Evening star., 1939-02-27
Sizzling Scrap
Promised for
Metro Title
Public High Champion
And 6. W. to Clash
In Court Natural
By ROD THOMAS.


two parochial schools seeded, pair
ings we're made today for the annual
Evening Star tournament for the
interscholastic basket ball cham
plonship of Metropolitan Washing
ton. to open next Monday night at
Tech.
The champion Eastern and run
ner-up Tech quints of the public
high series, concluded Saturday, and
st. Johns and Gonzaga, now even
in series for the Catholic school
title of the city, are the seeded
teams.
In each bracket of four schools are
one public high, one parochial. one
Virginia and one Maryland team.
Eastern and Gonzaga are in the
upper and St. Johns and Tech in
the lower.
st. Johns, which won the metro
politan title last year in uilir,-
wind tournament. with Eastern as its
final victim, will open and possibly
close its championship defense in a
game with Jefferson High of Falls
Church, champion of Fairfax County
and the only undefeated schoolboy
team in the metropolitan area.
Upper Bracket Stronger.
st. Johns and jefferson and
Eastern and George Washington
alexandria, will clash on opening
night, the first game to start at
7:30, and the following evening will
bring together Tech and Mount
Rainier, Prince Georges County
champion and Gonzaga and either
Bethesda Chevy Chase or Montgom.
ery-Blair of Montgomery County.
The Montgomery schools are ex-
pected to settle the county title
issue with third meeting, each
holding a decision over the other.
The semifinals will be played
March IA and the final March Is
at Tech. '
While the upper bracket appears
trif1e stronger than the lower,
none Of the opening games appears
to be pushover. jefferson. en-
gaging in its first big-time school,
boy tournament, may be a little
| f1ustered by running into the de-
| Tending champion straight off, but
| the Jeffs are used to unusual con.
ditions. In winning ID straight VIC
tories. they played all games on
| foreign floors. They have no home
court and much of their practice
was outdoors.
Johnnies Snare Close Ones.
| St. Johns won the appellation
"One-Point Wonders" by snatching
a large percentage of its victories by
( close margins.
The Eastern-George Washington
contest is natural Early in the
season George Washington hung a
22-l2 sinner on the District champ
and later Eastern got even, 29-l2
Alexandrians, coached by Albert
Doran. have come along steadily
and will enter its rugged game with
Eastern probably at the peak.
Gonzaga. playing in The Star
/ tournament for the first time. will
meet at least strife-hardened op-
ponent in the Montgomery County
standard bearer. Bethesda Chevy
Chase and Montgomery-B are
fighting a toothand-na battle with
a difference of only few points be-
/ tween them in two contests. If
Montgomery Blair wins, Bethesda
Chevy Chase for the first time will
not be represented in the tourna-
ment.
Little Mount Rainier High. per-
rennial Prince Georges County
champion under the coaching of
Perry Wilkinson, never has pro-
gressed far in The Star competition,
but figures to make Tech turn on
the heat. The Mounts haven't lost,
to a county rival in three years.
Lots of Excitement Promised.
All in all the tournament shapes
up as a Whooshing party. and a
record attendance is expected. Last
years final between St. Johns and
Eastern drew one of the largest
gatherings ever packed into Tech
gym.
Helping the attendance this time,
it is expected. will be the new ar
rangement under which the seven
District public high schools and
those outside the city school system
engaged in the tournament will
share in the proceeds. The institu-
tions concerned will keep the money
from all tickets they SELL The adj
mission fee at each session will be-
two bits.
There will be four double headers,
with the metropolitan final for the
girls filling out the last card.
Arrangements will be made this
week for the girls event in which
four teams will participate. Those
so far invited are George Washing
ton, Mount Rainier and Montgom-
| 1o;x