60 - A Pre-Season Look At The Tuscarawas Broncos

NEW PHILADELPHIA - The Tuscarawas Broncos are shooting for their 1st winning season in 5 years on the hardwood.  The past 4 campaigns have seen the Broncos win only 22 of 44 games.  But, the outlook is on the bright side of the ledger this year as 4 lettermen are back in the fold, including 3 starters.

It was only 6 years ago that Tusky was flying high after winning the County Tournament and advancing to the Regional tourney joust before being sidetracked.  That 22-3 record stands as the best since 1954.  Leading the hope of this year's bid for county honors will be one of the greatest scorers in Tuscarawas High School History.  Gary Caviness (6-0 Senior) has 743 points going into this season, including a grand 407 total just last year.

Head Coach Kermit Smulbach, in his 2nd year at Tuscarawas, must however, find adequate replacements for last season's scorers:

Dick Robinson (179)
Bud Eckhardt (166)

Both players were graduated last spring.

Seeking these berths are lettermen:

6-1 Bill Johnson
6-1 Chuck MCahill
5-8 Chet Summers

Also in the thick of the fight for Varsity duty are:

6-0 (Junior) Jerry Rainsberg
5-9 (Junior) George Vesco
5-10 (Junior) Paul Cerana
5-11 (Sophomore) Ben Metzger
6-3 (Sophomore) Carl Vesco
5-6 (Sophomore) Phil Meese
6-4 (Sophomore) Dean Kerns

Metzger, Meese and Kerns all saw very limited service last year with the Varsity.

Only once since 1938 have the Broncos tied for League Honors on an 8-2 mark with the Midvale Blue Devils and the Strasburg Tigers.  While Tusky appears lacking in exceptional speed this season, hopes are high in that they do have good size and ample experience to make a strong bid for County Honors.  In other words...Tuscarawas hope is Bright!


Friday, December 4, 1959
Don Wagner, Sports Editor
The Daily Times
New Philadelphia, Ohio

60 - A Pre-Season Look At The Gnadenhutten Indians

NEW PHILADELPHIA - A much different brand of ball is expected to be employed by the Gnadenhutten Indians this year.  The loss of but one of the school's highest scorers, Ron Bradley, who tallied 517 points last season, is expected to force the Indians into a more balanced attack.  This loss; however, represents the only major weakening via graduation last spring.

Back are 3 veterans who were in starting roles last year when the Tribe surprised everyone with a fine 14-6 mark despite their overall youth.  Among the returnees are:

6-2 John Hall
6-2 Ray Rank
5-6 Ron Clark

Hall and Rank are 2 of the bigger men in county circles, while Clark grew 2 inches from his 5-4 frame of last season.

Second-Year Head Coach Bob Gaume led his charges to 3rd place in the county loop last year and had been leading the pack for 6 of those weeks.  In addition, they had the distinction of knocking the Midvale Blue Devils  from the unbeaten last year after that team had racked up 21 straight regular season wins.  This year 6-3 lanky lad Dave Struchen is being used this season to give the Warriors one of the tallest underneath trios in the county.  Struchen; however, is only a Sophomore and has only a few Varsity games under his belt.

From this point on, Gnaden will be relying on the smaller type player in the bid for League and County Honors.  Also seeking Varsity berths are:

5-10 Carl Dichler
5-10 Ed Crites
5-9 B. Blickensderfer
5-9 John Weaver
5-10 Bob Ervin
5-11 Brad Kaiser
5-9 Glen Jester
5-6 Dick Shull

Of the squad, only Clark, Hall and Crites are Seniors.

Clark was the team's 2nd best scorer last year with 215 points from his outside position, while Rank potted 182 and Hall had 161.  Beside these 3 lads, none of the other prospects of this season saw much Varsity service last season.

However, experience and the ability to function effectively without the "big gun" appear the key notes in Gnadenhutten's bid for their 6th straight winning campaign.  In other words:  GNADEN IS SEEKING BALANCE!


Wednesday, December 2, 1959
Don Wagner, Sports Editor
The Daily Times
New Philadelphia, Ohio

60 - A Pre-Season Look At The Stone Creek Golden Panthers

NEW PHILADELPHIA - Probably the smallest school in Tuscarawas County, Stone Creek High School has some mighty "big" problems this season.  Without a single letterman back from the squad of last season which posted a good 13-9 record, the Stone Creek Golden Panthers were forced to develop an entire new team this year.  Head Coach Ernie Lukens, in his 2nd season with the Golden Panthers, faces a big task.

There are some good aspects; however, to the Panther picture, including great school spirit.  Of the 34 boys in high school, 23 are out for the cage sport, including the entire Sophomore Class of 8 young men.  Sophomore Dale Feigenhauer is 6-1 and the tallest cager on the squad.  Rounding out the Varsity Roster are:

5-10 Merle Degen (Co-Captain)
5-11 Larry Stephon (Co-Captain)
5-7 Joe Kessler
5-9 Ron West
5-11 Gale Sauser
6-0 Larry Lorenz
5-9 David Mizer
5-7 Bernie West
5-7 Dale Mayer

Stone Creek will seriously miss such stars of last year:

Jim MacAfee
Harold Lahmers
Dan Whereley

These players were among the top cagers in the county.  In fact, the top 7 scorers of last year were graduated in the spring.

It's been 8 years since a Gold and Blue Squad lost more games than it won and Coach Lukens is hoping to keep this mark in tact this season with the spirit of the Golden Panthers helping to accomplish this giant task.

But, the lack of height and experienced players confronts the Panthers this season and their road to success will be a tough and trying one.  It will take a huge amount of work and intestinal fortitude for the Gold and Blue to compete with the much more experienced teams of the county this season.  But, the future is one the bright side for the Stone Creek Golden Panthers with only 4 of the 23 on the basketball roster slated to be graduated in the spring.


Tuesday, December 1, 1959
Don Wagner, Sports Editor
The Daily Times
New Philadelphia, Ohio

60 - A Pre-Season Look At The Midvale Blue Devils

NEW PHILADELPHIA - Sixth-Year Head Coach Pete Hilliard opened his year at Midvale on a significant note on November 20th as his Blue Devils gave him his 100th coaching victory with a 71-30 white-wash over the Augusta Blue Devils.  The win put Hilliard on top of the heap of county coaches and among the best coaching marks in Ohio.  His team finished last season with a 22-2 record, the best in 10 years at Midvale, to send the youthful coach into this season with a career mark of 99-28.

Good basketball has been common place at Midvale for many years.  In 1957 the Blue Devils advanced to the State finals in Columbus before bowing to the eventual State Champion Ayersville Pilots.  Then, last season the Devils moved to the Regional Tournament before losing to the to  defending Champion Northwestern Huskies at Canton.  This year, fans are not contemplating such enviable things from its squad, which is the youngest that Hilliard has ever floored.  In games thus far, the Diablos have been starting only 2 Seniors, a Junior and 2 Sophomores.

Definitely in a rebuilding year after losing 4 of their 5 starters of last year.  The Blue and Gold are looking more to the future then the present.  Leading the Midvale Blue Devils' attack this year is 5-11 Senior Forward Ron Breniser who was the team's leading scorer in 1958 and the 2nd Team producer as a Sophomore.  Going into this season's play Breniser had 718 points.  He is well on his way to the school's career record.

From Breniser on, Midvale lacks any real veterans of the game; although, several upperclassmen who saw action last year and a couple of promising youngsters could make the Devils dangerous before the season is too old.  If actually boils down to a matter of experience.  Only 2 Seniors, 6-2 John Everett and 5-11 Ron Kaderly, are on the squad in addition to Breniser and only one Junior 5-10 Warren Leggett is on the roster.

Two Sophomores, 6-1 Neil Beans and 6-0 Mike Page have already seen considerable action for the Diablos this season and has displayed promise.  Three other Sophomores seeking Varsity berths include:

5-8 Dick Belknap
5-8 Roger Swinderman
5-8 Walt Weaver

A lone Freshman, 5-8 Bob Byers is also working with the Varsity.

Thus, the Devils hope to successfully defend its county and District titles rest on the shoulders of a very young ball club.  But, although 1959-60 appears to be a "maybe" year, the outlook for next season and the following campaign is very promising indeed.


Monday, November 30, 1959
Don Wagner, Sports Editor
The Daily Reporter
New Philadelphia, Ohio

60 - New Head Coach At Baltic!

New Head Coach Jim Weinsz takes over supervision of the 1960 Basketball Season.


NEW PHILADELPHIA - A former Dover High School athlete, has returned to the local scene this year to join the county's coaching fraternity.  Jim Weinsz (above), who starred for the Tornadoes in basketball, football and track, before being graduated in 1948 is the chief of Baltic high's baseball and basketball fortunes, succeeding Tom Bellville.

Weinsz, who captained the 1947-48 basketball squad, led his diamond charges to a 5-2 record and 3rd place in the county's fall baseball League most recently.  After graduating from Dover High School, Jim attended Bowling Green State University where he was a member of the school's basketball teams.

He graduated in 1952 and entered the U.S. Air Force basketball and baseball teams in St. Louis, Missouri and toured the country, playing Army, Navy and other Air Force combines.  While overseas in the Far East he served as Athletic Director.  After being discharged in 1956, he accepted the position as Physical Education Consultant of 4 elementary schools and Supervisor of Physical Education at Mountain View Junior High School in California.  His 1956-57 Junior High School basketball squad won the Santa Clara County League Championships in the San Francisco Bay area with an undefeated record of 14 wins and no defeats.

This past year Jim was Driver Education Instructor at Hayward High School in Haywood, California.  He earned his Master's Degree in Physical Education from San Jose State College in 1958.


Thursday, October 16, 1959
The Daily Times
New Philadelphia, Ohio