Opening night at the Tuscarawas County Class B Basketball Tournament at Memorial Hall produced one upset. Charles Burkhart (26) of Bolivar drives in toward the basket as Bolivar spilled the favored Strasburg Tigers 53-50. Tigers in the photo are Dick Froman (55), Don Gepfert (33) and John Mizer (88).
DOVER - The Bolivar Cardinals contest winging out of the depths of County League mediocrity Wednesday night at Memorial Hall to hand the Mighty Strasburg Tigers a shocking 53-50 defeat in one of the wildest upsets in the 28-year history of the Tuscarawas County Class B Basketball Tournament.
Head Coach Gerald Straley's blazing Sugarcreek-Shanesville Pirates, back on the victory trail again after a brief slump near the end of the season, laced the Dundee Bulldogs 63-39, while the Port Washington Purple Riders remained in the running with a 54-35 drubbing of the Baltic Eagles .
In one of the most thrilling games of the tournament's long history, 2nd-Year Head Coach Warren Craigo's Bolivar Cardinals (1-0) (10-12) (43-36) reached for the heights and succeeded in humbling 2nd-Year Head Coach Don Martin's Strasburg Tigers (0-1) (15-5) (74-20), one of the tournament favorites. While 1,400 roaring fans looked on amazed and unbelieving, the Red Birds methodically cut the Bengals down with their floormanship and accurate shooting.
The inspired Cardinals, fired by the brilliant play of Senior forward Ed Grossenbacher, Senior center Maurice Lundenberger, Senior guard Carl McFeeders and Junior forward Bill Willard, clung to a slender lead throughout most of the torrid battle. With 2 minutes remaining; however, the Tigers forged a 48-43 margin and when most Card followers had given up, the black-shirted team surged back to tally 10 points and complete what will probably be the tournament's biggest upset.
Bolivar had defeated 1st-Year Head Coach L.R. (Rich) Bonvechio's Mineral City Tigers twice this season and should they turn the trick again they will collide with either the Gnadenhutten Indians or the Stone Creek Golden Panthers in the semi-finals of the lower bracket next Wednesday. It was Lundenberger and Willard who combined with sparkling performances in those electrifying final minutes to decide the battle in favor of the Cardinals, who entered the fray with a mediocre 5-5 League record.
Lundenberger, who also turned in a brilliant defensive job against the Corsairs' rangy center, Senior Jim Huffman, fired the Red Bird's lethal last-ditch surge when he netted a field goal to cut the losers' margin to 48-45 with less than 2 minutes remaining. Willard then came through to knot the count at 48-all on a freak tip-in shot, which saw him go tumbling backward to the floor and a free throw toss. Six foot 3 Lundenberger finished the job by pouring in the Cardinal's last 5 points.
With the score tied 10 times during the game, both clubs battled on even terms until baskets by Willard, Junior guard Bob Burkhart, McFeeders and Lundenberger gave the Bolivar cagers a 24-20 lead at the half after a 12-12 tie in the very 1st quarter of play. After a nip-and-tuck 3rd stanza, which finished in a 37-37 tie, the Bengals, using a tight man-to-man defense which briefly unbalanced the Cardinals' attack, forged in front 45-43 at the automatic timeout on a field goal by Strasburg's Senior guard John Rieger.
Going into the final minutes, baskets rimmed by Senior guards Dick Froman (field goal) and Don Gepfert (free throw) upped the Tiger margin to 48-43. From there on in Lundenberger and Willard stole the show. Senior forward Tom Miller netted Strasburg's final basket in the closing seconds. McFeeders of Bolivar and Gefert of Strasburg shared scoring honors with 14 points each, while Willard, Lundenberger and Grossenbacher of the Cardinals were close behind with 12, 11 and 10 points, respectively.
BOLIVAR CARDINALS - 53
Bill Willard F 5-2-12
Ed Grossenbacher F 2-6-10
Maurice Lundenberger C 5-1-11
Junior Geers C 0-0-0
Carl McFeeders G 4-6-14
Bob Burkhart G 2-2-6
STRASBURG TIGERS - 50
Don Gepfert F 5-4-14
Tom Miller F 3-0-6
Jim Huffman C 3-0-6
John Mizer C 3-2-8
Norman Couts G 2-3-7
Dick Froman G 1-3-5
John Rieger G 2-0-4
Thursday, February 16, 1950
Rex Ridenour, Sports Editor
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio
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