Consy Final Berths At Stake (2-23-56)

FOUR TEAMS, their sights set on the consolation title and a berth in the Class B sectional, take to the polished planks of Dover's Memorial Hall tonight for a pair of semi-final brushes in the consolation bracket. The doors to the Dover gym will open at 6:30 and at 7:30 the high-scoring Stone Creek Panthers take on Gnadenhutten's Indians. At about 8:45 Port Washington's Purple Riders do combat with the Whiz Kids from Dundee. Prior to the first game the Dover Basketeers, a group of seventh and eighth graders who fashion their show after the Harlem Globe Trotters, will be seen in a 20-minute display of ball handling, passing, and shooting. Tonight's victors are slated to clash in the consolation final at 7:30 on Saturday night with the championship tussle, between Strasburg and Midvale, to follow. Dundee, sentimental favorite of the crowd will be seeking its third victory of the tournament and its loftiest perch in the county cage carnival since it won the consolation crown in 1951 when the battling Bulldogs face Port Washington's tall Riders in the nightcap. The Bulldogs of Jack Reese, who won only three regular season games, tripped Bolivar in the tourney opener, but then fell out of the regular bracket competition as they downed to mighty Midvale. However, on Tuesday night the Dundee scrappers staged a Frank Merriwell finish to edge Sugarcreek-Shanesville by a 67-64 count. Port (13-7) beat Baltic in its inaugural at Memorial Hall, but the Riders were dropped by Midvale in a Tuesday night thriller.
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AIM FOR TITLE
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Port Washington has never crashed the Big Three in county eliminations and a victory tonight would put the Purple in position to annex the consolation tiara. The last time Stone Creek boasted a great amount of success was in 1952 when the Panthers ruled the roost and Gnadenhutten's last big winner was the 1953 club which copped runnerup laurels. Stone Creek (15-8) will be trying for its second tourney win. The Panthers beat Tuscarawas after losing to Sugarcreek-Shanesville while Gnaden (19-3) will be going after its second victory of the double elimination event. The Tribe topped Bolivar before being downed by undefeated Strasburg. Fans may get their money's worth tonight. In regular season frays involving the opposition points were made in wholesale lot and hi-scoring battles tonight would not be too surprising. Port and Dundee met once with the Riders claiming a 108-74, decision, while Gnaden bested Stone Creek twice. The first meeting was a lulu with the Dick Scott-coached outfit posting a 77-62 win, while in the return game the difference was greater, 94-66.
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Thursday, February 23, 1956
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio