Tigers To Meet Gnaden (2-21-56)

FOR THE SECOND straight year Strasburg, Gnadenhutten and Midvale find themselves in the semi-finals of the Tuscarawas County Class B Tournament. And whether the tenacious Tigers and the bucket-bombing Blue Devils make it to the championship round for the second straight time will be decided tonight at Dover's Memorial Hall. Strasburg, seeking its 15th tourney title, does battle with Gnadenhutten, while the Blue Devils face Port Washington after a 6:30 consolation affair between Sugarcreek-Shanesville (11-12) and Dundee (4-18). The gym doors will open at 5:30.
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BIG CROWD EXPECTED
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By 7:45, when sensational Strasburg vies with the dangerous Gnaden combine, Memorial Hall is expected to be taxed with its largest crowd of the tournament. Last week when Strasburg and Sugarcreek-Shanesville played there were about 1,900 fans in attendance. Even more may be on hand tonight. The Port-Midvale fray will begin about 9PM. Tonight's semi-final winners will be assured of berths in next week's "B" sectional at Memorial Hall, but will play for the county tourney tiara Saturday night. Consequently much hangs in the balance this evening. The losers, too, will have a chance to make it to the sectional, because the county also qualifies its consolation titlist. Last year Strasburg tripped up the Blue Devils 91-65 in the titular tussle after semi-final games saw the Tigers lick Tuscarawas 85-73 and Midvale eliminate Gnadenhutten 64-60.
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BIG TEST
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Strasburg, unstained in 18 tries, may be in for its toughest test although Sugarcreek-Shanesville forced Ken Newlon's Orange to the hilt before bowing last week. Gnaden has lost only two of 21 games, one of them a 73-65 reversal at the hands of the perennial county power. That loss snapped a nine-game winning streak for the Tribesmen. Because of their record and that eight-point triumph, the Jim Kuecher-led Bengals will be installed as a slight favorite as will Midvale (16-5), which upended Port (13-6) 63-62 and 75-64 during regular campaigning. The Pirates and Dundee may come up with another spine-tingler in view of a previous fuss which wound up with the Bulldogs falling only 74-71. On Thursday night the Strasburg-Gnaden loser will go against Stone Creek at 7:30 and the Sugarcreek-Shanes-Dundee winner will vie with the Midvale-Port loser at 8:45 in a pair of consolation skirmishes.
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Tuesday, February 21, 1956
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio