57 - Right Down The Line

Wednesday, March 20, 1957
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio



AFTER THIS WEEKEND there will be a new Class A High School Basketball Champion.  The Midvale Blue Devils, win or lose, are going all out in making preparations for the coming tournament in which they will meet the Ayersville Pilots on Friday afternoon at 1:30 to open the State semi-final play.  In the 2nd game the Bethel Blackhawks (21-1) and the Gratis Trojans (26-1) will clash at 3:00.  The winners will meet on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 for the State Championship.

Head Coach Ralph (Pete) Hilliard's cagers are scheduled to leave tomorrow morning at 8:30AM by car for the State Capitol and will receive a big send off with a giant pep rally.  From the school the team will go to Newark or Granville and stop for dinner, finally arriving in Columbus in enough time to get settled in their secret quarters before practicing on Ohio State University's St. John Arena floor from 2:00 to 3:00.  The team will get only a light workout and will spend most of the time getting used to the baskets and the length and width of the floor.  They will then return to their quarters after practice, have a good meal and settle down for the night.  After a good breakfast and an early light lunch, the team will go to the Arena where they will prepare to make their bid for the Class A Championship.

School officials have made sure that the players will not be sidelined by colds or the flu.  The first 7 players have been receiving penicillin shots and have been getting ultra-violet ray treatment which also cuts down chances of catching a cold.  Win or lose the team will stay for the 2nd game between the Blackhawks and Trojans.  If the Blue Devils win the opener they will then return to their quarters and will not lbe allowed to attend the evening session of Class AA games between Middletown (25-0) and Toledo Macomber (22-1) at 9:00 and Cleveland Cathedral Latin (23-0) and Kent Roosevelt (22-2) at 7:00.

The team is scheduled to return to Midvale sometime on Sunday.

THE DIABLOS ARE THE 1ST COUNTY TEAM to make the State semi-finals in 16 years!  The last team to go was also a Devils quintet in the 1940-41season and coached by Clayton (Pete) Wolf, now Principal of Uhrichsville High School.  In that campaign the team dropped a close 44-36 decision to Canfield in the semi-finals.  Before that, only the Sugarcreek-Shanesville Pirates, Dennison Railroaders, Dover Tornadoes, New Philadelphia Quakers and another Gold and Blue of Midvale team had made it as far as the State playoffs.

The Blue Devils made the final "four" in 1937 also, losing out to Local Lockland Wayne 37-35 in the semi-finals.  That season they were coached by M.R. Helwick, now Superintendent of Strasburg schools.  Dover and New Philadelphia are the only 2 county teams owning State Crowns.  Dover copped the Class AA Championships in 1927 and again in 1933, while New Philadelphia won it in 1940.

This will be the 6th time that the Midvale Blue Devils have made the "sweet 16" having made the Regional Tournaments in 1949, 1948 and 1940.

FANS?  The Blue Devils will have a host of them at the State Tournament.  Supt. Joseph Zack reported yesterday morning that he had already sold his allotted 1,203 Reserved Seat tickets for the afternoon session of 2 games.  Most of the county's coaches, both A and AA, are going and will be rooting for Midvale who are carrying the Tuscarawas County Banner.

In checking with each player we found that all of their parents are planning to make the trip.  Most of them will return to Midvale after Friday's game and if they win will return for the Saturday afternoon contest.