Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-12

all they had all the time
and they played clean"
This is the way close
follower of the public high school
basket ball championship series
which ended yesterday with
Central conquering Western, 90 to
%. sized up the play of all the
teams.
Central's victory enabled it to
finish in a three-way tie for
second place with Western and
Eastern with four wins and four
defeats each. Tech won the title
last Friday for the second
straight season, finishing two
games ahead of the runners-up
with six wins and two losses
Business was last with two
victories against six defeats.
What a fine tribute our friend paid
the courage and craftsmanship of the
series participants. 1t was richly de-
served tribute, too. in the opinion of
this reporter. who saw every game of
the series and is mighty glad that he
did. For they certainly were chock
full of everything that makes athletics
worth while. There was drama, there
was high courage in the heat of the
strife and, what, in our opinion, is
most important is that the players al
ways we're sportsmen. They played
hard all right. Our friend was right
about that, and he also was right when
he said they played clean.
"I get big kick out of these high
school games" our friend said. II know
those youngsters are battling only for
the glory of their school, that they
know that this is the only reward they'll
get, and know that they are clean all
the way through. 1t is all so refresh
ing"
Set Packed With Thrills.
From the outset the series just closed
was packed and jammed with thrills
Before it started it was generally agreed
that in view of the strength shown by
all five contenders in early season
games the series was going to produce
great competition. This it did, GER
tainly.
Tech won the title after magnifi-
cent uphill fight, which started after
the Gray had lost two of its first three
games. Central. after winning its first
three games, showing class that sur
prised even that astute coach of the
Blue. Bert Coggins, quickly fell from
grace, dropping its next four games
only to come back yesterday to van
uuiSh Western, a team which drllbbed
the Coggins-coached crew by 36-13 in
the opening round of the series.
Eastern's play also was cratic. After |
losing three of its first four games, the
Light Blue rallied impressively to sweep
through its next three opponents only
to succumb to Tech. % to 81. in a game |
the winning of which would have car
ried Eastern to tie with the Gray. |
Western started auspiciously. winning
three of its first four games, then skid
- .Ixy af ske
engagements.
Business 1.-THE red-teaded stepchild"
of the public high schools, athletically
speaking, continued to take 'em on the
button from old lady luck. After
handing Tech 37-26 defeat in the first
contest of the series for both teams
the stenogs began taking regular lick
ings by heart-breaking margins, win
ming just one mere game during the
remainder of the series.
Cross Helps Central
A sensational one-man assault by
Capt. Wilbur Cross, eagle-eyed Central
forward. enabled the Blue to overcome
Western yesterday. With the game in
its final few minutes Cross Gagged a
foul and then in quick, workman-like
style two neat baskets from side court
to give his team tie at 26-al. Then
the Blue ahead by one point with
foul toss and Capt, Jimmy Thompson
had registered a basket TO again give
Western the lead at 1927, Cross once
more sent the bill spinning into the
hoop for the points that gave his team
victory. A moment later official scorer
Haight fired the gun that ended the
game and the series.
Though 1t was real fight from the
start, Western held the upper hand
most of the way over Central. The
Red team was ahead, to 4, at the
end OF the first quarter and after the
Blue managed to gain a 13-all tie at
half time and 19-all deadlock at the
end of the third quarter Western struck
back to again take the lead in the
final quarter only to see it melt before
the stellar baSket-sniping of Cross in
those dying moments.
Incidentally, Cross who scored IL
points, gained a f1rst-place tie in the
series individual scoring with Capt.
Jimmy Thompson Of Western, who also
registered II. Each finished with a total
of II markers. Everett Russell, crack
little Tech forward, who had been
leading in this respect, dropped to third
place with 81 points followed by Bob
Freeman, Western center, who peppered
the basket for IL points to boost his
series total to "a and Joe Robey of
Eastern with 63.
.Lampson Scores.
Aside from the work of Cross.
Thompson and Freeman, the clever
play of Russell Lampson. rugged Cen
trail guard, was perhaps the most note
worthy feature of yesterdays game.
Lampson has proved not only a depend
able player on defense in the series but
a good shot, his record as to foul losses
having been particularly good In IA
tries from the charity stripe he has
registered IL times, caging losses in
as many tries yesterday.