Hawk John Hochstetler and Tiger Chuck Jones hustle for a loose ball. Others in photo are Hiland's Merle Mullet (45) and Ken Miller and Strasburg's Gene Bayer (30) and Ed Yackey.
Two of the finest basketballers in Ohio are involved in this action which shows Hiland's John Hochstetler going in for a shot behind Strasburg's John Studer.
Facial expressions tell the story...Strasburg will enter District Tournament play Tuesday after disposing of Hiland last night. The Sectional Co-Champions are: Tom Hall, Gene Bayer, Ed Yackey, John Studer, Ed Rusk, Dick Fox, Ron Hall, Mike Rieger, Tom Hall, Chuck Jones, Gary Phillips, Gary Fuller, Mike Donahue, Phil Dreher, Tom Ferris, Assistant Coach Jim Bieleski and Head Coach Charles Huggins.
STRASBURG RULES JUNIOR HIGH LEAGUE...Al Sardelli, Manager of the Tuscarawas County Junior High Basketball Tournament, presents a trophy to Jack Brandt, coach of the Champion Strasburg team. The Tigers are: Manager Gary Limbacher, Tom Newton, Bill Ferris, Jeff Bott, Rick Margo, Rich Gerber, Randy Roush, Randy Root, Manager Marc Shafer, Steve Scherer, Carl Jones, Sam Willis, John Heid, Ned Longler, Mike Patton and Lonnie Feller. The young Tigers romped through 6 league games without a loss, then beat 2 opponents in the tournament to win the post-season championship.
Hiland Co-Captains John Hochstetler and Art Miller accept the game ball as runner-up honors from W.E. Laws, tournament manager.
DOVER - John Studer has one drawback...he isn't twins! Not so, say the Hiland Hawks (17-6). He's more. The 6-3 Strasburg ace was double trouble for Hiland last night. He put on a dazzling show to spark the Tigers to victory in the finals of the upper bracket Sectional Tournament in Dover High gymnasium. With the win goes a berth in next weekend's District at New Philadelphia. The Tigers (16-5) will play Tuesday against either Wayne or Brilliant, both 16-4, who battle Friday at 9 at Steubenville. The 2nd game at Steubenville Friday pits Bridgeport (20-0) against Flushing (10-10), with that winner playing either Midvale (17-3) or Garaway (16-4) Wednesday at New Philadelphia. Midvale and Garaway clash Friday in Dover High gymnasium for the other District berth. (On the 4th of March, the Garaway Pirates (17-4) beat the Midvale Blue Devils (17-4). This game was missing, score unknown and of course no stats. Garaway moves to District Tournament!) Studer had plenty of help last night, chiefly from Ed Yackey and Chuck Jones, but he was the man who brought the Tigers from the brink of despair. Hiland, down 12-11 at the 1st stop, held a 28-27 halftime margin and had the Tigers on the ropes, 52-44, going into the final frame. But the Tigers wouldn't be counted out.
John Hochstetler, like Studer a prime All-Ohio candidate, sparked Hiland's 3rd quarter surge with 11 points. The 6-0 Senior ended the night with 24, giving him 462 for the season and a career total of 993. He entered the game tied with Andy Ahijevych for the school career record. But in the 4th quarter Studer, who had been doing a fine job all night, really turned on the power. He pumped in 12 points in that frame, including the deciding 2 off a rebound with 18 seconds left on the clock. Studer, whose game-deciding shot was from about 7 feet away, ended with 31 points. What he didn't get off the boards he pumped in from the outside, usually about 20 feet from the nets. Yackey also did outstanding work, totaling 20 points and tieing Studer for game rebounding honors with 12. Jones ended with 11 points, 10 in the 1st half. Art Miller followed Hochstetler in Hiland's attack with 15 points. Ken Miller got 9. The Hawks lost Ken Miller at 3:39 of the 4th quarter and Merle Mullet at 5:28 of the same stanza because of 5 personal fouls.
Strasburg ended with 22 field goals in 50 tries for 44 percent and 21 of 35 from the foul lines. Hiland made 18 of 43 floor attempts for 42 percent and sank 27 of 39 charities. The Tigers led 29-28 in rebounds and committed 8 turnovers to Hiland's 9. Forty-nine personals were called, 25 against the Hawks. The score was tied 9 times and the lead changed hands on 9 occasions. Another full house watched the battle.
Ken Miller opened the scoring at 6:44 after being fouled by Yackey, then Jones put the Tigers on top at 6:23 on a 29 footer. Ken Miller drilled in a 20-footer, then the score was knotted 3-2 and 7-7 before Yackey gave Strasburg a 9-7 margin with a goal from the key at 2:38. Strasburg held the lead until the outset of the 2nd stanza when the slick-working Hochstetler tied the count 13-13 from the key. Studer and Art Miller exchanged goals, then a goal by Ken Miller at 6:18 gave Hiland a 17-15 edge. After 2 fouls by Art Miller, the Tigers came back to go ahead 25-19 as Jones drove in for a goal at 4:11. Art Miller put Hiland back on top 21-20, by stealing the ball about mid-court and going in for a layup. Studer tied it again,then 2 more fouls by Art Miller put the Hawks on top until 7:49 of the 3rd canto when Studer's foul made it 28-28. Ken Miller's 7-footer from the baseline gave Hiland a 30-28 margin and the Hawks were ahead...except for a 33-33 tie...until 4:52 of the final frame when a 5-footer by Studer gave Strasburg a brief 55-54 edge.
Hiland took a 41-36 advantage at 4:03 of the 3rd canto, but 4 straight fouls carried the Tigers back to within a point. It was 43-42 at 2:30, then the hard-working Hochstetler dropped in 2 straight fouls to give Hiland a 46-42 margin. After Studer goaled, a deuce by Art Miller off a drive, 2 fouls by Galen Swartzentruber and a goal by Hochstetler at 0.09 gave the Abe Mast-coached Hawks an 8-point margin 52-44, going into the final frame. Yackey scored off the give-and-go with Studer, but Hochstetler put the margin back to 8 points by sinking a pair of fouls. Then Mike Rieger got his only points of the night, Studer goaled. Yackey made a foul and Studer scored a pair on an in-bounds play at 5:23 and the Tigers were right back in contention at 54-52.
The talented Studer made it 9 straight points for the Tigers, giving them a 55-54 edge, but Ken Miller sank both ends of a one-and-one foul situation and the Hawks were back on top at 56-55. Studer, continuing to shine, drove in to give the Charlie Huggins-coached Tigers as 57-56 edge and the rugged Yackey upped that by 2 from the foul line at 3:39. There was a traveling violation called against Hiland and Yackey made it 61-59 with a shot from the key at 2:18. Kirby Miller sank 2 fouls, then Studer did likewise and the Tigers led 62-58 at 2:47. Now it was the talented Hawks who refused to quit. Although 2 of their starters...Ken Miller and Mullet...were on the bench, they came storming back.
Hochstetler goaled off a drive and Art Miller sank 2 fouls at 1:55 to cut the Tiger lead to 63-62. After a traveling violation against Strasburg, Bob Mast tied it for the Hawks by making the 1st of a 2-shot foul. Studer went high for the rebound on the missed 2nd attempt and the Tigers tried to hold the ball for the last shot. With 20 seconds remaining Kirby Miller attempted to steal the ball about mid-court,but was called for fouling Jones. The Tiger's shot on the one-and-one situation was off target, but Studer grabbed the rebound about 7 feet from the basket and put the ball back up and in the nets and the Tigers led 65-63 at 0:18. Art Miller had a chance to tie it with 8 seconds to go when he had a one-and-one situation after being fouled by Rusk. But Miller, who was perfect in 9 tries from the foul lines up to this point was short of the mark. In the scramble for the rebound, a jump was called between Rusk and Art Miller. The clock read 0:06. Rusk tapped the ball to Studer who held it high above his head until the final buzzer.
These boys (Tigers) have a lot of character," Huggins said after the struggle. They don't give up. Hiland has a mighty tough team, but even when it had us down our boys kept at them (Hawks)." Mast said: "Strasburg has a real fine team. That Studer is just too big and tough. And Yackey was like a horse under the boards. If we hadn't missed some key baskets and layups..." Strasburg had lost twice to Hiland in regular season play 55-50 and 69-67. But the 3rd time was the "charm!"
STRASBURG TIGERS - 65
John Studer 13-5-31
Ed Rusk 0-0-0
Chuck Jones 3-5-11
Ed Yackey 5-10-20
Mike Rieger 1-0-2
Gary Phillips 0-4-4
Gary Feller 0-1-1
Gene Bayer 1-1-3
HILAND HAWKS - 63
Art Miller 3-9-15
John Hochstetler 9-6-24
Ken Miller 3-3-9
Merle Mullet 3-0-6
Galen Swartzentruber 0-4-4
Kirby Miller 0-2-2
B. Mast 0-3-3
Thursday, March 3, 1966
Dan Kopp, Sports Editor
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio
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