The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1938-12-01

The struggle for honors in district n
basketball was made a wide open affair
last week with the announcement pre-
ceding the Biwabik-Tower game that
two regulars from last years great BIZ
wabik quintet would be lost for the
season. Previous to this revelation,
Coach Al Lazella's charges had been
named as the team to beat in district
competition.
In the opener for district teams, BIZ
wabik took Tower in stride, "a to Is, on
the losers floor, Tuesday evening of last
week, playing without the services of
Paul Servatka, rangy center, who will
have reached the age limit for high
school competition by the time the dis
trict tournament comes around so will
not be used during regular seasonal
play, and Valentine Miklausich, regular
forward, who will be unable to play be-
cause of illness.
Biwabik, it will be recalled, was the
team that pushed Virginia to the limit
in the district tournament, which the
latter took after hectic Struggle. The
same outfit that turned the trick re-
ported for school this fall.
| No other team dominated the district
as did Biwabik before the loss of these
two brilliant performers, and at the
present moment it is impossible to pick
successor for the position that BIZ
wabik held Graduation hit the other
eight members of the district hard, with
this years squads numbering but few
regulars.
Coach George Kakela's Mountain
Iron squad unquestionably stamped it
self as a serious contender for district
honors by turning back Eveleth's team
of our veterans, 20 to 20, on the home
court Thanksgiving eve. With but one
lletterman, Dominic Bianchi, in the line
up, Coach Kakela's reserves from a
year ago performed in great style to
down Coach George E. Lees aggrega-
ton.
Coach Edward T. Buckley will have
an opportunity to show the. caliber OF
his 1938-39 high school team when he
travels to Eveleth, Friday night, for the
seasons initial encounter. With five
boys on the squad who saw considerable
service last year, Coach Buckley and his
quintet will rate considerable respect
from district teams if they can hand
Eveleth good trouncing.
Virginia, last years district and re-
gional champions, is the largest ques-
ton mark on the district basketball
horizon. Coach Archie Skalbeck has
but one regular, John Nordlander, CEN
ter, and two reserves Clarence Kortes
forward, and Charles GaseSki, guard
around which to build his team. Every
team in the district will be cunning for
the champs with Aurora having the
honor of getting the first crack at the
Queen City five on the formers court
Friday night in the initial game of
the season for both.
And that brings up the question of
what chance has Aurora to dislodge
the crown that rests so perilously upon
the champions head. Aurora has a
team of unknown quality. With three
veterans and some likely looking pros
poets on deck, they can be classified as
the districts's No. darkhorse.
International Falls, which opens the
season against Mountain Iron on the
home court, Dec. 8, also can be placed
in the darkhorse classification Three
veterans will be available for this years
squad.
Another team of unknown caliber is
Gilbert. Its only regular, Oliver Ola,
was injured in football and will not
see action until the second semester
Coach H. D. Montgomery has two other
lettermen returning. They are Peter
Egger and G.. Loredo. They entertain
Tower in the opening game Friday
night.
Tower dropped its initial contest by
an eight-point margin to Biwabik's
experienced aggregation, but by no
means has it been knocked from the
list of contenders for district honors.
Under the tutelage of new coach, Vern
Miller and boaSting six lettermen,
Captain Russell Nelson, Burton Lundahl,
William Harmon, Donald Lackey, Law
renee Mihelich and Edward Dragavon,
the squad plays it's second game of the
season at Gilbert, Friday.
| Mountain Iron travels to Biwabik,
Friday night for game that should
reveal just what both have in the way
of quality material. From the outcome
of this and other games the same even
ing the boys who want to crawl out on
limb can predict with some degree of
accuracy the team or teams to beat in
district 81 competition. On Saturday
evening Mountain Iron entertains
Buhl.
Here is the final standing for district