51 - Dundee Bulldogs Win Their 1st Consolation Division Championship 72-68 (2-23-51)

DOVER - The Dundee Bulldogs (4-1) (15-10) (26-43) rode into the 17th Annual Tuscarawas County Class B Basketball Sectional Division Championship Tournament on the marksmanship of a two-headed kid with a world of speed and a deadly shooting eye.  No performer in the entire tournament was more brilliant than Junior center Loris Hostetler, whose 32 points not only blasted the hopes of the Tuscarawas Broncos (3-2) (14-9) (37-37) 72-68, but set a record for a single game scoring this year.  This ties Port Washington's Elmer Linard for 2nd place, who accomplished this feat in 1945.

It was Hostetler's scoring which sent the Bulldogs out in front to stay 16-14 midway in the 2nd frame.  It was Hostetler's punch which kept Dundee going and gave them a 38-31 halftime lead and a 54-47 third stanza edge.  It remained; however, for Senior forward Dick Kate, the tournament's smallest regular, to spike a desperate Bronco bid in the last 45 seconds.

Kate, who provided the spark which nearly upset the Midvale Blue Devils 3 years ago, added his name with Hostetler on the list of tournament heroes.  Senior forward Jerry Rausch and Senior forward Russ (Ike) Walton had knotted the count at 66-66 with one minute remaining, but Hostetler sent his team back in the lead with a lay-up shot.  In that last 45 seconds, the Broncos got the ball out of bounds.  Rausch attempted to pass into a teammate, but the ball was intercepted by Kate who drove in for the field goal which broke the back of the Tusky rally.

Another field goal by Junior guard Merlyn Immel in those last seconds and by Rausch were anti-climatic.  Rausch, one of the finest set shot artists in the county, netted 20 points, but could not match the pace set by the glistening Hostetler.  During the regular season, Tuscarawas knocked off Dundee 55-46.

Besides Loris Hostetler's scoring record this year, Immel and Junior forward Louis Hostetler hit double-figures with 15 and 13 points respectively for the winners.  The other players in double-figures for Tuscarawas besides Rausch were Walton dropping in 13, Senior guard Bill Tharp knocking in 12 and Senior Bob McPeek gathering another 11 points.

DUNDEE BULLDOGS - 72

Dick Kate F 3-0-6
Louis hostetler F 5-3-13
Loris Hostetler C 15-2-32
Curt Beamer G 3-0-6
Weldon Flynn G 0-0-0
Merlyn Immel G 7-1-15

TUSCARAWAS BRONCOS - 68

Jerry Rausch F 9-2-20
Russ (Ike) Walton F 6-1-13
Dick Kerns F 1-0-2
Martin Vesco C 4-3-11
Bill Tharp G 5-2-12
Bob McPeek G 1-2-4
Jim Ronald G 2-2-6


Saturday, February 24, 1951
Rex Ridenour, Sports Editor
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio

51 - Right Down The Line

Sports Editor
Friday, February 23, 1951
Dover, Ohio


THE MIDVALE BLUE DEVILS' Frank Baumholtz is back in a Chicago Cub uniform again this season for another shot at the major leagues.  Frank, whose basketball prowess at Ohio University won him All-American recognition before his graduation in 1941, returns to the Cubs this year after a season with the Los Angeles club where he led the Pacific Coast League in batting with a .379 batting average.  This spring, Baumholtz has given an indication that he has finally hit his stride.

Frank fell only 4 percentage points short of equaling the all-time Los Angeles batting high of .383 set by Frank Demaree in 1934.  His base total was .372, 2nd highest ever recorded by a Los Angeles player.  Following his graduation from college, Frank turned basketball pro with the Cleveland Rebels and then gave up the cage game to go with the Cincinnati Reds baseball club.

Baumholtz made the majors in 1947, hitting .283.  After a .296 year in 1948, he was traded to the Chicago Cubs.  Now he returns to aid the Cubs in the National League pennant drive.

UNLESS 2,031 FANS jam into Memorial Hall tonight to see the Class B Tournament final between the Strasburg Tigers (2-0) (16-6) (80-20) and the Midvale Blue Devils (2-0) (18-4) (52-24), the official paid attendance figures will not match that of last season, Tournament Manager W.E. Laws revealed last night.  The 1st six sessions this year have drawn 4,690 paid admissions, while the 7 sessions last year drew a total of 6,741 paid admissions.  This 1950 total; however, was below the record total of 7,268 set at Dennison in 1948.  By sessions this year, the tournament has drawn 665, 415, 1,025, 1,343, 888 and 354 in paid admissions.

Frank Baumholtz, the Midvale Marvel, currently with the 1951 Chicago Cubs.

W.E. Laws, Tournament Manager, for the 1951 Tuscarawas County Class B Basketball Tournament at Memorial Hall in Dover.

51 - Ask 'Definite Evidence' In Hostetler Probe

Richard (Ike) Hostetler subject of Tuscarawas County basketball probe involving transfer from Sugarcreek-Shanesville High School to Walnut Creek.


DOVER - A demand for 'definite evidence' and 'positive proof'' was the answer given the Tuscarawas County Coaches Assocation by Ohio High School Athletic Commissioner, H.W. Emswiler, today as a result of the association's mass protest last week against the transfer of Richard (Ike) Hostetler of Sugarcreek-Shanesville High School, indicating the protests and requests for investigation of the controversial transfer are being made to his office without sufficient affidavits.  Emswiler; however, told the county coaches that "we haven't the slightest compunction about reversing our decision in this case without definite evidence produced to prove our information was erroneous."

In a two page letter, addressed to Head Coach Fritz Jacobs of Gnadenhutten, Secretary of the County Association, Emswiler made his stand on the case very clear.  Emswiler's letter reads:  "Friday, February 16, 1951, I talked with 4 men, members of the Board of Election as I understood them, relative to the Richard Hostetler siuation.  I recall the names of only two, a Mr. France and a Mr. Miller.

"We went over the pertinent correspondence rather carefully.  Both Supt. E.J. Miller and Athletic Director John Ridley of Walnut Creek emphatically stated there was no undue influence by anyone, either within or without the school to encourage Hostetler to transfer.  In fact, Mr. Miller stated that the morning the boy presented himself for enrollment he urged him to go back to Sugarcreek and finish, but the boy stated that he and his wife had to seek cheaper living quarters."

Emswiler, at this point in his answer, reminded the coaches that more than circumstantial evidence is necessary to lodge a protest and launch an investigation.  "You state that a wealth of circumstantial evidence now exists which should make it very easy to uncover the real truth."

"Circumstantial evidence is all we have here to refute the positive statements made by E.J. Miller and John Ridley after receiving the letters relative to this case."  "A Charles Voltz of Berlin states that it has been reported that Mr. Moses Hostetler, Tommy Miller, Dutch Horrisberger and a Mr. Mast made a special call to Ike's and stayed 2 hours, according to neighbors.  Shortly after that, Hostetler pulled out for Walnut Creek," Emswiler revealed.

Emswiler states that "in another letter we are told that the persons interested cannot now prove that this Booster Club used influence to bring about this transfer, since the club would deny all such accusations."  "This is probably true," Emswiler states, "but in several cases boys have been ruled ineligible because those who protested did produce affidavits and other definite evidence."

Emswiler ended his letter by advising the coaches to interview persons connected with the cause and supply positive proof before requesting further investigation.


Friday, February 23, 1951
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio

51 - Tusky Waylays Bolivar 68-57 (2-22-51)

Junior Wayne Kromi (26), Bolivar Center, loses the ball in last night's Bolivar Cardinals-Tuscarawas Broncos game at Memorial Hall and 3 Broncos charge in for the attempt to recover it.  The Colts in the photo are Seniors Dick Kerns (5), Jerry Rausch (7) and Martin Vesco (4).

The Tuscarawas Broncos' Senior Jerry Rausch led the Broncos in a 68-57 victory over the Bolivar Cardinals by leading his team in scoring 20 points in the Consolation Division contest.  Rausch has amassed a total of 85 points for a game average of 21.3 points per game after 4 games.


DOVER - The Midvale Blue Devils, defending Champions and the Strasburg Tigers will collide tonight in Memorial Hall for the Daily Reporter Class B County Tournament Trophy at 8:45PM following a Consolation Division battle between the Dundee Bulldogs and Tuscarawas Broncos at 7:30PM.  The 4 teams which will see action tonight in the tournament's final round are the only survivors in a field of 11 which began the tournament grind on February 13th.  Three teams, the winner, runner-up and Consolation Division winner, will advance to the Sectional Tournament eliminations next Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Memorial Hall.

Head Coach Ike Wiseman's Bulldogs gained a berth in the Consolation Division round Thursday night by eliminating a stubborn Stone Creek Golden Panthers quintet 68-51, while Head Coach Chuck Lorenz' Broncos knocked the Bolivar Cardinals out of contention 68-57 before a small crowd.

Head Coach Warren Craigo's Bolivar Cardinals (1-2) (6-16) (46-39), who Wednesday night upset the Gnadenhutten Indians 47-45, threatened to repeat that performance against the Tuscarawas Broncos (3-1) (14-8) (37-36) for 2 quarters last night in a Consolation Division contest, but hot-shooting Seniors Jerry Rausch and Russ Walton bombarded the Cardinals in the 3rd stanza to break the game wide open.  The Red Birds held a 13-12 first quarter lead, but the Broncos forged a 26-24 intermission margin.  Rausch and Walton kept the Colts on the winning trail in that 3rd period 56-34.

Rausch sparked Tusky with 20 points, while Walton, Senior Bill Tharp and Senior Bob McPeek tossed in 14, 14 and 12 markers respectively.  Senior Junior Geers led all scorers with 22 points and his teammates, Junior Calvin Geckler dropped in 13 and Sophomore Delvin Haut tossed in 11, for Bolivar.

Tonight's title battle between Midvale and Strasburg will see Head Coach Chuck Stocker's Blue Devils driving for their 3rd straight tournament title.  Strasburg, meanwhile, will be gunning for their 1st tournament trophy since the balloon days of Clarence Yackey, Tom Haswell, et al, back in 1948.  Another capacity crowd is expected for the title session tonight.  Doors will open at 6PM.  The Tigers won a close one 56-54 in their only game of the regular season.

TUSCARAWAS BRONCOS - 68

Jerry Rausch 8-4-20
Rich Hill 0-1-1
Russ (Ike) Walton 7-0-14
Dick Kerns 0-0-0
Jim Ronald 0-2-2
Martin Vesco 2-0-4
Bill Tharp 6-2-14
Bob Cerana 0-1-1
Bob McPeek 3-6-12

BOLIVAR CARDINALS

Junior Geers 8-6-22
Delvin Haut 4-3-11
Wayne Kromi 0-1-1
Everett 0-0-0
Calvin Geckler 5-3-13
Bob Burkhart 2-0-4
Frame 3-1-7


Friday, February 23, 1951
Rex Ridenour, Sports Editor
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio

51 - Dundee Knocks-Out Stone Creek 68-51 (2-22-51)

DOVER - Head Coach Ken Newlon's Stone Creek Golden Panthers (2-2) (8-20) (18-36) made a battle of it for 3 quarters, holding a 25-24 halftime lead after having the score knotted at 11-11 at the close of the 1st frame.  In the 3rd stanza, the Dundee Bulldogs (3-1) (14-10) (25-43) and their sparkling twin Juniors, Loris and Louis Hostetler, broke loose against the Golden Panthers and gave the Bulldogs a 47-44 edge going into the final canto.

Dundee kept going in the last quarter to gain their decisive margin on the basis of scoring sprees by the Hostetler twins and Senior forward Dick Kate.  Meanwhile, the Bulldogs' sliding zone defense held Stone Creek to a pair of field goals in the closing quarter.

Loris Hostetler netted 23 points for the Bulldogs and Louis Hostetler poured in 19.  Junior Willis Ridenour and Sophomore Jerry Gasser, the Golden Panthers' top performers, paced the Panther attack with 16 and 21 points respectively.

DUNDEE BULLDOGS - 68

Dick Kate 4-3-11
Weldon Flynn 0-1-1
Louis Hostetler 8-3-19
Gene Muster 0-0-0
Loris Hostetler 10-3-23
Slemmer 0-0-0
Merlyn Immel 3-2-8
George Sliffe 0-0-0
Curt Beamer 1-2-4

STONE CREEK GOLDEN PANTHERS

Jim Lorenz 1-1-3
Paul Heid 0-0-0
Miller 1-0-2
Carl Poland 0-0-0
Willis Ridenour 4-8-16
Jerry Gasser 8-5-21
Ken Heid 3-2-8
Jerry Billman 0-1-1
Gary Grimm 0-0-0


Friday, February 23, 1951
Rex Ridenour, Sports Editor
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio

51 - Right Down The Line

Thursday, February 22, 1951
Dover, Ohio


TWO MEMBERS OF THE COUNTY LEAGUE 'BIG THREE' the Midvale Blue Devils (2-0) (18-4) (52-24) and Strasburg Tigers (2-0) (16-6) (80-20) have reached the pay-off round in the tournament firing.  The 3rd member, the Tuscarawas Broncos (2-1) (13-8) (36-36), defeated by Strasburg 62-50) last night, still has to defeat the Bolivar Cardinals (1-1) (6-15) (46-38) and either the Stone Creek Golden Panthers (2-1) (8-19) (18-35) or the Dundee Bulldogs (2-1) (13-10) (24-43) before gaining a berth in the Sectional Division meet next week.

Midvale and Strasburg are assured a Sectional Tournament berth, but that is as much as can be assured either team until after that Championship struggle on Friday night.  Head Coach Don Martin's Tigers, in those final 3 minutes last night, appeared to be just about tops in the county as they rode over the Broncos.  Until then, Tusky had been giving the Bengals plenty of trouble.

THERE STILL ISN'T A FAVORITE for the title...not when the top teams are so evenly matched that one field goal or free throw shot could decide the issue.  Credit Head Coach Ike Wiseman of the Bulldogs with a neat bit of strategy last night.  It may have seemed a waste of opportunity when his Dogs started taking the ball out of bounds instead of shooting free throw shots as early as the 2nd period, but we feel it was sound strategy.

Wiseman's idea was to keep the ball away from the Blue Devils as much as possible and wait for openings in the defense.  With a few more breaks, Dundee could have made that ball-control game pay off.  Credit Head Coach Warren Craigo and his Cardinals with another fine game.  This marks the 2nd straight year the Red Birds have upset a favorite.  This year it was the Gnadenhutten Indians (2-2) (15-10) (45-39), last year it was Strasburg.  As a matter of fact, a lot of credit is due every team and coach for fine performances this year.  There is still more to come.

RON KOHL OF GNADENHUTTEN is leading all tournament scorers with 75 points as of last night.  Jerry Rausch of Tusky has 65, Loris Hostetler of Dundee 57, Ken Huston of Port Washington 47 and Jim Lorens of Stone Creek 45.

BASKETBALL FANS IN THIS AREA are assured of seeing some of the best talent, both team and individual, in the Class B Sectional Tournament eliminations at Memorial Hall next week.  Walnut Creek's powerful Cardinals were ranked 16th in Class B circles by the sports magazine, First and Ten, this week, one notch above the Dennison Railroaders who placed 17th in the magazine poll.

Both the Red Birds and Railroaders will enter the Sectional Tournament.  They may not meet; however, if seeded in different brackets.  Dennison, who plays predominately a Class A schedule, vaulted 30 places after holding the New Philadelphia Quakers to a 69-65 decision last week.  The Quakers were ranked 25th in Class A circles.

The Quakers' fine center, Dave Leggett, leads the State's Class A scorers with 521 points.  Bobby Troyer, Walnut Creek's All-Ohio cager has tallied 465 markers in 21 games, while teammate Ike Hostetler has 468 in 22 contests, including the 15 games he played at Sugarcreek Shanesville.

This is an example of the magazine he is talking about.  This is the March 1951-52 issue of the FIRST AND TEN magazine.

51 - Strasburg Conquers Tusky 62-50 (2-21-15)

Senior John Zeigler of the Strasburg Tigers tries a push shot against the Tuscarawas Broncos, while Senior Bob Cerano fails to stop the attempt.


DOVER - With the pressure on, the blue chips down and 1,800 fans looking on, the Strasburg Tigers and defending Champion Midvale Blue Devils earned the right Wednesday night to battle it out for the The Daily Reporter Trophy Friday in the finals of the County Class B Basketball Tournament at Memorial Hall.  Extended to the limit by a determined Tuscarawas Broncos team, Head Coach Don Martin's Tigers found the spark in the last canto and went on to annex a decisive 62-50 decision in a bitter battle which could have gone either way until the last 2 minutes.

The Midvale Blue Devils played off of their feet by a Dundee Bulldogs team which was bent on an upset, managed to hang on and win 46-42 in the closing stages of another terrific struggle.  It remained for Head Coach Warren Craigo's Bolivar Cardinals; however, to surge back from a defeat at the hands of Tusky last week 74-50 and stun the Gnadenhutten Indians with a 47-45 victory...the tournament's biggest upset to date.

As a result of the Cardinals victory last night, the Red Birds will tackle Tuscarawas tonight at 8:45.  It is the 2nd time in the tournament that the 2 teams have met, the Broncos winning the 1st game last week.  In the other Consolation Division contest tonight, the Stone Creek Golden Panthers tackles Dundee at 7:45.  The 2 winners will clash for the Consolation Division Trophy Friday night with the winner, along with the Championship winner and runner-up advancing to the Sectional Tournament next week at Memorial Hall.

Head Coach Chuck Lorenz' Tuscarawas Broncos (2-1) (13-8) (36-36), who tied the Midvale Blue Devils and Strasburg Tigers (2-0) (16-6) (80-20) for the County League title, kept pace with the Tigers until a blistering attack by Senior Jim Reiger and Junior Dale Bayer in the final 3 minutes blasted Tusky's hopes.  For 3 quarters, the 2 teams fought it out on nearly even terms with the Bengals holding quarter edges of 12-9, 23-20 and 37-35.

Strasburg employed a 1-2-2 zone defense and drew their offensive power from a fast-breaking attack and the set-shooting of Bayer, Senior John Zeigler and Senior Dale Renner.  The Colts attempted to throw a man-to-man defensive barrier at the Tigers, but did not succeed in halting the Bengal aces completely at any stage of the game.

In the 1st half, Zeigler's set shooting from side court cut Tuscarawas down.  The Strasburg forward netted 11 of the 23 Tiger points, while Seniors Jerry Rausch, Russ (Ike) Walton and Bob McPeek distributed scoring for Tusky.  During the 3rd stanza, marksmanship by Bayer, who fired mostly from a set position over the Bronco defense, gave the Bengals the edge as the Ponies again failed to penetrate the Strasburg zone effectively.

In the 4th Canto, Rausch staged a brilliant one-man exhibition as he scored all of Tusky's field goals in this quarter.  His total was 12 points.  It was Rausch who pulled the Broncos from a 48-41 deficit to within one-point of the Strasburg lead with 3 successive action shots from the side.  That was the final Bronco bid; however, as the Tigers, fired by Rieger and Bayer, borke the game wide open in the final 3 minutes.

Zeigler and Reiger led Strasburg with 15 points each and their teammate, Renner, popped in another 10 points.  Tuscarawas' Rausch led all scorers with 22 points.

STRASBURG TIGERS - 62

John Zeigler 7-1-15
Dale Renner 4-2-10
Jim Reiger 6-3-15
Dale Bayer 3-3-9
Rich Rentsch 0-0-0
Bill Von Kaenel 1-1-3

TUSCARAWAS BRONCOS - 50

Jerry Rausch 10-2-22
Russ (Ike) Walton 3-0-6
Martin Vesco 3-1-7
Dick Kerns 0-1-1
Bill Tharp 2-2-6
Bob Cerana 0-0-0
Bob McPeek 3-2-8


Thursday, February 22, 1951
Rex Ridenour, Sports Editor
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio