The Champion Strasburg Tigers, who won The Daily Reporter County Tournament Trophy at Memorial Hall Friday night with a thrilling 61-60 victory over the defending Champions Midvale Blue Devils. KNEELING: Dale Boyer and John Zeigler. FRONT: Bill Von Kaenel - Jim Rieger - Head Coach Don Martin - Dale Renner and Dick Rentsch. BACK: Max Bonifaut - Tom Mizer - Ben Limbacher - Dale Helwick - Jim Weinmann and Dean Rousch.
The Midvale Blue Devils who annexed the County Tournament Runner-up Trophy. FRONT: Don Grahm - Bill Marshall - Carl Pissocra (with League Consolation Division Trophy) - Harry Rennicker - Dick Tolotti and Darrel Davis. BACK: Bill Anderson, Dale Malone - Karl MacKay and Ronald Harmon - Bill Cunningham and John De Mattio.
The Consolation Division Tournament winners...Dundee Bulldogs. The only players identified in the photo are in the front row except for the individual wearing the tie. They are 1st-Year Head Coach Ike Wiseman - Dick Kate - Merlyn Immel - Bud Beamer - Loris Hostetler and Louis Hostetler.
Captains and Co-Captains whose teams won trophies during League and tournament play, Dundee's Merlyn Immel, Consolation Division Trophy, Carl Pissocra of Midvale, Supt. W.E. Laws and Strasburg's John Ziegler, all share the Daily Reporter Tournament Trophy (it was halftime and Strasburg had not yet won it) and further down the line, Bill Tharp and Jerry Rausch Tuscarawas Co-Captains, who accepted one of the 3 County League trophies for the Tuscarawas Broncos.
DOVER - The Strasburg Tigers won their 13th Annual Tuscarawas County Class B Basketball Tournament since their very 1st win in 1923 which would be 29 years ago. The Strasburg Tigers, Midvale Blue Devils and Dundee Bulldogs (who won their 1st Consolation Division Championship) today owned berths in the Class B Sectional Tournament eliminations next week after winning their laurels on Friday night at Memorial Hall by providing 1,500 fans with a thrill-swept finish to a Tuscarawas County Tournament which had already been saturated with glittering performances. Last night's battling came as classic and ended in a spectacular blaze of action.
Third-Year Head Coach Don Martin's Strasburg Tigers and the Midvale Blue Devils, Co-Champions with the Tuscarawas Broncos in the torrid County League race collided head on in the Championship battle last night. When it was over, the white-clad Tigers walked off with The Daily Reporter Tournament Trophy and a 61-60 sqeaker last night with a decision over the Blue Devils.
The Bengals victory, one of the most bitterly contested in the 29-year history of the county tournament, also ended the Diablos 2-year reign as Tournament Champions. It was the 1st Strasburg title-winning effort since 1948.
First-Year Head Coach Ike Wiseman's glistening, sharp-breaking Dundee Bulldogs clawed their way into the Sectional Tournament meet as the Consolation Division winner by upsetting the Tuscarawas Broncos 72-69 in another slam-bang duel which saw the Broncos, a member of the County League "Big Three" falter before the rapier thrusts of a Bulldog team which would not be denied when the blue chips were down in the closing seconds. It was the 1st Championship Trophy Dundee had won in the Consolation Division.
Dundee, Strasburg and Midvale, along with the Dover St. Joseph Ramblers (13-6), Dennison Railroaders (13-4) and Dennison St. Mary Blue Waves (?) from Tuscarawas County, the Walnut Creek Cardinals (21-1), Berlin Blue Jays (?) now Panthers or Lakeville (18-5) and the Millersburg Knights (5-15) from Holmes County and the Carroll County co-winner, will compete in the Sectional Tournament next Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Memorial Hall in Dover. Drawings for this tournament will be held on Sunday at 2PM in room 114 of the Dover High School building with Tournament Manager Don Campbell in charge.
The Strasburg Tigers (3-0) (17-6) (81-20) parlayed brilliant set-shooting by Junior guard Dale Bayer, Senior foward Dale Renner and Senior forward John Zeigler and a masterful zone defense into a victory over the Midvale Blue Devils (2-1) (18-5) (52-25) which battled desperately right down to the final 3 seconds to salvage their title which slipped away before the uncanny marksmanship of the Tigers trio. The grueling title battle was wide open at only one stage in the 4 quarters.
Strasburg, tense and jittery, was in trouble midway in the 1st quarter when Midvale's great Sophomore forward, Rich Tolotti, poured in 4 consecutive field goals to give the Blue Devils a 14-3 edge. The Tigers, with Zeigler supplying the spark, closed the gap 20-13 at the close of the 1st quarter.
From then on until the final 3 seconds, when a Diablo drove in for a lay-up shot which would have given Midvale the victory had he made it as the raging battle held the crowd breathless. In a blistering 2nd frame, the Blue Devils held their slim lead, but watched it steadily melt away before the sensational shooting of Renner who bagged 5 field goals in this period. Renner's effort pulled Strasburg to within 2 points, 32-30, of the Diablos.
Throughout the battle, Midvale stayed with its planned attack of working in close to the basket before firing, while the Tigers, stymied under the nets by the Blue Devils sliding zone defense, switched to an over-head barrage. With the din in the hall reaching a roaring crescendo, the lead changed hands 10 times and was tied once in the 3rd stanza.
At the outset of the 3rd quarter, Zeigler blazed into the corner and hit 3 consecutive field goals to give Strasburg a 36-34 lead which was erased immediately by Sophomore guard Don Graham's set shot. That set the pattern for the remainder of the epic struggle. The Diablos, on the basis of a pivot shot by Senior center Harry Rennicker, forged a 46-45 third frame lead. But, Renner sent the Tigers out in front again in the 1st minute of the 4th canto, 47-46.
That was the beginning of the end for the defending Champion Midvale team. The Blue Devils could never recaptue the lead as Strasburg, working easily and smoothly, took command. The Tigers held a 4-point lead 4 times in the last quarter, once with 3 minutes remaining when Zeigler fired from the corner to send the count to 58-54.
Senior forward Carl Pissocra, the work-horse of the Diablo attack and defense, put Midvale back in the game with a field goal, but again Zeigler hit from the corner, giving the Bengals a 60-56 edge. The Blue Devils were not done yet; however, Senior guard Darrel Davis, a sub poured in a field goal through the nets making the count 60-58 with 1:40 remaining. Junior center Bill Von Kaenel, in for Reiger who had fouled out, gave Strasburg a 61-58 edge and they needed every bit of it as Rennicker was fouled and with the house on its feet waiting tensely, the lanky Diablo center missed the toss from the free throw line and a chance to tie the count.
Another missed field goal in the last 3 seconds ended Midvale's bid for a 3rd consecutive title. The Blue Devils, traditionally a team which comes from behind to win in the closing seconds, had let the Tigers forge too much of an edge. Individual performances in the title battle were sparkling. Zeigler, Renner and Bayer paced a Bengal offensive which was as brilliant as any in the tournament.
But, Strasburg needed the rebounding of Reiger and Senior guard Rich Rentsch and Von Kaenel to succeed. These 3 men did a tremendous job under the nets. For the Diablos, Tolotti, Pissocra and Rennicker were the offensive stars with Pissocra and Rennicker handling the bulk of the rebounding for Midvale.
Last night's total of 1,119 paid admissions brought the total for 7 sessions to 5,811, a decrease of 961 from last year. Supt. W.E. Laws, Tournament Manager, made trophy presentations at intermission of the title game.
Three county business concerns, The Daily Times, Bretzius Pontiac of New Philadelphia and Wallick Coal Company of Strasburg, awarded trophies to the 3 County League winners, Midvale, Strasburg and Tuscarawas. The S. Tommey Company of Dover awarded the Runner-up Trophy to Midvale, while the Sanitary Milk Company of Dover and Canton gave the Consolation Division Trophy to Dundee.
Strasburg, in addition to getting The Daily Reporter winners trophy, received individual gold basketballs from Marsh Wall Tile and Fairfield Brick Company of Zoar. Midvale silver basketballs from the Stone Creek Brick Company and Strasburg the tournament basketball from Godfrey Electric of Dover and New Philadelphia.
STRASBURG TIGERS - 61
John Zeigler F 8-3-19
Dale Renner F 9-0-18
Jim Reiger C 1-0-2
Bill Von Kaenel C 0-3-3
Dale Bayer G 8-3-19
Rich Rentsch G 0-0-0
Rich Tolotti F 8-0-16
Carl Pissocra F 6-3-15
Harry Rennicker C 7-0-14
John De Mattio C 0-0-0
Don Graham G 4-1-9
Darrel Davis G 2-0-4
Bill Marshall G 0-2-2
Saturday, February 24, 1951
Rex Ridenour, Sports Editor
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio
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