The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1940-02-01
Sport
Ways.
BY Chuck Rattle

| rags %
BY Chuck Rattle
What About New Gym?-
Coaches Want 30-POint Clubs
Small Schools In New Fight
For Regional HOnors-
As the district % race gets hot
ter and hotter, Sank Centre inject'
a brand new note into the setul
with the opening of its new gym
nasium, that will this year bring
the tournament back to Sank Cen
ire for the first time since 1893
or 81. It's not only an histor
ical accomplishment, but the boy
are saying the larger court are,
may do something to the tourna
ment. just what, nobody is pre-
pared to say definitely. -.
It's reasonably certain that
the larger court area Is going
to open up the game, make de-
fensives q real problem. TIN
give teams q real chance to
work. It's reasonably GER
tain too that the teams that
survive the tourney gaff are
going to be I'm the pink of con-
dition. Or they won't stand
the pell nell rush of one end
to the other. Which brings
up the point just how much
advantage will Sank Centre
have. They have month-lOng
practice schedule on the new
area, and five home games
which should get them acquain-
cd with It, and time enough
to get In condition to go the
full way. It's going to be
interesting to watch what hap
pens to teams, higihy-tOuted, as
Osalkis, VINO play on smaller
courts, when they hit this big
stretch of maple.
sss
It's reasonable on the other han
to support a theory that the laI
ger floor might not make the dit
ference some anticipate. Tend
ency throughout has been to Lar
ger playing areas. In this distric
even the smaller towns are NOR
nearly approaching the norm thai
at any time in other years. 80.
A point that should be inter-
esting Is to watch what hap
pens to scoring. It should be
interesting in the case of the
locals. These boys are playing
nice ball, have been all season,
and have made rapid strides in
their actual court work.
But most supporting theories
point to the fact that a club
to come through more than
often requires a scoring tally
Of near 80 points-Over 80 will
insure q fair percentage of
wins. The locals this season
so far, had they gone to a 80
point average game, could have
topped all but very few.
Their average has been lower
in the EOS, but once scared to
over the 4O-mark. Which points
that they have latent power.
In checking over records of
year ago when the lads took bacl
the district crown, I find that tn
boys hung in the doldrums for tn
first half Of the season, were oftel
in the bracket below the 20's.
But about mid-season they bounc
ed into a new high scoring com
bination that struck them at a.
average Of just about 80 points pc
game. It's truth that when the
hit 80 and over, they won. Whe
they dropped back into the 2V:
they lost. In the tournament
race they held above thirty in ever
game with the exception of tn
Long Prairie tussle when the
dropped to 20 to exc out one poin
margin.
think some allowance can
be made this year for the mad
scramble the tournament pro-
poses to be. There are a lot of
big guns I'm this tournament
this year. Relative COMPARE
SONS Of the club may pare the
points average to something
lower than q year ago. At
least it's interesting to watch.
-. And most coaches breathe
easier IL their club Is a 30-point
getting outfit. -.
For some years the status of tn
small schools-student enrollmen
being considered-has been thor
in district sides. And the stat
setup as regards the completion
of schools In basketball tourney
has undergone change after change
/. A year ago this columnist re
viewed some Of the positive fact
ors involved in the A and B set
ups employed in other states.
This year the program is going t
get some attention at the stat
meet, it's reported. :.
In every district the smaller
schools have started the pres
sure for greater justice. It's
an age for social justice. (. A
program that at one time found
W. ~-o v>un~<