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| Herb Stock, Kenyon College in 1924. Joined the Tanks in 1925. Also assistant coach at Ironton High School | Pete Peters, Kenyon College '24 and '25 and is considered a 'triple threat in the backfield' | Sonny Winters 'Captain' 'An all around good athelete' |
From an article in the Ironton Tribune
September 14, 1930
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NEW COACH TAKES OVER BIG RED; WORKOUTS TO BE HELD EVERY EVENING
_________________Drill Started Saturday and Will Continue Up To Spartan Game: Training Rules Set Down
The 1930 fortunes of the Ironton Tanks passed into the hands of Earle (Greasy) Neal at Beechwood Saturday afternoon. The making of the new edition of the Big Red is now in his charge and he indicated right off the bat, at his initial workout, that he knows just what this football racket is all about.
Neal arrived in the city Saturday at noon and several hours later was in fighting togs at the park, supervising work and looking over the starts collected from eight or more leading college teams of the country. Twenty-two Tank aspirants were on the field and there was no preliminary dickering. There was an introduction to the new "boss" and then an immediate setting down to the hard work-the hardest practice session of the year. There was kicking, passing some little instruction to backfield men and a lot more of it to the linemen. The old grid machine has start rolling.
Ted Franz of Ashland and Taylor from last year's Armco squad were the only two men missing and they were unavoidably kept away from the session. All other candidates were out to receive the once over from Neal.
"Things look good," said Neal last night after the first day's workouts, "but it's going to take plenty of hard work for us to line up plays, workout our backfield defense and offense and other necessary features."
The Tanks are to practice every evening in the week at Beechwood, starting at five o'clock and continuing until the new coach has decided players have had enough. There will be no session today, except a "skill" session this morning but workouts will start Monday to continue right up into the Portsmouth game. There will be an initial scrimmage on Tuesday and brush-ups every evening thereafter. The every day practice rule is to be observed throughout the season, with Saturday's session moved up to the morning. Tank beaus will also find it necessary this year to bid the best girl a kind good-night well before the midnight hour for Neal. IN his opening instructions made it plenty plain that all players are to be under the covers by midnight. "An exception to the rule now and then will be o.k." he advised players, "but I must know beforehand and must be given a good reason for breaking of the rule."
Prohibition failed to put the well known flash on the shelf but Neal has also placed it on the taboo list and he warned strongly that there would be no imbibing during the gridiron season. Drinking or any alcoholic beverage will not be tolerated and infraction of this rule will bring down a hefty fine or suspension. Players missing practice sessions without gaining an excuse beforehand will also be brought on the carpet and asked "why?"
Practice sessions of the Big Red starting on Monday will be private. Gates at Beechwood will be locked and it will be another firm rule of the season. Neal has been accustomed to privacy while coaching his team and he will endeavor to secure it this season also. He plans a scrimmage or two with Marshall college but that also will be a strictly private affair so that formations can be studied, the team and plays timed.
Neal, who just completed a successful baseball season and who has successful coaching assignments at various colleges on his past record, indicated at his initial appearance Saturday that he deems team play one of the biggest assets of a squad. For that reason daily workouts will be held. He also indicated that a team is just as good as its overhead offense and defense. He was about making friends last night and has already established himself among many residents and the players.
The workout Saturday found a charley horse here and there among the candidates but the group as a while looked good. Players are taking off weight and rounding into form and the line is fast developing that vital ability to charge. The ends are big, powerful and fast and the backfield is just about the latest word in drive. Alford and Smith were the speed merchants on the field Saturday with Sloan, Gemble, Presnell, Haggerty and others looking well in booing. Sloan kicks them high and long while Gamble was about the most dangerous man on place and dropkicks in the western conference last season. Keith Molesworth, former Spartan, was another newcomer at the lots and was out for his first workout Saturday. He arrived late and indulged in a brief warmup. He has been playing baseball all summer, is down to his best weight and is ready to go.
The Tanks have two weeks of practice before their opener with Portsmouth at Beechwood, two weeks form today. Those two weeks are to be chocked full of work as the team is cracking right into one of it's stiffest games at the start. Neal let it be known that the Spartans hold no shivers for him. "Football," he says, "is a game of upsets. And sometimes the underdogs come through. I understand we're the underdogs in this first game. Well. We'll see."