Yesterday being Wednesday, Art Valpey put the Harvard football team through its usual mid-week practice session. This time it was with an eye toward checking errors of execution, sharpening the timing of the squad in general, and of men playing unfamiliar positions in particular.

Actually, Valpey can tell little about the team's timing during the brief practice scrimmages. He must wait until Saturday afternoon to see how well it comes off under game pressure. Harvard's timing was not up to par against Dartmouth and Valpey has been emphasizing it in practice this week.

The timing should show definite improvement this Saturday. Men who played against Dartmouth with only the minimum scrimmage time beforehand, Hal Moffie for instance, will be more crisp in their exceution Saturday.

Captain Howie Houston and John Coan continued to run at their guard positions with the first string offensive line and will be ready for one-way service against Holy Cross. Doug Bradlee worked in the weak side tackle slot; ends Dike Hyde and Stretch Mazzone, center Paul O'Brien, and tackle Chief Bender rounded out the offensive line.

Holy Cross' football squad concentrated on defense yesterday.

The freshmen, armed with Harvard's single-wing plays, tossed them at the Purple's first and second teams for more than an hour, first in a dummy drill and later in a half-speed scrimmage.

Bill Dechard, John Cullity, Mcl Massuco and Charlie Binder were the backfielders used chiefly on defense. Of these, only Massuco will be in the first attacking unit of four sophomores.

With the regular backfield--Bill Henry, John West, and Paul Shafer, alternating fullbacks; Chuck Roche and Carroll Lowenstein, tailbacks; Moffie and Johnny White, wingbacks -- this group went through a contact drill against the freshmen.

The jayvees sent Crusader plays against the varsity defense in a noncontact session. Sam Butler, who saw limited action, on offense only, against Dartmouth, returned to his right guard post and has a fairly good chance of starting defensively Saturday.