(EDITOR’S NOTE: Since May of 1999, the Times News Sports Department has featured an On This Date practically every day, highlighting an event that happened in the past. With the coronavirus putting a halt to sports locally and nationally, the On This Dates have been expanded to the stories that actually ran in the next day’s newspaper. Today’s On This Date story is from March 21, 1956).

By Charlie Williams

Palmerton’s scintillating Blue Bombers zoomed into Hershey last night and left nothing but destruction (as far as Radnor and the rest of the PIAA world was concerned) in their path as they left with the trophy symbolic of the Eastern regional PIAA championship because of a stunning 66-46 victory over the very tall Radnor Raiders before 6,500 fans in the sports Arena.

Never, or at least not in many years, has one team looked so much better in an Eastern Regional final as last night. Palmerton was tremendous. They shot, rebounded, passed, weaved, etc. much better than Radnor as they held the District One champions to 17 points in the first half with their 2-3 zone.

It was a team victory. Everyone of the five Palmerton kids did a wonderful job, but the “sweetheart” of them all was Bob (Butch) Mlkvy, the 6-4 1/2 All-State choice who led the club in scoring and rebounding. He scored 31 points.

Mlkvy, who killed Allentown in the District Eleven final with his great play, did the same last night. He was red-hot all the way, especially in the first period when he made seven for eight from the floor for 14 points.

Throughout the game Mlkvy was the boy who stole the show. But, as tremendous as the big guy was you cannot overlook the other four. They all were sensational as they gave Palmerton its first Eastern Regional championship.

Mlkvy steals show

There was no question about the outcome after the first four minutes of the game. Coach Win Evans’ Bombers were a little slow starting, but once they opened up it was all over - and Radnor knew it.

Mlkvy opened the night’s scoring with a “swishing” set from deep in the corner. Bernie Sack, a 5-11 senior, tied the count with a longer set. Then big 6-8 Doug Kistler shot the Raiders into a 4-2 lead with a soft one-hander from the side. Johnny Irwin, a 6-3 senior, made one for two on the foul line, making it 5-2.

PHS fans began to squirm a little in their seats at this stage, for Radnor was looking great, hitting on two of their first three shots, and controlling the boards.

But it didn’t take Mlkvy long to regain the lead. Moving into the pivot he dropped in a jump. Moving outside he hit on a set from the corner. Moving back inside he hit on a beautiful left handed hook.

Terry Eckert then came up with a steal as Radnor was attempting to crack the Bombers puzzling zone and dribbled the length of the floor for a bucket.

Mlkvy was back at it seconds later when he scored from inside after taking a nice pass from Pete Gulden out on the wing. This made it 12-5 as Radnor called time, and the Palmerton crowd went wild.

Mlkvy Keeps Going

Bernie Sack broke Palmerton’s 10-point string when he converted a pair of fouls, making it 12-7. Here, Mlkvy again took over.

He rimmed a beautiful over the head shot from in close on another fine pass from Pete Gulden and then after sweeping the defensive boards, he moved up the floor and worked his way free again, this time Dave Osterhout doing the feeding.

Tommy Wargo, who once again was magnificent as a back courter and as one of the front boys in the zone, bombed in a long set for the last two points of the quarter, making it 18-7, as both teams had two wild shots at the bucket in the final seconds.

Radnor confused

Coach Win Evans, doing a masterful job in directing his Bombers, had Radnor baffled from the start. He started with Terry Eckert in the pivot, but instead of staying with his usual pattern of Eckert inside and Mlkvy outside, he shuffled them back and forth.

And, the Bombers defense was once again a sight to see. They held the much bigger Radnor team to two field goals and three fouls in the first period as the big Radnor players were tied up. Both Radnor buckets in the first half came on long stabs.

Ted Dean, at 6-3, got a Radnor bucket to open the second period, but again it was Mlkvy. He canned a nice jump shot from the “key” after faking two Radnor defenders. Seconds later he was fouled and made good on both tries, 22-8.

Bombers Freeze

At this stage PHS called a time out. When play resumed they opened with a five-man weave that looked like a semi-freeze. It killed 2:41 and gave Palmerton a chance for a breather, for the early pace was very quick.

Charlie Brown, at 5-9, hit on a long set from way outside after Palmerton abandoned the weave and missed a shot, Radnor getting the rebound.

But, Pete Gulden matched it when he came up with a fine tip-in off a Mlkvy miss. Terry Eckert then went busting through on a drive after working the old “give and go” with Tommy Wargo. This made it 26-11.

Brown again bombed in a long set but again Gulden matched it with a pair of fouls. Doug Kistler, the 6-8 giant, came up with his second field goal of the night at this point, a fine jump shot from the corner.

Terry Eckert matched it with a jump from in the pivot and then Pete Gulden scored two on a tip. Kistler got his first bucket from in close but the same Gulden matched it as he dumped in a jumper at the buzzer.

Gulden, the 6-2 junior, was the big gun in the second period. His eight points was tops, and all coming at crucial stages, especially the two tip-ins. And, his rebounding was great in this period.

Mlkvy had 8-11

Mlkvy, who left the floor at halfime with 18 points, made one for three in the second period, giving him an amazing eight for 11 from the floor in the first half and two for three from the foul line.

Radnor’s big boy had three field goals for the half.

Again it was Mlkvy in the third period. He gave Palmerton its first second half field goal as he worked his way for a “close” shot after Dave Osterhout made one from the foul line.

Sack started the second half scoring with a long set. Osterhout made a foul. Brown hit on a jump from the deep corner followed by Mlkvy’s bucket. Johnny Irwin scored on a jump, but PHS matched it when Terry Eckert barreled through for two.

Pete Gulden scored two on a fine assist from Eckert. Dean retaliated with a bucket from in close off a rebound but Mlkvy once again got his “hot hand” into the act as he converted a pair of fouls, 43-25.

Sack hit on a jumper but Mlkvy and Eckert more than matched it both getting field goals. Mlkvy’s twisting jump and Eckert’s a drive.

Brown came back with a long set and then Dean made a steal and added another quick two, but Palmerton had nothing to worry about - they had Mlkvy.

Dave Osterhout dropped in a pair of fouls and then Mlkvy went on the rampage, ripping in five quick points. He went high over Doug Kistler to tip in a missed foul, being fouled himself on the play.

After making the three point play, he dropped back into his position in the zone, again went away over the big arms of the 6-8 Kistler to pull in the rebound and trotted up the floor.

Moving into the pivot, he took a pass from Wargo, and after faking first to the right, then to the left, he fired a hook that “swished” through, making it 56-31. Kistler and Dean got quick field goals at the end of the quarter to make the score board read Palmerton 56, Radnor 35.

Mlkvy, whose name was on the lips of every person in the Arena throughout the game and afterward, hit for four field goals and three fouls in the third peiod giving him a total of 29 for the game.

Radnor went into desperation full court press to start the fourth period, but it was of no help. Palmerton had a remedy for it.

Radnor, playing all five men up tight, suddenly had its press go out the window when the Bombers lined four men across the foulline on an out of bounds play under their defensive bucket.

As a result Tommy Wargo worked himself free and took a long pass which required two dribbles and he was underneath for an easy layup without a Radnor boy near him.

Before Wargo’s bucket the Raiders had canned four quick points.

Pete Gulden made two from the foul line after Wargo’s bucket, followed by a jumper by Mlkvy, his only points in the fourth period, making it 62-39.

Sack made one foul then Tommy Wargo came up with a beautiful play. Intercepting a pass, he started up the floor at a very rapid pace, trying to gain possession of the ball.

Just over mid-court, with a Radnor boy in front of him, he gave the ball a tap over the Radnor players head, raced around him, picked up the ball and went on for an easy layup.

Pete Gulden then scored on a fine drive from the wing, making it 66-40. Radnor hit on three straight buckets as Coach Evans cleared his bench as his starters came out after winning the most glorious victory in the history of Palmerton High basketball.

PALMERTON

Eckert 4-0-0-8, Gulden 6-4-4-16, Mlkvy 13-5-8-31, Wargo 4-0-0-8, Osterhout 0-3-6-3, Renshaw 0-0-0-0, Barwis 0-0-0-0, Pritko 0-0-0-0, Roth 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 27-12-18-66.

RADNOR

Sack 4-3-4-11, Dean 6-0-1-12, Kistler 6-0-0-12, Brown 3-0-0-6, Erwin 2-1-2-5, McAlister 0-0-0-0, DeSalvatore 0-0-0-0, Derrick 0-0-0-0, Richards 0-0-0-0, Childs 0-0-0-0, Reed 0-0-0-0, Anglada 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 21-4-7-46.

Palmerton 18 16 22 10 - 66

Radnor 7 10 18 11 - 46

Officials: Jacobs and Simon.