67 - Strasburg Can Join Elite By Winning 18th

DOVER - The Strasburg High School Tigers (17-0) can join highly select company tonight if they defeat Hiland to end their season undefeated in 18 games.  Only 5 teams in the county, including 2 from Strasburg, have achieved that goal.  There's been but one that sailed through the regular campaign and tournament without a blemish on its record.  Latest to go through a season undefeated was Coach Glenn Bower's 1962-63 Dennison St. Mary's squad.  It won 18 straight plus 3 in the tournament and ended at 21-1.

Then there was the team that finished season and tournament play without a loss.  That distinction  is held by New Philadelphia's 1939-40 State championship team, coached by Paul Hoerneman.  It ended with a 25-0 record and in the succeeding season opened with 2 wins to end with 27 straight.  Even that; however, is short of the 28 straight achieved in one season by Strasburg's 1945-46 combination.  The Tigers in that season didn't get to the State tournament, but the mark is considered the longest winning streak in county history.  Coached by present Dover High Superintendent Emmet Riley, compiled an unmatched 125-14 record at Strasburg from 1943 through 1948.  The Tigers saw their streak stopped when they bowed 32-31 to Worthington in the Regional finals.

Another team from the same era, Sugarcreek-Shanesville High School's Pirates' 1943-44 squad, also had an outstanding record.  It ran rough-shod over 21 consecutive foes and made  it 26 straight by winning 5 more in tournament play before losing 32-30 to Philo in the District semi-finals.  Pirate coach was Earl Sundheimer.  Strasburg's other undefeated team and the school's last to achieve that end was the 1955-56 squad which was 17-0.  Coached by Ken Newlon, it won one tournament game before bowing 72-63 to Midvale.  It later avenged that loss in the county championship before losing 84-73 to Yorkville in the District to end at 21-2.  There's one other team from the immediate area that also comes to mind when discussing undefeated quintets.  That would be Walnut Creek's 1948-49 quintet which soared over 20 season opponents and 5 more in the tourney for 25 straight before bowing to Scio in the District.  It stands as the Holmes County consecutive game winning streak.


Friday, February 10, 1967
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio