Nothing but happiness as admirers surround 1st-Year Head Coach Ralph Gartrell (center) and Captain John Metzger (right center) of Gnaden after they won the school's 1st District title, defeating the New Concord Little Muskies 64-40.
Gnadenhutten Indians Senior Center John Metzger who won game honors by scoring 17 points (7 field goals and 3 free throws) in leading his team to the Championship Title in the Eastern Ohio District Class B Tournament at Dennison. Metzger has run up a total of 97 points in tournament play in 7 games. He is now averaging 13.8 points per game.
DENNISON - In the Class B Final in the afternoon, the Gnadenhutten Indians (7-0) (27-1) very simply outscrapped the undefeated New Concord Little Muskies to win the school its 1st District Championship in tournament history. The lead changed hands 6 times and the score was tied 5 times in the first 3 quarters before Gnaden fell 6 points behind and then staged one of the District's all-time great uphill struggles to win out.
The Little Muskies led 12-11 at the end of the 1st period, but the Indians set the pace 23-21 at intermission. Gnadenhutten then fell 4 points behind in the 3rd period, which ended 33-29 with New Concord ahead and an early action shot boosted the "Whiz Kids" margin to 6 in the 4th stanza. But there Senior Don Miller, Gnaden guard, stepped into the gap. He came from the bench, where he had been pulled by Head Coach Gartrell when he drew his 3rd personal foul and went right to town.
He personally scored 4 field goals and a free throw and played a mamoth floor game as he set the pace for Gnaden's winning drive down the stretch. He scored 7 of the points in the long streak that extended from the time the score read 35-29 New Concord at the very outset of the period, until it was reversed and reading 36-35 Gnadenhutten and 4 and a half minutes remained.
His work was done; however, and the Indians responded from there in and won going away. They led 42-35 with 3 minutes left before the Little Muskies again hit the hoop. Miller wound up with 11 points, but scoring honors went to Captain Senior center John Metzger of the Indians who hit 7 baskets and 3 free throws for 17 points. New Concord forward Wallace topped his team with 13 markers.
GNADENHUTTEN INDIANS - 46
Ralph Long F 1-3-5
Bill Schreiner F 1-0-2
John Metzger C 7-3-17
Ken Kohl G 2-1-5
Don Miller G 4-3-11
Al Galbraith G 0-0-0
NEW CONCORD LITTLE MUSKIES - 40
Allen F 0-1-1
Wallace F 4-5-13
Ruby C 2-4-8
Bob Slater G 3-0-6
Stockum G 4-4-12
Castor F 0-0-0
Monday, March 16, 1942
Clyde Shaffer, Sports Writer
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio
THE DAILY REPORTER'S ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMS
1ST TEAM
FORWARD - Warren Klink (22) Bolivar Cardinals
FORWARD - Wallace (7) New Concord Little Muskies
CENTER - John Metzger (11) Gnadenhutten Indians
GUARD - Don Miller (8) Gnadenhutten Indians
GUARD - Stockum (8) New Concord Little Muskies
2ND TEAM
FORWARD - Allen (14) New Concord Little Muskies
FORWARD - Ralph Long (12) Gnadenhutten Indians
CENTER - Ruby (11) New Concord Little Muskies
GUARD - Fulks (12) Dresden Jayhawks
GUARD - Russ Ross (16) Bolivar Cardinals
NOTE: The 1st District Basketball Championship ever won by the Gnadenhutten Indians High School was sufficient cause for a village celebration on Saturday. After Head Coach Ralph (Blondie) Gartrell's Indians tucked the title safely away by downing the "Whiz Kids" of New Concord, they were taken to the Buckeye Hotel in Uhrichsville for dinner and then to Gnadenhutten where a large crowd of townsfolk met with the village band and staged an imprompt parade through the village.
The crowd invaded the school and carried the team's trophies downtown and put them on exhibition in a store window. Today Coach Gartrell was in Springfield for the drawings for the State finals. He will take his squad to Springfield by bus, leaving Gnaden Wednesday morning after a school celebration, school Superintendent Virtue announced.
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