Five of a kind is an impossible poker hand. But in basketball it is perfectly above board and usually tough to out-draw. The only team in Tuscarawas County to have all 5 starters averaging in double figures is depicted here as the Midvale Blue Devils take their bow after copping their 20th berth in Sectional Tournament play after walking off with the county's League Crown. This full-house consists of: Bill Housel - Tom Krocker - Dave Belknap - Ron Breniser and Hanes Hairston. (PHOTO...The Daily Times by Bob Fisher)
NEW PHILADELPHIA - Hail, Hail the Gang was there! The Midvale Blue Devils (3-0) (8-0) (19-1) latest edition of the whizkids loomed more brightly than ever today as this county's paramount hope. The well-balanced, unselfish youngsters from Midvale were never in trouble against the 2nd best Class A county aggregation as they completely humiliated the Tuscarawas Valley Trojans (2-1) (7-1) (18-2) in the tournament finals on Saturday night, 65-43 at Dover's Memorial Hall.
The surprisingly easy triumph by 5th-Year Head Coach Pete Hilliard's quintet thus provided the Blue Devils with its 5th straight Sectional Tournament berth as well as the 20th in the past 34 years. And in gaining their 2nd straight crown at Dover, the Diablos also put up an almost flawless defense that held the previously once-beaten Trojans to their lowest offensive of the season. In garnering only 43 points against the tight man-for man defense, TV's 6-4 Senior Ben Price, chosen the Most Valuable Player by county coaches, was held to a mere 13 points. Watched from start to finish by 6-3 Senior Bill Housel, Price mustered only 5 field goals in the contest. Thus the fate of the Spartans was unfolded.
The unselfish Devils who continuously have displayed their ability to unveil a different high scorer in nearly ever game this season, were led by 5-11 Junior Ron Breniser's 23 points, while Housel canned 13 and 5-9 Senior Dave Belknap had 11. Belknap who has been playing Varsity ball since his Sophomore years, was the unheralded hero of the contest as he fired past the defenders into the key to teammates for important points. In addition, Belknap also drew 7 personal fouls as a result of drive-in faking that had the Red, Black and White talking to themselves.
The Blue and Gold were never headed in garnering their 13th straight decision and 19th in 20 starts as they first broke in front 2-0 on 2 charity tosses by Breniser. After tying it at 2-all, the Tuscarawas Valley Trojans were then never again to catch the classy lads of the Midvale Blue Devils. Taking a 12-8 lead into the 2nd frame, the Blue Devils defense forced the Trojans to the outside. As a result TV went scoreless for the first 3 minutes of the 2nd period as the Devils boomed into a 21-8 advantage. From then on it was only a matter of time as the colorful Blue first took a 33-14 halftime lead and a 51-30 advantage after 3 periods.
The very seldom switching man-for-man defense by the Blue and Gold played havoc with the Spartans all evening, including the Red, Black and White 's overall shooting. The Tuscarawas Valley Trojans canned but 17 of 61 action flings for 27 percent, while the Midvale Blue Devils potted 27 of 56 for a good 48 percent. Nearly 70 percent of the Blue Devils action attempts came from close in on methodical maneuvering. Senior 5-10 Tom Krocker of the victors and 5-10 Sophomore Jim Studer of the losers were the only players to be thumbed via personal fouls.
MIDVALE BLUE DEVILS - 65
Dave Belknap 2-7-11
Tom Krocker 3-0-6
Bill Housel 6-1-13
Hanes Hairston 3-0-6
Ron Breniser 9-5-23
Jim Clark 1-0-2
Ron Kaderly 1-0-2
John Everett 0-0-0
Dale Stansbury 1-0-2
John Leggett 1-0-2
TUSCARAWAS VALLEY TROJANS - 43
Ben Price 5-3-13
Roy Buchanan 3-2-8
Jerry Pullins 0-0-0
Chuck Cantrill 4-0-8
Ron Lake 4-4-12
Jim Studer 1-0-2
Chuck Locker 0-0-0
Wolfe 0-0-0
MIDVALE 12-33-51-65
TV 8-14-30-43
Monday, February 23, 1959
The Daily Times
New Philadelphia, Ohio
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