Senior Carl Pissocra, the Midvale Blue Devils' fine cager, drives in for a field goal attempt Thursday night at Memorial Hall as the Blue Devils defeated the Gnadenhutten Indians 61-59 in overtime. The Indians' players are Senior Ron Kohl (11) and Junior Paul Brick (77).
The Gnadenhutten Indians 1951 Basketball Team: LEFT: Senior Ron Kohl - Junior Jim Shamel and Junior Gary Struchen. CENTER: Senior Bob Wilbarger - Head Coach Fritz Jacobs and Junior Howard Weston. RIGHT: Senior Bob Blickensderfer - Junior Jerry (Ted) Martin and Junior Paul Brick.
DOVER - Smiles...Tears...starched boos and roaring cheers...pulsating quietness...bleachers jammed with frenzied fans...upsets and sudden success. That's the panorama of star-studded basketball that froze the attention of nearly 1,500 partisan fans at Memorial Hall last night in what proved to be the most hair-raising and torrid action thus far in the 29th Annual Tuscarawas County Class B Basketball Tournament.
Fans marched into the big auditorium long before the 1st struggle, hoping, but not daring to expect just that kind of performance. They came wondering if the Gnadenhutten Indians would explode into the role of giant-killer and eliminate the Midvale Blue Devils' perennially powerful Blue Devils from the Championship race and saw Midvale's sparkling forward, Dick Tolotti, provide the answer in an overtime period when he meshed a drive-in shot to give the Diablos a 61-59 triumph.
They also wondered if the Port Washington Purple Riders would eliminate the Sugarcreek-Shanesville Pirates from the tournament in the Consolation Division bracket and saw the Purple Riders stage a brilliant 44-38 upset. And to add the final stroke of color, the Mineral City Tigers came surging out of nowhere after a winless season and gave the Stone Creek Golden Panthers a stiff battle before being dropped from the annual skirmish 68-51.
As to further competition Saturday night...fans with weak hearts better stay at home. And here's why. The Bolivar Cardinals Cinderella Kids in last year's tournament, will play their 1st game when they tangle with Head Coach Chuck Lorenz's Tuscarawas Broncos in the Championship fight tilt at 9PM. To round out the battle of nerves will be the Gnaden-Baltic Eagles clash at 6:30PM and the Stone Creek-Port Washington game at 7:45PM.
There probably wasn't a fan who took a normal breath in that Midvale Blue Devils (1-0) (17-4) (51-24) and Gnadenhutten Indians (1-1) (14-9) (44-38) game. But, it's a fact that all breathing stopped momentarily when the Indians' diminutive guard, Junior Jerry (Ted) Martin, sent the ball arching toward the hoop in the last 3 seconds with the Blue Devils leading 59-57. But, that mood changed to bedlam when the sphere dropped through to knot the count at 59-59 and sent the game into overtime. Both clubs played cautiously in the last 3 minutes and after Tolotti broke loose to mesh the winning basket, the Diablos uncorked a stall to clinch the game and climb one step closer to another crown.
It was Tolotti's ball-hawking and accuracy from every angle that proved to be Midvale's panacres for the rugged defenses of Head Coach Fritz Jacob's Braves. But, backing up Tolotti's performance was the bruising rebounding of Senior Harry Rennicker and Senior Carl Pissocra and the fire-ball aggressiveness of Junior Bill Marshall. It was this combination that kept the Blue Devils out in front most of the way. But Gnaden was not to be denied.
After the Diablo crew, sparked by Tolotti's 9 points, had forged a big 20-9 1st quarter lead, it was the Indians' Junior Paul Brick, a sub for Junior Howard Weston, who put the Tribe in the ball game to stay when he dunked 4 consecutive shots from the corner, the last one putting the Braves out in front 26-22. After that, with Senior Ron Kohl, Senior Bob Wilbarger and Martin piercing Midvale's zone defense, the Warriors inched their way to a hair-raising finish.
The Blue Devils' gained its margin of victory from the free throw line, hitting 15 of 26 attempts, while Gnaden cashed in 7 of 13. The Diablos collected 23 field goals to the Indians' 26. Tolotti's 30 points paced the Midvale win, while Kohl sparked the Braves with 18 markers. The Blue Devils' Harry Rennicker also contributed 11 points for the Diablos as Wilbarger and Martin each dropped in 10 markers for the Tribe.
MIDVALE BLUE DEVILS - 61
Rich Tolotti 12-6-30
Carl Pissocra 1-6-8
Harry Rennicker 5-1-11
Don Graham 2-0-4
Bill Marshall 3-2-8
John DeMattio 0-0-0
GNADENHUTTEN INDIANS - 59
Bob Blickensderfer 2-0-4
Gary Struchen 0-0-0
Bob Wilbarger 4-2-10
Ron Kohl 8-2-18
Jerry (Ted) Martin 4-2-10
Howard Weston 0-0-0
Paul Brick 8-1-17
Friday, February 16, 1951
Ray Stull, Sports Writer
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio
NOTE: WOODY HAYES APPOINTED HEAD COACH FOR THE OHIO STATE BUCKEYES FOOTBALL TEAM
No 1 Buckeye, Wayne Woodrow (Woody) Hayes, whose appointment Sunday as Ohio State University Head Coach ended weeks of rumor and speculation. Hayes, former New Philadelphia High School Head Coach and a native of Newcomerstown, succeeds Weslely Fesler who resigned to accept a similar post at Minnesota. Hayes is the husband of the former Ann Gross of New Philadelphia.
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