New Philadelphia's Quakers hold a unique distinction among the 32 Ohio schoolboy basketball teams still in the running for the 1958-1959 State Championship. They are one of eight schools who are numbered among the elite group of former State titlists. And Leo Benjamin, who pilots the current edition of the Quakers, was a member of the New Philadelphia team that won statewide acclaim in the 1939-1940 season when the Quakers beat Canton McKinley 30-22 in the tourney windup. Defending champion Cleveland East Tech, Middletown, Columbus East and Springfield are the other clubs in Regional competition who have won State laurels. Middletown was titlist in 1944, 1946, 1947, 1952, 1953, 1956 and 1957. Springfield won in 1925 and 1950, and Columbus East was the 1951 champion. Xenia Central and Sandusky St. Mary, included in the current Class "AA" field, won State championships when they were in Class "B" ranks.*
Northwestern's defending Class "A" Championship squad, which furnishes the opening opposition for Midvale's once-beaten Blue Devils in the regional semi-finals at Kent State University Friday night, are the only former titlist in the Class "A" field. New Philadelphia and Midvale are no strangers in late-stage tournament competition. The Quakers and Blue Devils, oddly enough, were Tuscarawas hopes in Regional competition in 1948-1949. New Philadelphia lost to Niles 49-46 in the semi-finals at Youngstown and Midvale bowed 37-29 to North Canton in the same round at Kent. When New Philadelphia captured the State championship in 1939-1940, Midvale also was in the field of 16 competing for Class "B" honors. However, the Blue Devils bowed in quarter-final activity to Smithfield 39-29. New Philadelphia topped Bellevue 34-31. Akron South 35-27 and Dayton Fairview 37-31 prior to topping McKinley. New Philadelphia also advanced to the round of 16 teams at Columbus in 1938-1939, 1937-1938 and 1923-1924. The Quakers lost to Bellefontaine 40-32 in the first round in 1939, went to the finals in 1938 before losing a 29-27 decision to Newark, and lost a first-round encounter against Columbus East 25-19 in 1924. In 1938, the Quakers topped Xenia Central 33-25, Akron Buchtel 16-14 and Hamilton 38-36 en route to the finale. Midvale went all the way to the State semi-finals two years ago before bowing to the eventual champion Ayersville 71-57. The Blue Devils went to the Regional final at Youngstown in 1947-1948 before losing a 47-42 battle to North Canton; to the State semis in 1940-1941 before losing to Canfield 44-36, and to the State semis in 1936-1937 before bowing 37-25 to Lockland. No other county team has gone farther than the Blue Devils in State Class "A" tournament competition. Dennison High School went to the semis in 1938-1939 before bowing to Sandusky St. Mary's 25-21. The Sandusky crew lost to North Canton in the windup. Sugarcreek lost to Ostrander 35-21 in the 1931-1932 semi round. New Philadephia's position in the Kent Regional this week is the first for a county Class "AA" aggregation since 1949-1950 when Dover lost to Youngstown Rayen 69-57 in the Regional semis at Youngstown. Dover also lost out in Regional play during the 1942-1943 and 1945-1946 campaigns. Dover won the State Championship in 1932-1933 by whipping Mariotta 34-23 and in 1926-1927 by toppling Toledo Waite 23-21 in the final. It bowed 36-22 to Dayton Stivers in the windup of the 1928-1929 season and advanced to the semi-finals in 1936-1937 before losing 46-40 to Hamilton which thumped Massillon in the windup.
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Other Class "A" schools who have gone this far on the tournament trail include:
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Strasburg, 1954-1955, lost 60-53 to Vienna in Regional finals at Kent.
Tuscarawas, 1953-1954, lost 65-53 to Columbiana in Regional semis at Youngstown.
Strasburg, 1952-1953, lost 60-57 to Canfield in Regional final at Canton.
Strasburg, 1946-1947, lost 59-54 to Loweliville in Regional semis at Kent.
Strasburg, 1945-1946, lost 32-31 to Worthington in Regional final at Athens.
Sugarcreek, 1944-1945, lost 48-44 to Glenford in Regional final at Logan.
Bolivar, 1942-1943, lost 34-32 to Ken State High in Regional semis at Kent.
Gnadenhutten, 1941-1942, lost 49-46 to Ottawa Hills first round of 16-team field at Columbus.
Strasburg, 1937-1938, lost 36-34 to Willshire in first round at Columbus.
Dennison, 1935-1936, lost 27-22 to South Amherst in first round at Columbus.
Strasburg, 1932-1933, lost 28-20 to Lancaster St. Mary in first round at Columbus.
Strasburg, 1927-1928, lost to Marysville 25-18 in first round at Columbus.
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Tuesday, March 10, 1959
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio
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