'Flashes' in time: Marshall enjoys annual school reunion

By STEVE ROUSH
The Highland County Press

“Marshall High School, Alma Mater, dear old varsity; Ours are hearts that fondly love thee, here’s a toast to thee. Proud thou art in all thy glory, of thy noble past, with thy watchwords – Honor, Duty – thy high fame shall last.” – The Marshall High School alma mater

Fifty-five years have come and gone since the final commencement exercises were held at the old Marshall High School, and more than a decade has passed since Highland County youngsters have boarded the buses outside its hallowed halls.

In fact, much of the campus has been razed in recent years, and just the old gymnasium edifice remains and serves as a community center. It sits empty much of the time.

But on a sunny Saturday afternoon, the doors of the venerable structure were opened as approximately 130 people turned out for the Marshall School Reunion.

The reunion committee consisted of Sandy (Kelley) Edenfield, Mary Francis (Main) Fields, Zena (Webster) Fischer, Brenda (Main) Johnson, Gene Kelley, Judy (Main) Mason and Sharon (Webster) Vanzant.

Jim Thompson, who attended the school and is now an engineer, consultant, media company CEO, and a columnist for The Highland County Press, served as the emcee at the reunion.

“I know this place means so much to a lot of people, and it means a lot to me,” said Thompson, who now resides in Duluth, Georgia. “Living far away, I think about Highland County and this place right here a lot. It’s really important to all of us.”

Margie Brunner headed up preparing a meal for the attendees, and the Highland House Museum loaned a couple cases of Marshall School trophies, along with school memorabilia. The Marshall Township trustees and Bob and Gloria Chestnut also loaned school memorabilia that was on display at the reunion.

The Marshall Red Flashes, of course, are well-known for bringing home the 1928 boys state basketball championship. A sign at the entrance of the community trumpets the fact.

Bob Patton, a longtime educator, administrator, coach, historian and Highland County Press columnist, has written, “Basketball was indeed king – and queen – at Marshall. Marshall High School basketball teams were legendary. To this day, people still talk about them, and the high school has been closed since 1960. Always the smallest high school in Highland County, enrollment-wise, Marshall was always the biggest in enthusiasm.

“Playing the Red Flashes, particularly at Marshall, was not an experience that opponents looked forward to eagerly.”

Inside that familiar, 84-year-old gymnasium that was the scene of phenomenal and memorable basketball contests, Flashes of the past reminisced about the days of yore at Saturday’s reunion.
They spoke of school days of long ago, they spoke of friendships, and they spoke of a special bond.

Lawrence E. “Larry” Skeen played varsity basketball in the old gym and graduated in a class of four – all boys.

That was 75 years ago.

“I can remember some of our basketball games. I remember a basketball game where I was standing behind this double line and I had two long shots. Back then, they only counted two points, now they count three,” the 93-year-old Skeen laughed. “It was a tournament game and I’ll never forget that. We won a lot of games, we did pretty well. We weren’t anything like the 1928 team when Marshall won the state championship. We weren’t that good. That 1928 team was very good.

“There are a lot of memories here.”

While many people associate Marshall High School with basketball, Vanzant said the school means so much more to so many.

“Although basketball was one thing that created community support of the school, brought everyone together and created a lot of pride in the community and the school, sports were not the only pride created by the school,” she said.

“The quality of education provided to the students was immeasurable. The school, although small in class size, had students go on to become very notable persons of various communities. That is only accomplished by receiving the good foundation of a quality education.”

In 1960, an era came to an end as the state of Ohio pulled Marshall’s high school charter. For most of the 1960s, students attended the school before moving on to Hillsboro High School. And from 1969 through 2004, Hillsboro City Schools used the Marshall campus to host its sixth-graders.

Patton, a 1952 graduate of Marshall, wrote in his book, “A Red Flash and Proud of it: A History of the Marshall School,” “Marshall High School existed, as a first grade high school, for a total of 34 years. During that period, a little over 300 young men and women marched proudly down the aisle to receive their high school diplomas. Hillsboro High School graduates nearly that many every year.

“But there was something very special about graduating from Marshall High School. We wore our award letters with a great deal of pride. If I had to do it all over again, I would want to attend Marshall High School again. I think I would appreciate the opportunity more than I did back then.”

Patton said his debt to the community and the school will never end.

“Vividly, I remember walking to school early on beautiful autumn mornings,” he recalled. “I always tried to arrive early so I could play softball and visit with friends. School was exciting and interesting and challenging. It was a wonderful place to be. And the Marshall School had to be the very best school in the whole world.”

Vanzant said she often thinks about the faculty, cooks, bus drivers and custodians at Marshall.

“My feelings about Marshall School can only be expressed as deep gratitude,” she said. “Every student knew we could go to any of them for help and support if we had a problem. They provided encouragement and direction when needed.

“We loved them all, and we believed they loved us, too.”