BRILLIANT - Tonight's the night. The Tuscarawas Broncos (21-2) and the Strasburg Tigers (26-1) will clash on the Brilliant High School hardwood for the Eastern Ohio Class B District Basketball Tournament Championship. East team has claimed a decision over the other with the Tigers racing to a 65-41 verdict over Tusky in the regular season and the Broncos beating the Bengals 64-60 in the finals of the Tuscarawas County Basketball Tournament Championship here 2 weeks ago.
Enthusiasm ran high in both camps and huge pep rallies were staged at the respective schools this afternoon with the bug creeping outside both villages and hitting basketball fans all over the county. At least 1,100 fans from the county are expected to make the trip to the Ohio River village tonight. Strasburg sold 600 tickets by yesterday afternoon and 500 more tickets were sold by 8:30 last night at the Tuscarawas High School.
The game is slated for 8:00PM with the doors scheduled to open at 7:00PM., when hundreds more fans from this area will be clamoring to get a seat along with basketball enthusiasts from along the River.
Both coaches, Don Martin of Strasburg and Chuck Lorenz of Tuscarawas, pronounced their charges ready for the test mentally with each team claiming one regular on the sick list. The Tigers' Junior center Jerry (Goose) Von Kaenel is still nursing a sore hand, but the big Bengal center will be in the starting lineup along with Senior Elden (Zeke) Mullett and Junior Jerry Haswell at the forwards and Seniors, Fred Peters and John Shetler, at the guard positions.
The Broncos have Senior guard Ralph Vesco still fighting the effects of the flu, but the All-County League performer is expected to be in the lineup at a guard position along with Senior guard Jim Henry, while 6-1 Senior Harry Thompson will be at center and Senior Larry (Doofy) Myers and Junior Terry Deems at the forwards.
The Strasburg Tigers, reigning as the defending District Champions, will eat at a training table at the school at 4:00PM and leave for Brilliant at 5:00PM, while the Tuscarawas Broncos retinue is slated to eat at the Fort Steuben Hotel in Steubenville at 5:00PM and relax there for a short time before moving down the river to the tourney site. Both teams will be at a peak for the rubber game, which will mark the 2nd meeting in the history of the 2 schools in the District finals. They met at Zanesville in 1946.
THE STRASBURG TIGERS RECORD
REGULAR SEASON
Alumni 58-44
Midvale 63-46
Port Washington 75-45
Bolivar 71-51
Dundee 76-54
Tusky 65-41
Mineral City 79-68
East Sparta 65-53
Northwestern 48-34
Scio 57-44
Baltic 55-45
Berlin 60-56
Gnaden 76-53
Navarre 69-48
Midvale 78-57
Bolivar 89-44
Millersburg 42-22
Stone Creek 73-55
Sugarcreek-Shanesville 63-55
Beach City 75-43
COUNTY TOURNAMENT
Midvale 81-64
Gnaden 39-25
Port Washington 61-60
*Tusky 60-64
SECTIONAL TOURNAMENT
Millersburg 89-72
Baltic 60-53
DISTRICT TOURNAMENT
Jewett 58-47
*Defeat
TUSCARAWAS BRONCOS
REGULAR SEASON
Gnaden 52-34
Port Washington 71-63
Midvale 73-47
Sugarcreek-Shanesville 63-56
*Strasburg 41-63
Bolivar 74-56
Dennison 61-33
Gnaden 55-42
Stone Creek 64-46
Conotton Valley 107-59
Mineral City 82-37
Alumni 99-80
Midvale 83-46
Port Washington 77-69
Dundee 60-47
*Freeport 53-59
Baltic 86-63
COUNTY TOURNAMENT
Dundee 61-47
Baltic 70-47
Strasburg 64-60
SECTIONAL TOURNAMENT
Dover St. Joseph 80-47
Dennison St. Mary 80-61
DISTRICT TOURNAMENT
Flushing 61-60
*Defeats
Friday, March 12, 1954
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio
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