The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-12-29
Strong Ansonia High Hoopers Here 7onight
SPEEDY CROSBY CLUB SEEKING FOURTH VICTORY
Teams Split Even Last Season; Verbyla Leads
 Local Scores

Tonight at the Wilby gym, Crosby and Ansonia high will meet In the first Valley League basketball game of the season. Although all the local high schools have already played several games, tonights game is the first between members of the league and the first to count in the league standing. Crosby of to an suspicious start by whipping New Britain, Leavenworth and the Alumni, will be anxious to take Ansonia tonight. A year ago the local team opened with Ansonia and lost a hard game by the score 34-26. Later in tho season the team journeyed to An- sonia and defeated the Lavender 48-l4. This year Crosby has three games under Its belt before meeting Ansonia and will be better prepared than was the case year ago,
 A check back over several years indicates that in the past four sea- sons, tonight's rivals have met eight times, and each took four victories. Crosby -Ansonia games are usually hard fought with victory being won by very small margin. What Coach Jarvis of the Lavender has this sea- son is as yet unknown, but after the very successful season that Ansonia has just enjoyed on the gridiron, 1t can be guessed that there is plenty of material in the school down the valley.
 The i030-io40 edition of Crosby basketball has shown to advantage in the three games played to date. The local team outplayed New Br- tain all the way except in the clos- ing two minutes when Crosby tired. Tn that game the ctarting Ave played tho entire game while New Britain used flock of subs. Against Leavenworth, Crosby was very hard pressed to win. Tn fact the Techmen were leading by e basket with only two seconds left to play. Crosby eventually won out in on overtime game by the score 33-32, close enough. Once more the cry of lucky" went up. Possibly. However, If Capt. Vic verbyla had had any luck at all with his hook shots, there would have been no necessity of on overtime period. That game Is water over the dam now. It was Q tough one for Leavenworth to lose as the Techmen did maxe brave try for the game. They are still gunning for that first victory over n local rival, but they should come pretty close to breaking through this winter.
 The Crosby Alumni game showed the high school boys making fine showing until they weakened under the pressure of fresh players coming constantly Into the ball game. They Will not again face such experienced opposition aS that shown by Henry Koch. Don Walsh, Wally Prauskaitis Charlie Bcdell and Pete Mcsherry,
 In the scoring to date, Capt. Vic Verbyla leads his team with 32 points. Art Fisher, forward, has ac- counted for %. and Bob Roland, guard. has made %. Fisher has thrown lS field goals, Roland eleven and Verbyla 10. Verbyla has tossed l2 shots from tho free throw line 10 give him his margin. Harmon, for- ward, has made nine points, and Brickel, guard. has made three, Brickel takes few pops at the bas- ket. however, and contents himself With keeping his opponents from scoring.
 | With all three high schcool teams giving evidence of good teams, Inc local season should be on interest. ing one this year. The city title is going to be won this time only after some hard battling, as was indicated In tho Crosby. .Leavenworth game last week. Wilby, with three straight victories over Gilbert, the Alumni and st. Thomas Seminary, appar- ently has another strong Ave. With tho veterans Jack Brickei, Rlnalcll and Kalosky, tho Wildcats arc set Tor good season. The game with st, Thomas seminary was real test and Wilby came through victorious.
 Admission tonight will Do 3b cents Tor adults and 90 cents for students, |