By Brim Rykard

Basketball got off to a flying start in the Capital city last week as capacity crowds watched the opening of three leagues at the Y. M. C. A. and then another large group packed the Pacific Community building Saturday night to watch the Olympia high Red Devils take their season opener from Mt. Zion high of Winnsboro.

Despite the fact that all teams in the three leagues at the “Y” – City, Commercial and Sunday school – did not participate in the opening contests, the fans showed their appreciation by lusty cheers which rent the air on various occasions.

Down at the Pacific Community building, the Olympia boys playing for the first time in several years on the new court which was built year ago but had been used for a cotton warehouse, played to the largest crowd ever to witness a high school game in the Pacific community.

Coach Harry Shealy’s (?) palyed a magnificent game and sent their old time rivals, Winnsboro, bakc to the Fairfield county seat with the short end of a 28 to 13 score.

Gordon Boys Star

Scoring for the Olympia boys was about evenly divided. D. Gordon and Worrell each chalked up seven points, while B. Gordon and Grant each made a couple field goals. Herbert, a substitute, made two field goals, and Knox and Bertram made two points each.

Collins led the Winnsboro scoring with 5 points, followed closely by Hoover who rang up three counters.

In a preliminary contest, Blaney high school defeated the Olympia B team, 16 to 9. The Bees are coached by Dick Weaver, erstwhile Olympia player, and are composed of younger boys who have not had the experience to win a berth on the vansity.

In the Sunday school league contests at the Y. M. C. A. Saturday afternoon, the scores of most of the games were close. In two games the teams failed to reach two digits in scores.

Scores in the league were as follows; First Baptist, 19; Shandon Baptist 13; Associated Reformed Presbyterian, 9: St. Peter’s Catholic (?), Shandon Methodist 13, St. Francis Catholic 6: Main Street Methodist 8, Washington Street Methodist 7; Shandon Presbyterian 21, Good Shepherd Episcopal 11; First Presbyterian 21, Trinity Episcopal 7.

The First Presbyterian outfit is defending champion of the league and got off to a good start last week by taking an easy victory from Trinity Episcopal.

Basketball’s big guns in Columbia this year will be heard and seen in the City league which presents an array of former college starts.

College Stars Play

Last Tuesday night a large number of fans who had watched these boys play on various college quintets witnessed them perform again although the players were not in as good condition as they were while in college.

Tapp’s, defending champion, bowled over S. B. McMaster, a newcomer, 38 to 23, with such former stars as Deke Koosa, Red Baker, Bru Boineau, Buck Smith, Peter Richards and Curran Hughey taking part in the contest for the winners.

McMaster’s presented several former collegians in Dave Rembert, Kenneth Ouzts, Charlie Barron and Shack McCrady.

The Zoric led by John Rowland, was not at its full strength. Hank Gooding and Vic Laurie, the two regular forwards, did not play with the Rowland boys, but Henry assisted Rowland with the guard duties. Tom Craig is slated to handle the center position for the Zorics, and will be alby assisted by Nick Stringfellow another former Carolina player. Herbert Watson and Cobb played the other two forward posts.

The Pacific Terrifics, one of them city’s strongest independent teams, is expected to get into action this week, and it is likely that Columbia high, University high and Brookland-Cayce, will wait until after the Christmas holidays to start their schedule.