DOVER - Two berths in the semi-finals will be at stake tonight when the Class A Sectional Basketball Tournament resumes at Dover's Memorial Hall. Making their initial tournament appearances will be the Dennison Railroaders and the Millersburg Knights who collide in the opener at 7:30. Providing the big action at 8:45 will be the 4th meeting this season of the Midvale Blue Devils and the Gnadenhutten Indians.
The Dennison-Millersburg game will provide another odd tourney twist. The Railroaders Head Coach Bill Shonk is a former Knights cager under Joe Banks, who coaches the Spartans and a brother, Jim, is Captain and one of the mainstays of the Millersburg Team. The 2 clubs met during the regular season and the Knights took a 71-47 decision, apparently having little difficulty with the Railroaders.
Spartan mentor Banks will send a starting lineup against the Roaders which includes 3 Seniors, a Junior and one Sophomore. Head Coach Banks will start Shonk, who is a 5-9 Senior and 5-8 Junior Gary High at the guards; Tom Rothman a 6-1 Senior and Karl Crandell a 6-0 Sophomore at the forwards and Senior Paul McCormick, who is 6-1 at center. Slated to see action will be John Money 5-10 Sophomore and Charles Sayre a 5-10 Senior. Dennison will have a starting lineup of Bill Cummings, Tom Maitland, Melvin Peters, Bob Davis and Dick Kilpatrick with Dick McCoy slated to see duty.
Millersburg has an overall record of 10-7 and Dennison has won only 2 games in 16 contests. Three times this season the Blue Devils have met the Indians and each time emerged victorious. The 1st time was on December 17th when the Diablos snared a 63-53 decision in a non-League contest. The 2nd time was on January 17th in a League tilt which ended 82-73. Then the Devils took a 67-60 verdict for the County Tournament Championship.
Tonight's game will be the most important of all with a berth in the finals and a possible trip to Brilliant's District Tournament. Head Coach Pete Hilliard, who led the Blue and Gold of Midvale to the State semi-finals last year, probably will start Russ Hobart at center, Tom Krocker and Dave Belknap at the guards and Ron Breniser and Bill Housel at the forwards. Hoping to post an upset, Head Coach Dick Scott of the Tribesmen will start guards Larry Clark and Ed Shull with the forwards being Ron Bradley and Larry Gooding and center Tom Roth.
The Midvale Blue Devils are sporting a 19-2 record and is top seeded in the tournament, while the Gnadenhutten Indians have a 17-6 record. Tomorrow night one berth in the District will be decided in an all-Holmes County final. Berlin (19-4), last-second winner over the Dennison St. Mary Blue Wave and the Big Prairie-Lakeville Bulldogs (17-6), which defeated the Malvern Green Hornets, will collide at 8:00.
Thursday, February 27, 1958
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio
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