Up on the second floor of the Indoor Athletic Building an enthusiastic gang of fellows tug around with each other on a big black mat in seemingly strange fashion every afternoon, but there's method in their madness because all are under the watchful eye of Pat Orr Johnson, youthful Varsity and Freshman wrestling coach. And right now Pat has a right to flash his broadest smile in years, because as soon as his Varsity matment can shake off a few minor early-season injuries, they have a good chance to develop into one of the most powerful and best-balanced squads he has ever had here.

The potential strength of this squad, however, depends heavily upon the fulfillment of several "ifs" of of the first magnitude. If Bruce Richardson and Ted Schoenberg can get down to the 136 and 121 pound weight classes respectively for the big matches, and if Tom Lacey and Vern Miller are able to report for the mat sport, Harvard will stand a very good chance of having an undefeated year in dual meets. Both Richardson and Schoenberg will have their hands full trying to make these weights very often, but most Crimson opponents usually have some men wrestling one class below normal so the practice is anything but now.

More and more wrestling candidates are reporting to Coach Johnson every day, some of them veterans but some of them totally inexperienced. Most of the outstanding men, however, have been hard at work for at least a month and should be in first-class shape when the big matches start to roll around in January. The M.I.T. grapplers were flattened last Saturday in the opener to the tune of 33 to 3, but Tufts is apt to present much sturdier opposition to the injured Crimson this Saturday.

Lower Weights

There are three strong candidates for the 121 and 128 pound assignments, all of whom weigh slightly under 130 pounds at present. Clever Junior Ted Schoenberg heads the list and is an absolute certainty to get one of the jobs, and Sophomore Jim Redmon is a good bet for the other one, whichever it is. Another second-year man, Harry Blaine, constitutes their major opposition. Schoenberg and Redmon may either take turns at the reducing task or perhaps a definitely superior combination of the two may be established.

Sophomore Art Stone tops the 136 pounders for the present, but he is unlikely to hold the post all year. Two Seniors, Al Richter and Art Page, could probably take his measure if they were in shape, and Bruce Richardson would overpower them all if he could descend to their ranks from his regular 145 class--another stiff reducing job. Dick Thomas. Sophomore scissors expert extraordinary, exponent of the crucifix, Oklahoma ride, etc., will prove to be a mighty tough customer for all comers at 145 pounds.

155 Pound Division

The 155 pound group lacks a single outstanding man, but there the competition for the first team is probably the keenest of all. In fact, it may not be settled definitely all year. Veteran Pete Illman has a slight edge over Bill Tyng and Harry Tine, a Junior and Sophomore respectively, but he will have to be on his toes to keep it. The close scrap for top honors here will probably bring about lots of improvement in the division all year long. Competition of this sort, as is provided by many men in other classes who are not quite good enough to make the team, will be invaluable in moulding the eight first-line operatives into better wrestlers.

Captain Bill Daughaday's presence in the 165 bracket renders opposition somewhat useless, but Art Mason provides what competition there is for the rugged leader. And there would be more if Coach Johnson didn't deem it advisable to keep Bunny Barnes out of mat wars because of a pair of weak knees.

Heavy Divisions

Tom Lacey can probably win the 175 pound position even reporting late, but another Junior, Dunc Longscope, and Senior Dick Lewis will let him know that the has been through a real dog-fight. Sophomore Dick Aldrich is close on the heels of both men. Almost the same thing applies to the heavyweight class where grappler-manager Tudor Gardiner holds forth. Big Vern Miller will undoubtedly learn a lot of wrestling in a few weeks under Pat Johnson, but hard-working Gardiner will give him a good battle before being displaced. Dick Harlow's endorsement of wrestling for many of his linemen has brought quite a few big boys up to the black mat on the second floor. Chub Peabody, Don Lowry, and Jim Grunig have all decided-to have a fling at the sport.

Predictions are dangerous, but if all the Crimson "ifs" were realized, this squad would have a fine chance to break up the firm Leheigh-Penn State domination of Eastern wrestling in the championships at Syracuse next March. It would take about four individual titlists to bring the crown to Cambridge, and with a lot of hard work, that quartet might possibly emerge from among Ted Schoenberg, Bruce Richardson, Dick Thomas, Bill Daughaday, Tom Lacey and Vern Miller