50 - Right Down The Line

Tuesday, February 21, 1950
Dover, Ohio


THE BLUE CHIPS go down for a quartet of Tuscarawas County Basketball Teams at Memorial Hall Wednesday night.  The Sugarcreek-Shanesville Pirates, Bolivar Cardinals, Stone Creek Golden Panthers and Midvale Blue Devils will be shooting for a berth in the finals.

In our books, the Pirates and Golden Panthers hold a slight edge in as interesting a semi-final card as has been presented in a county tournament here for years.  Head Coach Gerald Straley has his Corsairs moving again.  They have looked like the "team to beat" so far in this tournament.

Their Wednesday battle with the defending Champion Blue Devils should be a classic one.  During the regular season, the Champs and Sugarcreek-Shanesville broke even, the Bucs winning on their home floor and the Devils copping the decision at Midvale.  This battle on a neutral floor is the payoff round.  The Pirates must halt 6-4 Senior center Bob Sherrell or outscore him.  Junior guard Carl Piassocra, Diablo guard will also cause the Corsairs trouble.

This will not; however, add up to enough to stop Sugarcreek-Shanesville if they continue to set the same torrid pace they have in their 1st 2 games against the Dundee Bulldogs and Tuscarawas Broncos.  For smooth passing, ball handling and marksmanship, the Pirates have not, so far, been equaled in the tournament.

If Midvale should win Wednesday, they will become the favorites to win the meet in the Friday finals with the lower bracket winner.

STONE CREEK, twice victorious over Bolivar during the regular season, hold the favorite's role Wednesday night against the Cardinals in the lower bracket semi-finals.  Head Coach Warren Craigo's Red Birds; however, will not go down without a battle and could easily upset the Panthers as they did the Strasburg Tigers.  Bolivar has been a "tournament team" for the past 2 seasons, but was never greater than last week in the surprising victory over Strasburg 53-50.

The Golden Panthers; however, has come up with its best team in years and will be hard to deny a berth in the finals; although, the team was not impressive last week.  Both of these semi-final games promise a lot of torrid action.  The session will be witnessed by what may be a record crowd for county tournament history.