Senior Eldon Miller of the Gnadenhutten Indians was chosen Most Valuable Player of the 1956-57 season in the Tuscarawas County Basketball League. He wasnamed for the honors by individual voting of the coaches of the circuit. He received the trophy Saturday night during the intermission of the Championship game between the Stone Creek Golden Panthers and Gnaden. (Photo by de Mello)
The Gnadenhutten Indians were all smiles after Saturday night's victory over the Stone Creek Golden Panthers which gave them the County Tournament Championship. It was the 4th tourney title for the Indians of Head Coach Dick Scott shown kneeling in front of his team as they inspect the trophy and game ball awarded them after the game. FRONT: Larry Gooding - Ed Shull - Eldon Miller - Larry Clark - Larry Biggs and Tom Roth. BACK: Tom Frank - Bill Wallace - Alvin Cappell - Jerry McKeown - Ron Bradley and Steve Hamilton. (Photo by de Mello)
The Stone Creek Golden Panthers 1957 Cheerleaders. Their cheers inspired the Golden Panthers to a Runner-up position in the 35th Annual Class A Basketball Tournament Championship and an impressive 18-5 record. (Photo by Harmon Photos)
The Runner-up Stone Creek Golden Panthers put up a terrific battle in the 2nd half, but couldn't muster enough punch in the fading minutes to defeat the Gnadenhutten Indians for the County Tournament Title. Senior Captain Ben Wherley is shown above holding the 2nd best honors awarded to him and his teammates after the titular game. As it was, the Runner-up Trophy was the 1st for the Golden Panthers which has won the title only once. (Photo by de Mello)
DOVER - The Stone Creek Golden Panthers and the Tuscarawas Valley Trojans bowed out of the limelight in the finals of the 35th Annual Tuscarawas County Class A Basketball Tournament. And by virtue of the whistle, `Gnadenhutten's "rampaging" Indians took a 75-66 verdict over the Golden Panthers for their 4th tournament Championship and 1st since way back in 1943.
The Midvale Blue Devils cut loose in the Consolation Division fracas and blasted the Trojans 96-58 to notch its 4th Consolation title in the long series and kept Tusky Valley from copping any tournament honors in their 1st year of action. A special award should go to the Panthers of Head Coach Ed McGlumphy; although, they did not win the Championship as they probably displayed one of the greatest comebacks ever at the tournament only to be thwarted at the free throw line and by an outstanding player by the name of Eldon Miller.
Miller lived up to expectations on Saturday night as he led his team to victory after being awarded the Most Valuable Player Award donated by The Daily Times at intermission ceremonies between the Championship game and amid many other presentations. Senior Jerry Froman Captain of the Strasburg Tigers accepted the League Championship Trophy also donated by the above paper, while the Consolation Trophy was awarded to Seniors Dave De Mattio and Gary Haney of the Blue Devils donated by Miller and Klinker, Inc. of Dover.
The 11 players elected to The Daily Reporter's All-County team received trophies. Those named to the team were: Senior Ron Deibel and Junior Rod Reinhart of Stone Creek, Senior Ken (Bobo) Haueter and Sophomore Ben Price of Tuscarawas Valley, Froman and Junior Chuck Burris of Strasburg, Seniors Dick (Dandy) Leggett and John Colombo of Midvale, Senior Glen Reidenbach of Baltic, Senior Ed Bates of Port Washington and Miller of Gnadenhutten.
Gnaden was the recipient of the tourney trophy donated by The Daily Reporter following the Championship event, while the runner-up trophy, donated by the City Auto Company of New Philadelphia, was awarded to Stone Creek. Gold basketballs donated by Marsh Wall Products of Dover and Fairfield Brick of Zoarville and silver ovals donated by the Stone Creek Brick Company were awarded to members of the Champions and runner-up respectively. Gnaden also received the game ball which was donated by Godfrey Electric of Dover.
Tuscarawas Valley's Cheerleaders were awarded a trophy for being the best yell team. Those receiving the trophy donated by Schwartz's Smart Apparel of Dover were Judy Kirker, Mary Jane Ladrach, Kaye Kahler, Peggy Mathey, Pat Ickes and Carol Davidson. The Trojan Junior High Basketball Team, which went undefeated in 8 League games, was presented a trophy.
The Gnadenhutten Indians (3-0) (20-3) (56-48) remain the only county team to hold a perfect record against the Stone Creek Golden Panthers (2-1) (18-5) (31-45) this year...and the Golden Panthers, unless they come out of the Sectional Tournament and do well in the District Tournament, won't get a chance to atone for the 3 defeats handed them by Head Coach Dick Scott's Indians. Hitting 10 points from the free throw line and 12 from the field the Tribe surged to a 23-15 first quarter lead with "miniature" Senior Larry Clark at 5-7 and Miller leading the way with 9 and 7 points respectively.
In the 2nd frame Gnaden, not getting many chances at the free throw stripe, poured 21 points through the hoop, all but 3 from the field, as Miller led the attack with 12 points. The Gnadenhutten quintet hit a blazing 56.2 percent in the 2nd period, while Stone Creek could only find the mark for a slim 28 percent. At the end of the 2nd quarter the Panthers found themselves at the short end of a 43-28 count and fans began mumbling about a runaway.
After the long intermission of presenting awards the Cats came back...and what a comeback. With 5-11 Senior Ron Deibel performing as he did in the previous contests of the tournament, by flipping in 4 straight field goals and fine contributions from 5-9 Senior Ben Wherley, 5-8 Junior Rod Reinhart and Junior Harold Baker the Blue and Gold stormed all over the Scarlet and Gray whittling the big lead to only 5 points at one time. At the end of the frame the stunned Gnadenhutten Indians were leading by only 7 points compared to the staggering 15 point margin at half time...and there was more to come before it was all over.
Deibel continued to roll and hit for a field goal with only a few seconds gone in the 4th canto to narrow the score 58-53 in Gnaden's favor. Wherley drove around Clark for a layup to make it 58-55. The redheaded Deibel again connected on his famous jump shot and there was only one point separating the 2 teams with 5:45 to go...the fans went wild. With Senior Tom Border in the contest and doing a great job in rebounding for the Stone Creek Golden Panthers, the outlook of the contest had changed. Forty-five seconds later Reinhart broke things wide open as he hit on a jump shot from the key and knotted the count at 59-59.
And then...Miller took over. Hitting on 3 straight fielders Miller gave the Indians the lead they needed at the crucial moment and when 6-1 Junior Tom Roth added another action fling with only 30 seconds gone things looked dark. And they were, Border fouled out of the game. A basket by Reinhart made the score 68-63, but Gnaden had things there own way from there on out. With a little less than 2 minutes to go and the Golden Panthers trailing 72-63. Deibel fouled out on a questionable call. It was all over then; although, Stone Creek substitutes fought to the finish.
The Panthers were burdened with 21 personal fouls and lost 2 of its best men in the crucial last canto, while the Tribe went the distance with its starters and had only 11 fouls called on them. The winners hit on 21 of 35 chances, while the Cats connected on 8 of only 16 attempts from the charity line. Miller took game scoring honors with 31 markers, while Clark had 16 and Roth 13. Deibel topped the losers scoring 23, while Reinhart had 17. Wherley added 14 and Baker 10.
GNADENHUTTEN INDIANS - 75
Eldon Miller 12-7-31
Larry Clark 4-8-16
Tom Roth 4-5-13
Larry Biggs 4-1-9
Ed Shull 3-0-6
STONE CREEK GOLDEN PANTHERS - 66
Ron Deibel 11-1-23
Rod Reinhart 7-3-17
Ben Wherley 6-2-14
Mel McAfee 1-0-2
Tom Border 0-0-0
T. McAfee 0-0-0
Miller 0-0-0
Reuben Lorenz 0-0-0
GNADENHUTTEN 22-43-58-75
STONE CREEK 15-28-51-66
Monday, February 25, 1957
Jim de Mello, Sports Editor
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio
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