It has been 70 years since the 1940 Italy Gladiators were undefeated and unscored on. Bill Bryant was a graduate of Italy High School and the Sports Editor for the Italy News Herald. The following is his third article of the season.

Whitney Friday Foe of Gladiators

Club Gains Town’s Interest

POSSIBILITY OF MOST SUCCESSFUL SEASON FOR ITALY GRIDDERS

With the possibility of having the most successful football season in more than a decade, Italy High’s Gladiators will meet the Whitney High School eleven here Friday night in their second game of the season.

Last week’s 75-0 debacle has aroused considerable enthusiasm and attention for the local squad, and perhaps the largest crowd since the creation of Willis Field will be on hand for the opening kickoff at 7:45 p.m. Friday night.

Coach Doug Cook of the Gladiators was greatly chagrined over the fact that last week’s opener was so definitely one-sided that his boys failed to display their real weaknesses and brought on the danger of over-confidence among the players. Monday’s practice session was devoted to a light drill and when the boys displayed a tendency to want to loaf he put them through stiff sessions on both Tuesday and Wednesday.

Whitney usually has an excellent team and may be expected to provide the Warriors with plenty of competition and at the same time furnish Cook with a chance to iron out the wrinkles in his squad before they play the strong Frost Polar Bears here next week.

Remainder of the Gladiators’ nine game schedule was announced this week. It is:

Oct 4 – Frost, here
Oct. 11 – Blooming Grove, there
Oct 18 – Hubbard City, here
Oct 25 – Milford, here
Nov. 1 – Kerens, there
Nov. 8 – open
Nov. 15 – Midlothian, here
Nov. 22 – Dawson, here