COLUMBUS - Few Class B teams in Ohio have the offensive fire-power record of the Sugarcreek-Shanesville Pirates, Champions of the Eastern District. And, Junior forward Boyd Burkey, Pirate ace, is one of the State's leading scorers. Of the 965 points tallied by his team this season, Burkey has scored 350, an average of 14 points per game. It is easy to understand why the Pirates have compiled such an enviable record when you compute their scoring. The team averaged 38 points per game during the regular season, 41 points a game during the Tuscarawas County Tournament, 35 during the Sectional Tournament and 38 at the District Tournament. Burkey who averaged 14 points per game during the regular schedule, averaged 13 points in the county tourney, 7 at the Sectional and 19 at the District meet. When Burkey wasn't hitting in the Sectional Tournament his teammate, Senior forward Ken Ricker, crashed through with a 13 point average.
The offense, built around Burkey, a sensational shooter, has been carried by 4 regulars. Senior guard Hugo Wassem with 172 points for the season, Ricker with 169, Senior guard Sylvester Harmon, the Captain with 160 and Burkey. Harold Logsdon, the regular center, has scored only 31 points this season, but he seldom shoots and plays a fine floor and defensive game. Had Sugarcreek-Shanesville's defense been as strong as the splendid offense, no opponent would have fared well. Opponents of the Pirates scored 682 points during the season, including the 3 tournaments. Thirteen games were won by the Pirates out of 17 played on the regular schedule. Strasburg defeated Sugarcreek-Shanesville twice, the allumni turned the trick once and so did Midvale. Strasburg's 2nd victory was won over the Pirates by a lop-sided score of 47-15. The Pirates came back to almost erase that defeat in the final of the county tourney, the fine Strasburg quint nosing them out 34-32, in a brilliantly played battle. After qualifying in the Sectional Tournament, both teams swept through their brackets in the District event and met in the Championship battle, won by the Pirates 36-22, in convincing manner. While the graybeards just can't remember, it is believed that this is the 1st time 2 Tuscarawas County teams have fought for the District title and certainly the 1st time county teams have reached the final. New Philadelphia went through in Class A.
On the regular schedule of 17 games, Sugarcreek-Shanesville scored 639 points to 440 for the opposition. In the county tourney 165 points were chalked up to 114, 68 to 38 in the Sectional and 113 to 81 in the District. Burkey's tournament record perhaps has never been approached. He scored 54 points in the county event, was held to 14 in 2 games in the Sectional and broke out at the District meet with 58 points for a total of 126 points in 9 tournament games. Four members of the championship aggregation which competes in the State Tournament at Columbus this week-end, playing Stewart of Athens County at 6:30PM Friday in the 1st game, will be graduated at the end of the current school term. They are Captain Harmon, Ricker, Wassem and Vernon Finzer, substitute center. Six other members of the squad, including the brilliant Burkey and plenty of young material, will be available next season. Sugarcreek-Shanesville has always been a basketball community. Since 1912 the school has supported a basketball team. The Pirates won the county tournament in 1925 and repeated in 1926. Saturday was the 1st time a District Tournament Championship was won and this Friday will represent the 1st time a Sugarcreek-Shanesville team has participated in the State Tournament. Four County League Championships have been won by Pirate teams of the past.
Head Coach Harold Sundheimer, serving his 3rd year as mentor, was graduated from Sugarcreek-Shanesville High School in 1923. He played basketball under Superintendent A.C. Bahler, who was then Principal and Head Coach. Mr. Bahler, who keeps score for the team at every game, has been connected with the Sugarcreek-Shanesville schools since 1913. He is serving his 4th year as Superintendent. Sundheimer, completed his education at Bluffton College. This year the Pirates for the 1st time played in their new gymnasium in the beautiful new school building of white brick, located on a hilltop overlooking the villages of Sugarcreek and Shanesville. The school enrollment this year is approximately 120. About 55 are boys. From this number was selected the team that has made basketball history as Sugaracreek-Shanesville.
Tuesday, March 15, 1932
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio
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