The Stone Creek Golden "Happy" Panthers and Head Coach Ed McGlumphy celebrates in their dressing room after their resounding victory over the Mighty Tigers of Strasburg. (Photo by The Daily Reporter)
DOVER - The Stone Creek fans didn't sense the big upset coming until midway into the 3rd stanza. The Stone Creek Golden Panthers (2-0) (18-4) (31-44) trailed for only 2 minutes in the contest and then tied it up 6-6. Before the 1st quarter was over the winners led 15-12 with 12 of the points coming from "Ripping" 5-11 forward Ron Deibel. Ten of the Tiger markers were contributed by 6-0 stalwart forward Jerry Froman.
In the 2nd frame Deibel added 12 more as the victors romped to a 9 point 34-25 lead by intermission. Fans of the Strasburg Tigers (1-1) (18-2) (94-26) were still confident that their team could come back and snatch victory from the up-starts. And the Golden Panther rooters, still remembering the regular season game with Strasburg, in which they had also led by 9 at half time only to lose the contest by 12 points, had their fingers crossed as the 2nd half got under way.
Instead, the Panthers jumped to a bigger lead and simultaneously their rooters let loose. The fighting Bengals of Head Coach Chuck Caniford never gave up and made a strong bid in the 3rd quarter, but the Blue and Gold smelled victory and breezed on to a 51-37 lead going into the final canto.
There was never any doubt as to the outcome throughout the last frame. What little doubt there was, 5-9 Senior center Ben (Brains) Wherley dispelled. The quick-witted lad tallied 5 field goals on drive-ins in the final quarter as the Stone Creek Golden Panthers played a possession game. The victory was once again a team effort; although, Deibel was the big gun as he blazed the nets for 36 points, 24 of them in the 1st half. The red-headed jump-shot artist plunked in 16 fielders on 27 tries for better than 53 percent.
Wherly followed with 17 markers, while 5-8 Junior forward Rod Reinhart picked up 12, eight of them on free throw shots. Reinhart, although he couldn't pry the lid off the basket, played an outstanding floor game and was a ball-hawk all night. Steady Junior guard Harold Baker and 6-1 "Jumping" Senior center Reuben Lorenz rounded out the 5 who contributed the most to the big victory. Lorenz battled the entire night for rebounds and came up with better than his share, while Baker also did a credible job.
The big factor in the victory was the remarkable defense displayed by the Golden Panthers in the 1st half of play as the Orange and Black were forced to shoot from outside. Froman, along with 6-0 Junior center Chuck Burris, carried the load for the Strasburg Tigers with 29 and 13 points respectively.
STONE CREEK GOLDEN PANTHERS - 69
Ron Deibel 16-4-36
Rod Reinhart 2-8-12
Harold Baker 0-1-1
Reuben Lorenz 0-1-1
Ben Wherley 8-1-17
Tom Border 0-0-0
Mel McAfee 0-2-2
THE STRASBURG TIGERS - 52
Jerry Froman 11-7-29
Nick Haswell 2-0-4
Chuck Burris 5-3-13
Woody Norris 0-0-0
George Gessner 1-0-2
Don Weber 2-0-4
Friday, February 22, 1957
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio
The Stone Creek Golden Panthers Head Coach Ed McGlumphy inspects the "Good Luck Horseshoe" sent to his team by Dr. O.K. Brown, Dover Dentist.
NOTE: THE GOOD LUCK HORSESHOE
Perhaps you don't believe in good luck charms, but you never could convince Dr. O.K. Brown, Dover dentist and the Stone Creek High School basketball players that they don't work. When Dr. Brown walked into the Stone Creek dressing room last night to congratulate the Panthers on their big county tournament victory over the Strasburg Tigers, he was almost mobbed by the players.
"Here's the man who sent us the Good Luck Horseshoe," one of the boys yelled. Dr. Brown mailed the horseshoe to Stone Creek, his alma mater, before the game with the Tigers.
"This is a good luck omen I have used many, many times," he wrote in a note. "This horseshoe, along with your best game will bring victory. When the season's over kindly return the horseshoe to me until it is needed again." "PS: Panthers! Use this horseshoe to tramp all over Strasburg." And tramp the Panthkers did, winning by a 17-point margin.
Dr. Brown, son of Mrs. Albert Buchler of Stone Creek, says he has used the horseshoe many times. "Believe it or not, it went along with Mr.s Brown to the hospital on February 4th when the stork left us a son, Brinley Edward," Dr. Brown said this morning. "Mrs. Brown got along wonderfully. The same was true over 5 years ago when our daughter Rosamond Kay, was born."
"Doc" doesn't remember how he happened to come into possession of the shoe, but he's had it "a long time." And the Panthers are happy for that. Dr. Brown attended Stone Creek High School when it had only 2 grades. He finished that part of his schooling at Dover High. But he's a rootin, 'tootin' Stone Creek fan.
THE DAILY REPORTER
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