Evening star., 1938-02-23
SCH0LAST|CS KEEN
FOR TOURNEY PLAY.
Court Sport Revival Here
Promises Fiery Fights
for '38 LaureIs.
BY BURTON HAWKINS.

BY BURTON HAWKINS.
After several seasons Of wallowing
In the muck Of what politely might be
termed q recession, scholastic sports
In this sector seem headed for a re-
vival of the robust rivalry that once
marked schoolboy campaigns. The
swing back to talented teams has been
mirrored during the current basket
ball season. The trend upward indi-
Gates q fourishing future which ap-
parently will compare favorably with
bygone eras.
Only now is the interhigh court
series displaying definite signs Of re-
covering from nasty spill of two
years ago. The banana peel in that
instance was the compound fracture
of attractive double-header basket ball
bills into single games at separate
gyms.
Interest dwindled and teams became
proportionately ragged with the la
mentable lack of spirit. Attendance
skidded from capacity crowds Of $500
at Tech twin bills to a mere 200 or so
faithful enough to patronize single
games. The natural result was de-
moralization Of team spirit and the
twin evil Of Indifferent play It marked
new low In scholastic competition
here.
Interest Is Rekindled.
Birch E. Bayh, czar Of public school
athletics, correctly diagnosed the situ-
alton and his remedy has proved ef-
fective. He initiated the scheme Of
Friday night double-headers and also
restored the popular Tuesday after
noon twin bills. That has rekindled
interest, but only the surface has been
nicked, for Bayh, among other things,
plans to institute night football. Com
plete recovery perhaps will take an
other year, but at least it Is in view.
The Stars basket ball tournament
will be an instrumental factor in
speeding that resuscitation. Not since
1888. when Central and Eastern both
manufactured crack clubs, has this
area produced the brand Of court COM
petition now being unraveled. Only in
rare instances do the lads act rs
though basket ball is so much quick
sand.
Downright sensational performances
have been unleashed during the cur
rent season and several boys have
been introduced who will serve to en-
tice fans for at least two years. Hymie
Perlo OF Roosevelt, Bob Custer of
Western and sgd Schulman of Tech,
third and fourth semester players, are
talented enough to envision a rosy
hued future. They should reach their
peak next year and their play Is ex-
pected to spark what looms as a torrtd
championship scrap.
Teams Bound to Improve.
Central, although immersed in the
cellar this season, will have its entire
team returning next year and, having
prof1ted by experience, will be danger
Gus. Tech has progressed rapidly un-
der Coach Bruce Kessler and Wilson
also has improved.
Eastern. however. appears the cream
OF the crop and it Is with some jubi-
lance that the Lincoln Parkers antici-
pate play in The Stars tournev.
Eastern has score to settle with st.
Johns, but regardless Of the outcome
Of their second collision, If both ad-
vance to the final round, both will
reap profit from the stiff sessions of
tournament action.
st. Johns, with perhaps the smooth
est team ever to represent that school.
has focused It's optics on the National
Catholic scholastic championship. By1
winning that title the Cadets would
qualify as one of the finest clubs, if
not the best, ever to be produced here
about.
Should the Johnnies win that crown
at Chicago they will receive more ma
uonal recognition than befell Central
IN capturing the University of Penn
sylvania title in 1927 or Eastern in
taking the Eastern States champion
ship at Glens Falls in 1885. Although
limited to Catholic teams, its scope Is
national and generally is regarded as
tht Nations foremost schoolboy court
tourney.
Tune for Bigger Meets.
Eastern, which expected to clinch
the interhigh title today. plans to enter
both the South Atlantic tourney spon-
sored by Washington and Lee Uni
versity at Lexington, Va, and the
Eastern States competition. The Lin
coin Parkers, who never have quite
measured up to possibilities this sea-
son. need several tests and The Stars
tourney will give them just that.
Thus The Star tourney receives
added significance this year. It will
serve to place the quints in proper
fiery spirit for the sterner tasks ahead,
neatly filling gap which would find
both st. Johns and Eastern otherwise
suffering from lack of vital competi-
(see STARS MEET, Page A-l4)