Two Changes Made On Irish Schedule

Two Changes Made On Irish Schedule

By Bill Anderson

The St. Thomas High football team wants to make a number of changes, and it already has made two alterations on the schedule.

The Irish will be facing archrival Ypsilanti St. John in an 8 p.m. Saturday game at Eastern Michigan's Briggs Field in the Annual Kiwanis Game. The game was originally scheduled for Sunday.

There had been an open date on the slate for Oct. 27. St. Thomas was to have met Detroit St. Cecilia. But recently that opponent dropped football from its athletic program.

After scouting around, Coach Leo Wagner filled that open date with a game against Ypsilanti Roosevelt. The two clubs will clash at 2:30 p.m. on that Sunday on Hollway Field.

Among the number of changes the Irish want to make elsewhere is the alteration on last year's season record. The club posted a 3-5 mark which was the best among the city's prep grid squads.

A winning season is going to l)e a tough assignment as St. Thomas lost 12 lettermen through graduation. The Irish lost the hard running fullback Dick Schaefer along with most of the interior line.

But St. Thomas also has a lot of personnel returning from previous seasons. There are 13 letter winners back this season including three who have already earned three letters in their football careers at St. Thomas. They include a tough defensive lineman, Jim Birmingham plus quarterback Mike Wagner and halfback Lou Richard.

Wagner is one of those backs who can be utilized at several positions. He has a fine pair of basketball hands so he could be used as a flanker on pass catching assignments.

Birmingham is a senior guard and is known around the Southwest League for his aggressive play on defense. Coach Wagner believes he needs a little more work on his offensive blocking techniques.

Richard was a runner who really came into his own last season. He ran from the right halfback spot and picked up considerable yardage. He was also important to St. Thomas’ attack last season because he offered some ball carrying relief to Schaefer.

Five Irish football candidates have won two letters. They include Jim Burns. Dave Hieber, Dave Moray, Bruce Otwell, and Tom Schwind.

Burns was a starter last season at end and played both ways. Hieber is a junior guard and linebacker. Moray is a backfield specialist and Otwell is being groomed to take over Jim Richmond’s job as center. Schwind has played in the backfield and has also done some good punting for the Irish in the past.

Single award winners are tackle Bill Blakemore, tackle Dave Burke, tackle Dan Lanuti. guard Bill O’Neill and end Pat Ryan, who missed most of the season after suffering from illness before the campaign began.