49 - Right Down The Line

Monday, February 28, 1949
Dover, Ohio


INTERST IN TOURNAMENT PLAY will reach a fever pitch this week in Tuscarawas County.  Although interest will be divided between the Dover Sectional Class B meet at Memorial Hall Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday and the Class A Sectional at Dennison Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, both events promise to be fine shows.

The fact that Walnut Creek's Cardinals and Midvale's Blue Devils were seeded in opposite brackets in the Dover Sectional is as it should have been.  Any meeting between these 2 powers will have to be postponed until the Dennison Class B District meet next week, if both survive Sectional play this week here.  On the basis of seasonal play, the Red Birds and the Blue Devils rate the the favorite's role in their respective brackets in the Sectional.

Midvale; however, must eliminate the Sugarcreek-Shanesville Pirates in their 1st appearance.  This could be one of the meet's biggest surprises if the Ottmen can overcome the mediocre play they exhibited last week at Dennison.  Also in that Midvale bracket are the Millersburg Knights, Glenmont Knights and the Mineral City Tigers.  Glenmont will provide the Tigers with its 1st test Wednesday.

There are "sleepers" in the Walnut Creek bracket.  For one thing, Dennison's Railroaders, with experience gained from playing many Class A teams, must be eliminated.  And then, there is the Dennison St. Mary's Blue Waves with a very respectable 15-5 record and the Magnolia Panthers with a victory over the Scio Panthers included in a 22-5 mark.  And in tournament play, you can never overlook a team like the Dover St. Joseph's Ramblers, the Cardinal's 1st opponent.

Two teams from the Sectional, the winner in each bracket, will advance to the Dennison District.  If all goes according to the sheet, Walnut Creek and Midvale will be much nearer a 2nd meeting next week.

AS YOU HAVE PROBABLY NOTICED, there has been a departure from former years in chosing an All-Tournament team this year.  Instead of picking a 1st and 2nd team, we decided, because of the keen competition, to name a 12-man All-Tournament squad.  In view of the many outstanding performances we watched in the 2 weeks of play, we believe this is the only possible method of choosing an evenly balanced squad.

THIS YEAR'S CLASS B TOURNAMENT was a record-setting event.  A total of 7,269 persons watched the 7 sessions in Dennison as compared with the former high of 7,043 who saw 6 sessions at Memorial Hall in 1946.

NOTE:  TOM HASWELL OF STRASBURG

Tom Haswell, former Strasburg High School Star, just finished his 1st season at Ohio University where he was a member of the undefeated Freshman Team.