FORBES PUTS OUT CALL FOR MEN; FIRST GAME SEPT. 26
The prospective candidate is urged, and I mean URGED, to get in touch with coaches Ted Forbes, Will Lotter, or Vern Hickey, or just report to the equipment room in the gym and he wll be well taken care of. Football practice started September 8 under the direction of coaches Forbes and Lotter. Initially about 25 men answered the call, and there are now a little over 30 men in camp with a few of these just arriving. As you can see by the size of the squad, and as I was assured by Coach Forbes, all positions are wide open. So all interested partes, either for Varsity or for JV, report NOW!Chief among the problems that Forbes and his staff face this fall is finding suitable replacement for three-year All-Conference guard Don Niboli. "Nib" not only was a terrific middle linebacker and an excellent blocker at his guard position; he was a ball of fire, take-charge guy on the field and his superb leadership will be hard to replace.
According to Forbes, other presing problems which must be solved are the development of a stronger passing game than was exhibited last fall and the 'strengthening of the defensive secondary, especialy against passes. Both problems are made considerably more complex by the advent of the new rule eliminating free substitution which means, of course, that passing or defensive specialists are out.
Forbes hopes that Ken Crandall, last year’s standout JV quarterback, or Bill Bizzini, second string varsity quarterback, will be the answer to the passing problem. Both lads passed well in the spring game, with Bizzini having a slight edge.
At the all-important safety position in the defensive secondary Jim Naviaux, transfer from UCLA, appears to be the man Forbes has been looking for. Due to the transfer rule, Naviaux played JV’s last year and was terrific at both offensive fullback and defensive safety and again this spring displayed all kinds of ability.
Offensively the Aggie backfield at halfback and fullback shows good strength. Veterans Jim Reynolds, John Dckenson, and Harold Leigh are returning along with Naviaux. In the line big 235-pound Bob Chilcott is the leading choice to fill the shoes of Don Niboli both as a middle linebacker and as a team leader. The 28-year-old Korean vet played n the last four games last yegr, but due to a previous operation during August he never really got in shape. Veterans vieing for tackle spots are varsity lettermen Jim Tarke, along with Floyd "Buck" Ross and Gordon Blaine, both JV's last year.
At the guard position a hot battle is going between veterans Marty Fineman and AL Deutsch and newcomers Richard Heringer and Ray London.
The end position looks like the strongest on the squad, at least in terms of numbers. Five fairly even candidates are making bids for starting'positions. They_ are Don Donsing, Lou Hausman, and Duane Damron from last year’s varsity; and Bob Maulhardt, up from the JV’s, and Jerry Henderson, a former Davis high school boy. H. L.
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