European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 16, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday february 16, 1989 the stars and stripes Page 21 prep Pickin s everybody gets � nto tourney act for the first time in Dodds history every team gets the Opportunity to win a basketball tournament. The chances of Many teams winning Are nil but they still will be playing in a postseason tournament because of a new format adapted for the Dodd Germany Bennor teams. The Bennor Italy u.k., Spain and Turkey tournaments have included All the respective league members in their Competition. In fact some of the Bennor teams got to play in two tournaments their own and in the Small schools Field. In the past Only the top four teams from Ger Many aaa and Germany a qualified for the big schools tournament. Only the top three a Central and a South teams in the past advanced to Small schools Competition where they were joined by the top two teams from Bennor. The format for those tournaments was single elimination and Consolation play. This year the Ger Many Bennor style is strictly single elimination. I think giving every school the Opportunity to play in a postseason tournament was a Wise decision by the Powers that be. I came to stars and stripes 24 years ago this week from Illinois where i was the prep sports editor for the Peoria journal Star. At that time every school in the state played in a one class tournament. Participation was determined by school enrolment not final league standings. Competition began with the smallest schools on the District level and progressed through regional sectionals and super sectionals until Only eight schools remained. They advanced to the University of Illinois fieldhouse for championship determination. In 1964, something like 647 downstate schools and 54 from Chicago started out with the state championship the ultimate goal. It was t often that a District Winner knocked off the big Guys and made it to the championship game but it happened every once in a while. The Cobden Appl knockers with an enrolment of 57 students and a starting lineup that went some thing like 6-9, 6-9, 6-7, 6-5, 6-5 levelled some of the state powerhouses to get into the 1964 title game. But their Hopes were dashed 54-49 by Pekin 2,800 students in that showdown. Since then Illinois has changed its tournament format to a Multi class one. However every school still gets that Chance for in its bracket state championship glory. And it s great that every Dodds school in Europe also gets to play in a postseason tournament. The Odds against last place teams coming alive and winning a tournament Are overwhelming but not impossible like they d be with those teams on the outside like they used to be. This year All 13 boys and girls teams eight from aaa and five from a shoot for the big schools championship at Mannheim feb. 22-26. The Field is so big that an extra Day was added to the tournament which will begin with five boys and five girls games wednesday on Sullivan Barracks and Benja min Franklin Village courts. Because there Are too Many schools for a single tournament the Small schools must go through regional play this weekend to qualify teams for the Small schools meet next week at shape. Nine boys and girls teams have been assigned to the Northern regional at Hahn and 10 Are in the Southern regional Field with the boys doing Battle at Karlsruhe and the girls going at it at Munich. Regional elimination thursday paired the bad Kreuz Nach and Oesterberg boys and bad Kreuz Nach and Bonn girls at Hahn Vilseck against Ulm and Fulda against Bamberg in boys games at Karlsruhe and Ulm against Bamberg and Ansbach against Fulda in girls games at Munich. Shape was top seeded in Northern regional boys Competition with osterholz Brussels and Hahn ranked 2-3-4, respectively. Giessen got the top girls seed with accent Brussels and Hahn getting the next three berths. Munich s boys and girls got the top seeds in the Southern regional. Berlin Augsburg and Karlsruhe followed in the boys ratings and Augsburg Baum older and Vilseck trailed Munich on the girls list. The top four clubs in each regional Advance to the Small schools tournament where North no. 1 will meet South no. 4, North no. 2 will face South no. 3 and vice versa in girls and boys Competition. How do things shape up around the regional fronts that gets into prognostication a sometimes dangerous project. But it s fun. So look for shape to beat osterholz for the North boys title with Hahn Topping Brussels for third place. Picking the girls Winner poses More difficulty but i go with Brussels Over Giessen in the title go and accent Over Hahn for third place. Down South both Munich teams prevail. The boys conquer Berlin and the girls beat Baum older. Augsburg takes Home both third place trophies boys Over Karlsruhe and girls Over Vilseck. I have never won a lottery or anything like that. So Don t go making any wild wagers on my picks. And in the Small schools tournament i have a week before i have to make any decisions there just in Case old Man upset tears me up this week. Italy has gone to a big schools Small schools basketball tournament format too. The big schools Are Aviano Naples notre Dame Mary mount Over seas of Rome and Vicenza. The Small schools Field is comprised of Brindisi Comiso Livorno Milan and Simonella. Both tournaments Are scheduled for Friday and saturday the Small schools at Livorno the big schools at Aviano. The Small schools Are playing a True double elimination tournament with an if Nec Essary game the big schools Are going without the if necessary game. Why play a partial tournament it s too bad that Italy went for the two tourney package. The schools Down there have an enrolment disparity but certainly not one like the Pekin cob Den matchup. Although the bigger schools have dominated the action the smaller schools have their turns Over the years. This might have been one of those years be cause Milan has its strongest team Ever. The panthers gave Aviano one of the class teams in Dodds this year fits opening night. And Livorno won the first four tournaments after girls basketball was upgraded to High school status inthe mid-1970s. Wiesbaden s Rob Harris did it again walk off with player of the week accolades. He registered 17 Points and he got 13 boards As Hanau tried to take the air out of the Ball and the warriors won 44-42. Then he chalked up 48 markers and grabbed 19 rebounds in a thrilling 79-77 Wiesbaden win Over Frankfurt. The girls Honor goes to Giessen s Erin Springer. She scored 12 Points and grabbed 14 rebounds Fri Day and turned in another 12-Point game saturday while hauling Down 18 rebounds As the Griffins swept Baum older 38-31 and 33-30 to win the a Central championship. Both teams took 8-0 league records into the regular season final weekend. Ramstein and Heidelberg loom As the teams to beat Friday and saturday when the Central european wrestling championships unfold at Heidel Berg s Patton Barracks gymnasium. The royals walked off with eight champions and qualified a grappler in every weight division for the be tournament and the Lions were shut out Only in the 145-Pound bracket while chalking up seven titles. Frankfurt and accent have 11 qualifiers but Only one Champion going to Heidelberg. Accent and shape which won two titles while qualifying nine wrestlers loom As the toughest Small schools inthe meet. Individually there should be interesting encounters. The 112-Pound division appears loaded with shape s Sean Egge Stuttgart s Ryan Russell Hei Delberg s David Halpin and Ramstein s David lock yer heading up the rugged cast. Things should be extremely interesting at 145 and 189, too. Berlin s Clarence Alston Nurnberg s Tony la none Hanau s Roy Rutherford and Ramstein s Dexter Harper won at 145 last week but the finals could be a repeat of the Alston Kevin Rhoads North Ern regional finale last week. Alston took a 5-0 Deci Sion then. Three outstanding performers Wiesbaden s Aaron Williams Heidelberg s splendid Sophomore Aaron Topping and Ansbach s Shawn Hopkins head the heavier group. Those three weight divisions appear to be the class of the tournament but look for some exciting bouts in the other divisions too. Predicting individual winners is much More difficult than picking team winners. I tried it last year not with too great results but it was Well received according to some of the coaches who asked me if were going to try again. So Why not Here Are the 1989 winners 103jericho Valle Ansbach Over Shon wat son Ramstein. 112russell Over Halpin. 119a.j. Werner Wurzburg Over Jeff Brad born Wiesbaden. 125jason Savage Heidelberg Over Ari Dava telis Ramstein. 130ed Galang Stuttgart Over Thaddeus free Man Berlin. 135kevin Adams Brussels Over James Jeune lot Wei Nicken. 140billy Mittenzwey Heidelberg Over Dere Padden Patch. 145alston Over la none. 152gary Godbee Niernberg Over tyke mix Pitburg. 160david Slivka Nurnberg Over Dewan Leake Baum older. 171tony Alston Berlin Over Tom Otjen Hei Delberg. 189hopkins Over Williams. Una Gary Mccartney Nurnberg Over ale Franco Wiesbaden. Like i said ab9ve on the basketball predictions Don t take these picks As gospel and go out and Wager your House and car on them. I heard that a european championship tournament unsanctioned by Dodds of course is in the works for Croughton March 5. I have to Check that out for next week. Miscellany there will be a meeting of the Germany Bennor Spring sports coaches at 9 30 feb. 25 at the Benjamin Franklin Village no club. All eligible players trying out for the Dodds Germany team March 3-4 at Heidelberg for the Cholet cadets tourney must make their own room reservations at Patrick Henry Village transient Bil lets. The ets number is 370-6941 or 370-8128 the civilian number is 06221 -79 50. The stars and stripes High tech baseball cards give a Little More to Chew on by the new York times baseball cards can now talk but who la provide the translation for the Yog Iberra card at the american International toy fair this week in toys Ltd. Introduced sports talk a Battery operated unit that plays specially designed Topps baseball cards. The front of each card like regular cards has a player s picture and Auto graph but his voice has been recorded on a Vinyl record laminated on the Back. Inside the playing unit a Flat Needle rotates around the record. The company has made 164 cards and fans can hear George Brett of the Kansas City royals recalling the Infa Mous Pine tar incident in 1983 when the umpires disallowed a hone run or Jack Morris of the Dettori tigers describing the thrill of pitching in the world series. But players often a garrulous lot May feel crimped they get Only two and a half minutes. It took us a year and a half to cull Down half hour interviews said Murray Bass director of sales for in which is owned by Mca inc. Bass said Len has 400,000 orders for the playing unit and a $2 million television advertising Campaign will begin on opening Day of the season. The playing unit and four cards will sell for about $28, and four card packs will Cost $5. Ordinary cards Are 79 cents for a pack of 25,including Bubble gum