Trace edged Wilmington in snowy 1978 campaign
By
Bob Patton-
(Continued from last week.)
Toren Bensonhaver was on a tear. On Jan. 3, he scorched the nets for 36 points, as the Tigers beat Pickerington, 84-71. This game put Bensonhaver in the overall lead in individual scoring with a 22.8 ppg. scoring average. John Denen still held the lead in the SCOL scoring race. The same night saw Miami Trace down the McClain Tigers, 58-41, with tough defense and great scoring balance.
This would set up the big MT vs. Washington battle scheduled for Friday night Jan. 10. The Blue Lions and Panthers were tied for second place in the league, both chasing Wilmington, who held the top rung. This time, with Joe Paterno, Woody Hayes and several other prominent college football coaches looking on, in the MT gym, Schlichter’s 22 points led the Panthers to a 60-52 win over the Blue Lions. This loss dealt a severe blow to the Lions’ hopes for an SCOL championship. The victory by Trace, though, left the Panthers in a great position to challenge Wilmington for the title.
Elsewhere, Wilmington defeated Circleville, 71-62, Teays Valley downed McClain, 59-52, and Madison Plains outscored Hillsboro, 97-93.
In the individual scoring race, John Denen and Toren Bensonhaver were still slugging it out with about 22 ppg. averages, but Wilmington’s Gary Williams was rapidly moving up on the leaders. Denen scored 30 points to lead the Blue Lions to a 58-47 win over Circleville.
On Jan. 13, Wilmington got revenge on Madison Plains who had upset the Hurricane early in the season. This time, the Hurricane moved a full game ahead of second place Miami Trace by thumping the Golden Eagles, 83-60. Four Wilmington players scored in double figures. This league win left the Hurricane with a 7-1 SCOL record. Miami Trace stood at 5-1. Miami Trace then traveled to Greenfield, where they hung a 73-45 loss on the Tigers. With the loss, McClain fell to 1-9 overall and 1-6 in SCOL competition. Only Hillsboro stood between the Tigers and the cellar.
Mother Nature deposited another abundant snowfall on the area about Jan. 18. On Jan. 20, 1978, the city manager of Washington C.H. announced that WCH was in a state of emergency. Even more SCOL games were canceled or postponed. The winter of 1977-78 promised to be one to remember.
Hillsboro had not played a game in 15 days, while McClain hadn’t had school for two weeks and had only played twice in the last 20 days. It is nearly impossible for a coach to keep his team sharp when they are not playing regularly. It was only four weeks until tournament time and there were a very large number of games to make up. The SCOL title was still up for grabs.
Chillicothe beat Miami Trace, 68-59, but Chillicothe was 9-2 against very good competition. The following night, the Panthers traveled to Cincinnati Moeller, where they chalked up a 67-61 non-league win in two overtimes.
February 3 saw all SCOL teams get back into action, at long last. WCH, Wilmington, McClain and Teays Valley had not played in three weeks. With four men scoring in double figures, Miami Trace shelled Madison Plains, 72-49. Washington upset Wilmington, 65-63. Hillsboro got their first win of the season by nicking McClain, 70-69, and Teays Valley upset county rival Circleville, 61-58.
As a result of these games, Miami Trace took over first place and Hillsboro climbed out of the SCOL cellar. Saturday, Feb. 4 saw Miami Trace down Circleville, 57-52. Schlichter racked up 25 points.
The sectional tournament drawings had been held. WCH would meet Waverly Feb. 17 at Unioto. McClain and Hillsboro would clash Feb. 18 on the same court. Miami Trace would tangle with Logan Feb. 15 in the AAA sectional at Athens.
On Feb. 7, Washington invaded Hillsboro and pounded the Indians, 91-63, as John Denen and Steve Pritchet scored 25 points each. Meanwhile, Miami Trace ripped Teays Valley, 75-54, as Schlichter totaled 25 markers. Friday, Feb. 10 saw Miami Trace win a barnburner from their Fayette County rivals (WCH) by a 57-55 margin. Denen and Pritchet scored 15 points each for the Blue Lions, but MT had four men in double figures. The Panthers had become a team, now.
Elsewhere, Wilmington used a fourth quarter surge to down Circleville, 62-46, Madison Plains beat Hillsboro, 78-56 and Teays Valley beat McClain, 59-57 on a 20-foot jumper at the buzzer by Rick Queen.
As tournament time approached, Washington whipped Madison Plains 77-62 on Feb. 12.
In the individual scoring chase, Denen and Bensonhaver continued to battle it out. Bensonhaver led in the overall race, with a scoring average of 22.3 ppg. Denen still held the lead in SCOL games only, with a 22.4 ppg. average. On Feb. 15, Washington tuned up for their tournament game with Waverly by annihilating the McClain Tigers, 85-47. The loss left McClain with a 1-12 SCOL record and an overall mark of 1-16.
Miami Trace met Logan in the AAA sectional tournament at Athens Feb. 15. The next night, they had to play Wilmington on the Hurricanes’ court in a key SCOL matchup. After a rugged battle in the Convocation Center, the Panthers emerged the winner over the 16-1 Chiefs, 45-44. This was a grueling, exhausting game, followed by a two-hour ride home. They would play Lancaster in the sectional finals on Feb. 22.
Hillsboro played Circleville at Circleville in an SCOL game. The Indians managed to get four players in double figures, led by Jeff Gilliland and Duke Jackson, each with 19. But, hot-shooting Toren Bensonhaver of Circleville hit 19 of 35 shots from the field and 10 of 14 from the free throw line tying Terry Morrison’s school record as he racked up 48 points, and the Tigers edged the Indians, 75-71. Bensonhaver’s big game moved him past John Denen in the individual scoring race with 24.4 ppg. overall and 23.8ppg. in the league.
At Unioto, Washington squeezed by Waverly, 59-55, to advance in the sectional tournament. The Blue Lions would meet Wellston in the sectional semifinals Feb. 22.
McClain edged Hillsboro 22-21 in the lower bracket, to move on.
In the biggest SCOL game of the season, so far, the Hurricane’s 6’4” center Gary Williams totaled 22 points, including four thunderous slam dunks, but Miami Trace used balanced scoring and great defense to edge the black and orange, 45-42. This made the Panthers league champions. They would go back to Unioto to tangle with Wellston.
Also, in SCOL action, WCH’s John Denen hit 23 of 31 shots from the field and five of six from the free throw line, to total 51 points against Hillsboro as the Blue Lions smashed the Indians, 104-50.
In the final games of the SCOL season, Wilmington plastered Hillsboro, 96-50, and Circleville walloped McClain, 68-49 by holding McClain’s big scorer Rob McCray to four points for the game, while Bensonhaver scored 34.
Final SCOL standings 1977-78
Miami Trace – 13-1, 16-2
Wilmington – 11-3, 13-5
Washington – 11-3, 12-6
Mad. Plains – 8-6, 10-8
Teays Valley – 6-8, 8-10
Circleville – 5-9, 8-10
McClain – 1-13, 1-17
Hillsboro – 1-13, 1-17
Toren Bensonhaver took the SCOL individual scoring crown. The 6’1” Circleville ace outscored WCH’s John Denen by just six points. Overall, Bensonhaver scored 449 points in 18 games for an average of 24.9 ppg. Against SCOL competition he totaled 343 points in 14 games for an average of 24.5 ppg. Denen’s averages were 22.3 ppg overall and 24.1 ppg in league games. Bensonhaver and Denen were the only players in the league to total 400 points for the season.
Miami Trace returned to tournament action to breeze by Lancaster, 73-51, as Schlichter and Richardson scored 44 points between them. They would advance to the district AAA tournament at Marietta College.
Washington ripped Wellston 90 – 66 to enter the finals of the Unioto sectional against the McClain vs. Vinton County winner. All five WCH starters scored in double figures against Wellston.
In the final game of the tourney, Vinton County was unable to solve the WCH defense, scoring only 38 points and losing, 54-38. The Blue Lions would advance to the Athens district tournament, where they would battle Nelsonville York.
Cambridge and Miami Trace battled down to the wire, but the Panthers won, 55-51, in overtime. Pete Abuls, the 6’6” Cambridge center was the Eastern District Player of the Year. But Hall’s strategy was to pressure the Cambridge guards to the point that Abuls would have to come out to help them get the ball up the court. It worked. The big pivot man was held considerably below his scoring average, and Bill Hanners outrebounded him 11-8. The Panthers would advance to a rematch with Chillicothe for the district championship. In Athens, Washington C.H. and Nelsonville York battled to the wire, but the Blue Lions pulled it out, 59-56. They would meet Portsmouth for the district title.
(Continued next week.)
Bob Patton is a Highland County sports historian and a contributing writer to The Highland County Press.[[In-content Ad]]
Toren Bensonhaver was on a tear. On Jan. 3, he scorched the nets for 36 points, as the Tigers beat Pickerington, 84-71. This game put Bensonhaver in the overall lead in individual scoring with a 22.8 ppg. scoring average. John Denen still held the lead in the SCOL scoring race. The same night saw Miami Trace down the McClain Tigers, 58-41, with tough defense and great scoring balance.
This would set up the big MT vs. Washington battle scheduled for Friday night Jan. 10. The Blue Lions and Panthers were tied for second place in the league, both chasing Wilmington, who held the top rung. This time, with Joe Paterno, Woody Hayes and several other prominent college football coaches looking on, in the MT gym, Schlichter’s 22 points led the Panthers to a 60-52 win over the Blue Lions. This loss dealt a severe blow to the Lions’ hopes for an SCOL championship. The victory by Trace, though, left the Panthers in a great position to challenge Wilmington for the title.
Elsewhere, Wilmington defeated Circleville, 71-62, Teays Valley downed McClain, 59-52, and Madison Plains outscored Hillsboro, 97-93.
In the individual scoring race, John Denen and Toren Bensonhaver were still slugging it out with about 22 ppg. averages, but Wilmington’s Gary Williams was rapidly moving up on the leaders. Denen scored 30 points to lead the Blue Lions to a 58-47 win over Circleville.
On Jan. 13, Wilmington got revenge on Madison Plains who had upset the Hurricane early in the season. This time, the Hurricane moved a full game ahead of second place Miami Trace by thumping the Golden Eagles, 83-60. Four Wilmington players scored in double figures. This league win left the Hurricane with a 7-1 SCOL record. Miami Trace stood at 5-1. Miami Trace then traveled to Greenfield, where they hung a 73-45 loss on the Tigers. With the loss, McClain fell to 1-9 overall and 1-6 in SCOL competition. Only Hillsboro stood between the Tigers and the cellar.
Mother Nature deposited another abundant snowfall on the area about Jan. 18. On Jan. 20, 1978, the city manager of Washington C.H. announced that WCH was in a state of emergency. Even more SCOL games were canceled or postponed. The winter of 1977-78 promised to be one to remember.
Hillsboro had not played a game in 15 days, while McClain hadn’t had school for two weeks and had only played twice in the last 20 days. It is nearly impossible for a coach to keep his team sharp when they are not playing regularly. It was only four weeks until tournament time and there were a very large number of games to make up. The SCOL title was still up for grabs.
Chillicothe beat Miami Trace, 68-59, but Chillicothe was 9-2 against very good competition. The following night, the Panthers traveled to Cincinnati Moeller, where they chalked up a 67-61 non-league win in two overtimes.
February 3 saw all SCOL teams get back into action, at long last. WCH, Wilmington, McClain and Teays Valley had not played in three weeks. With four men scoring in double figures, Miami Trace shelled Madison Plains, 72-49. Washington upset Wilmington, 65-63. Hillsboro got their first win of the season by nicking McClain, 70-69, and Teays Valley upset county rival Circleville, 61-58.
As a result of these games, Miami Trace took over first place and Hillsboro climbed out of the SCOL cellar. Saturday, Feb. 4 saw Miami Trace down Circleville, 57-52. Schlichter racked up 25 points.
The sectional tournament drawings had been held. WCH would meet Waverly Feb. 17 at Unioto. McClain and Hillsboro would clash Feb. 18 on the same court. Miami Trace would tangle with Logan Feb. 15 in the AAA sectional at Athens.
On Feb. 7, Washington invaded Hillsboro and pounded the Indians, 91-63, as John Denen and Steve Pritchet scored 25 points each. Meanwhile, Miami Trace ripped Teays Valley, 75-54, as Schlichter totaled 25 markers. Friday, Feb. 10 saw Miami Trace win a barnburner from their Fayette County rivals (WCH) by a 57-55 margin. Denen and Pritchet scored 15 points each for the Blue Lions, but MT had four men in double figures. The Panthers had become a team, now.
Elsewhere, Wilmington used a fourth quarter surge to down Circleville, 62-46, Madison Plains beat Hillsboro, 78-56 and Teays Valley beat McClain, 59-57 on a 20-foot jumper at the buzzer by Rick Queen.
As tournament time approached, Washington whipped Madison Plains 77-62 on Feb. 12.
In the individual scoring chase, Denen and Bensonhaver continued to battle it out. Bensonhaver led in the overall race, with a scoring average of 22.3 ppg. Denen still held the lead in SCOL games only, with a 22.4 ppg. average. On Feb. 15, Washington tuned up for their tournament game with Waverly by annihilating the McClain Tigers, 85-47. The loss left McClain with a 1-12 SCOL record and an overall mark of 1-16.
Miami Trace met Logan in the AAA sectional tournament at Athens Feb. 15. The next night, they had to play Wilmington on the Hurricanes’ court in a key SCOL matchup. After a rugged battle in the Convocation Center, the Panthers emerged the winner over the 16-1 Chiefs, 45-44. This was a grueling, exhausting game, followed by a two-hour ride home. They would play Lancaster in the sectional finals on Feb. 22.
Hillsboro played Circleville at Circleville in an SCOL game. The Indians managed to get four players in double figures, led by Jeff Gilliland and Duke Jackson, each with 19. But, hot-shooting Toren Bensonhaver of Circleville hit 19 of 35 shots from the field and 10 of 14 from the free throw line tying Terry Morrison’s school record as he racked up 48 points, and the Tigers edged the Indians, 75-71. Bensonhaver’s big game moved him past John Denen in the individual scoring race with 24.4 ppg. overall and 23.8ppg. in the league.
At Unioto, Washington squeezed by Waverly, 59-55, to advance in the sectional tournament. The Blue Lions would meet Wellston in the sectional semifinals Feb. 22.
McClain edged Hillsboro 22-21 in the lower bracket, to move on.
In the biggest SCOL game of the season, so far, the Hurricane’s 6’4” center Gary Williams totaled 22 points, including four thunderous slam dunks, but Miami Trace used balanced scoring and great defense to edge the black and orange, 45-42. This made the Panthers league champions. They would go back to Unioto to tangle with Wellston.
Also, in SCOL action, WCH’s John Denen hit 23 of 31 shots from the field and five of six from the free throw line, to total 51 points against Hillsboro as the Blue Lions smashed the Indians, 104-50.
In the final games of the SCOL season, Wilmington plastered Hillsboro, 96-50, and Circleville walloped McClain, 68-49 by holding McClain’s big scorer Rob McCray to four points for the game, while Bensonhaver scored 34.
Final SCOL standings 1977-78
Miami Trace – 13-1, 16-2
Wilmington – 11-3, 13-5
Washington – 11-3, 12-6
Mad. Plains – 8-6, 10-8
Teays Valley – 6-8, 8-10
Circleville – 5-9, 8-10
McClain – 1-13, 1-17
Hillsboro – 1-13, 1-17
Toren Bensonhaver took the SCOL individual scoring crown. The 6’1” Circleville ace outscored WCH’s John Denen by just six points. Overall, Bensonhaver scored 449 points in 18 games for an average of 24.9 ppg. Against SCOL competition he totaled 343 points in 14 games for an average of 24.5 ppg. Denen’s averages were 22.3 ppg overall and 24.1 ppg in league games. Bensonhaver and Denen were the only players in the league to total 400 points for the season.
Miami Trace returned to tournament action to breeze by Lancaster, 73-51, as Schlichter and Richardson scored 44 points between them. They would advance to the district AAA tournament at Marietta College.
Washington ripped Wellston 90 – 66 to enter the finals of the Unioto sectional against the McClain vs. Vinton County winner. All five WCH starters scored in double figures against Wellston.
In the final game of the tourney, Vinton County was unable to solve the WCH defense, scoring only 38 points and losing, 54-38. The Blue Lions would advance to the Athens district tournament, where they would battle Nelsonville York.
Cambridge and Miami Trace battled down to the wire, but the Panthers won, 55-51, in overtime. Pete Abuls, the 6’6” Cambridge center was the Eastern District Player of the Year. But Hall’s strategy was to pressure the Cambridge guards to the point that Abuls would have to come out to help them get the ball up the court. It worked. The big pivot man was held considerably below his scoring average, and Bill Hanners outrebounded him 11-8. The Panthers would advance to a rematch with Chillicothe for the district championship. In Athens, Washington C.H. and Nelsonville York battled to the wire, but the Blue Lions pulled it out, 59-56. They would meet Portsmouth for the district title.
(Continued next week.)
Bob Patton is a Highland County sports historian and a contributing writer to The Highland County Press.[[In-content Ad]]