Jefferson Township High School is the only Clinton County high school, until the Wilmington High School squad this year, to advance to the state Final Four.
The Midland City squad was in the midst of a five-year run of domination in the Clinton County League — remember from a previous column there were nine other schools in the county who participated in the Clinton County League.
Jefferson was head and shoulders above most teams on its regular season schedule. Jeff defeated Adams 22-3 to open the season and then knocked off Port William 80-7 in the third game.
Other scores were 42-18 over Morrow, 50-11 over Sabina, 42-11 over Reesville and 23-8 over Blanchester.
Jefferson played the Wilmington High School reserve squad, most likely a game added mid-season because Jefferson would need some better competition going into the tournament.
It turned out to be one of the best games of the year as Jeff defeated the WHS reserves 19-14.
Carl Boring was the head coach of Jeff squad. Robert Jacoby and Roy King were the top players on the team. Jacoby
In the Middletown Sectional tourney, Jeff defeated Verona 27-16 and New Vienna 23-9. They suffered their first loss of the season 16-9 to Eaton in the sectional title game.
However, two teams from the sectional went on to the district tournament at the Dayton Fairgrounds Coliseum. Jeff would soon get its revenge.
The Boringites, as they were called in the News Journal then, had a tough one against Jackson Township but came out on top 11-8. Georgetown was less trouble as Jeff won 30-19.
Then a rematch with Eaton. Despite leading 13-4 at halftime, the Cardinals went to overtime before securing a 17-15 win and a berth in the state quarterfinals. Smithson’s only basket of the game put Jeff over the top.
At this point as one of the top eight teams in the Class B state tournament, Jefferson had to play three overtimes but in the end won on Jack Savages’s 25-foot shoot, 15-13, over Rawson.
In the semifinals, Jefferson came up short to Lancaster St. Mary’s 20-13, in large part because Jacoby had an infected foot lanced prior to the game. He played but scored just three points. Roy King was named to the state’s all-tournament team.