Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 54, Number 42, Decatur, Adams County, 20 February 1956 — Page 9

Here's to good sportsmanship and—— MAY THE BEST TEAM WIN * hMMR- •' * . aDECATUR CITY OFFICIALS

Firing Starts Wednesday In Sectional

The climax to Adams county’s top sports attraction, basketball, will get underway promptly at 1:16 o’clock Wednesday afternoon at the Adams Central gym when the Monmouth Eagles, sectional ehampions for thfee consecutive years, put their title on the line against the Hartford Gorillas, It will be the second year in a row for Adams Central to host the sectional, which had been held in Decatur since 1940. This initial game is the tough spot in the tourney draw, as the winner must come right back a few hours later, meeting the Adams Central Greyhounds at 7:30 p,m. Wednesday in a battle for the first semi-final berth. Wednesday’s second afternoon game, scheduled to starts at 2:30 o'clock, matches the Pleasant Mills Spartans against the Geneva Cardinals. The two lower-bracket games will be played Thursday night, with the Jefferson Warriors meeting the Decatur Commodores at 7 o’clock. Real fireworks may develop in the second Thursday game as those two old rivals, the Decatur Yellow Jackets and Berne Bears, will tangle at 8:15 p.m. There will be no games Friday, with that day’s break devoted to sale of tickets to the fans of the four teams left in the running for the Saturday semi-final and final sessions. Semi-finals will be played Saturday afternoon, with the winners of the Wednesday night games playing at 1 o’clock, followed by the Thursday night winners at 2:16 p.m. The sectional champion will be determined in the final game at 8:15 o’clock Saturday night. Officials for all tourney games will and Merle Shively, both of Kenneth Van Emon, Geneva teacher, will be the official scorekeeper, and Leo Strahm, Adams Central teacher. will be the official timer. John 0. Reed, as Adams Central high school principal, is the tourney manager. The Adams Central sectional winner will again compete in the Fort Wayne regional, to be played at the Allen county war memorial coliseum. The local winner will meet the winner of the Churubusco sectional in the first regional game at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 3. The Fort Wayne and Kendallville winners will clash in the second regional game at 2:15 p.m.. “with the afternoon winners meeting at 8:15 p.m. for the regional title. The semi-final tourney will return to Fort Wayne after a year’s lapse. Last year, the semi-final was held at Elkhart, with the Fort Wayne coliseum tidS up by the American Bowling Congress. The first semi-final tilt at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 10, matches regional winners at Fort Wayne and Kokomo, followed by the winners at Elkhart and, Marion. Championship game of the semi-final tourney will, be at 8:1.5 p.m. The final tourney 'will be held at the Butler fieldhouse in Indianapolis Saturday, March 17, with the Fort Wayne and Dafayette (Continued on Page Thirteen) all Games on radio For the first time In history, the entire sectional tourney will be broadcast direct from the Adams Central gym. Radio station WGL, Fort Wayne, with Len Davis on the play-by-play and Bob Storey on : color, will air all eight gamps of the moot WGL is 1280 on the dial.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

V Entire Season Scores Listed For All Teams Results Os Entire Season Compiled For Tournament Complete season scores for the nine Adams county teams, including the county and holiday tourneys, for the 1955-56 season, are as follows: PLEASANT MILLS P.M. . 47» Commodores —49 P.M. 44, Berne 52 P.M. 68, Wren —----- 45 P.M. 41. Hartford 38 P.M. 58, Willshire 77 P.M. 66, Adams Central 62 P.M. 68, Jefferson - 52 P.M. 62, Monmouth 64 P.M. 80, Gray 45 P.M. 73, Wren 45 P.M. 70, Petroleum 72 (overtime) P.M. 49, Geneva -52 P.M. 72. Willshire 95 P.M. 83, Ohio City 51 P.M. 88, Bryant 67 P.M. 55, Adams Central — 63 P.M. 77, Commodores —63 P.M. 82, Jefferson - 76 County Tourney P.M. 42, Commodores 56 v BERNE B 52, Pleasant Mills 44 B 42, Dunkirk 48 B 65, New Haven B 77, Portland 81 B 72, Concordia ——— 78 B 50, Hartford — 44 B 62, Yellow Jackets , 57 B 62, Lancaster C. 70 B 60, Adams Central 45 B B 64, ' WarreH—-»_...T—'.— i -41 B 74, Leo JI B 56, Angola WT B 38, Momnouth 37 B 53, Ossian 31 B 58, Bluffton - 52 B 45,s Montpelier 47 B 69, (Redkey 58 County Tourney „„ B 64, Geneva (overtime) — 59 B 57, Commodores 69 MONMOUTH M 64, Leo --..—...—- <8 M 70, Hartford 52 M 70, Adams .Contra! 63 M 64, Yellow Jackets 56 M 71, Commodores 62 M 69, Huntington Catholic . .66 (overtime) M 68, Hoagland u 60 M 58, Rockcreek — -- 51 M 54, Pleasant Mills 62 M 78, Bryant ....37 M 57, Union 54 M 57, Geneva 47 M 37. Berne -138 M 57, Hoaglands2 M 53, Lancaster Central6o M 78, Montpelier 72 M 84, Adams Central ...83 M 62, Harlan 56 County Tourney M 55, Adams Central 48 M 64, Hartford 54 M 79, Commodores ... 45 ADAMS CENTRAL A.C. 55, Geneva 54 A.C. 53, Monmouth 70 A.C. 63, Jefferson ... 64 A.C. 62. Pleasant Mills 66 A.C. 58. Lancaster Central '. 60 A.C. 65, Huntington Twp. .. 64 A.C. 62. Commodores — 69 A.C. 58, Chester Center 54

A.C. 45, Berne 60 A.C, 57, Ossian —-46 A.C. 56, Monroeville 45 A.tft 69, Bryant 50 A.C. 55, Hatford — 77 A.C. 55, Union Center 69 A.C. 63, Pleasant Mills 55 A.C. 83, Monmouth 84 A.C. 80, Commodores 68 A.C. 63, Petroleum .... 44 County Tourney A.C. 48, Monmouth 55 COMMODORES C 49, Pleasant Mills 47 C 71, Hartford 51 C 62, Monroeville 55 C 62, Monmouth 71 C 69. Hoagland 53 C 53, Rockcreek .... 51 C 62, Huntington Catholic . 63 C 69, Adams Central —..... 62 C 80, Marion Bennett ... — 65 C 84, Jefferson .. 49 C 64. Anderson St. Mary’s — 59 C 60, Willshire „ 61 C 59, Clear Creek — 66 C 66, Harlan ... 59 C 61, Geneva ; 59 C 63, Pleasant Mills ' 84 C 68, Adams Central 80 C 58, Lancaster Central .... 77 County Tourney C 56, Pleasant Mills 42 C 69, Berne —— 57 C 45, Monmouth 79 GENEVA G 56, Jefferson - 30 G 54, Adams Central ...... 55 G 66. Petroleum — 80 G 60, Montpelier - 68 G 61, Yellow Jackets 74 G 73, Roanoke - 71 G 57. Lancaster Central .... 54 G 78, Bryant —— 47 G 41, Hartford — 39 G 57, Berne 70 G 52. Pleasant Mills 49 G 47, Monmouth 57 G 59, Pennville 41 G 59, Commodores — 61 G 54, Winchester ...72 G 64, Warren —56 G 63, Albany —7B G 70, Ossian (overtime) —— 61 County Tourney G 59, Berne (overtime) 64 "--C? 'HARTFORD H 52, “Monmouth 70 (Continued on Page '

Sectional 'Tournament Schedule WEDNESDAY 2:30 P. M.) . — ~ '■ y ~ - - — Pleasant Mills ~ Geneva WEDNESDAY 7:30 P. M. 1 ' WEDNESDAY 1:15 P.M. Adams Central 1 Z Hartford U , ' 1 MenmOatll THURSDAY 7:00 p. m.t t f Jefferson - \ Commodores j SATURDAY i-.up.k I THURSDAY . 8:15 P. M.'l \ Yellow Jackets l—± ——l Berne ' ■?. J 1

Decatur, Indiana, Monday, February 20, 1956.

BASKETBAWL and the Decatur Daily Democrat extend hearty greetings to the players, coaches and school officials as the time for another sectional tourney nears. THIS YEAR’S sectional, for the second consecutive year, will be held at the Adanjs Central gym in Monroe, opening Wednesday afternoon. And from almost any angle, the 1956 meet looks like it could be a wide-open affair, with the team holding the “hot hand’’ carrying away the honors. THE DEFENDING champion Monmouth Eagles hold the outstanding season record among the nine Adams county teams, and also boast the county’s individual scorer, who is also the tallest boy in the tourney, in Norb ~ Witte. Yet the Eagles were defeated by two Adams county teams during the season and had-some other close calls. And, all the other teams are certainly going to be shooting at the champs, a natural condition. BASKETBAWL has been making an attempt since 1940 to pick the winners all the way through the sectional, not just the eventual champion, but every game, We hit every game exactly on the head just once in all those years, bat doubt if such lightning will strike again, certainly not this year when the teams appear so evenly matched. But\h»re goes for another feeble effort. — ' ” . _ * '~ | "oOq ••• 5 - —.— HARTFORD-MONMOUTH — The Eagles downed the Gorillas early in the season and again in the county tourney, and are.highly favored to make it three in a row, so it’s MONMOUTH. PLEASANT MILLS-GENEVA — This might be a good one. The Cardinals edged the Spartans in a close one at Geneva during the regular season and this could be one of the most interesting games of the tourney. A nod toward PLEASANT MILLS. ■ ADAMS CENTRAL-MONMOUTH — Here again could be a surprise. These teams have met three times, with Monmouth taking all three games, but the latest one by only one point at 84-83. The champions might be tired from that afternoon game, but we’ij still string along with champion MONMOUTH. JEFFERSON-COMMODORES —- The Commodores swamped the Warriors during the regular season and should be able to handle the Warriors again despite their late-season slump. COMMODORES. YELLOW JACKETS-BERNE—The Jackets downed the Bears early in the season by five points at Decatur. These teams appear the most improved in the county in recent weeks, but more scoring threats on t squad should carr y jt for the YELLOW JACKETS. PLEASANT The Spartans . (Continued on Page Sixteen)

Adams Central Hosts Tourney Second Year ,jL, -t"—r-r— — - Two-Bracket Plan ’ Again In Use For Sectional Tourney Adams Central, for the second consecutive year, will be host to the eight other Adams county high schools for the 1956 sectional tourney, which opens Wednesday afternoon. The two-bracket plan, which affords an opportunity for more fans to see their own favorites in action, will again be used, this time for the fifth consecutive year. Under this setup, practically all the tickets for the Wednesday afternoon and night sessions are allocated to the five schools paired in the upper bracket. y Likewise, for Thursday night, practically all the tickets will go to the fans of the four teams drawn in the lower bracket. Fans of the four teams left in the running after the Wednesday and Thursday sessions, will receive the bulk of the tickets for die Saturday semi-final and final sessions. No games will be played Friday to permit distribution of tickets to the four schools competing Saturday. The Monmouth Eagles, wihnbrs of the last three sectionals, will seek to equal the record held by the Decatur Yellow Jackete, only team in the county to -win four consecutive sectional titles. The Jackets took down the honors from 1949 through 1952. -- - The Yellow Jackets are tops In holding sectional championships, having won 19 crowns, including one at Fort Wayne during the years the Adams county teams were split between the Fort Wayne and Bluffton sectionals. Berne is next in line with six championships. Monmouth has won three, all in the last three years. Pleasant Mills has won two and Hartford one. Monroe took down sectional honors three times and Kirkland once. Teams which have not won sectional titles are Jefferson, Geneva, the Decatur Commodores and Adams Central. Sectional winners in more recent years are: 1940— Pleasant Mills 39, Kirkland 21. 1941 — Yellow Jackets 34, Pleas- . ant Mills 32. 1942— Pleasant Mills 31, Yellow Jackets 18. 1943— Monroe 36, Yellow Jackets 18. 1944— Yellow Jackets 38, Berne (Continued on Page Twelve) I

PHONE FOR SCORES For fans unable to attend the Adams Central sectional, the Decatur Dally Democrat will provide the latest scores. A special telephone has been Installed at the gym, also at this office, and the ecore will be called directly to the office from the prese box at the end of each quarter. For Wednesday afternoon games, dial the regular Democrat number, 3-2121. For all other passions, dial 3-2171, the special news recorder service of the Democrat jmd the Citizens Telephone Co. 42 Seniors On Nine Teams In Local Tourney Several Teams Will Lose Heavily This Year In Graduates Graduation next May will take a heavy toll of Adams county high school basketball players, with 42 of the 108 players certified for this week’s sectional tourney listed as seniors. Hardest hit teams will be the defending champion Monmouth Eagles, tourney winners for the past three years, the Pleasant Mills Spartans, the Adams Central Greyhounds, the Jefferson Warriors and Berne Bears. Monmouth has seven seniors on its sectional squad, including four members of its starting five. Lost will be Norb Witte, the county’s leading scorer, Stew Schnepf, Clint Fuelling and Dave Brown, aU regulars, with only John Myers of the starting quintet returning. Pleasant Mills also has seven seniors on the list, including four regulars, Don Melching, Darvon Light, John Speakman and Gene Williamson. Adams Central loses halt of Its certified list, including three of the usual starting quintet, Jerry Mitchel, Kenneth Baumgartner Jerry Sprunger. Jefferson has five seniors, Including regulars Bob Caffee, Bill Smitley, Wayne Bollenbacher and Fred Lehman. Berne will also lose five by graduation, including regulars Tom Ehrsam, Jerry Fluecklger and Dean Hendricks. — ’ The Decatur Commodores have only four seniors on their certified list, but three of them are regulars, Joe Wilder, Jerry Voglewede and Paul Faurote. Geneva also has four sdhiors on the squad, but only one of the I (Continued on Page Thirteen)

SECTION TWO

Eligible Men Are Certified For Sectional 12 Men Certified 7 By Schools, 10 To Ploy In Any Game Each of the nine Adams county schools entered in the Adams Central sectional is permitted to certify 12 players. However, only 10 men mAV play in any one game, with changes permitted from game to game this year,. The team rosters, showing the year of each player In school, his height and weight, follow: ADAMS CENTRAL Name Yr. HL WL Baumgartner Sr. 5-9 155 Dick —Sr. 5-10 170 Hoffman Sr. 6-2% 175 Mitchel --— Sr. 6-1 165 Meyer — Sr. 5-7 140 Sprunger Sr. 5-6 140 Corson Jr. 5-7 145 Ripley Jr. 5-10 145 tßoss Jr. 5-9 145 ’ Smith•-JS. 5-10 150 Steiner Jr. 5-10 155 1 McMillen So. 5-11 160 1 PLEASANT MILLS 1 Name Yr. HL WL 1 Melching- -Sr. fi-W 1« ■ Light - Sr. 540% 145 1 Speakman —-Sr. 6 173 ’ G. Williamson — Sr. 5-7 133 J. Williamson „ Jr. 5-8% 152 J. Wolfe Sr. 5-9 145 Byer ‘Sr. 5-11% 183 McCullough .— Jr. 5-11 171 Frey — Jr. - 5-9 138 C. Wolfe Sr. 5-11 157 Myers Jr. 5-9% 148 Wable Jr. 5-9 140. GENEVA Name Yr. HL WL Bauman Jr. 5-5 133 Baumgartner .... Jr. 5-7 143 Biery Fr. 5-6 134 Bollingei; — Sr. 6 167 Burke Sr. 5-10 168 Craig t.. Jr. 5-10 171 Hunt Jr. 6-2 173 Nevil —. Jr. 6-2 177 Parr Sr. 5-10 162 Stahly — Sr. 6 16? Von Gunten Jr. 5-11 163 Yoder Jr. • 169 JEFFERSON Name Yr. HL WL W. Smitley Sr. 5-9 155 Caffee Sr. 5-8 “Z 130 Hammitt Sr. 5-10 160 Bollenbacher Sr. 5-10 190 Lehman Sr. 5-10 160 Wellman ..... Sr. 5-10 17| Weaver Jr. 5-9 159 Stuber So. 5-5 120 R. Smitley Fr. 5-6 130 Zehr -- Jr. 6 145 Schmit ... So. 5-10% 140 Baker Jr. 5-9 130 COMMODORES Name Yr. HL W< J. Wilder Sr. 6 180 Voglewede Sr. 5-10 140 Faurote —.--Sr* 6-1 —l6O Omlor Sr. 5-7 130 R. Meyer Jr. 6-2 16? Teeple Jr. 5-10 140 Ford -.Jr, 5-7 135 Kable -So. 5-11 167 Reed ...—.. So. 6-1 158 T. Meyer So. 5-10 138 Beal So. 5-8 120 G. Wilder Fr. 5-7 137 " 1 » 7 YELLOW JACKETS Name—Yr. Ht. WL Eichenauer -11 145 Kelly Jr. 14 -17i_ Moses So. 6-10 150 DOTwin Jr. 6 158 Banks Kirkpatrick Jr. 6 Baxter —.l Jr. 5-10 155 -10 158 Shraluka Fr;""14'"""'’' m Schrock Jr. 5-10 160 Murphy - Sr. 6-1 175 Hutker So. 5-10 155 MONMOUTH Name Yr. HL WL Bittner Jr. 5-9 155 Brown Sr. 6 178 Brandt — So. 6-1 200 Fuelling .... Sr., 5-10 175,. (Continued on Page