Evening star., 1939-11-23
Championship Series
Is Most Exciting
In Last Decade
New System Of Staging
Competition Is Hit
With Customers
BY BURTON HAWKINS.

BY BURTON HAWKINS.
To followers of scholastic football
the public high series this year will
live long as a cherished memory,
for it packed more pathos and
thrilling episodes than any series
in the last decade. 1t even in
cluded fist flinging, which precipi-
tated a quickly quelled riot and
unveiled the smoothest scholastic
gridiron specimen to smack this
sector in years.
With what developed as a judi
cious decision, schoolboy officials
were content to ignore the fistic
activity which marked the first
Eastern-Western game, and as a
result the same teams were meet
ing today at Central High Stadium
for the series championship. West
ern captured the western division
title, while Eastern snatched the
eastern division crown.
Played for the first time under
a system which split the seven
schools in two divisions, the series
clicked with customers, and interest
was intensified. How well the sys-
tenn worked is mirrored in the fact
both division crowns we're decided
only last week, with Western whip
ping Central, 27-2l, in dramatic
game and Eastern gaining the right
to face Western in the playoff by
battling Tech to a scoreless tie.
Central in Two Hot Dramas.
Central's light but spectacular
club participated in both the sea-
sons epics, spilling Tech, 17-7, in a
game more spine tingling than the
score indicates. and, of course, in
losing to Western. Those games
provided the high lights of the
year in so far as actual play was
concerned. with the first Eastern
Western tiff the acme in the extra
curricula department.
The western division was equipped
with more stars, as reflected in the
selection of five Western High play
ers and three Central performers
on The Stars all-high team Roose-
welt, Eastern and Tech also have
representatives in the lineup.
Star of the series and spark plug
of team which averaged three
touchdoWns game over eight
games, blond, cocky Benny Steiner,
Central quarterback, was stamped
as the local high schools finest
football product in some seasons.
He is the outstanding player on
the all-high team.
If there was anything Steiner
couldn't do it wasn't revealed. A
crisp, accurate passer, deadly punter
and effective runner, Benny also
caught several timely aerials and
directed the Central eleven in flaw
less fashion.
Steiner Is Outstanding.
In the Western game Steiner
punted 66 yards out of bounds on
Westerns 4-yard line, and later In
the game another of his punts
travelled SO yards to Westerns /.
He played prominent part in Gen.
trails three toucfdowns and con-
verted the three extra points.
He sent Central into a 80 lead
over Tech with a field goal and,
after Tech scored early in the fourth
period to grasp 7-3 lead, settled
the issue with fourth-down touch
down pass to End Sam Di Blasi.
Benny also booted extra points fol-
lowing both Central touchdowns.
It's something of pity no record
Of Steiner's pass-completion per-
centage was kept, for it would re-
veal him as the Sammy Baugh or
Davey O'Brien of the schoolboys.
He was terrific, and thus the 1872
FOUNDER repeats as quarterback of
The Stars all-high outfit.
George Barnes, also on the 1888
all-high edition, was the best of
the remaining backfield men, with
Harry Martin. Central's authorita-
tive blocker and respected ball car
rier, and Westerns Jake Hilleary
completing the backfield contingent.
Anacostia's Art Faircloth was
nudged out of the second-team
backfield by Eddie league of East
ern, James Porter of Central, Whitley
Hall of Tech and Johnny Bredben-
ner of Central, the latter missing
first-team recognition by the margin
of a mosquitoes eyelash.
Boothe Stars on Losing Team.
Elongated Dick Farr, who occa-
sionally retreated from his flank
post to pass and punt when Steiner
altered CentraPs attack, and 6-foot-
3-inch Danny Boothe, who labored
in lost cause for Roosevelt's floun-
dering team, earned the end jobs.
Both were dependable pass receiv-
ers. Sam Di Blasi of Central was
a crack pass snatcher but woefully
weak defensively. Boothe, like
Steiner and Barnes, was on last
years team.
Vancio Vaniglio, 2O8-pounder
whom Coach Mike Kelley deals
lofty praise for the showing of the
Eastern line this year, and scrappy
Ray Wrenn. converted back who
pulled out of the line to chuck passes
for Western, are installed as tackles,
gaining a nod over Eastern's Bob
Pieri, an all-high guard last year.
Also outstanding was Nick Mant-
zouris of Tech.
The guards were comparatively
feeble crop, but John Buckley of
Tech and Jack Neam of Western
showed enough to warrant selection.
Buckley was the key figure in a
rather sturdy Tech line, while Neam
reached his peak, against Central
and otherwise was consistent. Cliff
ford Hack of Woodrow Wilson and
Bob Lanzillotti of Central rated
above the others.
The center duel was limited chief
ly to Jack Xanten of Western and
Jack Wilhelm of Central, with the
former coping the position. Will
helm missed one game and wasn't
when Western was pune
turing Central's line for repeated
gains.