Stone Creek, Gnaden Will Vie For Honors (2-23-57)

After tonight either Stone Creek's Panthers (18-4) will have wrapped up their second Class A County League Tournament title or Gnadenhutten's Indians (19-3) will have notched their fourth in the 35-year series of the dribble derby. The two teams will square off at 8:45PM, this evening for the crown at Memorial Hall with an anticipated record-breaking crowd. Meanwhile Midvale's suprising Blue Devils (13-9) take on the newly consolidated Tuscarawas Valley Trojans (17-5) in the preliminary contest at 7:30PM for the consolation title and the third berth in the Class A Sectional to be staged at Memorial Hall starting next Wednesday night. The Blue Devils gained the finals berth in the consy bracket by snaring a sweet 62-54 revenge victory from the Strasburg Tigers. The loss eliminated the Bengals of Coach Chuck Caniford from the tournament. The absence of Strasburg in the finals of the tourney in either the championship or consy brackets will be the first time in five years. In the past four years the Tigers were champs once, runner-up twice and consolation champs on the fourth occasion. Tuscarawas Valley came from behind to hand the Port Washington Purple Riders (13-8) a 73-66 set back to earn a berth opposite Midvale. The two teams met on November 21 at the Blue Devils court in regular season play and the Trojans of Coach Ray Low walked off with a thrilling 74-73 verdict. Gnadenhutten, victor over Stone Creek by scores of 60-46 and 86-68, won its last tourney crown in 1943, defeating Bolivar for the title. Stone Creek, on the other hand, has won only one county tourney crown and has never been runnerup or consolation winner. So this is the second time the Panthers of Coach Ed McGlumphy has ever been in the finals of either bracket.

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Saturday, February 23, 1957

The Daily Reporter

Dover, Ohio