Randolph High School - Bobcat Yearbook (Englewood, OH)

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VHHSHY HHSKHHHH The past 1951-1952 basketball season saw our Bobcats advance closer to the state crown than they had ever come before. They were, perhaps, the best team ever to rep- resent Randolph High School on the hardwood. This is not meant to take any luster away from the teams of the past, but this squad really had it. They put everything they had into each game. They went out on the floor knowing they had a good chance to win each game and a deep desire to do so. Their display of sportsmanship, win or lose, made us all proud of them. They fought as a team for victory and honors and not for the glory of any individual.. They will be long remembered for their magnificent accomplishments. For their 1951 work they breezed through November and December games and headed into the new year, 1952, with a perfect 7-0 slate. Their main accomplishments over this time were their first league win and second consecutive Holiday Tournament crown. Trotwood Madison fell to the 'Cats 61-47 in Randolph's opening league en- counter. Phillipsburg, guided by our former coach, Rich Heidkamp, fell to the 'Cats 63-44 in the first round of our annual holiday tourney. The 'Cats engaged Madison for the second time this season in the championship game and won handily 57-44. The 'Cats also engaged Tecumseh's Arrows in the second game of a doubleheader at Cox Fieldhouse in Xenia and won 52-49. Moving into the new year Randolph gained momentum as they again defeated Phillipsburg, this time in an important league game, 43-42, on the Bobcats' floor. The following night they traveled to Beavercreek and defeated the Beavers 55-53 in a double overtime sudden death thriller. Monroe Preble's prominent Wildcats moved into town next and left on the short end of a 65-58 score. League rivals Brookville and Dixie fell 48-47 and 55-30 respectively as the 'Cats moved onward. Farmersville was beaten 48-41, Jefferson fell 58-41, and fierce rival Butler was ripped 60-45 to in- crease the 'Cats unbeaten string to 15. Then the inevitable upset came. Riding on top of the league the 'Cats traveled to Centerville to engage the oft-beaten Elks tied for the last place in the league. The Elks hit some 60 per cent of their shots and toppled Randolph 47-44 and the 'Cats' reign at the top of all the Class B schools in the state poll came to an end. They barely came back the following night to edge Germantown 45-41 and tie Wayne for the number one position in the league. Warming up for the title clash with Wayne the 'Cats ran up their highest point total of the season in annihilating Lewisburg 70-52. In the final game of the season Randolph traveled to Wayne to meet the Warriors for the league championship. Before a packed crowd, Wayne won their second consecutive league crown by nipping the Bobcats 31-26 in a strictly defensive game. Many would have thought this the end of the line for Randolph, but the County Tournament proved them wrong. Wayne and the 'Cats seeded in different brackets of the tourney moved relentlessly toward the championship game again. The 'Cats' first round opponent, Farmersville, fought well but fell short 49-43. Next came Phillipsburg. This was another all-out battle but the Bobcats moved into the semi-finals with a 51-49 victory. In the semi-finals Randolph met Brookville, a team that played superbly throughout the tournament. The Bobcats, after losing a big lead, had to come from behind to tie the game up and win in an overtime 56-52. And then Wayne was met for the tournament crown. Again the game was a defensive one but the 'Cats got sweet revenge by winning 35-32 for their first tournament championship in the history of the school. The Bobcats moved on to the Southwestern District Tournament at Cox Field- house in Xenia and their first round opponent was Yellow Springs Bryan, Greene County champs. This was perhaps the best-played game by the 'Cats all season. Bryan held a slim lead at the half, but the Bobcats forged back to rap the Yellow Springs quintet 58-51. The 'Cats quarterfinal round opponent was Blanchester, defending

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.f v..---- ., -V ft- -1'--.21 HIUHNHMINI HHM F ig SEA SONAL RECORD Randolph 69 Verona 49 Randolph 60 Shawen Acres 40 Randolph 52 Alumni 37 3 Randolph 61 Madison 47 Randolph 52 Y Tecumseh 49 HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT Randolph 63 Phillipsburg 44 Randolph 57 Madison 44 19' Randolph 43 Phillipsburg 42 Randolph 55 Beavercreek 53 Randolph 65 Monroe Preble 58 'lf Randolph 48 Brookville 47 4' Randolph 55 Dixie 30 'F Randolph 48 Farmersville 41 2? Randolph 58 Jefferson 41 lk Randolph 60 Butler 45 'Y Randolph 44 Centerville 47 '41 Randolph 45 Germantown 41 W' Randolph 70 Lewisburg 52 Randolph 26 Wayne 31 COUNTY TOURNAMENT Randolph 49 Q Farmersville 43 Randolph 51 Phillipsburg 49 Randolph 56 Brookville 52 Randolph 35 Wayne 32 DISTRICT TOURNAMENT Randolph 58 Yellow Springs 51 Randolph 39 Blanchester 36 Randolph 38 New Vienna 45 Randolph 63 New Paris 44 Notes League Games

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Varsity Basketball, Continued District champs and repeat Clinton County kings.. Blan got off to a quick lead and stayed ahead for almost the entire game until the 'Cats, with 16 seconds left, and won 39-36. That was the lowest total of points Blanchester had been held to in a long time. But New Vienna, Clinton County's No. 2 team, was ready for Randolph. The fierce semi-final clash saw New Vienna take an early lead and hold it throughout to upset the 'Cats from the State Championship trail 45-38. To the end Randolph kept its never-say-die spirit that had won them so many games in the past, but this time they just couldn't come back. In the battle for third place against New Paris of Preble County, the following night the Bobcats rolled to a 63-44 triumph. The final season's record of 24 wins and 3 losses was a fine tribute to the hard- playing 'Cats. They were rated 6th in the final state AP poll of Class B schools.