Twenty years ago, Jim Horne's Indians were perfect

Many HCP readers tell me how much they enjoy the South Central Ohio League sports history column by Bob Patton.

I couldn't agree more.

This week's column on the post-SCOL Hillsboro Indians' 10-0 season in their new league – the Southern Buckeye Conference – brought back many, many fond memories.

As Bob writes, the Indians barely got by Paint Valley in Game 1 (whatever happened to that traditional season-opener, anyway?).

Hillsboro's Sean Longstreth (who would earn a football scholarship for Coach Harbaugh at Western Kentucky University before becoming a professional actor) kicked a last-second, game-winning field goal to secure the win.

On a side note, that kick was attempted in a heavy blanket of fog just east of Bainbridge at the Bearcats' stadium. I was kneeling on the sidelines with an old Pentax K-1000 35 mm camera, positioned where I could capture the kicked football and the north end zone goal posts. The camera lost the football in the fog. My limited eyesight always told me the kick was wide right by about three feet.

Fans for the respective teams held their breath, anticipating the call from the two officials stationed on either side of the goal posts. I recall the official to the west glanced at the official to the east and all four of their (collective) arms reached into the foggy sky to signal the kick was good. Game over. Hillsboro wins.

Midway through the season, Jim Horne's Indians had another serious challenge against McClain, on the Tigers' home field.

The Tigers, coached by Troy Dawson, had the added incentive of going up against one of their own. Indians quarterback Chad Downing had transferred from McClain to Hillsboro. Tiger Nation hadn't forgotten. They pressured the daylights out of Downing whenever he dropped back to pass. He took some licks that night, to be sure.

At some point in the hotly contested game, someone from the Hillsboro sidelines yelled at Downing to run the football straight up the middle, as the defensive rush left the middle wide open.

Downing's running ability helped set up a Hillsboro score and kept the McClain defense honest. The Tribe prevailed, 9-7. And as Bob Patton said, from that point on, Hillsboro's average margin of victory was 15 points per game.

That championship season (10-0 in the SBC) came to an abrupt end at Welcome Stadium against Dayton Chaminade-Julienne. To be clear, that's Chaminade HYPHEN Julienne.

Longtime sportswriter John Wend often said to the local and more rural schools "Beware the hyphen."

He was right.

I have seen the stoic and rock solid Coach Jim Horne cry exactly two times. Once was at Dayton's Welcome Stadium and once was at his brother's funeral. For the record, I cried both times, too.

Jim knew that was a very special team. Two decades later, many of that team's players are successful professionals today – including many still in Highland County.

That team produced future coaches, teachers, lawyers, insurance executives, public officials, farmers and pharmacists, and at least one actor (Sean).

What a cast of characters they were!

Speaking of characters, I'll never forget interviewing Sean Longstreth in his senior year at HHS when he decided to go to Western Kentucky University. At some point in the interview, I asked Sean about meeting Coach Jack Harbaugh.

"You know," Sean said, "I thought this guy must be a big fan of (NFL quarterback) Jim Harbaugh because he had a big poster on his wall. So I asked him: Are you a Jim Harbaugh fan?"

Sean hadn't made the connection that his new football coach was Jim Harbaugh's dad, as well as the father of Coach John Harbaugh, who wasn't quite so popular 20 years ago.

While driving back from Ken Juillerat's Nationwide office this afternoon, I stopped in New Market (where the price of gas is always less than it is in Hillsboro, but I digress).

As I was filling up, a familiar voice from the past asked, "Are you too good to speak these days?"

"I'm not sure I recognize you," I said. "Keep talking."

A word or two later, and I shook hands with former McClain athletic director Ted Downing, who's son, Chad, quarterbacked the 10-0 Indians 20 years ago.

Ted is now a school superintendent in southeastern Ohio. In fact, he may be one of the only school superintendents who also coaches the varsity baseball team. (By the way, Hillsboro City Schools Superintendent Rick Earley could handle both jobs. But don't tell him I said that.)

Anyway, Ted and I talked about the good old days and I gave him a copy of this week's Highland County Press and Bob Patton's column. Ted said he'd take a copy to Chad, who is a pharmacist in Louisville, Ky.

Better yet, I told Ted, just have Chad read Bob's column online at www.highlandcountypress.com.

Thanks to our wonderful online advertisers, we're able to provide this news service (and our considerable archives) at absolutely no cost to our readers. In return, our online advertisers realize we have the best local content and readership, coupled with the best online advertising rates anywhere.

When outside corporate online "gurus" from Pittsburgh or Paducah suggest otherwise, the wise advertisers will remember this fact: We offer no contracts, no gimmicks, and no pressure. (Buyer beware of those who do.)

After all, why do you need a formal contract to do business with someone you trust?

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We are most fortunate that our advertisers and contributing writers have maintained that loyalty.

So are our readers.

Because of these advertisers, we continue to offer a free website, free public service announcements, free obituary announcements, free wedding and engagement announcements, and a multitude of other non-paid services to the community. (Just ask the Highland County Chamber of Commerce about all the free announcements we provide for new businesses.)

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The fact of the matter is this: Without those businesses, we couldn't bring you Bob Patton's column, Jerry Pruitt's column, Jim Thompson's column, Gary Lewis' column, Eric Deters' column, Jim Surber's column, Christine Tailer's column, or many other features in your local newspaper.

However, we could bring you Stephen Forsha's column and this guy's column. We just don't know any better!

Lastly, let's hope Hillsboro High School plans a well-deserved reunion for that 10-0 team in the next few weeks.

Did someone say "Fish Fry?"

Rory Ryan is publisher of The Highland County Press.