Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 22 March 1943 — Page 12

‘SPORTS...

BASKETBALL filberts and basketball greenhorns alike agree that the state high school finals tourney was. worth the money for excitement and comfort while watch‘ing the lads play like their very lives depended on the

outcome, patticularly in two of the three Saturday

- contests.

The state fairgrounds coliseum provided a perfect set-up for the championship meet. . , . Approximately 10,800 persons saw the games and there was no crowding. . . . And plenty of adults sat in on the spectacle of kids at play. ... The roomy seating and experienced ushering was in direct contrast to the shoving around experienced at past title tournaments. Dick Miller, general manager of the coliseum, was congratulated on all sides for the efficient manner in which he met every tourney _ requirement. . , . Commissioner Arthur L. Trester and members of the Indiana State High School Athletic association board of control also are entitled to take a bow. ... They handled the wartime tourney problem in stride. ; :

Even the weatherman co-operated and the Indianapolis area was

free from rain or snow, thus giving the motorists free wheeling.

The colorful rooting sections added to the show. . . . The youth-

ful ‘rooters were orderly and they shouted encouragement to their idols’ until they could shout no more. . ... And many a tear rolled off a youthful cheek in the sections whose teams lost. . . . But there will always be a next year, lads and lassies, in Hoosierland’s happy hoopla.

Ft. Wayne Carries a Knockout Punch.

THE St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Yankees usually are “up there” in baseball because they have the reserve strength. . The same goes for winning football teams. . . . And Central of Ft, Wayne is the new state high school ‘basketball champion mainly because it had superior reserve strength over Lebanon, the runner-up. Lebanon had tough sledding getting by Bedford in the afternoon and the strain collected its toll in the night contest. . . . Ft. Wayne

Dave Laflin, left, winner of the Gimbel award, poses with his coach, Paul Neuman of the Lebanon Tigers, who holds the runnerup trophy awarded the team Saturday night at the coliseum. Lebanon lost to Central in the final game of the tourney.

Here's that unusual incident

in which the basketball balanced

itself neatly on the four-inch ledge atop the backbcard. Referee Tom Baker is retrieving the ball which was tipped up there by Jimmy Blanks of Central in an under:the-basket scramble.

Bob VanRyn of Central was after the nets with the crack of the gun ending the final game. He had a hard time getting the

coveted ropes loose, finally succeeding after it looked as though

he was 991s to have a long struggle ahead of him.

It's ish Simple Arithmelic— 10 Men Are Better Than Six

By FRANK WIDNER The 1943 state high school basketball tournament—just a memory today—proved one thing if nothing else and that is the simple that

had a less arduous task with Batesville and didn’t have to go “all out” to win to quaify for the night struggle. #" » 2 : ® 8 2 THE Pt. Wayne Tigers played like the champs they are and, although hard-pressed at times, they delivered in the clutch when, late in the game, Lebanon staged a furions drive and Pulled within two . points of tying the score.

Times’ All Tourney Team |

School A. Lebanon Ft. Wayne Ft. Wayne

Caps Face an All- Out Assault From the Hornets Tonight i in

Ht. 5.8 6.1 6.

Wt. 145 173 158

Class Senior. Senior Senior

Pos. f. f f.

Ralph Houser Bob VanRyn

James Blanks

; Pt. Wayne finally checked its opponents’ uphill climb and then ~ staged one of its own. ... This was the knockout punch that left - Lebanon’s courageous but tired Tigers reeling—and that was the ball game.

Winning Coach Hands It to Boys

MURRAY MENDENHALL, coach of the new champs, smiled all over the premises after the victory gun sounded. . . . He was solemn and uneasy during the heat of the stirring struggle but didn’t forget to handle his replacements like a director of champions should. . . “Give the whole team credit. It was a victory achieved by all of the boys, 100 per cent teamwork did it,” said the proud mentor. As all Hoosier cage fans know, it is Central's first state hardwood title and Ft. Wayne citizens prepared to heap honors on the.boys today. In 1938 South Side of Ft. Wayne annexed the I. H. S. A A, crown with Burl Friddle as coach. . . . Now Central is even with its intracity rival and Murray Mendenhall is the coach of the hour. Mendenhall is a former Hoosier high school player himself and later starred on the court at DePauw university.

A Fancy Totalizator, Eh Boys?

FT. WAYNE CENTRAL players grabbed everything in sight that

made suitable souvenirs. . . . The basket nets caught their fancy as soon as the game ended and they took possession down to the last string. . . . It’s an old Hoosier custom. They wanted Dick Miller to lower the huge scoreboard clock: to permit them to get the “name of their team” lettered out on the giant mechanical man. . .. This was out of the question at the time. However, the coliseum manager promised to mail the boys the letters at an early date. 8 2» 3 - ” » 8 THE COLISEUM management even furnished courtesy “pushing _ service” to a basketball motorist whose car was stranded in the - parking lot. . . . The motorist unknowingly left his lights burning while he was in the arena taking in the title game and the post-

‘game festivities. . The Lebanon water boy identified himself in typical high school

* fashion. . « . The lettering’ “H-2-O” was carried on the back of his

sweater.

Friddle Wants

Freshmen in

Varsity Sports After War -

By JACK CUDDY

United Press Staff Correspondent

NEW YORK,

March 22.—Coach Burl Friddle of the Toledo TU.

basketball team hopes that his all-freshman “Rockets” provide such a significant flare on the athletic horizon that the freshman rule will be abolished permanently from post-war varsity sports. Friddle, whom some of the uncouth call “Bull Fiddle,” moved into New York with his frosh last week to take over Manhattan college,

54-47, and Manhattan island with —

his personality and players. When Friddle and his Toledo Rockets took the floor at Madison Square Garden against the Jaspers last Thursday night in the opening session of the national invitation tournament, it unquestionably ‘marked the first time that an allfreshman squad had competed nationally in any branch of sports in the modern history of college varsity athletics.

‘Sit on Sidelines’

The 10-man squad that Friddle trotted orto ‘the court against Manhattan that night would have . remained, hog-tied by artificial restrictions, right on the Toledo campus were it not for the wartime abolition of the freshman rule in the Ohio conference—and most other conferences. * Friddle says, “I don’t know how far this freshman outfit will go. . We'll sit on the sidelines tomorrow night when the lower bracket teams of the tournament play—Rice vs. - St. Johns, and Western Kentucky vs. Fordham. We'll have it out in the semi-finals of the tourney with Washington and Jefferson Saturday night. If we survive, we'll play the ~ lower bracket winner in the final on March 29. Then, if we're still

in the running, well meet the Na: tional Collegiate Atheltic associa-

school boys who come up to our colleges. At least nowadays. Friddle turns to youth—to freshmen out of high school—because he knows what youth can do. This is his first year as a university coach. For the past 18 years he has been piloting high school teams at Washington, Ind, and the South. Side high school of Ft. Wayne, Ind. Colleges in other states tried again and again to get him, but they couldn’t compete with the salaries paid prominent high school coaches in

Indiana, hotbed of the hoop game.

Friddle says, “I honestly don’t know. what we'll do in these New York tournaments. But what we’ve done already—winning 20 of 22 games during the season, and beating Manhattan in the Garden-—con-vinces me that freshmen certainly should be permitted to compete in varsity sports after the war—regardless of the be-whiskered arguments against them.”

‘Plan Benefit Baseball Tilt

NEW YORK, March 22 (U. P)). The New York Yankees, Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants today were slated to pool their ‘talents in a benefit, pre-season doubleheader her? at a date to be decided shortly. Final details have yet to be arranged, Mayor F. H. LaGuardia, in charge of the arrangements, said today. ‘Receipts will be turned bver to the fund for the civilian defense volunteer office.

On Special Leave PRINCETON, N. J, Marck 22 (U. P.)—Head Football Coach

After 16 Feet

By UNITED PRESS The Buffalo Bisons had a 2-1 edge today over the American Hockey league’s regular-season champions, the Hershey Bears, after scoring a 4-2 triumph in the third game of their best-of-seven series “A” playoff at Buffalo last night. More than 10,000 spectators watched the Bisons come from behind in the second period and win the game on Clint Smith's tally. Joe Levandowski opened the scoring for Hershey at the five-minute mark of the first period, but Bill Allum tied the score for the Bisons at 9:38. Hershey again went ahead

Harry Frost, but Allum knotted the score a second time at 10:28, Smith provided his winning margin at 15:53 of the second session and Mac Kaminsky added a point at 12:25 of the final. The win was the second in a row for the Bisons, who meet the Bears in the next game of their series at Buffalo Wednesday.

‘Corny’ Is still

CHICAGO, March 22 (U. P)— Cornelius Warmerdam, ‘ lanky 27-year-old naval ensign who hasn't had a serious pole vaulting rival in the past three seasons, longed today for a competitor who could extend him in his bid for the 16-foot “ceiling” in his specialty. Warmerdam set a new world’s record of 15 feet 8% inches Saturday night in the seventh annual Chicago relays. The leap shattered his own indoor mark of 15 feet 7% inches, set in February of 1942 at Boston and his outdoor record of 15 feet 734 inches established last May at Modesto, Cal.

Boasted to 16

The thin Californian who left a high school teaching job to join the navy, was vaulting perfection as he set his new world’s record of his first try at the height. He then had the bar boosted to 16 feet onehalf inch, but missed three attempts at that level. But his failure at 16 feet didn’t shake his belief that such a vault is possible. The record-shattering perform-. ance of Warmerdam completely overshadowed two other fine performances. Gilbert Dodds, the little Boston - divinity student, turned in the fastest time of the current indoor season to win the Bankers’ mile from Earl Mitchell of Indiana and Frank Dixon of New York university in 4:08.5 and Gregg Rice of the New York Athletic club won his 63rd straight race when he took the two-mile event in 8:559.

Sees Boom for

® ¢ ao Semi-Pro Ball - WICHITA, Kas, March® 22 (U. P.).—Capped by the national tournaiment hére on August 13 to 25 inclusive, an estimated: 300 district championship sandlot © baseball tourneys will be played throughout the United’ States in 1943. President Ray Dumont of the

at 2:51 of the second on a goal by |

Playoff Game at Pittsburgh

Our Caps face the possibility of an all-out five-man assault from the hands of the Pittsburgh Hornets tonight when they resume play in series “B” of the American Hockey league playoffs in the Smoky City. Coach Larry Aurie of the Hornets hds indicated that he will send his men against the Indianapolis sextet in the very same manner as he did two years iid seals Eddie Shore’s Springfield Indians.

Buffalo Holds 12-1 Advantage

It was during that game that Aurie called on his boys in the dressing room before the start of the contest to go out and attack the Indians’ goal relentlessly which is quite a departure from the conservative, body-checking game the Pittsburghers usually employ,

Maurice Podoloff, president of the American Hockey league, today informed Manager Dick Mil. ler of the coliseum of the schedule of games in the playoffs for this week. If the Caps win in Pittsburgh tonight, they will meet Cleveland here Wednesday night, move to Cleveland Saturday night and come back here Sunday if a third

game is necessary. : Should the Caps lose the game in Pittsburgh, they will be back here Wednesday for the deciding tilt and the winner will open the series with Cleveland there Saturday.

The - strategy worked and- the Hornets came out on top, 2-1, aided by some fancy goal-tending on the part of Harvey Teno. The Indians had 25 good chances to score that night but Teno was all over the net. Now one game down in their current playoff series, the Hornets need a victory tonight or they will be eliminated. It’s & desperate chance, but the Hornets are just that— desperate. Teams in playoffs usually operate along conservative lines! with each club being overly cautious and hoping for a break. The five-man-up style of play is more thrilling from. a spectator’s point of view and if Aurie employs that method tonight, the Pittsburgh fans are in .for some real action. The Caps are no dubs at the relentless attacking style of play and the tilt should be the answer to a hockey fan’s dream. Pittsburgh has been keeping in condition at Cleveland, while the Caps have been doing their practicing at Hershey. Both were kept off the ice in the Pittsburgh Gardens because of the Ice Follies show, which was playing there. Both teams are reported in top condition and the way things stand now, it looks as though both Floyd Perras of the Caps and Teno are in for some heavy pounding.

Sixth Club

PHILADELPHIA, March 22 (U. P.)—York today replaced Harrisburg as the sixth club in the Interstate Baseball league.

It was a case of Tiger vs. Tiger Tiger with the most claws won.

Rally Wins For Detroit

By UNITED PRESS ’ The Detroit Red Kings exploded a three-goal last-period rally: to whip the Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-2, last night, in the opening game of their best-of-seven series “A” Stanley cup hockey playoffs at Detroit as Boston’s Bruins got off on the right foot by shading the Montreal Canadiens, 5-4, in a “sudden death” struggle. A crowd of 12,723 jammed Detroit’s Olympia rink to watch the National league champions come [from behind to tie the scorg at 1-all as the first period ended and then out-goal the third-place Maple Leafs in the closing session,

Wings Aggressive

The Wings were aggressive throughout most of the game, but didn’t cut loose until the heat was on. The Leafs’ Mel Hill scored at 13:18 of the first period and Detroit at 17:24, when Carl Liscombe beat Goalie Turk Broda. Detroit's Don Grosso put the Wings in front for the first time when he hooked a face-off shot home in the third at 6:06, and Eddie Wares made it a two-goal edge 37 seconds later. Rookie Les Doug-

Roche, Koverly In 3d Clash

Armory wrestling fans are promised another action-producer when Dorve (Iron Man) Roche and George (K. 0.) Koverly, rival heavyweights; , clash in the main event tomorrow night. It will be their third meeting this season and is the rubber match, as honors are even. Dorve took the first bout, but dropped a close verdict in their second engagement several weeks ago. Both were stormy sessions. Roche, who is from Decatur, Ill, is one of the most popular grapplers ever to show here, while ‘the tricky and aggressive Koverly is of the “meanie” type. He is from Los Angeles. They meet for two falls out of three. . Buddy Knox of Toledo opposes Maurice Chappelle of Newark in the semi-windup, while Morris Shapiro of New York engages Soldier Thom as of Detroit in the opener at 8:30.

PHILADELPHIA, March 22 (U.

who made him a 4-1 favorite to win

at Convention hall. The ringwise Armstrong figures to have little more than a warm-up

.-|against Tribuani for his all-im-

portant bout in Madison Square

Garden April 2 against Lightweight Champion Beau Jack. However, he

against his opponent, who will have a - seven-pound weight advantage, since a poor

gate for his meeting with Jack. ‘Armstrong’

Armstrong Is 4-1 Favorite

Over Al Tribuani Tonight

‘over Tribuani in their 10-rounder|.

will have to register convincingly}

would wipe out the prospect of a $100,000

s comeback. drivej

P.).—Henry Armstrong, 30-year-old

former triple titleholder, tonight attempts to put the lie to the adage that “youth must be served” when he climbs into the ring-against Young Al Tribuani in the first Eastern start of his brilliant comeback campaign. The west coast Negro, who retired from the ring in 1941, has won 15 in 17 bouts in his drive to return to boxing’s “big money” and gained the confidence of ring observers):

Zivie wridks -the first Glimax. to

las added their final tally at 11 min-|

10 good men are better than six good men,

right down to the final gun and the

Murray Mendenhall’s keenly-balanced Ft. Wayne Central five was

one of those smooth-operating basketball teams that every follower of the sport loves to see perform and they deserved the crown they won Saturday night even if only for the fact that they had four more good men than the Lebanon Tigers

A survey of individual performances during the finals at the coliseum revealed the Tiger from Lebaron walked off with scoring honors but the close placement of Ft. Wayne players in the top-scoring bracket spelled the difference; between the two teams.

Houser, Mount Star

Individual scoring stars for two games played were little Ralph Houser—a human dynamo which never quit churning--and his teammate, lanky Pete Mount, a long-

basketball like an infielder handles a baseball. Had Bedford skimmed through its first game against Lebanon, it is doubtful if any of the finalist players would have been able to match the strides of Johnny Brennan. This boy can hit ‘em from anywhere on the floor and he turned in a magnificent individual performance in garnering 19 points to lead the Stonecutters’ attack. But Brennan couldn’t do the job alone and the Houser-Agan-Mount combination brought the Lebanon Tiger through to the final game, Shooting Accuracy Poor

Another point of discussion that the final tournament may have cleared up was that a good race‘horse style of basketball is plenty hard to stop even if you have a fine defensive combination. : Batesville went up against Ft. Wayne's Tigers with a reputation for defense but the Central boys ran the legs off the Bulldogs even though the woefully-weak Batesville accuracy may have spelled a great difference in the final result. Mendenhall used 10 men in the two games Ft. Wayne played and it is hard to rate one man better than the other. Lebanon was not so well * balanced and Houser and Mount were forced to carry the brunt of the Lebanon attack. First Central Title It was the first tine Ft. Wayne Central has traveled the glory road of Hoosierdom and come out on top. As for Lebanon, they had a chance to tie Frankfort’s record of having won four state high school crowns. Anyway you look &t it, the 1943 tournament was as successful in its new home—the coliseum—as it was in the Butler fieldhouse. And it was just another step in proving | that the state of Indiana wants its basketball—war or no war, >

Golf Tournament

> Opens Tomorrow

PINEHURST, N. (., March 22 (U. P.).—A handful of yesteryear’s golfing greats and a sprinkling of service men will tee off here tomorrow to open one of golfdom’s major tourneys—the 41st annual North-South open. Those who came today came full of spirit troubled by the reduced $2000 bond purse, but despite their enthusiasm things were dif-

legged blond youth who handled af

6.3 6.1 6. 5.10 5.9

183155 160 110 160:

Bedford Lebanon Batesville Ft. Wayne Lebanon

Senior Junior Senior Junior Senior

John Brennan Pete Mount Charles Fritch Murray Mendenhall Jr. Dave Laflin

Cc. c. 9

gq. g.

Composite Box Score of

“All Final Journey Gomes

G FGA FG ¥TM PF TP 23 23 41 23 26 19 23 17 17 15 17 13 24 12 21 12 25 24 19 16 11 8,

Ralph Houser, f, (Lebanon)...cce...2 Pete Mount, ¢ (Lebanon.......ece00.2 John Brennan, ¢, (Bedford)....e.s..1 Bob VanRyn, f, (Ft. Wayne).......2 Charles Fritch, g, (Batesville)..,....1 M. Mendenhall Jr., g, (Ft. Wayne)..2 Dave Laflin, g, (Lebanon)......c...2 Bob Agan, f, (Lebanon)......cs0e00.2 James Blanks, f, (Ft. Wayne)...ce..2 Tom Shopoff, f, (Ft. Wayne).......2 Charles Stanski, g, (Ft. Wayne).....2 Robert Armstrong, c¢, (Fi. Wayne)...2 Warren Wagner, f, (Bedford):......1 Bob Truitt, g, (Lebanon)....c.ce00.2 Joe Hunter, g, (Bedford).....cce000e.1 Max Ramsey, f, (Ft. Wayne). ....ees:2 Dick Moorman, c¢, (Batesville).......1 John Baas, f, (Batesville) Ed Lindenberg, g, (Ft. Wayne)......1 Bob Bellush, f, (Bedford)....c.ee00.1 Vic Simmons, g, (Bedford)...ces00..1 Bob Doty, Cs (Ft. Wayne) ..caeseee0.2 Bob Beck, f, (Batesville)....c.00000.1 Charles Beretta, g, (Bedford)...ee..1 Herbert Helms, g, (Lebanon)........1 Bill Drehobl, f, (Bedford).....cce0e.1 Russell Thielking, f, (Batesville).....1 Water Fields, g, (Batesville)......qs.1 Paul Brockman, g, (Batesville)......1

ud fund PT

WAND CD

[oo

inch ledge atop the backboard. Referee Tom Baker shinned up to get)

Paul Dickman, g, (Batesville)..coue

Alvin Cook, f, (Batesville)......es..1

R. Chambers, g (Ft. Wayne)...ese

Totals sevens Key:: Ggaites: FGA—field

§335888885

jase nnuns | ; ht pt COCO OSHHEUNNBRRRADINND SM

0 of te 8 I w

goals attempied; FG—field goals;

FT—free throws; FTM—free throws missed; PF—personal fouls, SA—

shooting average; TP—total points.

Ft. Wayne Was Team Without A Star—All Took Part in Win

Ft. Wayne Central was a team without a star. Every man used came up with good plays — even great plays—and.all had a hand in sparking the jean over tough moments. ” 2 2 There was a moment at the beginning of each session when the Hoosier peculiarity of regarding basketball as of paramount importance faded down to a normal outlook. That was when the national anthem was played over the loudspeaker system. The almost 11,000 fans in the coliseum stood up in deadly quiet to face the flag, and for just those few moments basketball was very secondary. 2 2 # Jim Blanks, slender Negro forward from Central, was involved in two of the most unusual incidents of the whole tournament. He was the Tiger who fainted when teammate Tom Shopoff tied the score in that overtime battle with South Side in the sectionals, and Saturday night he batted up a tip-in shot that balanced neatly on the four-

the ball. 2 5 =

Batesville didn’t exactly have the best ball club, but they had some of the prettiest girl rooters. It must have been a pleasure to have been consoled by the girls. ” J} ” Ed Lindenburg and Bob VanRyn

went up after the nets with the|. crack of the gun. Lindenberg had]! no trouble, but VanRyn seemed set]

Most of the cars parked Sutside the coliseum bore “A” or “B” gas stickers. Ft. Wayne gasoline sta tions reported a rush of business Saturday, most of it the cashingh hoarded gas coupons. Most of the Central fans were loading the car for the trip in a masterly exhibition of car-pooling. ? 2 & = Chuck Stanski’s real name Is much longer than that, but his olde er brother Tony played for Centr and liked the abbreviation: that a peared in the box scores. SoBehes legally adopted Stanski, 8 » = : Tony Stanski was on the Central team which was drubbed by a Frankfort team in 1936. won, 50-24, and it was total of 74 which the Central-Lebanon total planted for a new recor

Every Ft. Wayne has held a

to make a career of it. The nets|the

just ‘'wouldn’t come loose. He got |

‘em in the end, though. sn FJ

Bedford was very wary" of hel break. Two red-shirted Stonecut-! | ters stayed back on defense at all

famed Lebanon speed and

man effort. er John Brennen os. wade It & one-man show wiih