Saturday, February 21 1948
HE MAY NOT PLAY in another tournament game this year, but 14-year old Freshman forward Dick Kate of the Dundee Bulldogs can rest assured that no other player in the tourney will score 3 points which will be more important than those 3 he poured through the nets on Friday night in the Stone Creek game.
Little Dick, who is without doubt the tournament's smallest performer (he measures 4-8 when stretched), came into that game in the last quarter when the chips were down and the Stone Creek Golden Panthers were staging a torrid rally. His brother, 5-10 Senior guard Paul Kate, a Dundee star, had just left the game via the personal foul route along with 6-0 Senior center Bob Gardner, another Bulldog ace and the Golden Panthers, paced by the gliding 6-1 Junior center Verle Buehler, were taking full advantage of it.
Stone Creek had trimmed the Dundee margin to 64-60. Dick, not much larger at his 85 pounds than the minute that remained, flashed down the side and cut one loose...it was good. Not only that, but it was a beautifully executed shot!
However, Dick, who has refused Head Coach Fritz Jacobs request that he wear glass guards over his glasses, was not through. He was fouled under the Panther basket, while the teams were piled up trying to halt Buehler and he made the charity toss. A big 3 points!
DUNDEE'S PAUL KATE, the senior half of the family combination and an excellent performer, was the high point individual for a single game at last year's tournament with 28 markers scored against Baltic as the Bulldogs lost to the Eagles. Paul collected 15 last night against Stone Creek.
High man in the tournament after 2 rounds is Mineral City Tigers' 6-0 Junior center Dan Lechner with 28 points in 2 games. Verle Buehler of Stone Creek went out in front last night for a single game when he meshed 21 against Dundee. This topped the mark total of 20 achieved by Senior guard Tom Haswell of the Strasburg Tigers Thursday night. Last year forward Junior Murry of Bolivar was high man with 77 points in 5 tilts.
The Dundee basketball club is not the only claimant to a "sharp" edge. The Bulldogs cheerleaders, Dorothy Deetz, Dorothy Knipe and Grace Wright also looked very sharp in their blue ensembles as they headed the Dundee cheering section.
Wilma Rauschenbach, Ann Scarr and Pat Zinkon of Baltic also made a pleasing trio as they cavorted in front of Eagle supporters.
HEAD COACH RAY BLICKENSDERFER of the Gnadenhutten Indians found Head Coach Emmet Riley of the Strasburg Tigers outside our press box Friday night and there followed one of those "S P A R R I N G" conversations in which each participant does his best to appear casual and yet pick up bits of information which might be useful. The Redskins and Bengals will meet tonight in a very important battle.
We, also, tuned an ear, but nary a word was dropped that might give a clue as to future events. Very reticent and retiring, these cage coaches. Interested listeners were Head Coach Al Bricker of the Bolivar Cardinals and Head Coach Bray Toot of the Port Washington Purple Riders. Each had ideas concerning the method of defeating Strasburg, but none of them seemed feasible.
HEAD COACH JIM ROGERS' decision to suspend 3 of his Tuscarawas Broncos regulars before the Mineral City game last night was a courageous one and deserves commendation. We do not know anything about the merits of the case, which involved late hours for 3 varsity men, 6-3 Senior center Joe Kerns, Senior center Floyd Blackwell and 5-8 Junior guard Hal Tharp, but we do know that Rogers' action was in keeping with the basic principle of amateur sports...which are designed to build character and discipline in the youth of today.
The Broncos, who finished in 3rd place in the County League race, might have caught fire in the tournament and upset someone, but genial Jim Rogers, adhering courageously to what he knew was right, fired the trio and bravely faced the inevitable consequence.
SHADES OF THE WATERLOO WONDERS, Ohio's schoolboy miracle team of a few years ago! Five-Foot Ten-Inch Junior guard Dick Corbett of the Port Washington Purple Riders occasionally gives the fans a sample of the passing methods by the famous Wonders when he flips a pass to a teammate behind his back. Dick does it very nicely, too...almost (but not quite) like the Waterloo performers.
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