Evening star., 1938-03-07
ST. John s and Eastern Clash in Schoolboy Basket
NO ODDS OFFERED
ON METRO BATTLE
Finale Tonight of Evening
Star Tourney Expected
to Fill Tech Gym.
By BURTON HAWKINS.

BY BUXTON HAWKINS.
The cum laude of scholastic basket
ball. presented by the two finest teams
this area has manufactured in sew
eral seasons, will be offered tonight
at Tech High gym when st. Johns,
Catholic League champion, clashes
with Eastern, public high titleholder.
for the Metropolitan Washington
championship in the sixth annual
Evening Star tournament.
As an overture to the most eagerly
anticipated schoolboy collision Of the
year, the Bethesda Chevy Chase and
Sherwood sextets will battle for the
girls title at 8 o'clock. with the boys
game slated to get under way about
9 o'clock.
Despite q 23-1s triumph over the
Lincoln Parkers month ago, the
Johnnies rate no better than an even
choice against Coach Mike Kelley's
outfit, for Eastern has improved. The
ecrappy Fasteners have clicked with
q precision that was lacking in earlier
ENGAGEMENTS and rate an offensive
edge over the safeguarding Cadets
coached by Gene Augusterfer.
As an illustrative example OF East
ern's effectiveness. the Lincoln Park
ers have averaged A points in TWO
games in The Star tourney, limiting
Georgetown Prep and Washington
Lee clubs to 9 and is points, re-
spectively. st. Johns, on the other
hand, has spanked Fredericksburg,
1925, and Bethesda Chevy Chase,
1920, but freely employed substitutes
In the first encounter.
Teams Matched An-Ar0und.
The teams are matched evenly IN
all departments, with Clint Guam
trille, the most prolific scorer in the
inter high series. paired against Jim
Giebel, the beefy Cadet center who
managed to outplay the 6-foot-217-
inch fastener in their first meeting.
Lee Lusby. second high-point scorer
In the inter-high campaign, who. like
QuantriIle, has averaged II points in
Star tourney games. will be shadowed
by s1arp-faced Francis Battiste. who
held him scoreless in the previous st.
John's-Eastern tiff. That game was
played on Catholic University's floor,
with an overflow crowd hampering
both teams, but Techs more spacious
gym and larger court eliminates the
possibility of physical hazards handi-
capping either club.
The city's most aggressive players,
who spend large portion Of every
game dusting the floor in scrambles
for the ball, also will square OF, with
Eastern's ball-hawking Russ Lom-
hardy, third high scorer Of the inter-
high series. and Earring Jimmy Mulvi-
hill matching wits.
Lombardy Nurses Injury.
Lombardy, who with Quantrille and
Lusby were unanimous all-high selec-
tions, has q slight leg injury, but it Is
not expected to interfere noticably
with the courageous lads classy play.
Eastern, like st. Johns employs q
man-for- r-man style that augers well
for the most hectic, yet most polished
schoolboy game fans have viewed here
in several years. It will be st. John 8
more cohesive defense against Eastern's
more powerful attack, with the breaks
expected to decide the winner.
Joey Gallagher. who directed the St..
Johns victory over Bethesda Chevy
Chase and generally is considered one
Of the smoothest players in this sector.
and rosy-cheeked Johnny Swagart,
who has averaged 10 points per game
in Star struggles, round out the dan
gerous Cadet contingent.
Howard Hancock. mild-mannered
fed-head who has played an important
role in Eastern's success this season,
and Ralph Matera, a feeder" who can
unleash accurate set shots when the
occasion demands, complete the Lin
coin Parkers' potent quint, Hancock
and Matera have been overshadowed
this season by the brilliance of that
fawless triumvirate Of Quantrille,
Lusby and Lombardy, but both are
polished performers.
Admission Costs Two Bits.
With an admission charge of only
Is cents. Techs gym is expected to be
crammed. The Elks Boys Band will
provide music.
Bethesda-Che Chase lassies, who
gained the title round in the girls
division by virtue of 21-11 victory
over Mount Rainier, present scoring
threats in Margaret Lee, Mildred Curtis
and Marjorie Jost, while Sherwood
point-gathering aces are Ruth Hard
ing and Dot Cuff. Sherwood spilled
George Washington High. 2l-7, to gain
the final round. Following are the
boys line-ups with player numbers:
Eos. st: Johns Eastern
I'll. Mulvihill 90 H. Hancock fS0I
C.----Jim Geibel IO c. Quantrille t24l
G.----J Swagart I3) r. Lombardy t221
t.-J Gallagher (5) - Lee Iusby t21)