Evening star., 1941-01-01
Veteran First Team
Fills Coach Bride
With Optimism
Fast and Broiny Tossers
Bring Shift From Zone
To Mon-for-Mon Style
Ry GEORGE HUBER.

The always-exciting high school
basket ball struggle in Montgomery
County between Bethesda-Chevy
Chase and Montgomery Blair
should be hotter than ever this year
with Blair coming up at last as
real competitor to the usually sue
cessful Barons.
Bethesda Chevy Chase's hold on
the county title has been pierced
before but never completely broken.
The 1899 Blair team, under Coach
Cres Bride. split the usual two
game series Conflicts in the sched-
ule hindered third rubber" game
for the title. but the Blairs had
slightly better comparative record
and we're invited to The Star Met
ronolitan Tournament as Montgom-
erv County representative. Last
wear. however, the Barons took both
games.
Hopes to Take Two.
This year Coach Bride has sound
basis for hopes of winning both
games. Although the first doesn't
come until January 81 and the sec
ond on February 20 they already
are being considered the high spots
on the programs of both schools and
as such will be played on the spa
cious court of University of Mary
lands Ritchie Coliseum. The gym
at neither school could begin to hold
the fans expected.
Bethesda has a good team. There
are several holdovers from last
wears squad which went to the
Duke-Durham tourney and so far
they have lost only one of five
games. But the Blairs may be even
better. For regulars. Coach Bride
has five experienced seniors. all "A"
students in the classroom and equal
" smart on the court. They are
Ford Kelly. president of the schools
Student Council; Nick Carter. Ben
EnloW. Bill Cassadv and WimDv
REYNOLDS. The reserves are only
average-Rob Weir, Charles Ridge
wav and jim Davis being the best
of the lot-but they won't be needed
much.
The starting five all are in good
condition and able to play 40 MIN
utes of top-speed. They aren't par
ticularlv tall or heavy, but rather
are light and fast.
Changes His System.
There's a new system in vogue
at Blair Bride has abandoned the
zone defense in favor of man-to-
man. He hopes it will get his play
ers to move faster and believes
they won't be caught fiat-foOted
so much. The offense will feature
speed-a fast break and short. snap
pv passes. Most of the scoring
punch probably will be supplied by
Carter. Kelly and REYNOLDS Right |
now Carter is the leading scorer
in the Washington area. having
counted AZ points in three games.
An insight into the teams de-
fensive ability was shown in the
Charlotte Hall game before the holi- |
days. 1t generally was overlooked |
in the rush Of games then. but
REYNOLDS turned in what probably !
will be the best individual bit of
defensive work of the year. He was
assigned to guard Frank Cady, and
he did such a good lob that Frank
scored not a field goal. Last year,
when Cady was leading st. Johns
uuint, he scored IS points against
MONTGOMERY Blair to hang up an
all-time District scholastic record.
Coach Bride was determined that
Cadv wouldn't do it again.
The caliber of the Blair players is
such that most of them are looking
forward to good college cage ca
reers to more or less follow in the
footsteps of a former teammate,
Jack Ballard, who now is fresh
man on the Kansas U. squad under
Phog Allen.
G. w. High in Tourney.
George Washington High Of Al
exandria has added an extra assign
ment to It's schedule and on Satur-
day will play an important part
in the prep day celebration at Rich
mond U. This is an annual affair to
which the outstanding prep and
high school basket ball teams of
the previous year are invited.
The Presidents were runners-up
for the State title last year, losing
to E. c. Glass by one point in the
championship game. Glass also
will be at the celebration, playing
John Marshall High of Richmond,
while the Presidents meet st. Ben
edict's.
In other games Thomas Jefferson
plays Richmond freshmen, while the
varsity feature has Richmond u.
against Lehigh.