DOVER - It will be "do or die" for 6 teams as the curtain goes up on the always-exciting, always-colorful Tuscarawas County Class A Basketball Tournament at Dover's Memorial Hall tonight. With the doors opening at 5:30, more than 1,200 fans are expected to watch the 3 initial skirmishes in the single elimination event. Admission will be $1.00 for adults and 60 cents for students with no Reserved Seats.
Taking the floor in the 6:30 inaugural will be the Strasburg Tigers and the Garaway Pirates. Scheduled for 7:45 is the battle between the Midvale Blue Devils, the County League Champions who were unbeaten in 8 loop games and the Port Washington Purple Riders. The 3rd contest, slated to start at 9:00, will pit the Stone Creek Golden Panthers against the Baltic Eagles. The officials will be from the Ohio Valley. They are Harold Baker and Ed Heldman of Marietta, John Criss of Steubenville, Evan Reese of Martins Ferry, William Workman of Wheeling and Chester Grossie of Weirton, West Virginia.
W. E. Laws, Superintendent of County Schools, will be the Tournament Manager. he has asked those holding tourney passes, including Cheerleaders, school officials and others to use the 2 rear doors of the hall.
The Pirates, a consolidation of Sugarcreek-Shanesville, Auburn and Wayne Township schools, defeated the Tigers 56-42 in the regular season and finished the regular campaign at 10-10. The Bengals, which has won 14 tournament titles and finished runner-up three times, goes into tonight's play with an 11-7 record. The Corsairs' chief point-maker this season has been Charley Stingel with 272 points for an average of 13.6. Trailing him is Koran Zehnder with 208 points. Pacing the Strasburg Tigers is Chuck Burris with 316, for an average of 17.6, while Nick Haswell has totaled 255.
The Blue Devils, which won the Tournament Crown in 1956 and last year advanced to the State semi-finals after winning the Consolation Division toga, is this year's favorite. It has a 16-2 record and currently holds a 14-game win streak. The Diablos are led by Tom Krocker and Russ Hobart, who were 1st-stringers on last year's team. Krocker has compiled 319 points, for an average of 18.8, while Hobart has totaled 310 points or 18.3 per game. The Port Washington Purple Riders, which finished dead-last in the League with an 0-8 mark, posted only one victory in 17 games, topping Conesville 53-52. Leading the Purple Riders is little Bill Phillips, who has managed 187 points for an average of 11.0.
The Golden Panthers, which tied with the Tuscarawas Valley Trojans for 3rd place in the League behind the Gnadenhutten Indians and the Baltic Eagles taking a 77-52 decision on its floor. The Golden Panthers are led by Rod Reinhart, leading Class A scorer in the county with 470 points, an average of 23.5. Teammate Harold Baker had amassed 294 points, or 14.7 per game. The Eagles' leading sharpshooter is John Rice, who has totaled 384 for an average of 19.2. Ron Huprich trails him with 311, an average of 15.6.
There will be no tournament games on Friday night inasmuch as the Dover Tornadoes are playing the Steubenville Big Red at home. On Saturday night the Trojans will engage the Tigers-Pirates victory at 7:30 and the Indians will clash with the Tuscarawas Broncos at 8:45. The doors will be open at 6:30 that night.
Thursday, February 13, 1958
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio
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