The Ramblers attempt to upset the defending District Champion Midvale Blue Devils at Memorial Hall on Saturday night as Junior forward Joe "Whiz" Conidi (7), St. Joseph cager, takes a shot at the nets in a torrid qualifying contest. The Blue Devils' Senior forward Kay Ford (10) and Senior center Bob Sherrell watch Conidi as does the Ramblers' Junior forward Lee Dues (3) and Senior guard Lou Contini (6). Midvale was victorious 39-38.
DOVER - Two familiar Tuscarawas County names, the Midvale Blue Devils and Strasburg Tigers, were entered in the Class B District Basketball Tournament which opens at Steubenville Wednesday night and continues Thursday and Saturday nights. The Tigers (21-5) opens District play at 7:45PM Wednesday when the Bengals collide with the unbeaten Scio Panthers (24-0), in Steubenville High School's Grant Gymnasium. The Blue Devils (18-7) clashes with the Yorkville Ductillites (22-4) on Thursday at 7:45PM with the 2 winners meeting Saturday night in the District Tournament finals. The District Champions will advance to the Youngstown Regional Tournament next week.
At the drawings, held Sunday in the Steubenville High School building, Head Coach Frank Samuel's Express (24-0) was given the 1st choice because of their spotless record. The Panthers chose the No. 1 spot in the upper bracket and Midvale drew into the lower bracket against Yorkville. All seats for the Steubenville District Tournament will sell for 75 cents and all will be reserved, T. W. Caskey, Tournament Manager stated.
Midvale, the defending District Champion, blazed into the District meet again this year with a gruelling 39-38 victory over Head Coach Jack Castignola's Dover St. Joseph Ramblers and Strasburg overpowered the Dennison Railroaders 64-44 in the qualifying rounds of the Dover Sectional played before 1,600 fans at Memorial Hall Saturday night. Head Coach Bill French's Blue Devils have dominated the District Tournament picture for 2 consecutive years, winning the event both times.
Prior to that time, Strasburg enjoyed a 2-year reign as District Champions under the tutelage of Emmett Riley. This year's Tiger quintet is coached by Don Martin and has been blasting a path through the tournaments following a setback at the hands of the Bolivar Cardinals in the county meet 3 weeks ago. The Bengals won the Consolation Division spot in the county tournament, Midvale won the title. Midvale earned a berth this year by squeezing out a 1-point victory over a determined and efficient Rambler machine at Memorial Hall in another one of the thrillers which have made the Dover Sectional tournament one of the best in years.
Fired up by Senior Ed Rieger, an All-County center, the Dover St. Joseph Ramblers (10-10) battled the Champions on even terms throughout a torrid game and losing in the final 20 seconds of play when the Midvale Blue Devils (5-0) (18-7) whose Senior Bob Sherrell, 6-4 pivot man, pumped in a field goal which broke a 37-37 deadlock. The Ramblers, who had defeated the Bolivar Cardinals, the Giant Killing Cinderella team on Friday night, still had one chance left in those last tense seconds. Reiger was fouled going under the nets and missed the toss and what would have been the tying point as little Sophomore forward Sam Mascotti dropped a free throw shot through with 10 seconds remaining.
The Ramblers took the ball out of bounds after the foul had been made, drove in under their nets, but missed 2 shots at the hoop as the game ended. St. Joseph had another unfortunate break when the score was deadlocked at 37-37. Reiger broke out in front of the Rambler basket and rimmed a field goal, but Referee Nick Frascella called the brilliant pivot man for traveling, erasing the tally.
The 2 teams battled through 4 action-packed quarters with never more than 6 points separating them. The Saints forged the longest lead of the game, a 25-19 margin midway in the 3rd stanza, on baskets by Mascotti, Junior forward Lee Dues and Reiger, who scored twice from the pivot slot. Sherrell, Senior forward Kay Ford and Junior guard Carl Pissocra; however, closed the gap and the count was tied 31-31 going into the last canto.
That last period was a battle between Reiger and Sherrell with Reiger collecting 5 points and Sherrell six. Mascotti and Ford each added 2 points from the free throw line, but it was Sherrell's filed goal in those last seconds which broke the back of a great Rambler effort.
Sherrell collected 20 points in his effort outscoring Reiger who netted 16. Dover St. Joseph employed a rushing game which nearly unhinged the Midvale attack, but were unable to halt Sherrell when the chips were down. Midvale and the Strasburg Tigers move on to the District Tournament.
MIDVALE BLUE DEVILS - 39
Harry Rennicker F 2-1-5
Kay Ford F 1-3-5
Darrel Davis F 0-0-0
Bob Sherrell C 8-4-20
George Wilson G 1-1-3
Carl Pissocra G 2-2-6
Rudy Ruffini F 0-0-0
DOVER ST. JOSEPH RAMBLERS - 38
Sam Mascotti F 2-3-7
Bob Contini F 0-0-0
Joe Conidi F 1-4-6
Lee Dues F 2-1-5
Ed Reiger C 7-2-16
Tom Lawless C 1-0-2
Ed Streb G 0-0-0
Lou Contini G 0-0-0
Ross Rodinella G 0-2-2
Monday, March 6, 1950
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio
NOTE: HIGHLIGHTS FROM "RIGHT DOWN THE LINE" WITH REX RIDENOUR
HEAD COACH JACK CASTIGRIOLA will not have to apologize for that performance his Dover St. Joseph Ramblers turned in against the Midvale Blue Devils on Saturday night. With a break or two in the right place, the Saints would have halted The Blue Devils. This year's team was a good quintet, one of the best that school has had, a team which battled it's heart out against Midvale only to see victory taken away in the final seconds.
THE MIDVALE BLUE DEVILS, on the other hand, has won 3 tournament games by the margin of one or 2 points. The Blue Devils edged the Sugarcreek-Shanesville Pirates in the fading seconds of a blazing battle and repeated the process against the Berlin Blue Jays. Then, Saturday night, Dover St. Joseph. Head Coach Bill French has instilled 2 things into a team which lost 3 bright stars last year...hustle and courage. Midvale keeps trying until the final buzzer and it has paid off, so far.
THE BOLIVAR CARDINALS' GREAT PLAY-MAKER, Senior guard Carl McFeeders, played against the Dover St. Joseph Ramblers last Friday night with an ankle swollen so badly he could hardly stand the pain. This was in keeping; however, with the Giant Killing Cinderella Story enacted by the Cardinals throughout the county and Sectional tournaments. Another team with drive and courage, a team which knew it had to stop sometime, but was unwilling to do so without a terrific battle.
No comments:
Post a Comment