Senior 5-11 Forward Dick (Dandy) Leggett came through in fine fashion last night as his Blue Devils of Midvale downed the Vienna Mustangs 64-62 and earned a berth in the finals of the Canton Class A Regional Basketball Tournament Championship tonight against Savannah. The red-headed lad hit a jump shot at the buzzer to give the Hilliardmen the narrow victory.
CANTON - The name of 5-11 Senior forward Dick (Dandy) Leggett and the mighty Midvale Blue Devils (10-1) (19-9) was on almost every area basketball fans lips today. Leggett's moniker because it was his last second shot that gave the cagers of Head Coach Pete Hilliard a thrilling 64-62 victory over the Vienna Mustangs (23-4) in the Canton Class A Regional Basketball Tournament last night and the Blue Devils because they will clash with Savannah (25-3), which defeated the Ridgeville Falcons (14-9) 68-57 tonight seeking a berth in the State Tournament to be held at Columbus' St. John's Arena next weekend.
Over 4,500 fans held their collective breath as Leggett, with only 2 seconds showing on the clock, drove from center court to about 10 feet out and shot a jump shot. Just as the oval parted the net the buzzer blew ending the game and Midvale was one of 8 teams left in the Class A ranks. The fine strategy of Coach Hilliard could also be commended in bringing in the victory. With only 50 seconds left to play in the thrill-packed fracas, the mentor called time out. When the Diablos took the floor again they stalled the ball. Then with 11 seconds left Leggett began his move towards the basket. The seconds ticked off and 5-9 Senior John Beans handed the oval to the red-headed lad to set the stage for his last-second shot.
Thus, the Devils...a team with a Cinderella tag...and the Mustangs, both seeking their 1st State Crown, clash tonight for the Regional Championship. The Blue and Gold of Midvale made the trip to Columbus twice. In 1937 they won 3 games when M.R. Helwick, now Superintendent of Strasburg High School, coached the team and then again in 1941 when Pete Wolf, Principal of Uhrichsville High School, piloted the Midvale Blue Devils to the semi-finals. Both times it was when 16 teams entered the State Tournament. Vienna, 3rd rated team in the final Associated Press Poll, ended the season with a 23-4 record. It was the 2nd team in a row that the Blue Devils have sidelined with the same records. In the Dover District, Midvale defeated the Gnadenhutten Indians also boasting a 23-3 mark going into the fracas.
Midvale will enter tonight's tilt with a 19-9 record. They have won 9 straight games after losing to the Stone Creek Golden Panthers in the 2nd round of the County Tournament. Besides Leggett's terrific 27-point outburst much of the credit should go to 5-9 Reserve Sophomore guard Tom Krocker, who came into the contest for 5-10 Senior forward Lonnie Wolfe, who fouled out of the contest in the 4th quarter. Krocker potted 8 important points in the nip-and-tuck final canto.
Senior guard 6-0 John Colombo, who scored 615 points in the previous 28 games to be the leading scorer, was pressed the entire night by 6-5 Senior center Ken Mishorich and had trouble finding the mark. But, Colombo did an outstanding job in the rebound department in battling with the much taller Horsemen and added 8 points. Junior center 6-2 Russ Hobart, tallest man on the Diablos squad, also did a good job under the boards and snagged many important rebounds in the final quarter. In short, the victory was a team effort; although, Leggett did carry the load in the scoring department.
Leggett and Beans led the Devils in the 1st quarter as the red-head hit for 8 and Beans 7. The Riders held a 15-8 lead at one time, the biggest margin of the entire game between the 2 teams, but the Blue and Gold came roaring back to make it 18-17 at the end of the 1st period. It was Leggett again in the 2nd frame as he ripped the nets for another big 8 points, while contributions by Hobart, Colombo, Wolfe and Beans saw the Midvale Blue Devils knot the count at intermission 32-32.
Wolfe put the Blue Devils ahead 32-30, but Junior forward 6-0 Tom Wilson hit for a fielder to knot the count. Colombo had 2 tries at the free throw line with only one second to go, but missed both and the score remained tied at halftime. Mishorich picked up his 4th personal early in the 3rd period and was required to sit out the rest of that quarter and Midvale took advantage. After the 2 teams see-sawed for the 1st few minutes the Diablos pulled out front by 6 points and when the quarter ended the winners held a 48-42 advantage.
With 6:30 to go in the contest, the Vienna Mustangs tied the game up at 50-50 with Mishorich back in the contest. Senior guard 5-11 Jim Mizicko tallied another action shot to give Vienna the lead at 52-50. The Devils never trailed again until 3:52 to go as 5-10 Senior guard Bob Rappach hit on a fielder to give the losers a 60-58 edge. But, Krocker came through with one of his timely baskets to knot the count. Then with 2:30 showing on the clock Rappach swished 2 free throw tosses to give the Mustangs a 62-60 edge. Krocker again knotted the count to set the stage for Leggett's buzzer-beating field goal.
The Blue and Gold led from the field as they connected on 25 of 55 action flings for 45.4 percent, while Vienna shot at a 36.5 clip making 23 of 63 action shots. The Midvale Blue Devls hit 14 of 21 attempts from the free throw line. The Blue Devils hit 14 of 21 charity tosses, while the Horsemen held the edge in this department with 16 of 23 free throw tosses. Colombo led in the rebound department, snaring 6, while also grabbing many other loose ovals. Leggett followed closely. The Riders boasting a startling array averaging 6-1 or better fell way short of their expectations in controlling the boards as Midvale out-rebounded them most of the way.
Mishorich led the losers along with Rappach as each had 17 points apiece, while Wilson had 10. Beans was the only other Diablos cager to hit double figures as he tallied 10 markers.
The Midvale Blue Devils will not have to battle the superior height tonight, but will meet a well-rounded team in Savannah which has a 25-3 record. Lawrence Aulger is the tallest man on the squad at 6-2. He is the only Junior on the starting array. Larry Whitesel, 6-1, Bill Fast, Chuck Ritchie and Dave Helvie all 6-0 and Seniors, will round out the starting array. Last night Aulger was the big gun as the Mustangs squelched a fired-up Ridgeville team. He tallied 30 points. Savannah trailed at the end of all 3 quarters at 16-8, 33-28 and 48-47 before going ahead to stay early in the final canto.
Tickets for the Midvale-Savannah game were to go on sale at 8:00 this morning.
MIDVALE BLUE DEVILS - 64
Dick (Dandy) Leggett F 11-5-27
John Colombo F 3-2-8
Russ Hobart C 1-2-4
Gary Haney C 1-1-3
Lonnie Wolfe G 2-0-4
John Beans G 3-4-10
Tom Krocker G 4-0-8
VIENNA MUSTANGS - 62
Jim Clark F 2-3-7
Tom Wilson F 5-2-12
Ken Mishorich C 7-3-17
Ron Diets C 0-1-1
Jim Mizicko G 3-2-8
Bill Beach G 0-0-0
Bob Rappach G 6-5-17
MIDVALE 17-32-46-64
VIENNA.....18-32-42-62
Saturday, March 16, 1957
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio
No comments:
Post a Comment