By JOHN K. SMITH

Sun Sports Writer

Pre-tournament favorites Garfield and Blanchett, both of Seattle, take on a pair of less heralded challengers tonight in the semifinals of the state high school class AA basketball tournament. And “upsets” at the hands of Richland and Hudson’s Bay did not seem unlikely.

Garfield, coached by Ron Patnoe of Bremerton, has won the tournament the last two years. This is the last year of the 16-team tournament and the one for which many observers have believed the Bulldogs best prepared.  However Richland has been more impressive in both its wins, turning on offensive power, while Garfield has relied on defensive ability.

THE TWO clash at 7:30 tonight in the first semifinal of the tourney. At 8:55, the last game of today’s six-tilt slate, Hudson’s Bay, the tallest team in the tourney, collides with Blanchet, the tourney’s luckiest quintet.

In yesterday’s winners bracket results, Garfield gratefully accepted a 48-46 victory over Wilson of Tacoma in the Bulldogs’ second close shave in two days; Richland’s Bombers brushed off Bellevue, 66-52, although having to go into a stall in the fourth quarter to quiet Randy Stoll and his mates; Hudson’s Bay stepped on Ballard, 54-42, and Blanchet used a free throw after the final buzzer to defeat a more impressive Renton team, 37-36.

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Schedule

FRIDAY

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Statistics

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Goldenball

Schedule

SHERIDAN PARK

Saturday

Junior Division:  9 a.m.,  Tracyton-3 vs. CYO-3; 10, Westside Boys Club-1 vs. Brownville Comm. Church-2; 11, Kitsap Lakers-1 vs. Manette Merchants; 12 Noon, Emmanuel Lutes vs. Kitsap Lakers-2.

Intermediate Division:  1 pm.,  First Pres-1 vs. East High Lettermen-1; 2, Our Saviour Lutes vs. Sons of Norway; 3, First Methodist-1 vs. CYO-1; 4, Charleston Baptist vs. West Hi Lettermen.

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In the losers bracket contests yesterday with the victims eliminated, Central Valley whipped Ellensburg, 57,41; Roosevelt humbled East, 63-37; Franklin Pierce came from behind to trip Evergreen, 51-46, and Lewis and Clark, which frightened Garfield to death on opening night, stumped little Burlington-Edison, 53-41.

TOMORROW’S eight remaining teams all will place. In the 1:30 p.m. opener Saturday, surviving first-day losers will battle for fifth and eighth.  At 2:55, losers of tonight’s semifinals will tangle for third and sixth. At 7:30, survivors for second-day losses will struggle for fourth and seventh. The big one, starting at 8:55, will pit victors from tonight’s semis for the championship and second place.

Completely outgunned for the second day in a row by a bigger Seattle team, the Knights of East listened gratefully to the klaxon that ended their hopeless debate with Roosevelt.

After having trouble hitting from outside and unable to consistently get within shouting distance of the backboard, the Knights fell behind 15-0 before a free throw by center Darryl Fry after a frustrating five minutes and 35 seconds finally put East on the scoreboard.  Fry also collected the initial Knight field goal just before the quarter ended with East down 4-15.

SECOND PERIOD was East’s best in the tournament. The Knights outscored the Roughriders 15-7 to trail by only six at intermission. Two field goals by guard John Tracy and one by forward Jim Tienhaara plus nine free throws, four by Tienhaara, had East fans hoping for a real wild comeback.

It wasn’t to be.

Dave Normile, senior guard who had devastated East in the first period, started in agains with three points and the Roughriders made it 35-19 before East scored in the second half.

Normile, who had tallied 10 in the first period, finished the game with 22 followed by Steve Looney with 15 and Dick Van Law with 14 for the ‘Riders.

High Knight was Mike Holen with 16.

ALL THE Roosevelt damage had been done by the smaller players. East had almost perfectly defensed Al Murch’s big reputation. The 6-5 Roosevelt forward garnered only two free throws.  And center Neil Werner was shut out – something the Seattleites couldn’t do to any East starter.

The loss ended East’s season with an overall 15-7 mark. All but one of the tourney team will graduate. Lone returnee is Tracy.

Blanchet never led in its contest with Renton, but won. The taller Indians tried to stall away the fourth quarter with a lead that varied from four to two points but the strategy backfired. Blachet’s Jim Miller put in the tying basket just as little Mike Acres was being fouled and the time was run out. Acres scored a free throw after ward and that ended the game to the game to the almost incredible dismay of the Renton team which had led Blanchet 10-0 after one quarter.

Tom Workman again led Blanchet. He scored 21 of his team’s 37 yesterday and now has a two-day total of 50, second only to Bellevue’s Stoll who got 20 yesterday after 33 in his opener. Lance Bigham of Lewis and Clark had 43 for third high among individuals, netting 26 yesterday.

OTHER TEAM leaders yesterday include Theartis Wallace with 23 for Richland and Ed Brown with 17 for Garfield.

Jeff Hale paced Wilson with 11 in the battle that went to the wire although Garfield had led by 10 in the first quarter and by seven going into the fourth.

Craig Raymond, 6-10 center and Bill Flynn, 6-2 junior guard, each countered 15 for Hudson’s Bay.