STRASBURG - Head Coach Charlie Huggins starts a brand new season December 2nd against the Midvale Blue Devils in a brand new gym with a group of "old Tigers". We mean "old Tigers" in the sense of the veteran performers that are answering the call to practive in the Dundee gymnasium, while the Bengals are waiting for their new floor to be completed. According to Coach Huggins the boys know they cannot live on last year's reputation and lots of pride forces them to work long and hard. It's no secret that Strasburg would like to go a couple notches higher---say Columbus than last year's District Tournament final where it bowed 54-47 to the Bridgeport Bulldogs to finish with a 17-6 record. But, that's still in the distant future and one of the reasons the dry-humored Huggins only grins and trys not to get carried away, while talking about the 1966-67 team's potential.
One of the big reasons for that wry smile is All-Ohio returnee John Studer, a 6-3 Senior. Studer, also an All-Eastern District performer, paced the county with 588 points. He had 295 as a Sophomore and enters the 1966-67 campaign with a career total of 881 points, putting him within comforable targeting distance of surpassing 1000. But, Strasburg wasn't a one-man team last year and it won't be this year, at least if it expects to go any place. Gene Bayer, a 6-4 Senior and letterman Ed Rusk, a 6-foot Junior, are battling for a forward spot. Bayer saw considerable spot duty last season, but ended with only 28 points, while Rusk pumped in 236. They're getting a ton of competition from another Junior, 6-1 Ron Hall, who scored 19 varsity points, while performing mostly with the reserves a year ago. At center, another returnee is Ed Yackey a 6-2 Senior, who can hold his own with almost anyone when it comes to rebounding. He scored 214 points last season, but hasn't been able to relax a minute in practice. Breathing down his neck has been Tom Hall, a 6-4 Junior, who would like nothing better than to earn the starting slot over the veteran Yackey. At guard positions any combination could fill the bill and 5 or 6 are fighting to see regular action. Charles Jones, a 6-2 Senior veteran and scorer of 206 points, has competition from Gary Phillips, a 5-10 Senior and 1965-66 starter Mike Rieger, a 5-8 Senior. Rieger had 128 points last season. A newcomer to the pcture is Art (Butch) Haswell, a Sophomore who is attracting plenty of attention. Then there's Senior Tom Ferris, 5-9 and a pair of 6-foot Juniors, Tom Margo and Bob Welling. Other talent includes:
Junior Walt Gibson 6-0
Junior Gary Pittman 5-9
Sophomore Louis Dreher 5-9
Sophomore Tod Feller 6-2
Sophomore Jay Strauss 6-1
Sophomore Gary Bixler 5-8
Sophomore Walt Landis 5-7
The situation is healthy and one that any coach would envy. There's nothing like tough competition for positions to bring out the best in any ball club.
Thursday, November 17, 1966
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio
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