Sophomores, Guard Jerry Haswell and Center Jerry (Goose) Von Kaenel, led the Mighty Strasburg Tigers to the District Championship 59-55 over the Scio Panthers. Haswell and Goose have totals of 105 and 126 points in tournament play so far this year. They average 12.1 in 8 games and 14.0 in 9 games for the Tigers.
A unidentified Panther Center barely reaches above the Tigers' Center Goose Von Kaenel in the District Championship game at Memorial Hall.
DOVER - With their 6th District Cage Crown safely tucked away, the Strasburg Tigers will go into the Canton Regional Tournament on Friday night with their claws in razor-sharp condition for a struggle with the powerful Northwestern Huskies (30-1). The Tigers meet with the highly touted Wayne County combine as a result of the drawing held in Youngstown yesterday. Game time is slated for 7:45 with the Canfield Cardinals (25-1) and Waynesburg Mohawks (25-0) tangling in the nightcap at 9:15.
The winners in the 2 Friday games will collide at 8:00 Saturday for the right to go on to the Cincinnati State Finals next week. More than 1,000 tickets will be placed on sale for this week's Regional Tournament to be played in the Canton Fieldhouse. Strasburg officials announced today that 216 reserved seat tickets, selling for $1.50 each, 500 general admission tickets selling at $1.00 and 300 student ducats priced at 75 cents will go on sale at the Houglan Drug Store there and at the Strasburg High School.
Students will be able to get tickets at the school only since no student tickets will be sold at the gate on the night of the game.
Head Coach Don Martin's Strasburg Tigers (8-1) (25-4) came through with one of the greatest comeback finishes ever seen on the Memorial Hall hardwood Saturday night after they had fallen behind and seemed hopelessly out of the fray in the opening minutes of the contest. But the Tigers roared into the stretch to catch the Scio Panthers (24-2) with less than 2 minutes left to play and then tagged the Harrison County kingpins with their 2nd defeat of the season and gave Martin his 1st District Tournament Championship in his 5 years at the Strasburg helm.
The Tigers came out at the beginning of the contest as tight as a fiddle string with the Panthers giving the jam-packed house an exhibition of ball that threatened to chase the Bengals right off the floor. Head Coach Frank Samuels charges had an 11-1 lead in the early minutes of the game and then relaxed, but it was Scio who crumbled in the stretch, while Strasburg rambled to victory.
Senior forward Jim Weinman, who ignited the spark that carried the Panthers away like tumbleweed in a burning prairie fire, started off the 4th canto with his 5th long push shot from out front to narrow the margin down to 47-45. But here guard Jim Robinson, the lad who carried Scio to victory over the Killbuck Bucks 60-59 on Thursday night, temporarily doused the fire as he racked up 5 points in short order to put the Panthers in the lead by 7 points with 6 minutes left in the game.
That was Robinson's entire output for the contest and it was Scio's last big splurge as the Tigers began stalking the Panthers for the kill. Sophomore guard Jerry Haswell started the proceedings off with a layup after he had spotted an opening in the Scio defense and forward George Starkey cashed in on a free throw toss to make the count 53-47 at the 4:40 mark. Sophomore center Jerry (Goose) Von Kaenel made a free throw and Junior forward John Shetler romped down the keyhole slot to swish a jump shot with guard Captain Dick (Colonel) Hugh climaxing the Panthers' effort for the evening with a push shot.
From here on out it was all Strasburg with Goose scoring from action on his favorite twisting jump shot and then tipping in another fielder a short time later as Scio lost the ball. Haswell then put the Tigers into the lead for the 1st time in the ball game with a shot from the side as the crowd, sensing a kill, roared in approval and the panic was on with a minute and 55 seconds left to play.
Strasburg got the ball again on another turnover and went into a stall. Haswell was fouled and after a time out failed to make either shot. The Panthers got the ball and went all the way down, but forward Bob Rogers missed a layup shot and the Tigers latched on and held until the last 3 seconds, With time running out and Scio desperately reaching for the sphere, the ball went into Junior guard Eldon (Zeke) Mullett who tried a layup, but was fouled going up. He made the 1st shot, missed the 2nd and Goose tipped the ball in for insurance.
The Panthers had been in command for the entire ball game after roaring to the front with Hugh, Starkey and center Dick Spiker ripping the cords. Goose and Haswell led Strasburg with 19 points each, while Weinmann dropped in another 10 points for those in double figures. Hugh was high for Scio with 18 points as Starkey and Spiker followed up with 16 and 13 respectively.
STRASBURG TIGERS - 59
Jim Weinmann F 5-0-10
John Shetler F 1-0-2
Max Bonifant F 1-0-2
Jerry (Goose) Von Vaenel C 7-5-19
Eldon (Zeke) Mullett G 2-3-7
Jerry Haswell G 8-3-19
SCIO PANTHERS - 55
Bob Rogers F 1-1-3
George Starkey F 7-2-16
Dick Spiker C 5-3-13
Dick Hugh G 9-0-18
Jim Robinson G 2-1-5
Monday, March 9, 1953
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio
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