McClain best in SCOL in 1971-72
By
Bob Patton-
McClain and Miami Trace were the clear leaders in the 1971-72 SCOL basketball race at the end of January. On the 28th, the Circleville Tigers invaded Hillsboro, while McClain was hosting Wilmington and Washington was making the five mile trip to Miami Trace. The bus hardly had time to warm up going to MT, but sometimes it could seem like a long, long ride home.
At Hillsboro, the Indians employed a “box and one” defense to try to contain Circleville’s Terry Morrison, the league scoring leader. Overall, the ploy was successful. Morrison got most of his 15 points outside. Dave Truex scored 18 Tiger points. But it was not enough, and the inspired Indians grabbed a 74-60 upset victory. Hillsboro’s scoring was balanced, with five men in double figures, led by Murphy’s 17 markers. The Indians led at one point in the fourth quarter, 64-41. There was no question that Hillsboro was markedly improved since the beginning of the season.
At Greenfield, the McClain Tigers shot 56 percent from the field and blitzed the Wilmington Hurricane, 93-61. Guards Hull and Strobel racked up 19 points each to lead a host of Tiger double figure scorers.
On Feb. 4, the big SCOL matchup of the season pitted the McClain Tigers against the Panthers. Both teams were 6-1 in league games and both needed to win this game if they were to have any realistic chance of capturing the league championship. In other SCOL action, Washington would host Circleville and Hillsboro would travel to Wilmington.
At Miami Trace, Coach Sam Snyder’s Tigers shocked MT with their lights-out shooting as they rushed to a 15-6 first-quarter lead. The two teams played to a relatively even level in the second stanza, and the halftime score was 31- 23 in McClain’s favor. The Panthers gained slightly in the third canto, but McClain still led, 50-43 going into the fourth. It was rugged down the home stretch, but the Tigers held on and posted a 72-69 victory, which effectively, nailed down the league title. At Greenfield, early in the season, the MT big men had outrebounded the Tigers by a narrow margin. In this game, however, Free, Lucas, Trefz and guard Bill Head had blocked out effectively and controlled the boards.
At Wilmington the same night, the improving Hillsboro Indians downed the Hurricane, 65-50, behind the stellar play of Jeff Hodson and Bruce Murphy. Hodson, who had been prone to foul trouble in the early part of the season, managed to avoid the whistle in this game. He led the Indians scoring with 20 points.
Circleville visited Washington C.H. and handed the Blue Lions a 70-64 defeat as Terry Morrison bombed the nets for 23 points. The next night, in a non-league game with Hamilton Township, the senior southpaw hit 20 field goals and eight free throws for 48 points.
On Feb. 5, McClain traveled to Chillicothe, where Tiger sharpshooter David Trefz had a field day, hitting from downtown as he rang up his season-best 32 points, and the Tigers walloped the Cavaliers 68-57.
There was no three-point shot in 1972. Had there been such a thing as a 3-pointer, Trefz’s total would have easily eclipsed 40 points.
February 11 marked the next-to-last playing date of the SCOL season. At Hillsboro, the Indians held a three-point lead with three minutes remaining, but turnovers and fouls caused the game to get away and the Blue Lions left town with a 60-58 league win, despite 26 points by the Indians’ Jeff Hodson.
Hillsboro’s league record, after this game, was 3-6. The Blue Lions had beaten the Indians twice during the season, by a combined total of four points.
McClain owned the first half against Circleville, leading 56-37 at halftime. But in the third stanza, Terry Morrison, the league’s leading scorer, heated up and led the red and black on a rampage, outscoring the purple and gold, 28-14, to get back in the game. McClain held on, though, and won the game, 92-82. Mike Hull’s 27 points was McClain’s best. He was followed by Chuck Free with 19 and Bill Head with 16. Morrison scorched the nets for 31 to lead Circleville.
The final league games of the season were held on Feb. 18, 1972. The visiting Indians led Miami Trace all the way until the final four minutes of the game, when Miami Trace’s full-court press caused several turnovers that cost the Indians dearly. Despite great games from Hodson and Murphy, and 13 points from Burns, the Panthers won out at the end, 65-60. Circleville walloped Wilmington, 74-51, and McClain won the outright SCOL championship by drubbing WCH, 84-67.
The final standings were:
McClain — 9-1, 16-2
MT — 8-2, 10-8
CHS — 6-4, 13-5
WCH — 4-6, 6-12
HHS — 3-7, 6-11
WHS — 0-10, 1-16
McClain drew Hillsboro in the first round of the sectional tournament, at Lucasville. Coach Sam Snyder was not overconfident. He knew that the Indians were a much better team than they had been earlier in the season. The loss of Don Jewett had hurt them early, but Jeff Hodson had come on very strong the last five or six games of the season. Bruce Murphy had played well nearly the entire season. The Tigers had beaten Hillsboro, 67-52, and 71-54 in their two meetings. It is tough to do it the third time. Another key problem was that Tiger sharpshooter David Trefz, one of the top five scorers in the SCOL, suffered a badly sprained left ankle. He did play, but was not mobile and could not jump. He was on the bench nearly one third of the game.
Snyder felt that it was important for the Tigers to get off to a good start, to establish the tempo of the game. It didn’t happen. With two minutes remaining in the first period, Hillsboro held a 17-9 lead. Finally, McClain’s full-court press started to bother the Indians. They turned the ball over, took hurried shots and made errant passes. With 2:50 remaining in the game, the Tigers had climbed to within three points of the Indians, 56-53. With 45 seconds remaining, the hobbled Trefz scored a 3-point play to make the score 64-62. The Tigers fought valiantly, but, this time it wasn’t to be. As the old saying goes, “sometimes you get the bear, sometimes the bear gets you.” The final score was Hillsboro 66, McClain 64.
McClain had compiled an overall 16-2 mark against very tough competition. They had beaten most of these teams on their home courts or neutral courts. But on this particular night, Hillsboro was the better team. On March 1, the Indians upset Portsmouth West, 65-64, behind 17 points by Charley Gorman and 15 by Bruce Murphy. The sectional finals would be March 4, 1972, and would pit the Indians against Waverly. It would mark Hillsboro’s first advance to the sectional finals in eight years.
Waverly played a particularly sticky defense which caused the Indians serious problems in the opening period. They turned the ball over 10 times in the first quarter and trailed, 20-10 at the first quarter mark, before losing, 66-53.
The following week, the All-SCOL team was announced at the league banquet at Miami Trace. Those selected were: Terry Morrison, CHS; Steve Shaw, WCH; Kemmy Goodson, MT; Pete Jones, MT; Mike Hull, MHS; Bob Raizk, WHS; Chuck Free, MHS; Don Valentine, CHS; David Truex, CHS; Bruce Murphy, HHS; David Trefz, MHS; and Jeff Hodson, HHS.
McClain senior David Trefz was elected to the Southeastern High School All-Star District AA team.
Bob Patton is a Highland County sports historian and a contributing writer to The Highland County Press.[[In-content Ad]]
At Hillsboro, the Indians employed a “box and one” defense to try to contain Circleville’s Terry Morrison, the league scoring leader. Overall, the ploy was successful. Morrison got most of his 15 points outside. Dave Truex scored 18 Tiger points. But it was not enough, and the inspired Indians grabbed a 74-60 upset victory. Hillsboro’s scoring was balanced, with five men in double figures, led by Murphy’s 17 markers. The Indians led at one point in the fourth quarter, 64-41. There was no question that Hillsboro was markedly improved since the beginning of the season.
At Greenfield, the McClain Tigers shot 56 percent from the field and blitzed the Wilmington Hurricane, 93-61. Guards Hull and Strobel racked up 19 points each to lead a host of Tiger double figure scorers.
On Feb. 4, the big SCOL matchup of the season pitted the McClain Tigers against the Panthers. Both teams were 6-1 in league games and both needed to win this game if they were to have any realistic chance of capturing the league championship. In other SCOL action, Washington would host Circleville and Hillsboro would travel to Wilmington.
At Miami Trace, Coach Sam Snyder’s Tigers shocked MT with their lights-out shooting as they rushed to a 15-6 first-quarter lead. The two teams played to a relatively even level in the second stanza, and the halftime score was 31- 23 in McClain’s favor. The Panthers gained slightly in the third canto, but McClain still led, 50-43 going into the fourth. It was rugged down the home stretch, but the Tigers held on and posted a 72-69 victory, which effectively, nailed down the league title. At Greenfield, early in the season, the MT big men had outrebounded the Tigers by a narrow margin. In this game, however, Free, Lucas, Trefz and guard Bill Head had blocked out effectively and controlled the boards.
At Wilmington the same night, the improving Hillsboro Indians downed the Hurricane, 65-50, behind the stellar play of Jeff Hodson and Bruce Murphy. Hodson, who had been prone to foul trouble in the early part of the season, managed to avoid the whistle in this game. He led the Indians scoring with 20 points.
Circleville visited Washington C.H. and handed the Blue Lions a 70-64 defeat as Terry Morrison bombed the nets for 23 points. The next night, in a non-league game with Hamilton Township, the senior southpaw hit 20 field goals and eight free throws for 48 points.
On Feb. 5, McClain traveled to Chillicothe, where Tiger sharpshooter David Trefz had a field day, hitting from downtown as he rang up his season-best 32 points, and the Tigers walloped the Cavaliers 68-57.
There was no three-point shot in 1972. Had there been such a thing as a 3-pointer, Trefz’s total would have easily eclipsed 40 points.
February 11 marked the next-to-last playing date of the SCOL season. At Hillsboro, the Indians held a three-point lead with three minutes remaining, but turnovers and fouls caused the game to get away and the Blue Lions left town with a 60-58 league win, despite 26 points by the Indians’ Jeff Hodson.
Hillsboro’s league record, after this game, was 3-6. The Blue Lions had beaten the Indians twice during the season, by a combined total of four points.
McClain owned the first half against Circleville, leading 56-37 at halftime. But in the third stanza, Terry Morrison, the league’s leading scorer, heated up and led the red and black on a rampage, outscoring the purple and gold, 28-14, to get back in the game. McClain held on, though, and won the game, 92-82. Mike Hull’s 27 points was McClain’s best. He was followed by Chuck Free with 19 and Bill Head with 16. Morrison scorched the nets for 31 to lead Circleville.
The final league games of the season were held on Feb. 18, 1972. The visiting Indians led Miami Trace all the way until the final four minutes of the game, when Miami Trace’s full-court press caused several turnovers that cost the Indians dearly. Despite great games from Hodson and Murphy, and 13 points from Burns, the Panthers won out at the end, 65-60. Circleville walloped Wilmington, 74-51, and McClain won the outright SCOL championship by drubbing WCH, 84-67.
The final standings were:
McClain — 9-1, 16-2
MT — 8-2, 10-8
CHS — 6-4, 13-5
WCH — 4-6, 6-12
HHS — 3-7, 6-11
WHS — 0-10, 1-16
McClain drew Hillsboro in the first round of the sectional tournament, at Lucasville. Coach Sam Snyder was not overconfident. He knew that the Indians were a much better team than they had been earlier in the season. The loss of Don Jewett had hurt them early, but Jeff Hodson had come on very strong the last five or six games of the season. Bruce Murphy had played well nearly the entire season. The Tigers had beaten Hillsboro, 67-52, and 71-54 in their two meetings. It is tough to do it the third time. Another key problem was that Tiger sharpshooter David Trefz, one of the top five scorers in the SCOL, suffered a badly sprained left ankle. He did play, but was not mobile and could not jump. He was on the bench nearly one third of the game.
Snyder felt that it was important for the Tigers to get off to a good start, to establish the tempo of the game. It didn’t happen. With two minutes remaining in the first period, Hillsboro held a 17-9 lead. Finally, McClain’s full-court press started to bother the Indians. They turned the ball over, took hurried shots and made errant passes. With 2:50 remaining in the game, the Tigers had climbed to within three points of the Indians, 56-53. With 45 seconds remaining, the hobbled Trefz scored a 3-point play to make the score 64-62. The Tigers fought valiantly, but, this time it wasn’t to be. As the old saying goes, “sometimes you get the bear, sometimes the bear gets you.” The final score was Hillsboro 66, McClain 64.
McClain had compiled an overall 16-2 mark against very tough competition. They had beaten most of these teams on their home courts or neutral courts. But on this particular night, Hillsboro was the better team. On March 1, the Indians upset Portsmouth West, 65-64, behind 17 points by Charley Gorman and 15 by Bruce Murphy. The sectional finals would be March 4, 1972, and would pit the Indians against Waverly. It would mark Hillsboro’s first advance to the sectional finals in eight years.
Waverly played a particularly sticky defense which caused the Indians serious problems in the opening period. They turned the ball over 10 times in the first quarter and trailed, 20-10 at the first quarter mark, before losing, 66-53.
The following week, the All-SCOL team was announced at the league banquet at Miami Trace. Those selected were: Terry Morrison, CHS; Steve Shaw, WCH; Kemmy Goodson, MT; Pete Jones, MT; Mike Hull, MHS; Bob Raizk, WHS; Chuck Free, MHS; Don Valentine, CHS; David Truex, CHS; Bruce Murphy, HHS; David Trefz, MHS; and Jeff Hodson, HHS.
McClain senior David Trefz was elected to the Southeastern High School All-Star District AA team.
Bob Patton is a Highland County sports historian and a contributing writer to The Highland County Press.[[In-content Ad]]