Gnadenhutten Indians 1930 Tournament Champions: #6 Clark - #13 Riley - #10 Kohl - #12 Ames - #8 Jack Hearing - #7 Kennedy - #9 C. Fox - #11 Petry - #1 E. Fox - #5 Carson and Head Coach Mead.
Midvale Blue Devils 1930 Tournament Runner-Ups: #5 Walker - #4 Baldwin - #11 West - #6 Zucal - #10 Fabiano - #7 Stevenson - #8 Pizzini - #9 Cunningham - #12 Riker - #3 White - Martinelli and Head Coach Roby.
DOVER - Not yet have the thrills of this glorious county tournament subsided. It's all over, but the shouting goes on. Gnadenhutten (3-0) (10-6) came in like a lion just as did the famous month of March, Saturday and won The Daily Reporter Trophy from Midvale (2-1) (4-3) in the championship game. The final victory read 28-24. That's the story in brief. But, the story behind it all reads like none other in county tournament history. Pitted against a team generally reputed to be a better cage machine and a sure shot for the title, the boys from Gnaden swept to triumph made sweeter by the rumor that they were expected to lose. They deserved the trophy. It was fitting that it should be presented to them, because they outplayed Midvale and displayed basketball such as their followers have not seen from them this season. Such a climax to a great tournament! Gnaden trailing, then forging ahead. The score never differing more than 2 points until the final minute. Both teams playing like demons. Sensational baskets slipping through the hoop. Brilliant defensive work from the guards. Accurate passing. In fact, it was just about everything, from the fans' standpoint, that a game could be.
The Indians' greatest problems were stopping West, Midvale center and those under the basket shots of Zucal, giant forward, were met like nobody's business. Perry Ames, Gnaden guard, was the lad who should be given credit for his little work; although, Denver Kohl, his center, aided in checking West. West scored 3 and Zucal 5 points, respectively. In other tournament games, both had run wild. Captain Ed Riley, forward, pitted his game against Fabiano, Midvale's all-tournament guard of last season, so successfully that he scored 5 field goals and 2 foul tosses for 12 points and won high individual honors for his struggle.
The victors earned that title by playing brilliant basketball. And, don't get the idea that the Blue Devils were off form. They played the same type of game that carried them past Sugarcreek-Shanesville and Strasburg. They simply were beaten by a team that was better that night. There's no dishonor in that. For the losers, Baldwin, forward, was the outstanding performer. He was all over the floor, in every play and when all seemed lost in that 3rd quarter, he put his team back in the running with difficult buckets. In all, he sank 5 field goals for 10 points.
Midvale led 9-8 at the 1st quarter, but the champions had forged ahead to lead 16-14, at halftime. The nip and tuck 3rd period found the Blue Devils back in front 22-20. The last half was the most hectic. The brief ceremony at halftime, when The Reporter Trophy was shown to the crowd and announced as the prize to the winner seemed to inspire both teams to greater efforts.
Gnaden dashed to the fore with 2 baskets and then Baldwin swung into action with 2 from the side and Fabiano added one to knot the count at 22. All 3 of Midvale's buckets came in a period of 45 seconds. West broke the tie with a neat fielder and Riley knotted it up again. Kohl gave the champs a 2 point advantage with a bucket and Baldwin almost immediately tied it up again. Forward Jack Hearing was jerked in favor of Clarence Fox and came right back into the game within a minute to immediately sink a beautiful bucket from center-court and give Gnadenhutten a 26-24 advantage. That was enough to win the ball game, but Riley added another just before time was up. Gnaden won the right to compete in the final game by disposing of Tuscarawas 33-16, Friday afternoon and Dundee, that team of fightin' fools, 27-22, Saturday afternoon.
It was the 2nd consecutive year that the Midvale Blue Devils have gone to the final and been nosed out. Last year Bolivar, eliminated by Strasburg in their 1st encounter this season, defeated Midvale in the championship tilt. It was the Gnadenhutten Indians' 1st county championship, but they will be dangerous from now on. All their players return to the team next season. Both the champs and Midvale play in the District Class B event here this weekend.
GNADENHUTTEN INDIANS - 28
Ed Riley 5-2-12
Jack Hearing 2-1-5
Denver Kohl 4-1-9
Perry Ames 0-0-0
Bob Clark 1-0-2
Clarence Fox 0-0-0
MIDVALE BLUE DEVILS - 24
Baldwin 5-0-10
Zucal 2-1-5
West 1-1-3
Fabiano 2-0-4
Walker 10902
Monday, March 3, 1930
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio
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