St Albans School - Albanian Yearbook (Washington, DC)

Page 84 text:

ri TB . i. l lilies if m to 1 , as . , W 3' X , S l K W .. .a . f Standing, left to right: Mr. Howison, Akers, Faircluth, de Wolf lManag'erJ. l Seated. left to right: Ballinger. B. West, Morgan 4CaptainJ, J. Williams, Osborn. T o L. MORGAN, Captain MR. HOWISON B. DE WOLF, Manager HE Albanian goes to press at a time when the strongest tennis team since 1942 is approaching the most critical point in its schedule, and at a time when St. Albans netmen stand a better-than-even chance of capturing the Friends School lnterscho- lastic Tournament. The team has a record of two victories without loss, and Captain LeRoy Morgan and baseballer Bob Smith may soon battle each other to determine who gains the final round of the Tournament. Coming up May 7 are critical matches with Landon and Friends Schools which count in both the IAC and DC Championships, and a match with Coolidge, the out- standing high-school team of the District of Columbia. The Blues are out with blood in their hearts for Friends, which has for two consecutive years robbed them of both Championships with 5-4 victories won in the final doubles encounter. Despite this intensity of purpose, however, they can hardly afford to overlook the Landon team, which is made up of surprisingly youthful and top-notch players who should be, as a whole, unbeatable within two years. Coolidge High School tops St. Albans in points, 8-7, in the Friends tourney, but if Bob Smith should defeat Dick Fink, Coolidge ace, in their pending quarter-final ATHLETICS 1945

Page 83 text:

mound Derick Daniels ably replaced the slab stars of the past. This year Derick. who had gained badly-needed control, has won two of his three starts and seems on the way to a more-than-successful season. In addition, when Derick was not pitch- ing he was inserted in the lineup in left field in order to utilize his batting ability. In the outfield Johnny Hart and Gordon Linke have won the center and right field positions respectively after a bitter contest with Ericson, Powel, and Faulkner, all of whom seemed destined to see action throughout the season. When hefty Har- ry Harwood, who received credit for the victory over C.H.M.A., pitched, Luce as- sumed the duties of first baseman. After the Wilson game was cancelled on account of rain, the opening game of the season was played on Wednesday, April 18, against Maryland Park High School. This proved to be an easy victory for Derick Daniels, as the Blues won by a 7-2 score. The game was highlighted by Jamie Byron, who drove in three runs with a triple and personally scored two additional runs. This game proved that the team was sound at bat as well as afield and convinced the coaches, by Derick Daniels' four-hit pitch- ing performance, that they had a dependable moundman. In the second game, with Charlotte Hall Military Academy, the Blues again were victorious, this time by the impressive score of 17-4. Harwood, who received credit for the victory, though he was replaced by Daniels in the sth inning, proved to be a very effective pitcher. The whole team participated in the heavy batting attack. In the postponed game with Bethesda-Chevy Chase, the Blues proceeded to vic- tory behind Derick Daniels' five-hit pitching by the overwhelming score of 14-3. The game with Episcopal High School was lOSt 5-6. Because the Allmnizzu had to go to press early this year, it was impossible to cover the remaining seven games. These were with Woodberry Forest on May S, Landon on May 8, St. Andrews on May 11, St. James on May 12, and Sidwell Friends on May 22. Maryland Park H. S. ,,ree,, , Charlotte Hall M. A. WOYI WOI'1 Bethesda Chevy-Chase won Episcopal High School ........ lost Woodberry Forest . ..r.....,.. won Landon -- . won St. Andrews .... WOI1 THE AL A

Page 85 text:

match, the score would stand eight-all and St. Albans would capture the cup, since the other two Coolidge representatives have been eliminated, andCoolidge could gar- ner no more points. St. Albans would then be assured of the deciding ninth point, since Albanites Morgan and Smith would meet in the semis to determine who should reach the finals. Even before its start on April 28, the Tournament was obviously going to be a nip-and-tuck battle between St. Albans and Coolidge, whose representatives early secured eight points. Morgan, seeded first, acquired three points for St. Albans as he advanced easily to the semi-finals, defeating the number one player of Western, 6-2, 6-35 number one of St. John's, 6-0, 6-3, and number one of Wilson, 6-2, 6-3. A warm-up match on April 21 saw the Blues whitewash Western, 9-0. Mor- gan won 6-4, 6-15 West, 6-2, 6-3, Eddy Bellinger, 6-3, 6-13 Jonathan Williams, 6-2, 6-2g Albert Akers, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, and Don Osborn, 6-3, 6-1. In doubles Morgan and West worked smoothly as a net-charging pair, 6-3, 6-4, Bellinger and Akers teamed up and won, 6-3, 6-2, and Williams and Osborn annexed the third doubles, 6-1, 6-0. Their first IAC match occurred the next Friday, April 27, when St. Andrews School made the long trip and lost a heartbreaker, 6-3. Although the Blues captured the singles, 4-2, without the assistance of West, who had a cold, Coach Marion How- ison had his life shortened by five years when it appeared that St. Albans would lose all three doubles and the match. Hopes sank further when Williams and Osborn dropped the number two doubles, 7-5, 6-1, After two hours of a contest that had Blue rooters holding their breaths, Morgan and Bellinger clinched the match with a 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 victory. Akers and Faircloth then squeezed out a hard-earned 7-5, 6-4 win, and the match ended: St. Albans 6, St. Andrews 3. In the singles Morgan won 6-4, 6-23 Bellinger, 7-5, 6-4, Osborn, 6-4, 6-35 and Roddy Lucas, 8-6, 6-2. Williams was edged out 6-3, S-7, 9-7, and Akers, playing the fourth spot, likewise lost. Western I-I. S. ...... - . .won, 9-0 St. Andrews - ..... won, 6-3 Friends ........s. I snwon, 7-2 Coolidge H. S. .... - won, 5-4 Landon ..s,ss ..s. 6 s s iwon, 4-3 THE ALBANIAN