DOVER - The regular basketball season is over for all but 2 of the Tuscarawas County Class B basketball teams. The Strasburg Tigers and Dundee Bulldogs wind up their season tonight in home contests. Next week in Memorial Hall starts the big festival that can lead up the long and exciting road to the top of the heap or end along the highway somewhere in defeat.
The cheering, the tense moments and all the color that go along with the basketball tournaments will be here once again. This will be the top event in scholastic sports for the next 6 weeks until the Class A and Class B Champions are crowned in the Cleveland Arena.
One of the thrills in the tournament comes from watching an underdog team rise up and knock off the favorite. It's happened every year since tournaments began. In fact, it started way back when David took his little slingshot and kayoed Goliath. The underdogs are always backed to the hilt, but especially at tournament time when there are plenty of nonpartisan fans around, this is even more in evidence and the team which is picked to lose may catch fire and ride into the victory column on the cloud built by encouraging cheers from the crowd.
The County Class B Tournament has become a part of each community's life since it started back in 1923. When tournament time arrives the crowd collects early and each cheering section picks a spot, the banner goes up and the yelling starts, long before the first 2 teams trot onto the floor for the warm-ups. There are only 4 of the 11 teams in the County League which has never won a Tournament Championship. Of these, 3 have lost out in the final game, while the 4th, the Port Washington Purple Riders hasn't even won the Consolation Title as yet.
This could be the year for the Riders to catch fire and sweep into the limelight. The Stone Creek Golden Panthers turned the trick a couple of years back. This could be the year for the Mineral City Tigers which lost out in the finals in 1949. The Tigers claimed the Consolation Title the 1st year that the meet was turned into a double elimination affair back in 1933. The Dundee Bulldogs were runner-up twice. In 1928 the Bulldogs lost out to Strasburg in the finals and in 1941, the Midvale Blue Devils turned the Pups back. Dundee came up with the Consolation Championship in 1951.
The Baltic Eagles, one of the strongest teams in the circuit, had a crack at the title in 1929, but lost out to the Sugarcreek-Shanesville Pirates. In 1952 the Eagles had another chance, but lost out to the Cinderella Stone Creek Champions.
The Strasburg Tigers, the current favorite, has won the Championship more times than any other teamin the League. The Tigers won the 1st tournament back in 1923 under Head Coach Sam Watkins. The Bengals won again, but in 1927and 1928. Strasburg under Head Coach Paul Roby won 3 straight years in 1932,1933 and 1934. It was 1939 before the Tigers won again, but the Bengals were Champions 4 years straight from 1944 through 1947 for the longest streak in the history of the meet. Head Coach Don Martin saw his charges win the tournament in 1951. That was Strasburg's 13th tournament title. The Tigers have finished as runner-up once and won 4 Consolation Titles.
The Midvale Blue Devils didn't win a clear tourney title until 1931, but the Blue Devils have won 5 since that time and are the current defending Champions. The Diablos finshed in the runner-up spot 6 times and claimed 3 Consolation victories. The Sugarcreek-Shanesville Pirates were Champions 4 times and runner-up 5 occasions a Consolation winner twice. The Bolivar Cardinals were the kingpin twice and runner-up 5 times, while winning a Consolation Division Title once.
The Gnadenhutten Indians were twice Champions, runner-up 3 times and Consolation Division kings twice. The Tuscarawas Broncos were winner once, runner-up 3 times and Consolation Champions 5 times. That's the score up to now, but when the teams start scrambling next week, the favorites will have to work just as hard in each game for anyone of the underdogs could assume the role of David and reenact the old Biblical tale.
Next week's action is just the start. There'll be the Class B Sectional Division here in Dover and the Class A Sectional at Cambridge. Following this, there will probably be county teams in the Class B District meet at Brilliant and perhaps a team in the Class A District in Martins Ferry. From there on in it's anybody's guess. Tournament time is here again!
Saturday, February 13, 1954
Art Cicconetti, Sports Editor
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio
The 1954 Tuscarawas County Basketball League Champion Strasburg Tigers. FRONT: Head Coach Don Martin - Manager Clyde Yackey and Assistant Coach Bob Haas. BACK: Jerry (Goose) Von Kaenel - Eldon Mullett (Zeke) Mullett - John (West Point) Shetler - Jerry Haswell - Jim Kuecher - Jim Weber - Tom Grimm - Gail Huffman - Fred Peters - Gene Hensel and Lewis Frees.
TUSCARAWAS COUNTY CLASS B BASKETBALL LEAGUE (1953-54)
1. Strasburg Tigers (Don Martin-6) 10-0 1.000 (16th Title)
2. Tuscarawas Broncos (Chuck Lorenz-4) 9-1 .900
3. Baltic Eagles (Tom Bellville-1) 7-3 .700
4. Port Washington Purple Riders (Bray Toot-8) 7-3 .700
5. Sugarcreek-Shanesville Pirates (Bob Wise-2) 5-5 .500
6. Stone Creek Golden Panthers (Ken Newlon-7) 4-6 .400
7. Dundee Bulldogs (Rollie Platz-1) 4-6 .400
8. Mineral City Tigers (Bob Penrod-1) 3-7 .300
9. Gnadenhutten Indians (Fritz Jacobs-4) 3-7 .300
10. Midvale Blue Devils (Bob Singerman-2) 2-8 .200
11. Bolivar Cardinals (Andrew Steve-1) 1-9 .100
TUSCARAWAS COUNTY CLASS B BASKETBALL SEASON (1953-54)
1. Strasburg Tigers 20-0 .1.000
2. Tuscarawas Broncos 15-2 .882
3. Baltic Eagles 16-3 .842
4. Port Washington Purple Riders 11-7 .611
5. Sugarcreek-Shanesville Pirates (not reported)
6. Stone Creek Golden Panthers 11-9 550
7. Dundee Bulldogs 11-9 .550
8. Gnadenhutten Indians 11-11 .500
9. Mineral City Tigers 6-9 .400
10. Midvale Blue Devils 7-12 .368
11. Bolivar Cardinals 1-17 .056
NOTE: APPOINTED TO WEST POINT
John Shetler, 17, son of Mr. and Mrs. Blaine Shetler of RD 1, Bolivar and a star athlete for Strasburg High, today was appointed to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, by US Congress member Frank Bow of this 16th District. The congressman also appointed Jack Ehrhart, son of Mr. and Mrs. David C (Ted) Ehrhart of 760 Ray Avenue N.W. New Philadelphia, as an alternate to Robert Burns of Alliance, appointee to the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. Shetler has been a football, basketball, baseball and track star for Strasburg and has maintained a 3.5 scholastic average. His father is a millwright at the Timken plant in Canton.
NOTE: THE DAVE GARROWAY SHOW CHANNEL 4 NBC AIRS STRASBURG TIGERS
The #4 Class B Strasburg Tigers undefeated basketball team was saluted on the Dave Garroway television show this morning (2-8-54). The program is on a nationwide hookup on Channel 4, NBC. The picture of the squad was flashed on the screen during the news broadcast on Garroway's show and the names of Head Coach Don Martin and Assistant Coach Bob Haas were mentioned as the Tigers were congratulated for their record. The picture and information was sent in to the Garroway show by a Strasburg fan.
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