Jim Taylor leads Tribe on gridiron in 1981
By
Bob Patton-
Jim Taylor leads Tribe
on gridiron in 1981
Summer was over. There would be some very nice days ahead, naturally – Indian Summer, they called it. But before long, the air would be cold and crisp, and sporadic snow would appear. Of course, school was back in session, and football practice was in full swing in the South Central Ohio League schools.
There were a couple of new coaches in the league for the 1981 season. Mike Michaels had only been head coach at Madison-Plains one year and won only one game in the SCOL before deciding that almost anything was better than this and going back to his old job. Will Pratt, an assistant coach at London High School, had accepted the position and would be trying to rebuild the MP program from the ground up. He would have quarterback Dave Maple, a senior, who had been the signal caller in the early part of the season a year ago before giving way to Mark Blackburn, who graduated. He would also have senior tailback Tom Tipton who would probably be the Eagles’ leading ball carrier. Also back would be fullback Dan McLaughlin. Virtually the entire offensive and defensive lines had been lost through graduation. It could be a cold winter at Madison-Plains.
At Hillsboro, Coach Jim Taylor was returning three running backs (Joe Koehl, Doug Cooper and Jeff Jackson), who combined for nearly 1,500 yards on the ground in 1980. But both Koehl and Cooper injured knees the previous year and were question marks.
Quarterback Brian Price had graduated, along with defensive stars Rick Peters and Joe Banks, who were both All-SCOL. If both Koehl and Cooper were back, and up to anything close to their 1980 form, the Indians could be a contender. If they were not, it might be a long season for the red and white.
The Miami Trace Panthers had come down to earth with a thud, last year.
They lost eight of 10 games, winning only one SCOL game, over last-place Madison-Plains, and finished seventh in an eight-team league. Needless to say, Coach Doug James decided, after about five minutes of contemplation, that it was time to look for greener pastures. Assistant coach Dick Hill was employed as head coach for the 1981 season. Hill had been head coach at McClain High School for a couple of years in the 1970s.
The Panthers were returning a large group of veterans from last year’s team, including quarterback Bill Dennis and running backs Steve Grooms and Jeff Hughes. Another important point was that MT would meet all three of the league’s projected top teams, Wilmington, Circleville and Washington C.H. at Miami Trace. So, the Miami Trace Panthers figured to be a contender for the league title this year. They would open their non-league season against Chillicothe and Dayton Dunbar, so it wouldn’t take too long for Hill to find out whether his team was “for real” or not.
Veteran coach Larry Cook was back for his ninth year at the helm of the Circleville Tigers. He would have 15 letter-winners back from last season’s team which finished in a three-way tie for the SCOL championship, along with Wilmington and Washington. The 15 returning players were almost all offensive athletes, though. Cook faced rebuilding his entire defensive unit. Still, the red and black would be a force to contend with. There was little doubt about that.
Coach Bob White, at Wilmington, had his sights set on an undisputed SCOL championship. The ’Cane had lost quarterback Randy Ramseyer to graduation. White would be filling the position with a freshman – but not just any freshman; 6’3” Greg Nared was a fine all-around athlete, who could throw the ball a long way with accuracy. Senior Jon Fox would be back in the offensive backfield. He was very fast, and White flatly predicted that Fox would “lead the SCOL in scoring.” A good part of the offensive and defensive line would have to be replaced, as well. But enough linemen returned to give White a solid nucleus to build around. The Hurricane would not be a pushover for anyone, this season. Everybody in the SCOL knew that.
Washington came within one point of winning a gold football, last season when Wilmington beat them, 7-6, in a driving rainstorm the next to last game of the 1980 season. This season, the Blue Lions were shooting for the gold football, which the SCOL awarded to any team that went through the league schedule undefeated. But it wouldn’t be easy. There were too many good teams in the league. In the next-to-last league game, the Blue Lions would face Wilmington again. This time, the game would be in the friendly confines of Gardner Park. And maybe it wouldn’t be raining.
WCH returned a large number of starters from the 1980 team, including all-conference quarterback Jon Thomas, senior wingback Jackie Persinger, junior wide-out Tim Redmond and all-league tight end Todd Herman. A good portion of the offensive line would also be back. On paper, it would appear that the Blue Lions might be the class of the league. But games aren’t won on paper. They are won on the field of battle, in the snow, or a cold, driving rain. Would this team be tough enough to whip Miami Trace, Hillsboro, Wilmington and Circleville? Only time would tell.
Greenfield McClain was hard hit by graduation and did not have many lettermen returning. Senior quarterback Dusty Miller was back, but the rest of the backfield and the wide receivers and most of the line had graduated.
The schedule wasn’t kind to the Tigers, either. They would challenge Wilmington, Circleville and Washington C.H. on successive Friday nights – a brutal assignment for a group of young kids. Coach Larry Fouch and his assistants would have a major-league chore on their hands this season.
Incidentally, what did three of the eight SCOL head coaches in 1981 (Jim Taylor, Dick Hill and Larry Fouch) have in common? I’ll put the answer to this intriguing question at the end of the column.
At Teays Valley, third-year coach Bob Crable was brimming with enthusiasm. The Vikings ranked fourth in the SCOL last season, with a
(league) record of 3-3-1. The three teams that finished higher were all 6-1.
The Vikes didn’t lose too much through graduation. Their defense would be almost completely intact. They did lose their quarterback, but senior Scott Keefer, who was a very good passer, would be stepping in, and Crable was convinced that Keefer could get the job done. He expected the Vikings to be in the middle of the fight for the 1981 league title. Would Coach Crable still be brimming with enthusiasm by the end of October?
So, as the 1981 football season got under way, almost everybody had a shot at the SCOL championship in what promised to be a great season. As was customary in the SCOL, the first two or three games of the season were non-league affairs, basically warm-ups for the beginning of the rugged league season. On the first playing date, four of the eight SCOL schools were victorious. Washington recovered from a very slow start to beat West Jefferson, a state playoff team last season, 22-12. Miami Trace edged Chillicothe, 14-12, Madison-Plains downed East Clinton, 20-0, and the Hillsboro Indians scored two touchdowns in the final quarter to beat Adena, 13-7. Circleville was beaten by Vandalia Butler, 14-6, while Xenia trounced Wilmington, 25-0, McClain was shut out by Portsmouth West, 22-0, and Logan Elm beat Teays Valley, 14-0.
(Continued next week.)
Bob Patton is a Highland County sports historian and a contributing writer to The Highland County Press.
Summer was over. There would be some very nice days ahead, naturally – Indian Summer, they called it. But before long, the air would be cold and crisp, and sporadic snow would appear. Of course, school was back in session, and football practice was in full swing in the South Central Ohio League schools.
There were a couple of new coaches in the league for the 1981 season. Mike Michaels had only been head coach at Madison-Plains one year and won only one game in the SCOL before deciding that almost anything was better than this and going back to his old job. Will Pratt, an assistant coach at London High School, had accepted the position and would be trying to rebuild the MP program from the ground up. He would have quarterback Dave Maple, a senior, who had been the signal caller in the early part of the season a year ago before giving way to Mark Blackburn, who graduated. He would also have senior tailback Tom Tipton who would probably be the Eagles’ leading ball carrier. Also back would be fullback Dan McLaughlin. Virtually the entire offensive and defensive lines had been lost through graduation. It could be a cold winter at Madison-Plains.
At Hillsboro, Coach Jim Taylor was returning three running backs (Joe Koehl, Doug Cooper and Jeff Jackson), who combined for nearly 1,500 yards on the ground in 1980. But both Koehl and Cooper injured knees the previous year and were question marks.
Quarterback Brian Price had graduated, along with defensive stars Rick Peters and Joe Banks, who were both All-SCOL. If both Koehl and Cooper were back, and up to anything close to their 1980 form, the Indians could be a contender. If they were not, it might be a long season for the red and white.
The Miami Trace Panthers had come down to earth with a thud, last year.
They lost eight of 10 games, winning only one SCOL game, over last-place Madison-Plains, and finished seventh in an eight-team league. Needless to say, Coach Doug James decided, after about five minutes of contemplation, that it was time to look for greener pastures. Assistant coach Dick Hill was employed as head coach for the 1981 season. Hill had been head coach at McClain High School for a couple of years in the 1970s.
The Panthers were returning a large group of veterans from last year’s team, including quarterback Bill Dennis and running backs Steve Grooms and Jeff Hughes. Another important point was that MT would meet all three of the league’s projected top teams, Wilmington, Circleville and Washington C.H. at Miami Trace. So, the Miami Trace Panthers figured to be a contender for the league title this year. They would open their non-league season against Chillicothe and Dayton Dunbar, so it wouldn’t take too long for Hill to find out whether his team was “for real” or not.
Veteran coach Larry Cook was back for his ninth year at the helm of the Circleville Tigers. He would have 15 letter-winners back from last season’s team which finished in a three-way tie for the SCOL championship, along with Wilmington and Washington. The 15 returning players were almost all offensive athletes, though. Cook faced rebuilding his entire defensive unit. Still, the red and black would be a force to contend with. There was little doubt about that.
Coach Bob White, at Wilmington, had his sights set on an undisputed SCOL championship. The ’Cane had lost quarterback Randy Ramseyer to graduation. White would be filling the position with a freshman – but not just any freshman; 6’3” Greg Nared was a fine all-around athlete, who could throw the ball a long way with accuracy. Senior Jon Fox would be back in the offensive backfield. He was very fast, and White flatly predicted that Fox would “lead the SCOL in scoring.” A good part of the offensive and defensive line would have to be replaced, as well. But enough linemen returned to give White a solid nucleus to build around. The Hurricane would not be a pushover for anyone, this season. Everybody in the SCOL knew that.
Washington came within one point of winning a gold football, last season when Wilmington beat them, 7-6, in a driving rainstorm the next to last game of the 1980 season. This season, the Blue Lions were shooting for the gold football, which the SCOL awarded to any team that went through the league schedule undefeated. But it wouldn’t be easy. There were too many good teams in the league. In the next-to-last league game, the Blue Lions would face Wilmington again. This time, the game would be in the friendly confines of Gardner Park. And maybe it wouldn’t be raining.
WCH returned a large number of starters from the 1980 team, including all-conference quarterback Jon Thomas, senior wingback Jackie Persinger, junior wide-out Tim Redmond and all-league tight end Todd Herman. A good portion of the offensive line would also be back. On paper, it would appear that the Blue Lions might be the class of the league. But games aren’t won on paper. They are won on the field of battle, in the snow, or a cold, driving rain. Would this team be tough enough to whip Miami Trace, Hillsboro, Wilmington and Circleville? Only time would tell.
Greenfield McClain was hard hit by graduation and did not have many lettermen returning. Senior quarterback Dusty Miller was back, but the rest of the backfield and the wide receivers and most of the line had graduated.
The schedule wasn’t kind to the Tigers, either. They would challenge Wilmington, Circleville and Washington C.H. on successive Friday nights – a brutal assignment for a group of young kids. Coach Larry Fouch and his assistants would have a major-league chore on their hands this season.
Incidentally, what did three of the eight SCOL head coaches in 1981 (Jim Taylor, Dick Hill and Larry Fouch) have in common? I’ll put the answer to this intriguing question at the end of the column.
At Teays Valley, third-year coach Bob Crable was brimming with enthusiasm. The Vikings ranked fourth in the SCOL last season, with a
(league) record of 3-3-1. The three teams that finished higher were all 6-1.
The Vikes didn’t lose too much through graduation. Their defense would be almost completely intact. They did lose their quarterback, but senior Scott Keefer, who was a very good passer, would be stepping in, and Crable was convinced that Keefer could get the job done. He expected the Vikings to be in the middle of the fight for the 1981 league title. Would Coach Crable still be brimming with enthusiasm by the end of October?
So, as the 1981 football season got under way, almost everybody had a shot at the SCOL championship in what promised to be a great season. As was customary in the SCOL, the first two or three games of the season were non-league affairs, basically warm-ups for the beginning of the rugged league season. On the first playing date, four of the eight SCOL schools were victorious. Washington recovered from a very slow start to beat West Jefferson, a state playoff team last season, 22-12. Miami Trace edged Chillicothe, 14-12, Madison-Plains downed East Clinton, 20-0, and the Hillsboro Indians scored two touchdowns in the final quarter to beat Adena, 13-7. Circleville was beaten by Vandalia Butler, 14-6, while Xenia trounced Wilmington, 25-0, McClain was shut out by Portsmouth West, 22-0, and Logan Elm beat Teays Valley, 14-0.
(Continued next week.)
Bob Patton is a Highland County sports historian and a contributing writer to The Highland County Press.
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