Displaying the Consolation Division Championship Trophy are 3 members of the Port Washington Purple Riders team which provided the school with its 1st award in the 34 years of the County Tournament. It was the 1st Gnaden-Port Tournament game ever. The trio is composed of Senior Guard Bob Welsch (left), Senior Center Tom Jones and Junior Forward Ed Bates, the latter a member of the All-County Team. The trophy was given by City Auto of New Philadelphia. (The Daily Reporter Photo by McKeel)
The 1956 Gnadenhutten Indians Basketball Team. FRONT: George Keffer - Everett Dixon - Bonnie Struchen - Janice Biggs - Larry Bradley and Larry Gooding. BACK: Head Coach Dick Scott - Tom Roth - Lloyd Porter - Eldon Miller - Glenn Hines - Jerry McKeown and Jim Meek. (The Daily Reporter Photo)
DOVER - The Gnadenhutten Indians (2-2) (20-4) (53-48), which had lost only 3 of 23 games previously, had topped the Port Washington Purple Riders (3-1) (15-7) (25-53) in 2 thrillers during the regular season, but on Saturday night there was no stopping the rampaging Purple Riders. Head Coach Bray Toot's team, featuring a 3-pronged attack in Junior forward Ed Bates, Senior center Tom Jones and Junior guard Nick Frank, barreled ahead early in the 3rd stanza and rolled home as Gnaden fouled repeatedly in attempting to stop the bigger, determined forces in the 22nd Annual Consolation Division Championship contest.
Actually, Port made only 2 more field goals than Head Coach Dick Scott's club, but the Riders made 15 free throws, while the Indians converted only 3 of 15. On the other hand, Port Washington could have enjoyed a bigger edge if it had been more successful at the free throw line. The Purple Riders missed 15 others. Frank, who teamed with Jones in bossing the backboards, would up with 17 points for game honors, while Jones canned 12 and the bespectacled Bates counted 15. Only Junior guard Eldon Miller scored in double digits for the Tribe.
The Port Washington Purple Riders and Gnadenhutten Indians in this Championship game, fought on even terms in the opening quarter, but Port Washington took a 23-22 halftime advantage before starting to pour it on. Port led 46-28 at the end of the 3rd stanza and simply went through the motions the last 8 minutes. It was the last schoolboy tussle for Gnaden Seniors Glenn Hines and Porter, who experienced some nightmarish luck on the shooting end. Hines ended with 359 and Porter 330 points for the season.
PORT WASHINGTON PURPLE RIDERS - 61
Tom Jones 6-0-12
Ed Bates 7-1-15
Nick Frank 6-5-17
Denver Glazer 1-0-2
Bill McConnell 2-2-6
Jim Emler 0-1-1
Bob Welsch 1-6-8
GNADENHUTTEN INDIANS - 45
Glenn Hines 2-1-5
Lloyd Porter 2-0-4
Tom Roth 3-1-7
Larry Clark 4-0-8
Eldon Miller 5-0-10
Larry Biggs 1-0-2
Jim Meek 4-1-9
Ed Shull 0-0-0
PORT 12-23-46-61
GNADEN 12-22-28-45
Monday, February 27, 1956
Charlie Powell, Sports Editor
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio
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