45 - Sugarcreek-Shanesville Basketball Coach Resigns!

SUGARCREEK - Sugarcreek-Shanesville Pirates High School Basketball Team which shared the county Class B League honors by sharing with the Strasburg Tigers, finished in the runner-up spot in the county tournament and then went on to win the Eastern Ohio District Tournament will have a new head coach next season.

This is the assertion of Earl Sundheimer present mentor of the quintet who has declared he will not take the post for the 1945-46 season.  Sundheimer, who piloted the club to a District Championship in 1932 has been at the helm for the last 2 years taking over when the call to the armed forces took 1st one coach and then another.  He has been the Head Coach at Sugarcreek-Shanesville from 1930-32 and had to bail out due to an illness in 1933 (replaced by A.C. Bahler) and returned as Head Coach from 1934-39 and returned again for the last two years 1944-45.

His successor has not been chosen.  The Pirates lose all 5 starters of this year's team who will graduate in May.


Friday, March 23, 1945
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio

45 - Glenford Ekes Out Win Over Sugarcreek-Shanesville 46-44 (2-17-45)

LOGAN - The Sugarcreek-Shanesville Pirate basketballers (7-2) (24-5) wound up their tournament drive and season at Logan on Saturday afternoon, losing out to the Glenford Golden Horde (29-3) 46-44 in a Regional semi-final game, one of the most thrilling of the Regional encounters over the entire state.  Head Coach Earl Sundheimer's combine gave with all they had, overcame a terrific handicap inflicted by officiating and almost won the game in the final seconds, but were snuffed out.

Lester Boyd of Lancaster, a linotype operator and C.H. Jones of Wellston, school superintendent, should stick to their daily trades and leave the business of whistle blowing at tournaments to men competent.  Certainly they are not.  Only 17 fouls were called the entire game and nothing less than "chipping from the rear" was considered a violation by the two.  Since the entire tournament had been officiated in similar fashion, the Golden Horde had an edge on the Pirates by knowing what to expect and started right off in that direction at the opening whistle.  Sugarcreek-Shanesville; however, held back when they might have driven in, to avoid committing fouls.  The result was a 13-3 lead for Glenford in the 1st quarter; although, the Pirates managed to collect 4 more before the period ended.

That initial setback became such a handicap that the Creekers never quite recovered.  They trailed 26-18 at the half and in the 3rd stanza began making their bid.  Right off the bat they tied the score at 26 and then Glenford pulled up 30-26 and later led 36-29 in the 3rd period, but the Bucs cut it to 38-33 before the period ended, outscoring the Golden Horde 15 to 12 in the session.  Glenford was groggy and on the ropes as the final quarter opened and the Pirates went out and collected an 11 to 8 advantage in the scoring and once pulled ahead of their rivals at 43-42.  Glenford then scored their final points with a minute and a half remaining.  Senior Captain guard Ernie Raber scored a free throw for the Pirates with one minute remaining.

And then as the time ran out, in the final seconds of play, Senior forward Doyle Schumaker stole the ball from a Glenford man in midcourt, dribbled in and laid the ball up for an easy sucker shot, but one of the officials called a traveling violation...the only traveling violation called the entire ball game...and robbed the Pirates of the field goal and the tie which would have thrown the game into an overtime.

Raber was the game's high scorer with 18 points, scoring 5 field goals and 8 free throws out of 11 tosses.  Schumaker had 14 points to tie Glenford's Captain Dan Danison for runner-up honors.  Each had 7 field goals.  The Golden Horde's Dick Melick also hit double-figures with 11 points.

In the 1st semi-final, Ashville defeated Wheelersburg 44-34 and in the finals Saturday night Ashville downed Glenford 41-36 for the right to enter the State finals at Springfield this week.

GLENFORD GOLDEN HORDE - 46

Dan Danison F 7-0-14
Ridenour F 1-0-2
Clarence Wise C 2-1-5
Bill Clark G 0-1-1
Dick Melick G 5-1-11
Smith F 1-1-3
Williams G 0-0-0
Hursey F 5-0-10
Wilson C 0-0-0

SUGARCREEK-SHANESVILLE PIRATES - 44

Bill Neff F 2-0-4
Doyle Schumaker F 7-0-14
Bob Lanzer C 2-2-6
Ken Miller G 1-0-2
Ernie Raber G 5-8-18
Bill Weiss C 0-0-0
Doran Immel C 0-0-0



Monday, March 19, 1945
Clyde Shaffer, Sports Writer
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio

45 - Sugarcreek-Shanesville District Champions 52-40 (3-10-45)

Sugarcreek-Shanesville Pirates...Head Coach Earl Sundheimer's Pirates, pictured above leaves today for Logan where they will compete in the Regional Class B Basketball Tournament.  In the photo are:  FRONT:  Ken Miller (guard) - Bob Lanzer (center) - Captain Ernie Raber (guard) - Doyle Schmaker (forward) and Bill Neff (forward).  BACK:  Art Gerber - Doran Immel - Bill Weiss and Coach Sundheimer.  Bill Kuhn, who missed practice all week because of illness, was absent when the photo was taken.


DENNISON - The Sugarcreek-Shanesville Pirates (7-1) (24-4) whose triumph over the Strasburg Tigers (6-1) (23-3)  scored amazingly well and simply took the lead in the 1st quarter and stayed out in front outscoring the Tigers in all 4 periods...giving the Pirates one of the most unusual session wins in history 52-40.

The traditional rivals met twice during the regular season and each won one of the games.  They shared the Tuscarawas County Class B League Championship and then Strasburg defeated the Pirates to win the county tournament title.  Now Sugarcreek-Shanesville has turned the tables again and defeated the Tigers for the District Title (their 2nd District Title).

Head Coach Emmet Riley's Strasburg cagers got off on the short end at the outset of the contest when forward Doyle Schumaker hit one of his 2 free throws.  Senior forward Don Neidenthal sank a field goal from the side of the court to give the Tigers a momentary 2-1 lead, but Senior guard Bob Lanzer hit from under the basket on a follow-up and the Creekers had a lead that they never lost; although, Strasburg managed to tie it up 3 times, at 8, 10 and 12 before the Pirates went back into the lead midway through the period and then added steadily to their margin.  They led 20-16 at the half and 36-27 at the 3rd quarter mark.

Three players were banished on fouls, as Strasburg lost Senior guard Jack Reiger with 5 minutes remaining and Sugarcreek-Shanesville lost Senior forward Bill Neff with 1:40 remaining and then the Tigers lost Neidenthal with 8 seconds left.

Guard Ken Miller was high scorer for the Pirates Saturday night, looping 16 points through the hoop.  He had 5 field goals and 6 free throws.  Schumaker contributed 11 markers to the total,  Lanzer 13 and guard Ernie Raber 10.  Reiger set the pace for the Tigers with 14 points, 6 field goals and 2 free throws.  Neidenthal was 2nd high with 8 markers.

SUGARCREEK-SHANESVILLE PIRATES - 52

Bill Neff F 1-0-2
Doyle Schumaker F 3-5-11
Bob Lanzer C 6-1-13
Ken Miller G 5-6-16
Ernie Raber G 2-6-10
Knox F 0-0-0

STRASBURG TIGERS - 40

Gene Bayer F 2-1-5
Don Neidenthal F 3-2-8
Junior Yackey C 1-4-6
Bob Haas G 0-0-0
Jack Reiger G 6-2-14
John Garver G 3-1-7
Jack Welch F 0-0-0
Earl Diebel C 0-0-0
Tom Haswell F 0-0-0


Monday, March 12, 1945
Clyde Shaffer, Sports Writer
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio

ALL-DISTRICT TOURNAMENT TEAMS

1ST TEAM

FORWARD - Doyle Schumaker (Sugarcreek-Shanesville Pirates)
FORWARD - Boyer (?)
CENTER - Bob Lanzer (Sugarcreek-Shanesville Pirates)
GUARD - Ernie Raber (Sugarcreek-Shanesville Pirates)
GUARD - Jack Reiger (Strasburg Tigers)

2ND TEAM

FORWARD - Russ Swingle (Philo Electrics)
FORWARD - Bill Neff (Sugarcreek-Shanesville Pirates)
CENTER - Junior Yackey (Strasburg Tigers)
GUARD - Ken Miller (Sugarcreek-Shanesville Pirates)
GUARD - Jim Potts (Senecaville Indians)

NOTE:  Attendance at the Eastern Ohio District Basketball finals at Dennison last week totaled 3,574 and fell about 800 below the mark set in 1943 when the A and B District finals were last held together in Dennison, Tournament Manager E.F. McCarroll announced.  Saturday night's finals drew the largest crowd with 1,365 cash customers in the stands.  Friday there were 1,207 and Thursday 1,002.  In 1943 the finals drew 4,369.

NOTE:  In Class B the District teams played only 2 games, but Ernie Raber of Sugarcreek-Shanesville led the field with 27 points.  Doyle Schumaker was 2nd with 23, also from Sugarcreek-Shanesville.

NOTE:  DISTRICT TITLE 2ND FOR THE PIRATES.  The Eastern Ohio District Class B Basketball Championship won at Dennison Saturday night by Head Coach Earl Sundheimer and his Sugarcreek-Shanesville Pirates is the 2nd for the Bucs since the tournament was moved to Dennison in 1929.

The pirates copped the Championship in 1932, emerging from a large field of contestants that at that time included all the Class B teams now playing in the Sectional Tournaments at Dover, Zanesville, Cadiz, Woodsfield and Steubenville.

Their latest triumph was also the 11th for Tuscarawas County teams in the 18 Champions named at Dennison.  The tournament named 2 Champions in each Division in 1936 and the next year was split with part of the competition beingmoved to the River District.

THE COMPLETE LIST

1929 - Macksburg
1930 - Carrollton
1931 - McConnelsville
1932 - Sugarcreek-Shanesville
1933 - Strasburg
1934 - Chandlersville
1935 - New Matamoras
1936 - Dennison
1936 - Amsterdam
1937 - Midvale
1938 - Strasburg
1939 - Dennison
1940 - Midvale
1941 - Midvale
1942 - Gnadenhutten
1943 - Gnadenhutten
1944 - Philo
1945 - Sugarcreek-Shanesville

LOGAN REGIONAL TOURNAMENT 3-17-45

Glenford vs Sugarcreek-Shanesville  3:15PM

45 - Strasburg Handles Philo 39-31 (3-9-45)

Above are the Philo Electrics, Class B basketball opponents of Head Coach Emmet Riley's Strasburg Tigers in the semi-finals of the Eastern Ohio District finals at Dennison High School's gym.  FRONT:  Captain Virgil Harris (guard) - Cinder Fye (guard) - Dallas Cole (forward) - Russ Swingle (forward) - and Ike Sheppard (forward).  BACK:  Jerry Baker (Manager) - Bob Ryan (forward) - Bill Zimmerman (guard) - Gene Stall - Bob Martin - Abe Fitz (guard) and Head Coach Sam Hatfield.  Both Captain Harris and Fitz are veterans from last year's Philo team which advanced to the State finals.


DENNISON - Head Coach Emmet Riley of the Strasburg Tigers (6-0) (23-2), up against a well seasoned Philo combination blessed with enough height to fence off a basket led the Philo Electrics (19-2) every step of the way even through they did not appear to be playing as well as during the county and Sectional tournaments.

The Tigers' game with the Sugarcreek-Shanesville Pirates tonight will bring the traditional rivals together for the 4th time this season.  Strasburg now owns a 2-1 margin over the Pirates.  The 2 teams split their home-and-home series during the season and Strasburg defeated Sugarcreek-Shanesville in the county Championship game 51-38 to gain the edge.

Strasburg outscored Philo in the 3 first quarters and had little trouble in protecting a 12-point lead collected in the 3 periods.  The edge was 8 to 6 in the 1st quarter, 11 to 9 in the 2nd quarter...19-15 Strasburg and a big and impressive 11 to 6 in the 3rd stanza when the Electrics started to crackup and head towards their 2nd defeat of their season...33-21 Strasburg.  The Electrikos steadied in the stretch and as Strasburg devoted more and moreof its time to defense and ball possession, managed to collect a 10 to 6 edge in the scoring.

Senior forward Gene Bayer and Freshman center Junior Yackey paced the Tigers.  Bayer collecting 14 points for the game's individual honors and Yackey tagging 11 for runner-up honors.  Philo's 2 stars, forward Russ Swingle and guard Virgil Harris, each scored 10 points.

Gene Bayer F 1-0-2
Don Neidenthal F 1-0-2
Junior Yackey C 4-3-11
Bob Haas G 2-2-6
Jack Rieger G 2-0-4
John Garver G 1-0-2

PHILO ELECTRICS - 31

Russ Swingle F 3-4-10
Ike Sheppard F 1-1-3
Dallas Cole C 1-0-2
Stefib G 0-0-0
Abe Fitz G 0-0-0
Virgil Harris G 3-4-10
Cider Fye G 1-2-4
Bill Zimmerman G 0-0-0


Saturday, March 10, 1946
Clyde Shaffer, Sports Writer
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio

DISTRICT SATURDAY 3-10-45

Strasburg vs Sugarcreek-Shanesville 7:30PM (DC)

45 - Sugarcreek-Shanesville Ambushes Senecaville 51-33 (3-8-45)

Senecaville Indians 1945 Basketball Team.  Pictured above are the 5 starting players and Head Coach E.H. Moorehead, opponents of the Sugarcreek-Shanesville Pirates in the opening game of the Eastern Ohio District Basketball finals at Dennison.  The players are:  George Kozar (guard) - Howard Callahan (forward) - Jim Potts (center) - Don Hinten (guard) and Phil Harding (forward).  Hinten is the high scorer of the club and rolled 21 points through the hoops last week when the Indians downed the New Concord Little Muskies 46-44 in the Southern Sectional finals at Zanesville.  He had 9 field goals and 3 free throws.  Potts accounted for 9 points and Harding 8.  The team was undefeated in 19 games.


DENNISON - Center Ernie Raber led the way for the Sugarcreek-Shanesville Pirates (6-1) (23-4) in their triumph over the Senecaville Indians (19-1) 51-33 who were the Guernsey County Class B Champions.  The big All-County guard hit 6 field goals and 5 free throws for his total of 17 points and nosed out the Indians' center Jim Potts for individual honors.  Potts, top performer of the team, had 15 points (6 field goals and 3 free throws).  Forward Doyle Schumaker contributed 12 points to the Pirate total with 6 field goals.

Schumaker shot 5 times and made 4 field goals in the 1st quarter as the Bucs raced to a 16-9 lead.  The locals collected another 14 points to Senecaville's 8 in the 2nd period to lead 30-17 at the half.  The 2 teams broke even in the 3rd stanza with 7 points apiece, but the Pirates went back to work in the final and tallied 14 to the Indians 9.

Referee Bill Daley and Tony Grant called 18 fouls on Sugarcreek-Shanesville in the 1st half of the game, hampering the efforts of the Pirates, but managed to stay in the clear until the last 2 minutes of the 3rd quarter when guard Ken Miller was banished.  Raber went out with 3 minutes remaining in the final period of play.

SUGARCREEK-SHANESVILLE PIRATES - 51

Bill Neff F 3-2-8
Doyle Schumaker F 6-0-12
Bob Lanzer C 1-0-2
Ken Miller G 2-2-6
Ernie Raber G 6-5-17
Weiss C-F 1-0-2
Immel G 2-0-4

SENECAVILLE INDIANS - 33

Howard Callahan F 0-1-1
Phil Harding F 1-2-4
Jim Potts C 6-3-14
George Kozar G 1-2-4
Don Hinten G 4-1-9
Linkiesbay G 0-0-0
Stiers F 0-0-0
Garrick F 0-0-0



Friday, March 9, 1945
Clyde Shaffer, Sports Writer
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio

NOTE:  SUGARCREEK-SHANESVILLE PIRATES STAR OF A YEAR AGO WITH MARINES ON IWO JIMA - Just a year ago this week, Sugarcreek-Shanesville High School Pirates Basketball Team was at Zanesville competing in an Ohio District Class B Tournament.  A member of the team was Warren Craigo, son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Craigo of Sugarcreek.  This year Craigo is a member of another Championship combination...but in a bigger game.  He is Pvt. Warren Craigo of the 5th Marine Division and is on Iwo Jima where one of the fierest battles of the Pacific war is being fought.  His parents received a letter from him yesterday.  The letter was written in a foxhole which he shared with a Marine companion.

DISTRICT FRIDAY 3-9-45

Strasburg vs Phio 7:30PM

45 - Strasburg Whacks Walnut Creek 59-34 (3-3-45)

DOVER - Tuscarawas County Class B Basketball Teams continued their domination of the Northeastern Ohio Sectional Tournament at Memorial Hall Saturday night by carrying away both qualifying berths for the Eastern Ohio District finals at Dennison on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Carrying the banner of the county's rural school B League into the District fight will be the Strasburg Tigers (22-2) and the Sugarcreek-Shanesville Pirates (22-4), Co-Champions of the League and winner and runner-up, respectively, of the League Tournament.  They earned their lastest honors by eliminating the Walnut Creek Cardinals (20-5) and the Tuscarawas Broncos (17-6), in the Sectional finals, played before a jammed house of nearly 1,700 Saturday night.  Strasburg thumped Walnut Creek, class of Holmes County 59-34 and Sugarcreek-Shanesville turned back the challenge of Tusky, Consolation Division winner in the county tournament 41-36.  The 2 winners advance to the District finals at Dennison.

Head Coach Emmet Riley's Strasburg Tigers had everything their own way against Walnut Creek Saturday night.  Senior forward Gene Bayer of Strasburg collected 20 points (8 field goals and 4 free throws) in the Tigers' romp over the Creekers.  The victors rolled over the Holmes County combine in easy stages for 3 quarters and then poured on a coat of 22 to 6 shellack in the final.

The Pirates led 17-10 in a fast paced quarter at the end of the period, outscored the Cardinals 11 to 9 in the 2nd to lead 28-19 at the halftime, but slipped a bit and was outscored 9 to 8 in the 3rd stanza before turning on the heat again in the stretch.  Forward Horrisberger was the Red Birds high scorer with 12 points (3 field goals and 6 free throws).  Sugarcreek-Shanesville Senior forward Don Neidenthal also had double-figures following up Bayer with 10 points.

STRASBURG TIGERS - 59

Gene Bayer F 8-4-20
Don Neidenthal F 3-4-10
Junior Yackey C 4-1-9
Jack Reiger G 2-1-5
Bob Haas G 4-0-8
John Garver F 3-1-7
Earl Diebel G 0-0-0
Jack Welsch F 0-0-0
Tom Haswell F 0-0-0
Fred Aul G 0-0-0

WALNUT CREEK CARDINALS - 34

Harry Gerber F 2-3-7
Horrishberger F 3-6-12
Rick Hershberger C 0-0-0
Don Miller G 2-2-6
J. Miller G 1-1-3
Clay Hershberger F 2-2-6
Sundheimer F 0-1-1
Luther Mast C 0-0-0



Monday, March 5, 1945
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio

DISTRICT THRUSDAY 3-8-45

Sugarcreek-Shanesville vs Senecaville 7:30PM

DISTRICT FRIDAY 3-9-45

Strasburg vs Philo

NOTE:  There are photos posted for 1942 Mineral City Tigers games.

45 - Sugarcreek-Shanesville Rally's Against Tusky 41-36 (3-3-45)

DOVER - Head Coach Earl Sundheimer's Sugarcreek-Shanesville Pirates (5-1) (22-4) were hard set for a time in overcoming a lead that the Tuscarawas Broncos (5-2) (17-6) took after the opening of the game and held without a break until late in the 3rd quarter.  The Broncos of Head Coach Jim Rogers got the jump on the Pirates and rolled to a 4-0 lead at the outset and went on to lead 10-7 at the period end.  Sugarcreek-Shanesville cut the lead one point in the 2nd period and trailed 22-20 at halftime intermission.

Field goals by Senior forward Rich Bonvechio and Junior center John Vesco early in the 3rd period zoomed the Tuscarawas advantage to 26-20, but there the Pirates began to hit back.  They pared it to 26-23 and then it was 28-23 before the Bucs uncorked a string of 7 consecutive points to take a 2-point 30-28 lead as the quarter ended.  Tusky tied the count at 32 in the 4th stanza, but a free throw by Senior forward Bill Neff put the Pirates out in front again and they held the lead the remainder of the way with the scores reading 36-32, 36-34, 39-34 and 41-34 before the Broncos tallied their final field goal.

Guard Ernie Raber of Sugarcreek-Shanesville led the scoring of both teams with 19 points and wrapping up game honors, while Senior forward Chuck Lorenz was the topoperator for the Broncos with 11 markers.  Vesco and Bonvechio  followed up Raber with 9 and 8 points, respectively.

SUGARCREEK-SHANESVILLE PIRATES - 41

Doyle Schumaker F 1-0-2
Bill Neff F 2-4-8
Bob Lanzer C 1-3-5
Ernie Raber G 7-5-19
KenMiller G 3-1-7

TUSCARAWAS BRONCOS - 36

Rich Bonvechio F 4-0-8
Chuck Lorenz F 5-1-11
John Vesco C 3-3-9
Bob Schumaker G 4-0-8
Fred Walton G 0-0-0
Dick Donahue F 0-0-0
Ellsworth Fox C 0-0-0
Jay Hearing G 0-0-0


Monday, March 5, 1945
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio

45 - Tusky Ropes Panthers 62-38 (3-2-45)

DOVER - Tuscarawas County was assured at least one team in the Eastern District Class B High School Basketball finals at Dennison next week last night when the Tuscarawas Broncos unseated the Magnolia Panthers of Carroll County 62-38 in one of 2 games played in the North Eastern Sectional Tournament at Memorial Hall.  The Broncos' victory carried them to the Sectional finals where tonight they play the Sugarcreek-Shanesville Pirates with the winner advancing to Dennison.

The 2nd game on last night's program, played before 900 fans, saw the Walnut Creek Cardinals (20-4) romp over the Berlin Blue Jays (19-6) 54-22 to avenge an upset defeat in the Holmes County Tournament a week ago.  The trimph qualified the Creekers for a final game with the Strasburg Tigers tonight the winner moving up to the District competition.

There wasn't much to either game last night, the victors winning much as they pleased.  Both took early leads and were never headed.

The Tuscarawas Broncos (5-1) (17-5) relied heavily on Senior forwards Chuck Lorenz and Rich Bonvechio who set the scoring pace for the smooth-working Broncos of Head Coach Jim Rogers in their Magnolia triumph 62-38,  The Magnolia Panthers (15-7), ace forward Tom Crow, topped the Tuscarawas County performers however in the scoring division.

Tuscarawas held the advantage in the 1st quarter at 14-10.  The Bronco defense kicked in holding the Panthers to just 5 points, while Tusky dropped in 17 points and the scoreboard read 31-15 at intermission.  Magnolia never really got going, managing 12 points in the 3rd period, while the Broncos continued to burn the nets with 22 points securing the game by the end of the stanza...53-27.  It hardly mattered what happened in the final quarter, as the Tusky Reserves finished the game with 9 points and the Panthers added 11.

The Broncos had 2 players in doule-figures, Lorenz with 19 and Bonvechio with 15.  Forward Tom Crow won game honors for his 21 points he gathered.

TUSCARAWAS BRONCOS - 62

Rich Bonvechio F 6-3-15
Chuck Lorenz F 9-1-19
John Vesco C 3-2-8
Bob Schmaker G 0-0-0
Fred Walton G 2-0-4
Ellsworth Fox F 1-0-2
Dick Donahue F 2-3-7
Bob French C 1-0-2
Jay Hearing G 2-0-4
John Kopp G 0-0-0

MAGNOLIA PANTHERS - 38

Tom Crow F 9-3-21
Faeillo F 2-0-4
Hamilton C 1-1-3
Welch G 0-0-0
J. Crow G 1-1-3
Mihal G 2-0-4
Markle C 0-1-1
Casin C 0-0-0
Trughel F 0-0-0
Cascioli G 1-0-2


Saturday, March 3, 1945
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio

SECTIONAL SATURDAY 3-3-45

Sugarcreek-Shanesville vs Tusky 8PM
Strasburg vs Walnut Creek 9PM

45 - Sugarcreek-Shanesville Derails Dennison 62-22 (3-1-45)

 

DOVER - The hot competition that was expected to mark the opening of the Class B Sectional Tournament at Memorial Hall last night failed to get hot and turned to several degrees of warm as nearly a thousand fans watched the League Champions of 2 counties roll up lopsided scores to advance in the tournament brackets.

All 3 victims were "exempted village" schools...Class B teams not members of rival school Leagues...and their best licks fell far short of the power required to make a contest of it against the Champions.  The Millersburg Knights (10-11) went out as the 1st victim by a 70-18 score by the Walnut Creek Cardinals (19-4), the Holmes County Champion.

The Dover St. Joseph Ramblers (21-5) were the 2nd falling before a sharp Strasburg Tigers (21-2) combination 60-31.  And the the Dennison Railroaders (3-17) went home, propelled by a 62-22 punch-down by the Sugarcreek-Shanesville Pirates (21-4) who shared the Tuscarawas County League title with the Strasburg Tigers.

Last night's games quickly resolved themselves into a mere "how many" with interest in several instances switching to individual scoring where Walnut Creek's Hershberger carried off honors with 19 points in the Cardinal's conquest of Millersburg.  Walnut Creek led the Knights 17-3, 32-6 and 52-16 at the period ends.  Neidenthal hit 15 points and his teammate, Gene Bayer, hit 14, in the Tigers' romp over Dover St. Joseph.  Strasburg held advantages of 15-7, 32-12 and 53-27 over the Ramblers.

For the losers, all of whom dropped out of the race and packed their duds until next season.  Dover St. Joseph's Sam Baio with 10 points and Dennison's Harry Hargrave with 9, were the leaders.

The Sugarcreek-Shanesville contest looked like a carbon copy of the Strasburg contest as the Sugarcreek-Shanesville Pirates (4-1) (21-4) blow-out the Dennison Railroaders (3-17) 62-22.

Much like the Tigers, Sugarcreek-Shanesville leaped to a giant 18-1 lead in the 1st quarter of play.  In the 2nd quarter, it was pretty much the same as the 1st quarter with the Tigers dropping in 16 points and the Railroaders lucky to get their 7 markers for a 34-9 lead at intermission.  In the 3rd stanza, the Pirates' offense never let up slipping in 20 points in the quarter as the Dennison offense never got going with another 7 points in that quarter...54-16 Pirates.  The game pretty much was wrapped up by Sugarcreek-Shanesville at the half as the Railroaders could only manage another 6 markers in the final quarter.

Sugarcreek-Shanesville was led by center Ernie Raber with 11, guard Ken Miller with 10 and Senior center Bob Lanzer, Senior forward Bill Neff and forward Doyle Schumaker all with 9 points each.  Dennison's center Harry Gargrove led the Railroaders with 9 points.

SUGARCREEK-SHANESVILLE PIRATES - 62

Doyle Schumaker F 3-3-9
Bill Neff F 3-3-9
Bob Lanzer C 4-1-9
Ernie Raber G 1-10-11
Ken Miller G 4-2-10
Weiss F 3-0-6
Arios Gerber G 1-0-2
Immel F 2-1-5
Hamsher C 0-0-0

DENNISON RAILROADERS - 22

Bob Marty F 1-1-3
Povick F 1-0-2
Harry Hargrove C 3-3-9
Hill G 1-0-2
Polen G 0-0-0
Morgan G 0-0-0
Hanter G 1-0-2
Weber F 0-0-0
Filsworth G 2-0-4
Hastette F 0-0-0


Friday, March 2, 1945
Clyde Shaffer, Sports Writer
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio

SECTIONAL FRIDAY 3-2-45

Tusky vs Magnolia 8PM
Berlin vs Walnut Creek 9PM

45 - Strasburg Slams Dover St. Josephs 60-31 (3-1-45)

DOVER - Every Strasburg player on the court scored for the Tigers in their 1st game of the Sectional Tournament.  The Strasburg Tigers (4-0) (21-2) ran all over the Dover St. Joseph Ramblers (21-5) 60-31 as the Tigers held the lead the entire game.

Strasburg jumped to a commanding 15-1 lead in the 1st quarter.  The Tigers never let up in the 2nd period when they scored 17 more points to 11 points by the Ramblers as the scored read 32-12.  After the half Dover St. Joseph's offense picked up dropping in 15 markers, but Strasburg continued to surge ahead with 21 markers to lead 53-27.  Strasburg was just going through the motions in the last stanza, while their reserves picked up 7 points for a great game over a team that had won 21 games during their season.

Senior forwards Don Neidenthal grabbed 15 points for game honors and Gene Bayer followed up with 14 markers for the Tigers.  Sam Baio was the only player for the Ramblers who was in double-figures and canned 10 points.

STRASBURG TIGERS - 60

Don Neidenthal F 4-7-15
Gene Bayer F 4-6-14
Junior Yackey C 3-1-7
Jack Reiger G 3-2-8
Bob Haas G 1-2-4
John Garver G 2-2-6
Jack Welch F 2-0-4
Earl Diebel G 0-1-1
Tom Haswell F 0-1-1

DOVER ST. JOSEPH RAMBLERS - 31

Contini F 0-2-2
Paulin F 2-0-4
Sam Baio C 4-2-10
Pace G 1-1-3
Gebelin G 2-3-7
Reidy F 0-0-0
Hosfields G 2-1-5
Penso G 0-0-0

Friday, March 2, 1945
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio