WORCESTER – Calm, cool and efficient Hopedale High swept to the championship of the Small School Division of the 24th annual Clark Invitational Basketball Tournament over Leicester High, 80-57, before a packed house of over 500 at the Clark University gym last night.

Four blue Raiders hit double figures and Don Lutz powered the nets for 27 points to set a Hopedale High scoring record of 465 for a single season as Coach Roger Hebert’s squad turned the finale into a rout early in the game.

Both teams, cautious and a bit nervous, got off to a slow start in the first period, but Hopedale with a five point contribution from Steve Sardell and four-point efforts by Lutz and Jerry Boyer moved into the long end of a 17-10 tally at the end of the first stanza.

Lead by Nine

Johnny Murphy got hot for the Wolverines in the second period to hoop eight points from “downtown” and Tib McNeil chipped in with five in the second marker. All to no avail.

Lutz with five big ones and Dave DiGirolamo with six were the stalwarts for the Blue Raiders in that period as the champs added two points to their seven point bulge to lead 37-28 at the half.

Leicester came back strong in the third period to move within six points, but Lutz, held down to nine points in the entire half, went on a scoring splurge that had the crowd in an uproar and didn’t end until the tremendous forward had punished the nets for 12 points and Hopedale was resting on a 17 point bulge over stunned Leicester.

The Blue Raiders got their fast break moving in the third period and despite an all-court press by the desperate Wolverines proceeded to run the northern team right off the floor.

The fourth period was anti-climatic as Lutz continued to put on the pressure with six points. Chuck Espanet, a fine dribbler and ball handler, turned from the assist column to the scoring line as he racked up seven points.

At one point in the fourth period the Blue Raiders were out in front by 24 points and even after the subs came in for the winners of 20 straight ball games the beaten Leicester club could only close the distance by a single digit.

Full Court Press

DiGirolamo was immense under the boards for Hopedale as the Blue Raiders dominated both ends of the court off the boards.

Leicester applied a full court press early in the third stanza but it didn’t foil Hopedale one iota. In fact it gave the Blue Raiders a chance to run with the ball and they did to the tune of Leicester’s death march.

Sardell Stars

Hopedale threw up a fine defense against the sophomore dominated lineup of Leicester with four men in a shifting box zone and a trailer on Griffith, who was the key factor in the down fall of Lunenburg in the semi-finals.

Sardell, who scored 13 points in the win, was given the arduous task of guarding the speedy backcourt man. Sardell, however, put the clamps on Griffith, sticking to him like the seven-year itch and holding him to a meager five points.

This is the fist time in six years that the Hopedale club has won the Clark Tourney. The last time they finished in the kopeks was back in 1957.

Trophies Awarded

Lutz broke the scoring record for Hopedale High for a single season which was 441 set by Bob Redden and set a new goal of 465 for future scoring stars to shoot at.

Trophies were awarded to each member of both squads. Mentor Hebert accepted the championship trophy for the Blue Raiders. Presentations were made by Edward Garrity, principal of Uxbridge High.

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HOPEDALE BEATS LEICESTER FOR CLARK BASKETBALL TITLE
Jim Tivnan/WORCESTER GAZETTE

Hopedale High, let by Don Lutz’ brilliant 28-point shotmaking and the rugged rebounding of Dave DiGirolamo, annexed the Smaller Schools Division championship of the 24th annual Clark University basketball tourney by whipping Leicester High, 80-57, last night at Alumni Gym.

The week-long tournament winds up tonight when defending titlist David Prouty High of Spencer collides with East Boylston High. Game time is 8 o’clock.

Hopedale was not to be denied. The pair of Lutz and DiGirolamo was immense, but there was plenty of assistance. Steve Sardell flipped in 13 points, but he also made his presence felt in restricting the Wolverine’s prolific-scoring Ed Griffith to a mere five points.

Rebounding Helps

Jerry Boyer rifled in 11 points and also chipped in with some rebounding help, while Charlie Espanet accounted for 12 points and time and again was the player who put the Blue Raiders’ fast-break attack into overdrive. DiGirolamo also was s double-figure scorer with 11.

Leicester, winner of this divisional title in the three-year period from 1959 through 1961, only challenged for the lead at the start. After Hopedale jumped away to an 8-2 lead, the Wolverines squared accounts, 8-8, on two distant bombs by Timmy McNeil and Johnny Murphy. Thereafter, Hopedale was off the races. The Blue Raiders were perched on top, 17-10, after the first quarter.

Leicester kept exerting a press in the backcourt, but it didn’t faze the Blue Raiders. Their taller and stronger players would simply lob tower passes downcourt to over come it.

Stay in Contention

Still, the Wolverines wee not to be ruled out of contention until after the halftime intermission. As mentioned, Sardell guarded Griffith most effectively. Otherwise, the Blue Raiders patrolled from a box zone which allowed McNeil and Murphy, 15 and 12-point scorers, respectively, to snipe away from the outside. They did, and with accuracy. Hopedale led at the halfway mark, 37-28.

The second half, though, was a runaway. Lutz, who is devastating from all angles, poured in 6-of-7 attempts from the floor to lead the 21-point scoring marathon in the third period. School was out as far as the Wolverines were concerned as they railed 58-41, entering the final eight-minute stretch.

Hopedale kept its offensive momentum in the final period by racking up another 22 points. For the Blue Raiders, it was their 21st straight win and by far the choicest. Their only defeat was an opening loss to St. Mary’s High of Milford.

HOPEDALE					LEICESTER
NAME	FG	FP	TP		NAME	FG	FP	TP
BOYER	4	3-3	11		KELLY	2	5-5	9
ESPANET	5	2-4	12		GRIFFITH	1	3-4	5
DIGIROLAMO	5	1-1	11		MCNEIL	7	1-2	15
LUTZ	11	6-8	28		DUFAULT	3	2-2	8
SARDELL	6	1-1	13		ANDERSON	3	0-1	6
HERON	0	1-2	1		MURPHY	6	0-1	12
J. STOCK	1	0-0	2		LENO	0	0-0	0
CAPRINI	0	0-0	0		CURRAN	0	0-0	0
PHILLIPS	1	0-0	2		JUBINVILLE	1	0-0	2
FRANCIS	0	0-0	0		LUPA	0	0-0	0
B. STOCK	0	0-0	0		CONNORS	0	0-0	0
B. LUTZ	0	0-0	0
TOTALS	33	14-19	80		TOTALS	23	11-15	57

Leicester High and Hopedale High will meet tomorrow evening in the championship game of the Smaller Schools Division of the 24th annual Clark University basketball tournament.

That was decided last night when Leicester’s sophomore-studded team dethroned defending champion Lunenburg High, 53-50, and Hopedale pinned a 66-48 setback on Nipmuc Regional High.

Hopedale now 20-1

Hopedale, now with a scintillating 20-1 record, did not shake free of Nipmuc until the second half. With the teams locked together at 32-32, Hopedale spurted for 10 points. There was no reply from Nipmuc during this time. That did it.

The game had another complexion to it in the first half however, as Allen Fiske and Bobby Pearo flung from afar and with accuracy to keep the Nipmuc partisans howling.

Yet, Hopedale had the superior resources in Don Lutz, a 20-point donor, and the brilliant inside duo of Dave DiGirolamo and Charlie Espanet. They were the victory components.

HOPEDALE					NIPMUC
NAME	FG	FP	TP		NAME	FG	FP	TP
BOYER	4	2-3	10		MCDONNELL	3	6-7	12
ESPANET	5	2-2	12		TEACHOUT	3	2-4	7
LUTZ	10	0-3	20		FISKE	5	0-0	10
DIGIROLAMO	3	4-8	10		DONHAM	1	0-0	2
SARDELL	4	0-1	10		PEARO	7	0-0	14
HERON	0	1-2	1		ETHIER	0	0-0	0
FRANCIS	0	0-0	0		JOHNSON	0	0-0	0
J. STOCK	0	0-0	0		BRADFORD	0	0-0	0
PHILLIPS	1	1-2	3		PORTER	1	0-0	2
B. STOCK	0	0-0	0		GRANT	0	0-1	0
TOTALS	28	20-21	66		TOTALS	20	8-12	48

Both Hopedale High, winner of 17 straight games and Nipmuc Regional High advanced to the semi-final round of the Clark Basketball Tournament after winning their first games in the Clark University gym yesterday afternoon.

Tri-County League champs, the Blue Raiders got off to a slow start, then shifted into high gear to bury Douglas High, 78-55, as Don Lutz pounded the nets for 25 points and big Dave DiGirolamo was immense under the boards hauling down 20 rebounds.

Nipmuc, trailing at one time by 13 points, came storming back to win over North Brookfield, 57-54 in the final minute of play on two foul shots by Dave Teachout.

Douglas fought the Blue Raiders through the first period and into the second period matching them point for point, until Hopedale’s power under the boards and DiGirolamo’s 11 points in a big second period toppled Douglas’ hopes for an upset and a berth in the semi-finals.

Boyer Stars

Gerry Boyer, who tallied 19 points in the contest, put Hopedale ahead to stay in the first period on a nice three-point play with the score knotted at 14 all.

Douglas fought back and came close in the second period, but Coach Roger Hebert’s team wasn’t to be denied. Leading by a slim point, Boyer again provided the spark for Hopedale coming through with a nice jumper to ignite a Blue Raider scoring outburst which left Douglas stunned and gave the Hopedale team a 10 point bulge at the half.

Lutz Explodes

Earlier in the game Chuck Espanet had provided most of the scoring power for the Blue Raiders coming through with 10 of his 12 points in the first period.

Lutz, held to a meager three points in the first half, exploded in the third period for a trencherman’s 14 points to give a Douglas no respite. Boyer threaded the hoop for six points in the final stanza, while Lutz punished the nets for eight more.

Hopedale proved its power under the boards; despite the fact that they were cold from the floor, piling up impressive scores. At times they missed seven or eight shots in a row.

Nipmuc and Hopedale will meet in a semi-final round Wednesday night.

HOPEDALE					DOUGLAS
NAME	FG	FP	TP		NAME	FG	FP	TP
LUTZ, RF	11	3	25		DEVLIN, RF	10	3	23
B. STOCK, RF	0	0	0		MELO, RF	1	0	2
BOYER, LF	8	3	19		MCGRATH, LF	3	0	6
J. STOCK, LF	0	0	0		TUCKER, LF	0	0	0
B. LUTZ, LF	0	4	0		CASSISTRA, C	1	3	5
DIGIROLAMA, C	5	3	13		LEVSEN, C	2	0	4
CAPRINI, C	0	0	4		VALLIERRE, RG	3	2	6
PHILLIPS, C	2	0	4		HICKEY, RG	0	0	0
HERON, RG	0	3	3		SALO, LG	1	5	7
SARDELL, RG	0	0	0
FRANCIS, RG	0	1	1
ESPANET, LG	6	3	12
TOTALS	32	13	78		TOTALS	21	11	55