Madison County Democrat. (London, Ohio) 19??-1958, 1951-04-03
SPORTS
TALL CENTER VITAL TO
WINNING STATE TITLE
BY ritz Howell

COLUMBUS, O,-1P - You
can't get away from it! You must
have a center who is tall and tai
ented to win a state basketball
championship.
Columbus and Grand Rapids
proved it again Saturday as they
swept over favored foes to win
Ohios Class A and Class B
crowns.
Rollie Harris, a six-foot, six
inch junior who wears size 13
shoes and thinks chicken is the
only food worth eating. was East's
No. l. boy as the Tigers almost
swept Hamilton's once beaten Big
Blue off the court, 57-39, in the
Class A finals.
All Harris did was control both
backboards, sink six field foals
in II tries, and make II of 13
charity tosses. Ills 23 points were
the big reason the Big Blue is
just blue, not big. today
Don Trumbull, also a slx-Toot,
six-inch junior who lives on a
farm outside Grand Rapids. was
the game wrecker for the Wood
County Pirates. The huge fellow,
not as fancy or agile as Harris,
made eight field goals in Il tries
and added five charity tosses in
eight attempts. His u points were
just enough to give Grand Rapids
52-51 win over Waynesburg's
Mighty Mohawks who had won
27 straight.
Trumbull came out OF a score
of under basket scrembles with
the ball, and was a tower on de-
fense.
The angle which had most rival
coaches mumbling to themselves
was how Columbus East, in 4
city where the available talent is
divided among is high schools,
could come up with such a classy
combination. Many veterans OBJ
servers rate the Tigers right at
the top along the teams which
have stormed to the Class A title
in the last % years. Oddly enough
the one team mentioned in the
same breath with the current
champs is the 1897 Hamilton Club
which won the Laurels with "a
straight eoEquests- and on which
Coach Warren (Porky) Seholler
of the present Bic Blue was a
performer.
Paul (Bucky) Walters, mentor
of the Columbus East team-First
Capital City crew ever to win the
title-played his high school
basketball at CircleVille. He was
p star at Capital University, grad.
uating in 1897, and has had out.
standing success since taking over
the Tiger reins.
East's ability was recognized by
the press box boys as they named
all five starters to the all-tourney
teams. Harris, voted most out.
standing in Class A, was namec
to the first team with guards
Dick Linson and Romie Watkins
as Wendell Farley of Canton Nc
Kinley and Don Nuxhall of Hamil
ton took the forward berths.
Bill Truss and Bernie Granger
of East were named second team
forwards, with Bill Supp of Can
ton Mckinley at center, Bill Lii
lard of Hamilton and Bob Harri,
of Barberton at guards.
Of the five Columbus kids, al
but Linson will be back next year
Joe Kiefer, five-foot, six-incl
guard, was named the outstanding
star in Class B as he and Trum
bull represented Grand Rapid
on the first team Leroy Thomp
son, the divisions leading score
with 30 points, and Dick Howard
of Ashley were named forwards
with Ken Estee of WaynesburI
joining Kiefer at guard. The sec
ond stringers We're forwards Ra.
Tomlin of Lockland Wayne an
Gene Borough of Grand Rapids
center Jim Rozier of Locklanl
Wayne, and guards Don Delcors
of Waynesburg and Dick Heymal
of Grand Rapids.
Trumbull, Keifer and Heyrna
will be back in Grand Rapid
toggery next season.