Tiger All-Ohioan John Studer lets go with a pained expression, perhaps at the official's call, after tumbling to the floor with a rebound. Defending for Arcanum are Mike Kreitzer (43) and Dave Gray (23).
Leaping high to snare one of his 19 rebounds is Strasburg's John Studer. The player he best for this one is Arcanum's Mike Kreitzer.
Battling 2 Arcanum players for a rebound are Strasburg's Gene Bayer (30) and Ed Rusk (20).
Scrambling for possession of the basketball is Strasburg's John Studer and Mike Kreitzer (43) and Dave Gray (33) of Arcanum. Also in on the action are Tigers Ed Yackey and Gene Bayer.
Strasburg Seniors Ed Yackey, John Studer, Tom Ferris, Gene Bayer and Charlie Jones are all smiles as they fondle the Class A State Championship Trophy.
Strasburg Head Coach Charles Huggins is headed for an ice cold shower in this picture. The Tiger menter is holding tight to a plaque awarded him for being coach of Ohio's 1967 Class A State Championship Team.
Dick Graeff, a Dover native who piloted Arcanum into the final action, accepts from CHSAA Commissioner Paul Landis the Runner-Up Trophy and Silver Medals for members of his squad.
Just a part of the estimated 4000 who lined Strasburg streets or rode in cars during Sunday afternoon's "Welcome Home" ceremonies for Ohio's new Class A Basketball Kings.
COLUMBUS - A king and his court turned into a full court of kings' here Saturday afternoon! Head Coach Charles Huggins and a poised, determined bunch of young men from Strasburg High School captured the Ohio Class A Scholastic Basketball Championship, bowling over Arcanum 54-47 in St. John Arena on the Ohio State University campus. The Tuscarawas County squad came here with one thing in mind...to take home the championship. After the spine-tingling, hair-raising brush with disaster Friday afternoon, the battling Bengals were poised and determined Saturday. There was no denying...the Tigers meant business.
They parlayed defensive strength and a super performance of rebounding, with All-Ohioan John Studer in the lead role to turn the tide. Studer, who can beat a team more ways than one and according to Coach Huggins "plays about as hard as he has to," reached into his assortment of assaults and literally stole the show, while turning in just half of his usual scoring total. Despite the threat of personal fouls, which forced him to the sidelines during the 2nd quarter, Studer played as though he didn't have a one as he picked off 19 rebounds...15 in the 2nd half as he jumped, leaped and twisted as never before. This he accomplished, while playing a major portion of the time at a guard position as Huggins juggled his lineup in search of a clicking combination during the 1st half.
The Tigers earned a slim 10-9 first-quarter lead as they played with foul-plagued Studer and Charlie Jones, who seemed to have a case of tourney jitters, on the bench. Ed Rusk, Ed Yackey and Gene Bayer carried the load and it was Bayer who swished one from the deep corner just before the buzzer to give the Tigers the lead. Arcanum picked up the tempo in the 2nd quarter as its pair of speedsters, Mike Kreitzer and Dave Troutwine, whittled away to give the Trojans a 23-22 halftime advantage. Rusk, hero of Friday afternoon's tear-jerker, lefthanded his favorite jumper to start the 3rd period and the Tigers were never headed. They increased their impressive rebounding strength and applied the noose with a choking defense. Halfway through the 3rd period, the Bengals stretched their advantage to 36-29 with a 5-point shot in the arm as Studer sank a foul, Yackey a bunny and Studer a 10-foot jumper.
Strasburg led 38-32 at the close of the 3rd period and after steamrolling to a 51-41 margin late in the final canto the sweet smell of victory began to fill the air. "We knew their (Arcanum) moves and felt we could apply the defensive pressure in the 2nd half," Coach Huggins related after the game. "We adjusted to better execution in the shuffle and stopped their inside moves. There is no substitute for aggression and when applied, it takes 3 or 4 minutes of a game to pull it out. I felt we did a good job on this today." What can be said of the Strasburg club has been said many times before, but it was overpowering strength which permitted Huggins to be a free-wheeler in the substitution and juggling department. He started Bayer at guard along with Jones, who alternated with Gary Phillips and Art (Butch) Haswell, who did a commendable defensive job on Arcanum's speedy guards, Kyle Zimmer and Ned Gray.
Bayer shifted to forward when Studer ran into foul trouble. It turned out to be one of his most important performances as he hit on 4 of 8 around the key and paced the Bengal attack with 14 points. Studer finished with 13, Rusk chipped in with 12, Jones had 8, Yackey 6 and Haswell 1. Kreitzer topped Arcanum with 15. Strasburg took a 48-33 rebounding margin and zeroed in on 16 of 19 at the foul line. Arcanum could manage only 11 of 23. The shooting percentges of the 2 clubs were more on the comparable side. The Tigers connected on 19 of 52 for 36.5 percent, while Arcanum had 18 of 51 for 35.3 percent...both below their normal averages.
STRASBURG TIGERS - 54
John Studer 5-3-13
Ed Rusk 5-2-12
Ed Yackey 2-2-6
Gene Bayer 4-5-14
Charlie Jones 3-2-8
Art (Butch) Haswell 0-1-1
Gary Phillips 0-0-0
ARCANUM TROJANS - 47
Dave Troutwine 4-1-9
Mike Kreitzer 5-5-15
Dave Gray 4-2-10
Ned Gray 1-1-3
Kyle Zimmer 3-2-8
Scott Hanes 0-0-0
Monday, March 20, 1967
Ed Smith, Sportswriter
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio
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