DOVER - The Midvale Blue Devils will be seeking to get past the Vienna Mustangs tomorrow night to ear a berth in the Regional Basketball Tournament finals at Canton's Memorial Fieldhouse. Head Coach Ralph (Pete) Hilliard's cagers, tabbed the "comback" team of the year, are slated to open play at 7:15, while at 8:45 the Savannah Sailors (24-3) battle the Ridgeville Falcons (14-8).
The winners of tomorrow night's games will then square off on Saturday night for the Regional Crown and a berth in the State Tournament to be held at St. John's Arena in Columbus March 22nd and 23rd. The Blue Devils (18-9) will be attempting to get revenge for another Tuscarawas County quintet. Two years ago, the Strasburg Tigers had made it to the Regionals, but lost out to the Mustangs after leading most of the game.
Vienna, boasting a big team, will enter the contest with a 23-3 record, the 2nd best of the 4 teams in the tournament. The cagers of Head Coach Randall Wilson, in his 4th year at the helm, lost two games during the regular season, a 67-64 verdict to Braceville and a 59-58 decision to the Liberty Tigers midway in the regular campaign. Their only other loss came at the hands of a Champion quintet which defeated them 69-56 in regular play. The 2 teams met the 4th time in the Youngstown Sectional Tournament and the Mustangs took a lopsided 61-37 victory.
Some of their other close scores saw them get revenge over Braceville in their County Tournament 76-74 in 2 overtimes, nipped the Windham Bombers in the District Tournament 60-58, slipped by the Leavittsburg Yellow Jackets 66-61 and Hartford 56-49. The Mustangs are led by Big Ken Mishorich, 6-5 Senior center, who has scored 542 points in the 26 games for a 20.8 average. Their other big man is Jim Clark, 6-4 Junior forward, who; although, he has scored only 136 points for a 6.0 average, has been very valuable in the rebound department.
Tom Wilson, 6-0 Junior, will be at the other forward and is the 2nd high scorer with 412 points for a 15.8 average. Jim Mizicko, 5-11 Senior and Bob Rappach, 5-10 Senior, will be the guards. Mizicko has tallied 346 points for a 13.3 average and Rappach has canned 213 markers for a 9.0 average. Ron Diets, 6-0 Junior with 48 points and Bill Beach, 5-9 Junior with 42 points, will be Coach Wilson's first line Reserves. Overall, the team's average height is over 6-1 per man, while the 1st five starters are scoring at a 51.46 average.
The Blue Devils, on the other hand, will probably have Russ Hobart, 6-2 Junior at center, John Colombo, 6-0 Senior and Dick (Dandy) Leggett, 5-11 Senior, at the forwards and John Beans, 5-9 Senior and Lonnie Wolfe, 5-10 Senior, at the guards. Midvale then has a starting array averaging a little over 5-11 or better than 2 inches shorter per man than Vienna. However, the starting 5 cagers for the Blue Devils are scoring at a higher average with Colombo leading the way with 615 points for a 21.9 average. Leggett follows with 552 points or a 19.7 per game clip. Wolfe is next with 211 points for 7.5, Hobart 4th with 151 for 5.3 and Beans 5th with 128 and a 4.5 average. The 5 averages total 589 per game or 7 points more per game than Vienna. Tom Krocker, 5-9 Sophomore, and Gary Haney, 6-0 Senior, will be Hilliard's front line Reserves.
Supt. Joseph Zack of Midvale said tickets for the game were "selling like hotcakes." Two blocks of Reserved Seats have been sold to the Blue Devils' fans, totaling 567 and Supt. Zack said that 150 more have been obtained. They will be on sale for $1.50 at the high school from 5 until 8 tonight and Friday if any are not sold. A total of 880 tickets have been sold and only a limited number of general admission tickets, both adult and student, are still available. General admission is $1 for adults and 75 cents for students.
The Blue Devils mentor said today that all of his cagers were in top shape for the joust. He said they practiced on the Canton floor Tuesday and will do so again today. Yesterday they drilled on the Uhrichsville floor which is similar to the Canton Fieldhouse floor.
THE VIENNA MUSTANGS ((23-3)
Mineral Ridge Ramblers 71-50
Braceville 64-67 DEFEATED
Southington Wildcats 106-56
Vernon 81-57
Brookfield 55-31
Liberty Tigers 58-59 DEFEATED
McDonald Blue Devils 80-54
Champion 60-54
Southington Wildcats 90-15
Howland 52-43
Liberty Tigers 83-56
Cortland Bulldogs 81-58
Newton Falls Bees 71-53
Fowler 100-31
McDonald Blue Devils 86-63
Leavittsburg Yellow Jackets 66-61
TRUMBULL COUNTY TOURNAMENT
Fowler 72-30
Braceville 76-74
Hartford 56-49
Champion 56-69 DEFEATED
YOUNGSTOWN SECTIONAL TOURNAMENT
Leetonia Bears 59-47
Champion 81-37
CANTON DISTRICT TOURNAMENT
Warren St. Mary 66-46
Windham Bombers 60-58
Thursday, March 14, 1957
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio
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