53 - Right Down The Line

RIGHT DOWN THE LINE
With Art Cicconetti
Monday, March 16, 1953
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio


HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL - In Tuscarawas County, high school basketball came to an end last Saturday night when the Strasburg Tigers (26-5) lost to the Canfield Cardinals (27-1) 60-57.  The record books are all filled out and ready to be put away and the swift climb of Head Coach Don Martin's youngsters into the State's top brackets is now a matter of history.  But even in defeat, the Tigers rate highly.  The County League Champions lost to a good ball club.  One that can go all the way, for who can say at this stage of the game that the Mahoning County speedsters won't be crowned State Champions next Saturday.

The defeat was far from humiliating for the Bengals, just as they have done all year, never conceded.  Canfield's fast break is the swiftest attack we have seen in high school ball in recent years.  While the Cardinals, who lost out in State Championship finals in 1940 and 1941, try to grab the highest basketball honors that exist, Strasburg will put away the equipment for another year.

RECORDS - The Martinmen, records will show, went farther than any other Strasburg team.  They will have the Tigers winning their 6th District Crown.  But the story of the comeback abililty of the 1952-53 Strasburg team can't be depicted by figures.  The famous remark by the late Francis Schmidt, Ohio State's football coach in the 30s, seemed to fit the Strasburg ability to stay in the game.  When asked if he feared a coming encounter with Michigan Schmidt retorted:  "They put their pants on same as we do, one leg at a time."

Strasburg's opponents down the tournament trail found out that the game has 32 minues and the team that is ahead at the end of those 32 minutes wins the game.  A team didn't get 2 chances to make mistakes, one was enough for the Tigers to step into the breach.  The Scio Panthers (24-2) and Midvale Blue Devils (20-7) had big leads on Strasburg during tournament play, but these disappeared in the stretch.  The Northwestern Huskies (30-2) lost out on 2 costly turnovers in the last 4 minues.  That was all the Tigers needed.

SATURDAY NIGHT - The Canfield Cardinals started a deliberate stall with a 14-point lead at the outset of the 3rd stanza.  But 4 minutes later that lead was down to 6 points and the Cardinals were forced to battle down the stretch instead of relaxing as they had planned.  There may have been better ball clubs in years past, but no Tiger fan will forget the 1952-53 combination.  In fact this year's team could be classed as the best all-around team in Tiger History.

Seniors, Jim Weinmann and Max Bonifant, will be missed next year.  Each played a tremendous part in the tournament stretch.  Weinmann's steady play and his ability to keep the opponent's defense loose with long push shots from out front was a factor in each of the victories.  Bonifant, who started perhaps only 3 times during the regular season, won a starting berth in the tournament and he proved to be instrumental in the victorious march.  Dale Helwick and Dean Roush, the only other 2 Seniors on the squad, played in only one tournament game after the county Class B Festival, but their help was there all during the regular season.

Sophomores, Jerry Haswell and Jerry (Goose) Von Kaenel, both of whom were chosen on the All-County League Team, still lhave 2 more years of basketball to play, while Juniors, Fred Peters, John Shetler and Eldon (Zeke) Mullett will be back next season.  With a nucleus such as this, Strasburg can well look ahead and say, "Wait til next year."  But they won't find a harder team to beat than this year's outfit anywhere around in the Class B circles.

A team can look mighty tough on paper when it comes to figuring all around attributes, but it takes action  to back up the paper work and the Tigers had  it.  Tuscarawas County is mighty proud of the Bengals.  It'll take a lot of convincing to make county fans believe that Canfield wasn't mighty lucky to get out with a win.  It's been a highly successful season for Head Coach Don Martin and his men.  There were 26 victories and 5 defeats.  Canfield was rated number 3 in the State in the final Class B Associated Press polls.  The Waynesburg Mohawks (25-1) was in 2nd place.  From where we sit, that makes Strasburg rank pretty high.

JOHNNY ZION - Strasburg Elementary School Teacher, John Zion, is in for some exercise.  Zion, who lives in New Philadelphia, promised the basketball team that he would walk from his home to the school if the Tigers beat Northwestern.  There'll be a pair of barking dogs after that hike.

NOTE:  JOHNNY ZION COMPLETES PLEDGE

John Zion, who promised the Strasburg High School cagers he would walk from New Philadelphia into Strasburg if the Tigers whipped Northwestern last Friday, carried out his part of the bargain on Monday.  Whether it was because he didn't think he could make it or to just have a bit more time.  Zion started out from his home at 4:05 and arrived at the school at 6:10, with a stop over for a cup of coffee on the way.

That's quite a bit of walking and Zion, who thought so too, went into his classroom and grabbed a few winks of sleep before his pupils arrived bright eyed and ready for leaning.  Zion's dogs were quite weary and there'll probably be a shoe cobbler getting some business in the near future.  That's quite a bit of wear and tear on shoe leather.  Congratulations Johnny.  That should be enough exercise for a while.