The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1918-03-05
Snappy Locals Win Four
Straight Games AT
Delaware
TWO VICTORIES WILL
TAKE CHAMPIONSHIP
Archbold Puts Up Stubborn
Fight In Last Game
Played

Fighting through four games. two
OF which were of the sensational va.
riety, the Mt. Vernon high school bas.
ketball team came through the first
divisional clash of the state tourna-
ment at Delaware on Friday and Sat.
urday victorious and will return in
two weeks for the deciding games OF
the championship series.
Experienced sport writer's handling
the tournament for city papers pro
fessed great surprise that the snappy
local five proved their ability on the
floor by walloping the Alliance aggre.
cation Saturday morning and com.
mented In their articles that Mt. Yer
non upset the dope" As IL matter of
fact Mt. Vernon did upset the dope
manufactured at Delaware, which
aware with some brains under his
hat He had instructed his boys to
play only game good enough to win
and not unnecessarily display their
strong points for the inspection Of
possible opponents later in the tour
nament As Il result OF this general.
ship on the part OF the coach, the eX-
pert dopesters looked the local boys
over and decided that their chances
this year approXimated those of the
proyerbial Acknowledged dog and the
asbestos cat. These experts decided
that the Mt. Vernon boys tucked"
the greater part OF their scores In the
games against the admittedly weak
Pandora five and the Gallon boys,
who really showed ability aB basket
GERS. They described the Mt. Yer
non game as ragged" and then mar
veled at their sudden acquisition of
splendid passworlk and accuracy in
caging the ball when they were pair
ed with the Alliance team, which was
looked upon as one OF the strongest
In the northern division.
WIN FhSW SHSFIpOIp
The deciding game Of the northern
division, so far as the local boys were
concerned, was played at 3 o'clock
Saturday afternoon when the five
husky lads representing Archbold, Il
little town In Fulton county, put up u
stubborn defensive game against
them, the locals coming under the
wire at the close with safe margin
of five points.
The Mt. Vernon.ArchbOld game
was followed by fast 81 minutes he.
tween Lima and Akron Central high
school, the two other teams that had
weathered the storm of two days hot
lighting. The Lima team lost In this
nOut by a score of Is to IA, leaving
Akron Central high school as the
team that must be beaten by Mt. Yer.
non on March IL in order to mix up
with the surviving team of the win.
aera OF the southern divisional
games, which are To be played ut
Delaware on Friday and Saturday
OF this week
In the game against Archbold Cap.
considered the outstanding players OF
the local five, although every man on
the team did himself proud and paid
a high compliment 10 Jerpe's coach
ing by steady, consistent playing. To
Wright, center, the honor OF making
The first score went, he rushing down
the floor the instant he had deftly
tipped the ball 10 Kelser as soon as
IL had been tossed up and receiving
IL back, dropped II through the has.
ket, making the first basket of the
game after less than u minute had
licked OFF on the watches OF the time.
keepers. Captain Blair followed this
on the next play with "A rush To the
center OF the floor where he received
the ball, dribbllng to near the foul
line and made the second basket.
FIRST HALF ENDS
From that time on the game was
holly contested and the locals were
not so lucky In finding opportunities
for unhindered shooting. Blair, how
ever, made good three more attempts
during the first half. Wright made
one more and Cole got the range
of the basket once. making his shot
good. the half ending with u score OF
II to . In favor o. Mt. Vernon.
During the first half. Crime, left
forward for the Archbold team, drop.
ped in two baskets, ana Rice. center.
made one. Rice also made good