The 1956 Stone Creek Golden Panthers Basketball Team. FRONT: Dan Wherler - Linda Sauser - Kate Phillippi - Corlee Endlich - Marjory Barker and Jim McFee. BACK: Head Coach Leo Gower - Melvin McAfee - Rod Reinhart - Dave Wherley - Harold Baker - Bob Wills - Reuben Lorenz - Ron Deibel - Ben Wherley - John Miller - Ken Ridenour and Earl Heimreich.
DOVER - The Stone Creek Golden Panthers led most of the way and was in front by 3 points at the end of 3 quarters. The Dundee Bulldogs enjoyed a 6-point advantage at intermission. But neither team will be in the Consolation final of the Tuscarawas County Class B Tournament at Dover's Memorial Hall. The Golden Panthers, despite a 29-point outburst by Ron Deibel, went down at the hands of 3rd-seeded Gnadenhutten Indians 79-72 and the surprising Bulldogs fell to 4th-seeded Port Washington Purple Riders 94-54 before a small turnout last night.
Consequently Gnaden and Port will do combat for consy honors at 7:30 Saturday night. This is the far most point for a Purple Riders team in the history of the tournament, currently in its 34th year. The Strasburg Tigers and the Midvale Blue Devils, the Championship game foes, are assured of participating in next week's "B" Sectional Tournament at Memorial Hall in Dover and this duo will be joined by the winner of the Saturday night opener.
The Killbuck Bucks, Holmes County Tournament Champion, will compete along with the Millersburg Knights, Dennison Railroaders, Dover St. Joseph Ramblers and the Dennison St. Mary Blue Waves. The other Holmes entrant will be decided when the Walnut Creek Cardinals and the Berlin Panthers collide tomorrow night and the Carroll County representative will be determined when the Malvern Green Hornets and the Augusta Blue Devils clash tonight.
The Stone Creek Golden Panthers (2-2) (15-9) (29-44) came within a point of matching the Gnadenhutten Indians (2-1) (20-3) (53-47) and Stone Creek's shooting ability and keen-eyed Junior forward Ron Deibel cut loose for 29 markers, but the Golden Panthers today were outside looking in. Gnadenhutten took a 2-0 lead on a pair of penalty conversions by lean Senior center Lloyd Porter. But 2 by Deibel tied it up and an interception and layup by Senior guard Dave Wherley sent the Panthers ahead. And there they stayed for almost 25 minutes.
Deibel scored 10 points as the Cats gained a 21-16 first quarter advantage, but Gnaden rallied to knot the count at 33-all before a set by mite Sophomore forward Rod Reinhart gave the Blue and Gold command at halftime. The Leo Gower coached aggregation went back to work as the 2nd half opened and as Deibel pumped home 10 markers and Reinhart 7, the Stone Creek Golden Panthers padded their lead...on one occasion they led by as much as 8. At the end of 3 rounds Gower's team was ahead 56-53.
The Start of the final 8 minutes apparently was the signal for the Indians to hit the warpath and for Stonecreek to start missing. A rebound field goal by Sophomore Tom Roth tied the score at 56-56, but the Creekers were again in front after Junior Mel McAffee dropped in 2 free throws. But a driver by Porter knotted the count again and Roth followed with a rebound goal at 6:15 to send the Dick Scott coached club ahead to stay.
With the score at 62-61 in their game, Junior guard Ben Wherley fouled-out with 48 seconds gone in the 3rd stanza, but the Golden Panthers stayed in contention until Senior forward Glenn Hines and Roth waxed white hot. As the Scarlet and Gray rang up a 26-16 margin in the last 8 minutes, Hines who previously rallied 6 counters, pitched in 9 and Roth bagged 10 on 5 field goals. The Gnadenhutten Indians lost Junior guard Eldon Miller on personals with 2:33 left in the contest.
Roth canned 21 points, while Hines and Porter made 15 each and Miller collected 14. Deibel, who will be back to haunt county teams next season, ended his Junior year of competition with 565 markers. The red-haired forward gunned in 12 fielders and 5 free throws for 29 points, while Reinhart, only a Sophomore, garnered 21. Gnadenhutten hit on 31 goals in 75 shots for 41 percent. Gnaden now has won 20 of 23 games. The Panthers, which ended with 15 wins and 9 setbacks, made 40 percent of its shots via 25 of 62.
GNADENHUTTEN INDIANS - 79
Glenn Hines 6-3-15
Tom Roth 8-5-21
Lloyd Porter 5-5-15
Eldon Miller 6-2-14
Larry Clark 4-0-8
Ed Shull 1-0-2
Jim Meek 0-0-0
Larry Biggs 1-2-4
STONE CREEK GOLDEN PANTHERS - 72
Ron Deibel 12-5-29
Rod Reinhart 8-5-21
Reuben Lorenz 1-4-6
Ben Wherley 2-0-4
Dave Wherley 2-4-8
Mel McAfee 0-4-4
GNADENHUTTEN 16-33-53-79
STONE CREEK 21-35-56-72
Friday, February 24, 1956
Charlie Powell, Sports Editor
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio
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