STILL CHAMPIONS! The Midvale Blue Devils successfully defended their Eastern Ohio District Class B Tournament Champion title at Dennison Saturday night edging the Scio Panthers 44-41. FRONT: Bob De Mattio - Jim Golder and Jack Ford (co-captains, holding the trophy) - Bob Sherrell - Gene Byers and Dave Rennicker. BACK: D. Graham - Kay Ford - Everett Wilson - Head Coach Bill French - Ron Pissocra and Don Davis. The Blue Devils will meet the North Canton Vikings on Thursday at 7:30PM in the 1st round of Regional Tournament play at Kent State.
Midvale Blue Devils All-Ohio Senior Forward Jack Ford led the Blue Devils to their 2nd straight Eastern Ohio District Tournament Championship scoring 18 points in a hard fought 44-41 win over the Scio Panthers in Dennison on Saturday night. Ford has scored 104 points in tournament play for a 14.8 point average per game.
DENNISON - The Midvale Never-Say-Die Blue Devils will carry the Tuscarawas County Class B banner into Regional basketball play at Kent State this week, final stage before the blue ribbon classic in Columbus on March 24, 25 and 26. Head Coach Bill French's defending District Champion Blue Devils gained a berth in the Kent State Class B event which opens Thursday by turning back the Scio Panthers Saturday night 44-41 in the District finals at Dennison before another overflow crowd of over 2,000 fans.
Midvale drew North Canton's Vikings and will meet the Stark countians on Thursday at 7:30PM in the Wills Gymnasium at Kent. In the other Class B game Thursday, Akron Eilet collides with Lowellville at 9PM. Winners will meet in the Championship game Saturday. On Friday night, Class A Regional finalists will swing into action also in Willis.
Blue Devils hopes were dampened somewhat by the fact that Senior forward Jack Ford was ordered to bed by a physician following Saturday's victory over Scio with what is feared a chest infection. It was not certain he would be able to play Thursday night.
In addition to Midvale (26-1), the field at Kent State will include Lowellville (22-2), North Canton (20-6) and Akron Elite. All except Lowellville played in the Regionals at Youngstown last year with North Canton emerging triumphant after a 47-43 decision over Midvale in the finals.
In notching its 2nd consecutive District title, the Midvale Blue Devils (7-0) (26-1) exhibited Championship form in staving off a desperate last-half bid by the towering Scio Panthers (25-4), 57-55, conquerors of unbeaten Walnut Creek Cardinals. The Blue Devils, paced by the deadly marksmanship of Ford and 6-4 Dave Rennicker, raced to 1st and 2nd quarter leads of 12-6 and 26-15 and appeared on the verge of making a rout of the battle.
A tight zone defense and delf passing by Ford and Senior guard Jim Golder cut down the Scio fast break and the Panthers were unable to move in the 1st half. In the 3rd quarter; however, the rangy Panthers unleased an offensive that threatened to overhaul the Blue Devils lead while holding Midvale to one field goal and 5 markers from the free throw line.
Forward 5-11 Ken Saber sparked the Panther drive in this period, but received able assistance from 6-2 forward Bob Hugh and 6-4 center Henry Crall working under the nets in the Scio fast break. The Panthers had reduced the Blue Devils lead to 33-28 at the close of the 3rd stanza.
Midway in the last canto, 6-4 guard Bill Boone lofted a set shot through the Panther cords to make it 38-34 and the pressure was on for both teams. Senior guard Bob De Mattio, whose defensive play was an outstanding factor in the Midvale victory, hit a set shot from the side, but 6-2 guard Gordon Bower and Saber tallied consecutive field goals on a fast break to make it 40-38.
Ford parted the Midvale nets with a beautiful one-handed shot and Bower scored a free throw shot to make the score 42-39 at the automatic timeout. It was Ford again shifting through the Scio zone defense, who all but iced the decision for the Blue Devils as he scored on another one-hander with 2 minutes remaining to give Midvale a 44-39 advantage.
Hugh scored the final points of the game seconds later, a set shot from the side. In the final 90 seconds, Midvale staved off the Scio bid by successfully stalling. It was Golder, dribbling through the frantic Panther front line who spear-headed the freezing tactics which stymied a Scio threat.
Ford led all scorers with 18 points, followed by Hugh of Scio with 15 markers. De Mattio left the game late in the final period via the personal foul route as did Boone of the Vikings.
Frank Cox of New Philadelphia, who officiated in the New Concord Class B District Tournament last week, has been assigned as one of the officials in the Class B Regional Tournament at Athens this week. Ed Sherman, Muskingum College football coach and an official in the Class B District last week at Dennison, moved to Younstown this week to work the Class B Regional.
MIDVALE BLUE DEVILS - 44
Jack Ford F 8-2-18
Dave Rennicker F 4-1-9
Bob Sherrell C 0-2-2
Bob De Mattio G 2-5-9
Jim Golder G 3-0-6
Gene Byers G 0-0-0
SCIO PANTHERS - 41
Bob Hugh F 6-3-15
Ken Saber F 4-4-12
Sam Custer F 0-0-0
Henry Crall C 2-2-6
Bill Boone G 1-1-3
Gordon Bower G 1-3-5
Monday, March 14, 1949
Rex Ridenour, Sports Editor
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio
No comments:
Post a Comment