MT stops Walnut Ridge in double OT to reach state
By
Bob Patton-
(Continued from last week.)
With 10 seconds remaining in the 1978 district championship game, Washington Court House appeared to have the title won by a 54-53 margin.
However, Portsmouth’s Craig Tubbs burst the Lions’ bubble when he hit a 20-foot shot with two seconds remaining. WCH immediately called a timeout.
Trouble was, they had no timeouts remaining.
The result was a technical foul and a 56-54 Portsmouth win. Washington’s tournament run was over.
At Marietta, however, the Miami Trace Panthers and Chillicothe battled down to the wire.
Miami Trace held a one-point lead and Chillicothe had the ball with seven seconds left. But the Cavaliers were not able to get a good shot because of the Panthers’ tough defense.
They ended up firing from long range, and the Panthers got out with a 41-40 win, and a district championship. They would play at the Fairgrounds Coliseum on March 8. The opponent would be Findlay.
Hall’s Panthers now sported an impressive 20-2 mark for the season. If the Panthers were able to get by Findlay, they would be the first Fayette County team ever to play in a regional championship game. But it would take a great team effort.
Miami Trace jumped out to an 8-2 lead on Findlay, and led all the way to take a 64-58 win behind Art Schlichter’s 25 points.
They would play in the regional title game.
Columbus Walnut Ridge upset favored Linden McKinley to earn the right to meet the victorious Panthers in the finals. Like Trace, Coach Jack Moore’s Walnut Ridge squad was a very, very well-coached team.
The roof of the old Fairgrounds Coliseum leaked in about 25 different spots. As more than 6,000 basketball fans filed into the old facility, they were advised to hold onto their ticket stubs in case the game had to be postponed. Buckets were strategically located in several places on the court.
Eventually, a large plastic sheet was hoisted up near the roof of the old building, and the game got under way (at about 9 p.m. instead of the announced game time of 7:30 p.m.).
This was one of the greatest high school basketball games anyone could ever see.
After a torrid first half, the score was 31-31 at halftime. At the third quarter mark, it was still tied, 43-43. After four quarters the score was 55-55. It was 61-61 at the end of the first overtime. But the Panthers had a couple of key steals and jumped out to a 68-61 lead in the second overtime. Walnut Ridge hit the final basket to make the final score Miami Trace 68, Walnut Ridge 63. The Panthers would go to the state tournament.
The so-called experts in Columbus were predicting that the Panthers would be blown away by the tall and talented Archbishop Alter Knights. Practically all of the former University of Dayton basketball stars sent their sons to play for veteran Joe Petrocelli.
The Knights started 6’8” Don Meineke, son of the Dayton star of the same name; 6’6” Pete Boyle, whose father was another former U.D star, was a starting forward. The guards were John Paxson and Dan Bockhorn. Paxson’s brother was currently a starting guard for the U.D. team. John was later a star player for Notre Dame and had a successful NBA career. Bockhorn was the son of Arlen “Bucky” Bockhorn of U.D. fame.
Three or four other offspring of former U.D. stars were on the Knights’ bench.
Against all this, the Panthers’ tallest player was the 6’3” Art Schlichter, a guard.
Should Miami Trace just not show up?
That was not Ron Hall’s way. The Panthers would be outmanned. There was no doubt about that. But they would show up, and they would play – not just to keep it close. They would play to win.
The Fayette County team took it right at Alter from the beginning, leading 12-10 after one quarter. Trace jumped out to a 16-10 lead very early in the second quarter, but Alter battled back and took a 32-30 halftime advantage. The Knights still led by two after three quarters 46-44.
With 6:24 remaining in the final stanza, the score was Alter 50, Miami Trace 50.
At this crucial point in the game, the Panthers had a couple of costly turnovers, allowing the Knights to get out to an eight point lead. Miami Trace got it back to six points with 2:21 remaining, but it wasn’t to be.
The Alter Knights won the game 63 – 53 and advanced to the state finals.
After the game, Coach Petrocelli commented, “We kind of underestimated them. Both teams were dead tired at the end of this game. You just have to wear a team like that (Miami Trace) down.
“I think our size advantage wore them down. We felt that we would get to the finals; but I must admit, I thought it would be a little easier. It was quite a struggle. They’re a super-coached team. I’m very impressed with them.”
Hall was very proud of his kids. “Art Schlichter is the best ball player I’ve ever coached,” he said. “He has a knack of getting the ball to the right person at the right time. He’s done everything we asked of him. He was a ball handler, a scorer and a leader. He could have averaged 30 points a game this season; but we wouldn’t be where we are right now.”
All in all, it was an unbelievable season and the Panthers came within a whisker of pulling off one of the greatest upsets in Ohio’s state tournament history.
Schlichter led Trace with 23 points, hitting eight of 13 from the field and seven of nine from the line. He also grabbed six rebounds and had four steals: a remarkable, gutsy performance.
When the 1977-78 All-SCOL basketball team was announced, the league changed the format (again) naming 10 players All-SCOL rather than a first team and a second team. John Denen, who had rewritten the record books at Washington, was the first player listed. The remainder of the All-SCOL team included: Art Schlichter of Miami Trace, Toren Bensonhaver of Circleville, Jon Cole of Hillsboro, Scott Grooms of Miami Trace, Scott Joslin of Madison Plains, Rob McCray of McClain, David Nared of Wilmington, Gary Williams of Wilmington and Steve Pritchet of Washington.
Later, the Southeast District All-Star players were named. In Class AAA, Miami Trace’s Art Schlichter was the Southeast District Player of the Year. In Class AA, Washington C.H.’s John Denen was Southeast District Player of the Year.
Ron Hall was named Southeast District Co-Coach of the Year in Class AAA.
The most miserable winter in many, many years, and one of the most memorable basketball seasons in SCOL history were both over.
Bob Patton is a Highland County sports historian and a contributing writer to The Highland County Press. [[In-content Ad]]
With 10 seconds remaining in the 1978 district championship game, Washington Court House appeared to have the title won by a 54-53 margin.
However, Portsmouth’s Craig Tubbs burst the Lions’ bubble when he hit a 20-foot shot with two seconds remaining. WCH immediately called a timeout.
Trouble was, they had no timeouts remaining.
The result was a technical foul and a 56-54 Portsmouth win. Washington’s tournament run was over.
At Marietta, however, the Miami Trace Panthers and Chillicothe battled down to the wire.
Miami Trace held a one-point lead and Chillicothe had the ball with seven seconds left. But the Cavaliers were not able to get a good shot because of the Panthers’ tough defense.
They ended up firing from long range, and the Panthers got out with a 41-40 win, and a district championship. They would play at the Fairgrounds Coliseum on March 8. The opponent would be Findlay.
Hall’s Panthers now sported an impressive 20-2 mark for the season. If the Panthers were able to get by Findlay, they would be the first Fayette County team ever to play in a regional championship game. But it would take a great team effort.
Miami Trace jumped out to an 8-2 lead on Findlay, and led all the way to take a 64-58 win behind Art Schlichter’s 25 points.
They would play in the regional title game.
Columbus Walnut Ridge upset favored Linden McKinley to earn the right to meet the victorious Panthers in the finals. Like Trace, Coach Jack Moore’s Walnut Ridge squad was a very, very well-coached team.
The roof of the old Fairgrounds Coliseum leaked in about 25 different spots. As more than 6,000 basketball fans filed into the old facility, they were advised to hold onto their ticket stubs in case the game had to be postponed. Buckets were strategically located in several places on the court.
Eventually, a large plastic sheet was hoisted up near the roof of the old building, and the game got under way (at about 9 p.m. instead of the announced game time of 7:30 p.m.).
This was one of the greatest high school basketball games anyone could ever see.
After a torrid first half, the score was 31-31 at halftime. At the third quarter mark, it was still tied, 43-43. After four quarters the score was 55-55. It was 61-61 at the end of the first overtime. But the Panthers had a couple of key steals and jumped out to a 68-61 lead in the second overtime. Walnut Ridge hit the final basket to make the final score Miami Trace 68, Walnut Ridge 63. The Panthers would go to the state tournament.
The so-called experts in Columbus were predicting that the Panthers would be blown away by the tall and talented Archbishop Alter Knights. Practically all of the former University of Dayton basketball stars sent their sons to play for veteran Joe Petrocelli.
The Knights started 6’8” Don Meineke, son of the Dayton star of the same name; 6’6” Pete Boyle, whose father was another former U.D star, was a starting forward. The guards were John Paxson and Dan Bockhorn. Paxson’s brother was currently a starting guard for the U.D. team. John was later a star player for Notre Dame and had a successful NBA career. Bockhorn was the son of Arlen “Bucky” Bockhorn of U.D. fame.
Three or four other offspring of former U.D. stars were on the Knights’ bench.
Against all this, the Panthers’ tallest player was the 6’3” Art Schlichter, a guard.
Should Miami Trace just not show up?
That was not Ron Hall’s way. The Panthers would be outmanned. There was no doubt about that. But they would show up, and they would play – not just to keep it close. They would play to win.
The Fayette County team took it right at Alter from the beginning, leading 12-10 after one quarter. Trace jumped out to a 16-10 lead very early in the second quarter, but Alter battled back and took a 32-30 halftime advantage. The Knights still led by two after three quarters 46-44.
With 6:24 remaining in the final stanza, the score was Alter 50, Miami Trace 50.
At this crucial point in the game, the Panthers had a couple of costly turnovers, allowing the Knights to get out to an eight point lead. Miami Trace got it back to six points with 2:21 remaining, but it wasn’t to be.
The Alter Knights won the game 63 – 53 and advanced to the state finals.
After the game, Coach Petrocelli commented, “We kind of underestimated them. Both teams were dead tired at the end of this game. You just have to wear a team like that (Miami Trace) down.
“I think our size advantage wore them down. We felt that we would get to the finals; but I must admit, I thought it would be a little easier. It was quite a struggle. They’re a super-coached team. I’m very impressed with them.”
Hall was very proud of his kids. “Art Schlichter is the best ball player I’ve ever coached,” he said. “He has a knack of getting the ball to the right person at the right time. He’s done everything we asked of him. He was a ball handler, a scorer and a leader. He could have averaged 30 points a game this season; but we wouldn’t be where we are right now.”
All in all, it was an unbelievable season and the Panthers came within a whisker of pulling off one of the greatest upsets in Ohio’s state tournament history.
Schlichter led Trace with 23 points, hitting eight of 13 from the field and seven of nine from the line. He also grabbed six rebounds and had four steals: a remarkable, gutsy performance.
When the 1977-78 All-SCOL basketball team was announced, the league changed the format (again) naming 10 players All-SCOL rather than a first team and a second team. John Denen, who had rewritten the record books at Washington, was the first player listed. The remainder of the All-SCOL team included: Art Schlichter of Miami Trace, Toren Bensonhaver of Circleville, Jon Cole of Hillsboro, Scott Grooms of Miami Trace, Scott Joslin of Madison Plains, Rob McCray of McClain, David Nared of Wilmington, Gary Williams of Wilmington and Steve Pritchet of Washington.
Later, the Southeast District All-Star players were named. In Class AAA, Miami Trace’s Art Schlichter was the Southeast District Player of the Year. In Class AA, Washington C.H.’s John Denen was Southeast District Player of the Year.
Ron Hall was named Southeast District Co-Coach of the Year in Class AAA.
The most miserable winter in many, many years, and one of the most memorable basketball seasons in SCOL history were both over.
Bob Patton is a Highland County sports historian and a contributing writer to The Highland County Press. [[In-content Ad]]