Right Down The Line (1-18-55) (2-10-55)

Glancing past the Midvale-Strasburg encounter Friday night, we can't help wondering what the annual Class B County Basketball meet holds in store for the fans this year. Each and every year one or more teams seem to rise up and smoke the Goliaths much in the manner of David in the Bible story. Last year the Port Washington Purple Riders took over the David role and almost kayoed Strasburg. In years gone by, Stone Creek, Bolivar and other teams have assumed the Cinderella role and brought down the favorites with a thundering crash. Who will it be this year?

*

THE DRAWINGS set up a most interesting situation in that most of the action will be centered in the top bracket. If the final league standings are followed, that is. Four top teams in Tuscarawas, Stone Creek, Port Washington and Strasburg are in the upper bracket and seem likely to fight it out among themselves with Dundee and Bolivar not expected to give much argument. Stone Creek had trouble subduing Bolivar recently and the Cardinals could prove to be pesky should the Panthers let down. Dundee, with Bobby Baker, Gary Siemmer and Don Levengood operating at top speed, could be a tough hurdle for the Port Washington Purple Riders despite the fact that Coach Bray Toot's charges are being tagged as a tourney "darkhorse" and the "hottest" team in the league at the present time. Should Stone Creek and Port Washington emerge victorious as expected, they will have to face Tuscarawas and Strasburg, respectively. There are many who are expecting to watch Tusky and Strasburg collide in the semi-finals and that may well be the case, but neither Port nor Stone Creek can be sold short yet.

*

IF STRASBURG and Tuscarawas meet again there is bound to be a "kettle of steam" generated with many fans already comparing Tuscarawas' near upset of Sandy Valley with the Strasburg defeat at the hands of the Cardinals. The Tigers upended Tuscarawas 68-58 in regular season play in a good contest and there is sure to be plenty of good competition again if and when the two teams collide. Strasburg will have much to repay since the Broncos defeated the 1953-54 Tigers in the county tournament and district finals last year to account for the only two defeats suffered by the Orange and Black.

*

IN THE LOWER bracket, Gnadenhutten, Sugarcreek-Shanesville and Baltic are all given a good chance to upset the applecart and come through to trip Midvale. The Blue Devils; however, have been showing a steady improvement through the season and appear to be much stronger at present. At any rate, there'll be plenty of scrambling in both the upper and lower brackets of the tourney from the time the first game gets underway between Stone Creek and Bolivar at 6:30PM Tuesday. In the meantime, the battle at Midvale is shaping up as a crucial one for both teams. Strasburg will be out to bounce back hard while Midvale will be seeking to avenge the early-season pasting suffered at Strasburg. The regular-season preliminaries are just winding up and the annual donnybrooks are yet to be staged. You ain't seen nothin' yet.

*

*

*

Thursday, February 10, 1955

The Daily Reporter

Dover, Ohio