Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-26
REBELSAT STRAIN
OF PENN TOURNEY
Coach Mueller Fears Strenuous
Games May Burn Out South
ern's Youthful Champions
WOULD OPPOSE WINNER
BY PAUL PREP

TNIE fear of burning out his youthful
l. basketball protcges before they, have
reached the height of their athletic
proweSs Is the reason Siv"n by Coach
Mueller. Of South Philadelphia High
School. for refusing to permit the Inter
scholastic League champion to enter the
Penn tournament which Will start
February 1S.
The decision of Coach Mueller was
reached after conference, with tne
other directors making up the athletic
council of the downtown institution.
Members of the team are in favor OF the
tournament, but even the popular de.
nand that the Public High School
League champion be represented In the
tourney is not forceful enough to move
the Red and Black tutor.
"Thc strain imposed on the boys
playing in the Penn tourney, sald
Coach Mueller. lis entirely too severe;
On some occasions the boys are forced
to play three games in succession, ahH
that's entirely too much. y group or
youngsters In high school should not be
forced to play hard games in snort
period It hurts them too much.
Don't Overw0rk Boys
"While I personally would Ike TO
enter the tournament, as would the
boys, the Southern team Will not ap-
pear, and that's final. / would agree to
the boys playing in the tourney II there
was q period of, say, two days or so
between each game. But with the
present arrangements southern VIII hot
enter the competition.
"It never has been the policy OF
Southern High to ovcrwork any or the
bows on its athletic teams. Ana IL
never will be. We want our boys to go
away from the school without having
been burned out, and don't give them
too much hard work.
"I have heard people say that we're
afraid OF being beaten, that we have
everything to lose and nothing 10 gain.
That's untrue. Last year we didn't win
the Interscholastic League champion
ship, and we didn't enter the Penn
tournament.
Passaic Game
Southern High School Is willing to
meet any scholastic basketball team in
the country anywhere. We bar none. |
We have been trying to make arrange
mcnts with Passaic High School,
champion of New Jersey, and there IL
n probability that the game will go ,
through. We will try to~piay on our
own floor, but the chances are that the /
game Will 80 W tLc 'SioSS 'S"'' " "'"' - .
"In regard to the ruling of the Su-
pervisory Committee on Athletics of (
the Philadelphia Public High Schools, |
| would like to say that while the rule .
reads that a team may not travel over
fifty miles, it also provides that with .
special permission teams may leave the
city and travel any distance. We play
both Lancaster High and Atlantic City
High, and both of them are over fifty
miles away
Three members of Southern's quin-
tet were seen shortly after the inter-
view with Coach Mueller. All of them
seemed very anxious TO enter the Penn
tournament. However. they did not
seem anxious to 60 against their tutors
wishes.
Entry Expected
1t Is a severe blow to scholastic fol-
lowers of this city who had been bank
ing on the downtowners entering the
tourney. They feel that with the
champions of virtually every State In
the East entered, the Philadelphia
ttleholder should be among those pres
cnt also.
Every man has his own opinion, and
Coach Mueller should not be condemned
for doing what he thinks is right In
keeping his team out of the Penn tour
Coach Mueller may be making
a wise move, and he may not. But,
Mt the same time. he's the one to decide.
'oTHER SPORTS ON PAGE II '