59 - Tuscarawas County Class "A" Basketball League (1-8-59)

And then there were two. That's how many unbeaten Tuscarawas County Class "A" League quintets there'll be following tomorrow night's 4-game loop program. The feature tussle pairs Tuscarawas Valley (3-0) at Midvale (4-0) in what should be one of the two league games of the campaign. Tuscarawas Valley has an (8-0) overall record while Midvale (9-1) has lost only once in 10 starts. While those two go at it, league-leading Gnadenhutten will put its 5-0 loop record on the block against the dangerous Pirates at Garaway. Garaway, along with Stone Creek, has a 2-2 record and those two clubs still have an outside chance at the loop crown should the top-notchers falter. Stone Creek travels to Strasburg (0-4) and Port Washington (0-4) is at Baltic (1-3) in the other loop battles. Tuscarawas plays a non-league game with Brewster on the Tusky court. Coach Bob Heller's Tuscarawas Valley quintet owns a slight edge in comparative scores against common opponets. The Trojans have dumped Garaway 55-52, Port Washington 71-46, Gnadenhutten 74-60 and Strasburg 47-32, while Coach Pete Hilliard's Blue Devils have beaten Garaway 54-52, Port Washington 61-51 and Strasburg 66-65 and lost 78-76 to Gnadenhutten. With the exception of the Garaway contest, all were non-league contests. Midvale will enter the clash with a 68.6 offensive game average to Tusky Valley's 62, but the Trojans have fared much the better defensively. They've limited their foes to but 44 points a game, while Midvale opposition has averaged 58. Each club has had its individual offensive kingpin. Ron Breniser tops the Midvale scoring list with 204 points, while Ben Price leads Tusky Valley pointmakers with 180. The Tusky Valley - Midvale battle tomorrow night is the first of three crucial league frays. Gnadenhutten and Midvale will stage a re-match January 16 and then Gnadenhutten runs into Tusky Valley January 23.
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RIGHT DOWN THE LINE With Norm Singleton - BASKETBALL FANS, who have long contended that basketball was a foolish way to waste valuable time, are more than ever convinced of it these days. The sport, which was devised at the turn of the century by Dr. James Naismith as a pastime between football and baseball season, was a slow defensive type of game back in the days that dad and granddad were carrying colors of their alma maters. But, like so many other things in this world, the game became speeded up to the point where scores surpassing the century mark are common day occurrences. Down through the seasons, the game has become one of the most widely changed sports. Rules governing its play are constantly being revamped. Basketball is the only sport which does not have a regulation playing area or court. Court sizes range from the cracker-box like Memorial Hall and even smaller to the huge hardwood courts in better gymnasiums and field-houses. Where will this messing of the already confused sport cease. We doubt if it ever will. A small-college coach from New Jersey came up with this suggestion, which probably will confuse the situation only more so. Coach Dick Holub of little Fairleigh-Dickinson College came up with a novel suggestion for curing the ills of the sport, recommending that the baskets be made smaller to cut down scoring. Holub added other remarks - but we'll let it go at that. We're not one to confuse the already confused issue.
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Thursday, January 8, 1959
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio