it is hard to see the Rams doing much better than breaking even. Maack counts only one of his returning seven lettermen as a regular. That is Jimmy Adams, who alternated between quarterback and halfback last year. He'll be at halfback this year. A couple of lettermen ends, a tackle, a guard and a center—all, with the exception of End-Tackle Everett McDaniel, doubtful first-stringers—and Back Jim Jerue complete the list of lettermen. Don Brown, a returning serviceman, and Frank Morey, a transfer student who is now eligible, will help in the back-field and line respectively. Generally speaking, though, the last three freshman teams have furnished the varsity with little assistance, but Maack has hopes of good first-year men this season. If they come through he thinks 1958 might be the year of the Ram renaissance. As the season opens, it doesn't look as if 1957 will be.

1957 SCHEDULE (1956 score):

SEPT. 21 at Northeastern (13-12)
SEPT. 28 Maine (7-40)
OCT. 5 New Hampshire (7-13)
OCT: 12 at Brandeis (no game)
OCT. 19 at Massachusetts (34-13)
OCT. 26 at Brown (7-27)
NOV. 2 Springfield (0-40)
NOV. 16 at Connecticut (6-51)

VERMONT
Burlington, Vt.

COLORS: Green and gold
BASIC OFFENSE: Wing T
1956 RECORD: Won 2, lost 5
LETTERMEN RETURNING: 15 of 23
WATCH FOR: A fairly deep but inexperienced team which may surprise

THE DOPE: The Catamounts have written sorrow on the green hills of Vermont these many years, and it does not seem they are prepared to brighten 1957 either. Officially, Coach Ed Donnelly's team will not be competing in the Yankee Conference; they play but two conference teams, Massachusetts and Maine, both of whom seem stronger than Vermont. For the rest of the season, the Catamounts will be matched against a group of small eastern colleges. Donnelly expects to have a squad of 40 men—representing unprecedented depth for him. Among these are three of last year's starting backfield: Captain and Quarterback Dick White, Halfback Tom Tierney and Fullback Bill Simonds. They, along with Center Phil Chalifaux, are expected to be the team's backbone. The rest of the 15 lettermen can only be termed adequate, and there are a handful of sophomores who might be termed promising. Six other lettermen, besides Chalifaux, are returning to the line, along with a trio of sophomores who may help. Donnelly has high hopes that with this nucleus he can develop a team which will improve on last year's record. Still and all, he feels the Catamounts are a year away.

1957 SCHEDULE (1956 score):

SEPT. 28 Union (N.Y.) (6-13)
OCT. 5 at Maine (0-14)
OCT. 19 Rochester (6-0)
OCT. 26 Norwich (0-27)
NOV. 2 at Massachusetts (19-26)
NOV. 9 at Middlebury (6-7)

PHOTO

LOU MOORADIAN BULWARKS UCONN LINE

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MAINE RAISES STEINS TO VERNE MOULTON

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END JOHN O'KEEFE: UMASS PASS CATCHER

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BOB TROUVILLE: ALL-CONFERENCE ACE

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HALFBACK JIM ADAMS: BATTERING RAM

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TOM TIERNEY: VERMONT TRIPLE-THREAT

ILLUSTRATION