Elmhurst College - Elms Yearbook (Elmhurst, IL)

Page 27 text:

Crusaders have now won five games; the Pirates, four; and there were three ties. Don Jepsen played the best game he ever played for the Pirates, and Leuschke also played well in the line. Bohle thrilled the crowd with a 60-yard punt and later with a brilliant run for a first down. Elmhurst, T] Wright, 0 The Wheaton upset put the Pirates in a fighting mood, and they made short work of the Chicago team. Bucholz, Baum- rucker, Oberkircher, and Ver- tovec were the outstanding Pirates in the game. Elmhurst, 12 Illinois Wesleyan, 38 The Methodists startled the Pirates with a dazzling display of triple laterals, brilliant blocking, and all-around good football to prove that they earned the title of Little Nine- teen champions. Vertovec and Briggeman stood out in this game, and although the Pirates were badly beaten, the Meth- odists knew they had been in a football game. This game was not the hoped-for climax to the Pirate football season, but that ' s the way it goes. Captain Frank Vertovec con- cluded a brilliant four years of football when he played the Wesleyan game. He rates as one of the Pirate all-time stars. Few schools ever had a better end. Fred Oberkircher, after plugging along for three years, finally landed a regular guard berth, and although he never starred, he played steady, depend- able football. Next year ' s team will be one of the best ever to represent the White and Blue. Fifteen lettermen will be available, and it looks as though Elmhurst will have some reserve strength. [21]

Page 26 text:

Elmhurst ' s Pirates had an indifferent sea- son, winning three games, losing three, and tying one. Every other Saturday the team clicked beautifully, as evidenced by the fact that all three wins were three and four touchdown victories. However, the varsity couldn ' t win on successive Satur- days, and what might have been a highly successful year was only mediocre. Elmhurst, 0 DeKalb, 7 Had Elmhurst played its scheduled game with Mission House the story of the DeKalb game might have been different. Several misplays due to inexperience cost the Pirates a victory. Baumrucker proved that he was capable of filling Shine Robbins ' shoes in the passing department by com- pleting 14 out of 21 passes. Elmhurst, 18 Aurora, 7 Little trouble here for the Pirates as they won this game in the mud with ease. How- ever, the Pirate offense was ragged at times, and the pass- ing defense was unusually weak. Baumrucker ' s passes and off-tackle smashes, and Leu- schke ' s and Vertovec ' s pass re- ceiving were the features of this Pirate victory. Elmhurst, 7 Carthage, 7 Carthage spoiled the Pirate Homecoming by coming from behind to tie the score late in the game. Lack of reserve strength was the cause of the tie. Tony Hotle played an outstanding game at guard. Leuschke and Vertovec, as usual, starred at the ends, and Eiszner stood out among the backs. He made a 35-yard run to score the Elmhurst touchdown. Elmhurst, 20 Eureka, 6 The Pirates completely dominated this game, and at no time did Eureka trouble the Blue and White. The Eureka score was made against the Elmhurst second team. The whole varsity starred, but Vertovec and Rosback stood out in the line, while Baum- rucker led the backs. Elmhurst, 0 Wheaton, 12 Wheaton stepped ahead in the all-time series total with this year ' s victory. The I [20]

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Homecoming revived memories of years of fun and work for the old grads. The younger ones were more interested in who married whom, while some, such as the speaker at the Friday night banquet, con- cerned themselves with the theme: It was different when I went here. After the banquet the Theater revue was centered around the beating of the football rival the next afternoon. The grads had the oppor- tunity to watch the younger talent on ex- hibition. The revue broke up with cheers and the fight song, followed by the bonfire. Rain spoiled this part of the program, but the crowd reassembled inside and listened to the best college band in years put on a rush-order concert. The snake dance to the York Theatre was enjoyed by the students and younger grads only. The older men and some of the women stayed behind to talk of the past and present. Saturday morning was started off with the routine business meeting. This was fol- lowed by the annual musical. After lunch there was the parade, and at last the thing everyone was waiting for — the game. The Pirates just couldn ' t break the jinx, and they lost the advantage of their one touchdown lead to end the game in a dis- appointing 7-7 tie. Carthage ' s vicious rally was too much for the weary Pirates, who had been struggling all afternoon to make their lone touchdown, and keep the lead it gave them. Bill Lytton ' s music at the dance swayed the crowd into forgetting the game, and only pleasant memories survived the 1936 Homecoming. [22]