Head Coach Chuck Lorenz and his son are surrounded by the jubilant Tuscarawas Broncos Basketball Team as the Broncos whooped it up in the locker room Saturday night after claiming the 32nd Annual Tuscarawas County Class B Basketball Championship.
The Strasburg Tigers are glum after they suffered their 1st defeat in 24 games and dropped the counties tournament title to the Tuscarawas Broncos.
DOVER - It was a 19-year wait between championships, but the Tuscarawas Broncos' 64-60 victory over the previously undefeated Strasburg Tigers was worth the wait to the jubilant horsemen, their coaches and followers. Not since 1935 had Tusky reigned as Champions of the annual basketball festival. Tuscarawas defeated the Bolivar Cardinals that year, but they lost in the finals to Strasburg in 1937, the Gnadenhutten Indians in 1942 and the Sugarcreek-Shanesville Pirates in 1934.
Tuscarawas advanced to the Sectional Tournament on 5 other occasions by winning the Consolation Division Crown, but the big one had eluded the Blue And White until Saturday night when Head Coach Chuck Lorenz's charges came up with the biggest upset of the season in snapping the 24-game winning streak compiled by the Tigers of Strasburg. The Broncos led throughout the entire game except at the very outset when Junior forward Jerry Haswell deadlocked the count at 2-2 with a push shot from the side and again in the 3rd quarter's opening minute . It was Haswell again who deadlocked the score at 34-34 and 36-36 with 2 more field goals, both netted from the corner.
A combination of control basketball and a defense that was moved in tight under the boards payed off for Tusky, who played inspired ball all the way.
The Baltic Eagles trailed the Port Washington Purple Riders through most of the 1st half, took the edge just before the intermission and then soared away to a big lead in the 3rd stanza to win the Consolation Division Title going away 72-56. The Purple Riders were seeking their 1st berth in the Sectional Tournament, but it didn't seem to be in the cards for the Riders to come through after nearly upsetting the Tigers Thursday night and then coming from behind to oust the Sugarcreek-Shanesville Pirates on Friday night.
Another full house was on hand to witness the battles between the League's 4 top teams. The 1st game served only as an appetizer with the Championship clash affording the fans one of the best contests ever staged in the tournament. It was close throughout and the verdict could have gone either way right up to the last minute; although, the Strasburg Tigers (3-1) (24-1) (88-24) whose chances were dealt a severe blow when Haswell left the floor with 5 personal fouls and still 2 minutes left in the game. The Tuscarawas Broncos (3-0) (18-2) (45-40) took control of the game right at the outset and the Broncos set the pace. An unwavering accuracy from the field gave the new champions the chance they wanted and they began to control the ball, shooting only when an opening showed.
Backboard control so important in the contest, went to the Colts in that opening quarter with Junior forward Terry Deems, Senior center Larry Myers and Senior forward Harry Thompson bunching underneath to out grab Junior center Jerry (Goose) Von Kaenel and Senior forward Elden (Zeke) Mullett of the Tigers. Head Coach Don Martin sent his charges into a combination man-for-man and zone defense in the 2nd frame and the Bengals began to chip at the 7-point deficit staring at them after Tuscarawas had assumed a 19-12 lead at the close of the opening period.
Thompson, Deems and Senior Ralph Vesco, whose driving shots were the flying sparks that kept Tusky in the drivers seat, led the Broncos in the 2nd stanza while all of the Bengals contributed to their surge and the squads left the floor at halftime with the Colts leading 34-32. Haswell's clutch performance kept the League Champion Strasburg team in the running in the 3rd stanza as the Junior All-League performer connected from the corners and sides to account for 9 of the Tigers 15 points. His performance was offset; however, by Vesco's continued drive and the offensive pickup of Deems and Larry Myers under the basket.
Larry Myers got 6 points, Deems had 4 and Vesco totaled 9 as Tuscarawas jumped back up to a 55-47 lead at the far turn. Once again it was Haswell who carried Strasburg back into the thick of it as he turned on the heat and connected for 3 push shots from the side. Senior guard Fred Peters swished a long set shot with 2:45 left to make the score 57-50 in favor of Tusky and it looked as though the Tigers were roaring back.
The Broncos resorted to ball control once again; however, with the Bengals battling for possession, Haswell, who had gone through almost 3 quarters without a personasl foul, picked up 4 in the 1st six minutes of the final canto. The Colts climbed up to a 62-57 lead by cashing in on free throw shots and Deems drove all the way in for a layup that made it 64-57 with 1:45 left to play. Larry Myers left the game on personal fouls 10 seconds later and the Cats fought back to make the score 64-60 at the 1:20 mark.
Tuscarawas controlled the ball much of the rest of the game, while Strasburg lost 2 valuable chances to deadlock the score in the last minute. Vesco had 21 for the Broncos with Deems getting 14, Thompson 12 and Myers 10. Haswell's 12 field goals and 2 free throws totaled 26 for the Tigers, while Goose added 13.
TUSCARAWAS BRONCOS - 64
Terry Deems F 6-2-14
Harry Thompson F 5-2-12
Larry Myers C 3-4-10
Dave Myers C 0-0-0
Jim Henry G 1-3-5
Ralph Vesco G 10-1-21
Rich Davis G 0-2-2
STRASBURG TIGERS - 60
Jerry Haswell F 12-2-26
Eldon (Zeke) Mullett F 1-4-6
Jerry (Goose) Von Kaenel C 3-7-13
Fred Peters G 3-1-7
John Shetler G 3-2-8
Gale Huffman G 0-0-0
Monday, March 1, 1954
Art Cicconetti, Sports Editor
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio
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