Fond memories of Lynchburg-Clay's Final Four season

A week or so before the start of the 2012-13 high school basketball season, I received an inquiry from Mr. Mark Faust. Mr. Faust, who is an educator at Lynchburg-Clay, asked if I had saved any of my files from the Lynchburg-Clay Mustangs' Final Four season of 1992-93.

This season marks the 20th anniversary of the great Lynchburg-Clay team – of which Mr. Faust was a member.

The quick answer to his question was that I honestly could not remember. I told Mr. Faust that I would look around.

While today's Mustangs – coached by another 1993 great in Jason McLaughlin – were not born at that time, it's sufficient to say that they've "heard tell" of the Mighty Mustangs of two decades ago. (Just take a look at the banner in the LC gymnasium.)

After two weekends of searching my attic and basement, I finally hit pay dirt. Though the files and photos have faded a bit after 20 years, I was able to locate a March 1993 recap that I had written of all Lynchburg-Clay games leading up to the Mustangs' first-ever appearance in the Ohio Division IV Final Four at St. John Arena on the Ohio State University campus.

I spent this weekend putting this into a digital format that I'll share with Mr. Faust (and anyone else who may want a copy) later this week. Just send me an e-mail at: roryeryan@gmail.com.

It's possible that I'll find a few more photos if I have time to keep digging, but here's what we have so far:

• A photo of team leader and Highland County's all-time scoring leader Paul Cluxton being greeted by Head Coach Joe Wills after Cluxton scored a record-setting 53 points on Jan. 23, 1993 at Whiteoak High School.

Cluxton connected on 11 of 17 attempts from beyond the 3-point arc; was 7 of 7 on two-point field goals; and shot 6 of 7 from the foul line. He made almost 78 percent of shots taken. Ironically, Cluxton's 53 points eclipsed the previous school record of 46 points, set by Brett Glover in 1972. Brett's son, Brian, was one of Cluxton's teammates (as was Keith).

• A photo of newly elected Highland County recorder Chad McConnaughey scoring on a layup in the old Fairgrounds Coliseum against Canal Winchester, as Cluxton and Jason West look on.

• A photo of John Etienne, Mark Faust and a diving Raymond Smith playing defense at OU's Convocation Center.

• A smiling Brian Glover raising his arms in celebration of a Mustangs' tournament victory.

• A sliding Coach Mark Pierson, gliding down a large outdoor slide after a win at the Fairgrounds. The coach had to climb a 10-foot fence and then run up the stairs alongside the slide in order to fulfill a pre-game promise. He kept his word.

In looking through my notes and scorebooks from 20 years ago, I read that – between us – Jamie Burton and I attended 23 of the Mustangs' 28 games. They were fun to watch, that's for certain. Back then, Jamie and I used to argue over who would cover certain games. He lived closer to Lynchburg and he always wanted to watch his beloved Mustangs.

Two regular-season games of particular interest that season were against my own Whiteoak Wildcats. Jamie covered the first encounter and I covered the second game. Paul Cluxton had extraordinary nights in both games.

On Dec. 11, 1992, Cluxton kept LC scorekeeper Jesse Mount busy with 33 points, including six 3-pointers. The All-State guard just missed on a rare quadruple-double. Cluxton scored 33 points, had 11 rebounds, 10 steals and eight assists in the Mustangs' 91-58 win.

On Jan. 23, Cluxton scored 53 points at Whiteoak High School. Simply put, he couldn't miss.

"I think the players and fans were more excited about it than Paul was," Head Coach Joe Wills told me after the game. "I had fans from both schools telling me to leave him in the game."

Coach Wills was not exaggerating. Everyone in the Whiteoak gym wanted Paul to hit 50. (Except Mike Kennedy!)

There also was one particular game at Lynchburg, and I even put this in my notes, where Cluxton took maybe 30 or 40 shots in pre-game warmups from all around the court. He never missed. I watched him walk on the floor, pick up a basketball and lace a 3-pointer. Just for fun, I told myself that I'd keep an eye on him until he missed. He didn't. Not once.

I've said it before, Paul Cluxton is the best pure shooter in Highland County and Southern Hills League high school basketball that I've ever seen. (Nathan Copas is the best point guard I've seen in the SHL and Cluxton is the best shooting guard.)

While fans were accustomed to Cluxton lighting it up from beyond the arc, Wills' Mustangs had much more talent and a lot of depth. On any night, Brian Glover, Raymond Smith, Jason McLaughlin or Jason West could score in double figures. The team was made up of all upperclassmen, too. I don't think any freshmen or sophomores played varsity that year.

These were intelligent young men, as well.

"I've been very fortunate to have a tremendous group of kids to work with," Coach Wills said after the regular season. Former LCHS Athletic Director Glenn Moberly also told me the Mustangs had a cumulative grade-point average of 3.2 in 1993.

There are many special memories of the Mustangs' championship season 20 years ago. I probably drove some 2,000 miles that winter just to report on Lynchburg-Clay. On one particular road trip to Athens, however, I did not drive.

In mid-March 1993, Lynchburg-Clay won two games – six days apart – at the OU Convocation Center. A late-winter snowstorm delayed the district final until March 15. After a four-day wait, the Mustangs won the district championship on March 15 over Portsmouth-Clay, 74-52, to earn a spot in Ohio's Sweet 16 in Division IV.

Between games, Jamie and I spent part of an evening at the Ohio University Inn with Ernie Blankenship, Bill and Janet Butler, Jeff Gilliland and maybe a few others around the table. Ernie regaled us with stories of past teams and players as only Ernie can do. (Ernie picked up the tab, too.)

As I said, I didn't drive to Athens that week. Jamie Burton drove. He drove us to Athens. He didn't quite drive us back from Athens. With temperatures in the 20s and snow falling around us, Jamie made it close to the Adams County-Pike County line on Route 32. His car simply shut down on us.

This was 1993. This was a prehistoric time when men were men. Cell phones were not attached to our hips like a maintenance man's keychain. We had two choices: Fix the car with our bare hands and no parts or tools; or, start walking.

We headed west on the Appalachian Highway somewhere east of Union Hill.

And then it happened. Pricetown's own Bill Bear saw us and pulled over. "Get in," he ordered. Jamie and I noticed that Bill already had five people in his car. "We can walk to Peebles," I offered (hoping that Bill wouldn't say, "OK," and drive off).

"Get in!" he hollered again.

Bill Bear drove us some 35 miles in a snowstorm right to my front door. I can never think back on the 1993 Mustangs without thinking of Bill. Thanks again, Bill.

According to my files – and I apologize if I miss a player or two – the 1993 Mustangs included: Paul Cluxton, Brian Glover, Ray Smith, Jason West, Jason McLaughlin, Mark Faust, John Etienne, Greg Koch, Chad McConnaughey, Mark Partin, Richard Warner, M.C. Rosselott and Tyler Julliard.

Led by Coach Joe Wills – who often credited former LC coach John Jones with setting a good foundation – the 1993 Mustangs were a competitive team and a team with class.

I remember driving to Ohio State with my wife, Pam, mother, Rosemary, and two very young daughters, Caitlin and Meghan, in March 1993 to watch Lynchburg-Clay take on New Riegel on a Friday afternoon. The outcome wasn't what we'd hoped, but I recall my mother – who is not a sports fan – saying, "I can see why people get excited over high school basketball."

Ya think?

We were all excited over the 1993 Mustangs. They were not only Lynchburg's team and Clay Township's team, but they were Highland County's team and the Southern Hills League team.

Through hard work, great talent, solid coaching and overall teamwork, the 1992-93 Lynchburg-Clay Mustangs demonstrated what a small school in a small conference could accomplish in Ohio High School Athletics.

Congratulations on your 20th anniversary and thanks for the memories.

Rory Ryan is publisher of The Highland County Press.