Evening star., 1940-02-13
Virginia Promises Big
Showing With Three
Quints Ambitious
iTuIIoch Touts Fuirfox;
Prince Georges Is Out
For First Time
BY ROD THOMAS.

From here in virtually every
basket ball game played by public
high school team in the metropol-
tan Washington area will have
little extra meaning. This is Eve
ming Star tournament checking-up
time. Early in March, definite dates
yet to be settled, the eight teams
with the best records will shoot 1t
out for the metropolitan District
public school championship.
The field already is taking shape
and it promises to be the most un-
usual in the eight-year history Of
the tournament. For the first time
there may be no defending cham
pion. Eastern, which won last year,
is hard put to hold place in the
sun even in the interhigh champion
ship series and it must finish first
or second to become eligible for the
metropolitan scrap.
Mount Rainier Out of 1t.
Also for the first time Prince
Georges County, it is probable, won't
be represented. From the beginning
Mount Rainier or Hyattsville has
carried the P. G. standard in The
Star tournament but this time it is
plain neither can make the grade.
Hyattsville no longer goes in for such
competition anyway.
Taking over the Prince Georges
usual spot may be an extra team
from Northern Virginia. George
Washington and Washington-Lee are
assured places and stiff campaign
to include the bustling Fairfax High
is being waged by Jack Tulloch,
managing and sports editor of the
Alexandria Gazette.
Virginia has been kicked around
numerically in The Star tourna-
ment," said Tulloch today, "but I
believe that's all over. We have
three teams down here with enough
stuff to make it hot for any others
likely to be in the tournament. I
made a trip recently with Fairfax
High and I saw enough to convince
me 1t would stand real chance OF
winning the metropolitan title"
They're Brave Words, Jack.
Tulloch squawked over pairings
IN past Star tournaments which in
variably tossed a Virginia team
against favorite with dire conse-
quences for the Old Dominions.
This time, though, we don't care
w1o we play" he said.
Brave words. those, what with
Roosevelt's six straight victories in
the interhigh competition and sew
eral other metropolitan candidates
In and out of the D. c. series pick
ing up momentum.
Extremely Star tournament
scious this season are Montgomery
County's warm rivals, Bethesda
Chevy Chase and Montgomery Blair.
Last year Bethesda was nosed out
by Blair for a place in the tourna-
ment and it was the first time the
ever-lively Lelanders, who contrib
uted more than any other group to
the development of the event, were
not represented.
No one regretted more than the
tournament management that Be-
hesda-Chevy Chase had to be ex-
cluded.
It feels the same this time in the
case of little Mount Rainier, which
year after year came to the Metro
politan strife knowing full we'll its
title chances were nil but always
striving gallantly and gracefully
accepting defeat.
Competition between Bethesda
Cnevy Chase and Montgomery Blair
always is spirited but well ordered
and it is particularly hot this bas-
ket ball season. The other night
Bethesda scored a 1-point victory
over Blair in a game the Silver
Springers declare they should have
won handily. Their chance for vim
dication will come late this month
when the rivals clash again. The
Star tournament management has
promised that, in the event third
game is necessary to settle the is
sue, Bethssda-Chev Chase and
Blair will be paired in the first
round. And that, folks, would pro-
duce basket ball battle, indeed.