SCOL gears up for 1979-80 fall season
By
Bob Patton-
August had rolled around, the summer break from school was nearly over, and high schools all over southern Ohio were preparing for the 1979-80 football season. At Hillsboro, Coach Jerry Peters had resigned and left town. He had reportedly gone to Canada, where he got completely out of school work, and was making a living in a different line of endeavor.
Assistant coach Jim “Tate” Taylor had been moved up to the top spot. Taylor had moved both Jim Horne and Jim Jury up as assistant coaches. Horne would coach the offensive line, and Jury the offensive backs and defensive line. Herb Mihalik would remain as coach of the defensive backs and the guards and ends.
At Miami Trace, longtime assistant coach Doug James had been tabbed to replace Fred Zechman, who had compiled a 53-6-1 record in his six years as head coach. Zechman had been hired as an assistant coach at Ohio State University. Doug James had been in the Miami Trace system for nearly 20 years. He taught at Jeffersonville for one year before Miami Trace high School opened, then immediately moved to MT and became an assistant coach. He had served under every Miami Trace head coach beginning with Dan O’Brian about 1961. James had graduated from Wilmington High School and Wilmington College. He would try to follow a legend, which sports moguls say is nearly always a mistake. Time would tell.
The 1979 opener was Sept. 7. Hillsboro downed New Richmond, 6-0, at New Richmond. The Indian defense held the Lions to a total of 84 yards on the ground and no completed passes.
Miami Trace was beaten by Columbus South, 28-14; Madeira downed McClain, 19-7; Circleville defeated Chillicothe, 14-0; Madison Plains whipped Unioto, 21-15; Teays Valley and Hamilton Township played to an 8-8 tie and Wheelersburg ran all over Washington, 41-8. The Blue Lions were down 41-0 until they finally scored in the fourth quarter against second stringers.
SCOL coaches were predicting another title for Miami Trace and another second place finish for Washington. Circleville was expected to battle the Blue Lions for second or third. With Hillsboro and Madison Plains in the middle of the battle. Teays Valley had a new coach this fall, Bob Crable. But, the league coaches expected TV to lead the second division, followed by Wilmington and McClain. McClain also had a new head coach, Larry Fouch, who had led the Paint Valley Bearcats to a record of 8-2 the previous season.
In only the third week of the young season, the Indians entertained Bishop Wehrle, of Columbus in the annual homecoming game. The red and white waltzed to a surprisingly easy win, causing six fumbles and intercepting three passes. The final score was 28-6.
Prior to the game, attractive HHS senior Sue Achor was crowned 1979 Homecoming Queen. Her attendants were senior attendant Sandy Estle, junior attendant Tammy Tira, sophomore attendant Julie Butler and freshman attendant Sandy Adams.
The following Friday, Sept. 28, 1979 saw the first round of SCOL games.
At Hillsboro, the Circleville Tigers, behind 206 yards by senior Anthony Smith, downed the Indians 12-0. The Indians displayed some impressive defense and moved the ball well on the ground.
The Indians’ speedy running backs gave the Tigers many problems carrying the ball. But a mix-up on the four-yard line, resulting in a fumble, cost the Hillsboro team a possible touchdown and a couple of missed assign-ments on pass defense also hurt. This would prove to be a costly league loss. It was the fourth straight shutout for Circleville.
At Miami Trace, the Panthers walloped Washington, 39-6 with veteran quarterback Scott Grooms accounting for more than 300 yards with his running and passing, while Teays Valley traveled to Wilmington and smacked the Hurricane 43-7 and McClain gave Madison Plains a great game on the MP field before losing to the Golden Eagles 6-0. The visiting Tigers won the total yards battle over MP, 178-105, and managed to hold talented Eagle quarterback Chris Emrich to 16 total yards. But, the Tigers were just not able to push the ball over the goal line.
On Oct. 5, Circleville put an end to Madison Plains’ four game winning streak by trouncing the Golden Eagles, 28-15. Miami Trace scored a first quarter touchdown against Teays Valley and made it hold up, as the Panthers edged the Vikings 6-0. At Washington C.H., the Hillsboro Indians spoiled the Blue Lions’ homecoming by shutting the Lions out, 21-0, and the McClain Tigers, who had generated very little offense in their first four games, scorched the Wilmington Hurricane 34-23 for their first win of the season.
The next Friday night saw the end of Miami Trace’s total domination of the SCOL football competition, when Madison Plains edged the Panthers 7-6. Washington slipped by Teays Valley, 15-14, Circleville, now ranked 4th in the state among AA schools, pounded McClain 41-6, and Hillsboro completely ruined another homecoming by administering a 28-3 trouncing of the Hurricane on the Wilmington field.
At this very early point in the season, the SCOL standings were:
Circleville – 3-0, 6-0
Mad. Plains – 2-1, 5-1
Hillsboro – 2-1, 5-1
Miami Trace – 2-1, 3-3
Teays Valley – 1-2, 2-2-2
Washington – 1-2, 2-3-1
McClain – 1-2, 1-4-1
Wilmington – 0-3, 0-6
Miami Trace visited Hillsboro on Friday, Oct. 19 in a key SCOL matchup. The Indians were up for the game, but seven costly turnovers spelled defeat for the red and white. The Panthers took a decisive, 36-0 win. Elsewhere, Washington clipped the McClain Tigers at Greenfield, 29-6; Teays Valley shut out Madison Plains, 28-0, and league-leading Circleville popped Wilmington, 41-13.
The next Friday, Hillsboro met Madison Plains on the Hillsboro field. It was a rugged battle, but the Indians came out on top 7-0. A key play was an interception of a Chris Emrich pass by Dow Walker. The interception ended a long drive by the Eagles. Indian sophomore Doug Cooper grabbed two interceptions in this game.
Elsewhere, Teays Valley plastered McClain, 47-0; Miami Trace burned the league-leading (and fourth ranked) Circleville Tigers, 36-13; and Wilmington upset Washington, 7-6.
With five of seven SCOL games now played, Circleville and Miami Trace were tied with 4-1 marks; Hillsboro and Teays Valley were tied for third with 3-2 records; Madison Plains and Washington were tied for fifth with 2-3 marks, while McClain and Wilmington brought up the rear with 1- 4 records.
(Continued next week.)
Bob Patton is a Highland County sports historian and a contributing writer to The Highland County Press.[[In-content Ad]]
Assistant coach Jim “Tate” Taylor had been moved up to the top spot. Taylor had moved both Jim Horne and Jim Jury up as assistant coaches. Horne would coach the offensive line, and Jury the offensive backs and defensive line. Herb Mihalik would remain as coach of the defensive backs and the guards and ends.
At Miami Trace, longtime assistant coach Doug James had been tabbed to replace Fred Zechman, who had compiled a 53-6-1 record in his six years as head coach. Zechman had been hired as an assistant coach at Ohio State University. Doug James had been in the Miami Trace system for nearly 20 years. He taught at Jeffersonville for one year before Miami Trace high School opened, then immediately moved to MT and became an assistant coach. He had served under every Miami Trace head coach beginning with Dan O’Brian about 1961. James had graduated from Wilmington High School and Wilmington College. He would try to follow a legend, which sports moguls say is nearly always a mistake. Time would tell.
The 1979 opener was Sept. 7. Hillsboro downed New Richmond, 6-0, at New Richmond. The Indian defense held the Lions to a total of 84 yards on the ground and no completed passes.
Miami Trace was beaten by Columbus South, 28-14; Madeira downed McClain, 19-7; Circleville defeated Chillicothe, 14-0; Madison Plains whipped Unioto, 21-15; Teays Valley and Hamilton Township played to an 8-8 tie and Wheelersburg ran all over Washington, 41-8. The Blue Lions were down 41-0 until they finally scored in the fourth quarter against second stringers.
SCOL coaches were predicting another title for Miami Trace and another second place finish for Washington. Circleville was expected to battle the Blue Lions for second or third. With Hillsboro and Madison Plains in the middle of the battle. Teays Valley had a new coach this fall, Bob Crable. But, the league coaches expected TV to lead the second division, followed by Wilmington and McClain. McClain also had a new head coach, Larry Fouch, who had led the Paint Valley Bearcats to a record of 8-2 the previous season.
In only the third week of the young season, the Indians entertained Bishop Wehrle, of Columbus in the annual homecoming game. The red and white waltzed to a surprisingly easy win, causing six fumbles and intercepting three passes. The final score was 28-6.
Prior to the game, attractive HHS senior Sue Achor was crowned 1979 Homecoming Queen. Her attendants were senior attendant Sandy Estle, junior attendant Tammy Tira, sophomore attendant Julie Butler and freshman attendant Sandy Adams.
The following Friday, Sept. 28, 1979 saw the first round of SCOL games.
At Hillsboro, the Circleville Tigers, behind 206 yards by senior Anthony Smith, downed the Indians 12-0. The Indians displayed some impressive defense and moved the ball well on the ground.
The Indians’ speedy running backs gave the Tigers many problems carrying the ball. But a mix-up on the four-yard line, resulting in a fumble, cost the Hillsboro team a possible touchdown and a couple of missed assign-ments on pass defense also hurt. This would prove to be a costly league loss. It was the fourth straight shutout for Circleville.
At Miami Trace, the Panthers walloped Washington, 39-6 with veteran quarterback Scott Grooms accounting for more than 300 yards with his running and passing, while Teays Valley traveled to Wilmington and smacked the Hurricane 43-7 and McClain gave Madison Plains a great game on the MP field before losing to the Golden Eagles 6-0. The visiting Tigers won the total yards battle over MP, 178-105, and managed to hold talented Eagle quarterback Chris Emrich to 16 total yards. But, the Tigers were just not able to push the ball over the goal line.
On Oct. 5, Circleville put an end to Madison Plains’ four game winning streak by trouncing the Golden Eagles, 28-15. Miami Trace scored a first quarter touchdown against Teays Valley and made it hold up, as the Panthers edged the Vikings 6-0. At Washington C.H., the Hillsboro Indians spoiled the Blue Lions’ homecoming by shutting the Lions out, 21-0, and the McClain Tigers, who had generated very little offense in their first four games, scorched the Wilmington Hurricane 34-23 for their first win of the season.
The next Friday night saw the end of Miami Trace’s total domination of the SCOL football competition, when Madison Plains edged the Panthers 7-6. Washington slipped by Teays Valley, 15-14, Circleville, now ranked 4th in the state among AA schools, pounded McClain 41-6, and Hillsboro completely ruined another homecoming by administering a 28-3 trouncing of the Hurricane on the Wilmington field.
At this very early point in the season, the SCOL standings were:
Circleville – 3-0, 6-0
Mad. Plains – 2-1, 5-1
Hillsboro – 2-1, 5-1
Miami Trace – 2-1, 3-3
Teays Valley – 1-2, 2-2-2
Washington – 1-2, 2-3-1
McClain – 1-2, 1-4-1
Wilmington – 0-3, 0-6
Miami Trace visited Hillsboro on Friday, Oct. 19 in a key SCOL matchup. The Indians were up for the game, but seven costly turnovers spelled defeat for the red and white. The Panthers took a decisive, 36-0 win. Elsewhere, Washington clipped the McClain Tigers at Greenfield, 29-6; Teays Valley shut out Madison Plains, 28-0, and league-leading Circleville popped Wilmington, 41-13.
The next Friday, Hillsboro met Madison Plains on the Hillsboro field. It was a rugged battle, but the Indians came out on top 7-0. A key play was an interception of a Chris Emrich pass by Dow Walker. The interception ended a long drive by the Eagles. Indian sophomore Doug Cooper grabbed two interceptions in this game.
Elsewhere, Teays Valley plastered McClain, 47-0; Miami Trace burned the league-leading (and fourth ranked) Circleville Tigers, 36-13; and Wilmington upset Washington, 7-6.
With five of seven SCOL games now played, Circleville and Miami Trace were tied with 4-1 marks; Hillsboro and Teays Valley were tied for third with 3-2 records; Madison Plains and Washington were tied for fifth with 2-3 marks, while McClain and Wilmington brought up the rear with 1- 4 records.
(Continued next week.)
Bob Patton is a Highland County sports historian and a contributing writer to The Highland County Press.[[In-content Ad]]