PHOTO: Midvale Blue Devils Basketball Coach - Pete Hilliard*
"And now for Strasburg and it really has me worried." That was just one of the comments made by Midvale Coach Pete Hilliard following his team's 70-63 victory over Gnadenhutten last night on the Tribal hardwoods. "This battle for the league championship is far from over," added the highly-successful Blue Devil mentor, while sucking the juice from an ice-cold orange. "Strasburg has come a long way since the beginning of the season and probably could beat anybody in the league right now. We've also got to play Port Washington. The record doesn't indicate that it should be too tough - but you never know - anything can happen in this league." Evidently, already formulating plans for next week's game with Strasburg, he had nothing to say on the game in which his charges took a hard-earned decision over a scrappy Gnadenhutten outfit to gain undisputed leadership in the Tuscarawas County Class "A" League. For three quarters it was anybody's game. But, in the fourth period, the tournament-hardened Devils showed their poise and began pulling away. They were behind 17-9 at the first stop, but set a torrid pace in the second stanza to pull even 30-30 at halftime. They went into the final quarter with a 45-42 lead, having gained the upper hand for keeps at 41-40 with 2:46 remaining in the third quarter. As far as Gnaden was concerned, it was all over. The Indians threatened in the waning minutes, but could never come closer than five points. Coach Bob Gaume of Gnaden was up more he was down during the contest, voicing his feelings about numerous close calls made by officials. Following the game he said, "It was a hard fought game, but Midvale just outplayed us. There are no other reasons for the defeat." Midvale's Dave Belknap, who scored 12 points, did a tremendous job in guarding Gnaden's highscoring Ron Bradley, The Indian Senior had been averaging 30.3 points per game in league play until last night, but Belknap put some kinks in his shooting style, limiting him to 18 points. Ron Breniser of Midvale, gaining most of his points on a jump shot from the corner, ended with scoring laurels on 21 points. Bill Housel and Hanes Hairston ended with 15 apiece. Gnaden's pint-sized Ron Clark used a deadly two-handed set shot to tie Bradley for team laurels. John Hall had 14. Midvale meshed 30 of 79 shots from the field for 38 percent, while Gnaden connected 25 times in 72 attempts for 35 percent. The Blue Devils converted 10 of 21 from the free throw line and the Indians 13 of 24.
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Saturday, January 17, 1959
Norm Singleton, Sports Editor
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio
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