DOVER - The Dennison Railroaders and the Big Prairie-Lakeville Bulldogs vaulted into the finals of the Class B Sectional Basketball Tournament at Memorial Hall last night as they disposed of the Midvale Blue Devils and the Dellroy Jets respectively. The Railroaders edged out the Blue Devils 76-68 and a close contest in which personal fouls played a big part, while the Bulldogs turned on the heat in a 2nd-half assault that netted the Holmes Countians an 88-60 verdict.
Tonight the Dover St. Joseph Ramblers and the Baltic Bulldogs clash in the opener at 7:30 with the Strasburg Tigers, County League and Tournament Champions, running up against the Millersburg Knights in the nightcap. The Sectional Tournament actually opened on Wednesday night (3-2-55) and the Dover St. Joseph Ramblers whipped the Killbuck Bucks 67-51, while the Millersburg Knights, who only won 1 game during the regular season, slammed the Dennison St. Mary Blue Waves 95-64.
A total of 55 personal fouls were called in the 2 hour long Midvale Blue Devils (3-2) (17-8) and the Dennison Railroaders (13-8) contest with 5 men thumbed out and all 16 men in the game getting at least one personal. The 1st big blow came to the Railroaders as Senior Gary Wright committed his 5th personal with 6 minutes still remaining in the 3rd stanza, while their 6-3 Junior center Jerry Hill was forced to sit out most of the game period with 4 personal fouls.
Hill came back in to help pull the Trainmen victory from the fire with his scrap under the boards along with Senior Gary Page in the final canto. Hill got the thumb with only 5 seconds left in the game. The Blue Devils' attack was seriously weakened also as Sophomore John Beans fouled out with 6 minutes to go in the 3rd, while Junior Larry Swinderman and Junior Chuck Seldenwright left by the same rouite midway in the 4th quarter.
Dennison popped into a 17-11 lead after deadlocking the count at 11-11 in the 1st quarter and the Railroaders forged on to a 23-15 first-frame lead with everyone contributing to the scoring attack. The Trainmen took a 29-16 lead early in the 2nd period and free throw shots kept Dennison in charge as the Roaders netted 13 of 18 chances from the charity stripe, while the Diablos made 5 of 9 to fall to a 44-33 deficit at the long intermission.
Dennison set the pace of the game until midway in the 3rd quarter when Wright fouled out and Hill was forced to the bench. The Devils began speeding up the game and turning play in their favor after the Railroaders had set the pace, as Senior Ron Weaver and Dick Leggett moved Midvale from a 53-40 deficit to a 55-48 disadvantage at the halfway mark. Senior Bob Zontini potted another one-pointer for the Diablos, but the squads exchanged buckets and Dennison stayed on the long end, holding a 62-53 3rd stop lead.
The fire went out early in the final stanza with the Devils quickly losing Seldenwright and the outside scoring punch of Swinderman on personal fouls early in the period. Page, leader of the Roaders' board play, got 6 points in the final frame, while Kennedy found the hoop to pot 4 important points and pace the Dennison Locomotive to victory.
Midvale had beaten Dennison during the regular season 63-59.
DENNISON RAILROADERS - 76
Carl Ludwig 3-8-14
Cargnel 0-0-0
Chuck Polen 1-3-5
Dick Trolio 0-1-1
Al Kennedy 3-2-8
Gary Wright 3-4-10
Jerry Hill 4-8-16
Gary Page 7-8-22
MIDVALE BLUE DEVILS - 68
Dick Leggett 4-4-12
Gary Haney 0-3-3
Chuck Seldenwright 1-0-2
Lonnie Wolf 3-2-8
Bob Zontini 4-4-12
Ron Weaver 4-7-15
Larry Swinderman 4-1-9
John Beans 2-3-7
DENNISON 23-44-62-76
MIDVALE 15-33-53-68
Friday, March 4, 1955
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio
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