1994 Tigers upset state-ranked Trace

(Continued from last week.)

The Indians took on Bethel-Tate Oct. 14, 1994 at Bethel-Tate.

The Hillsboro defense was just too rugged. The Indians ripped Bethel-Tate, 27-0.

In another game, McClain pulled off a major upset when they downed fourth-ranked Miami Trace, 25-22, in overtime. After the score was tied at 19 each after four quarters, Kyle Butts of the Panthers, hit a 31-yard field goal to send Trace to the lead.

The Tigers responded, however, on a two-yard touchdown romp by Scott Counter for the win.

New Richmond traveled to Hillsboro Oct. 21 and gave the Indians a tough game.

Both teams featured tough defensive units, and neither was able to get much offense going.

In the first half, New Richmond was able to generate just 57 yards of total offense.

With just 3:40 remaining in the first half, Indian quarterback Jason Barton found Keith Ford open on a five- yard slant pattern from the Lions’ 45-yard line.

Ford broke free from two tacklers and advanced the ball to the NR seven-yard line. Barton hit Ford with another pass for the touchdown.

New Richmond was driving for the goal in the final minute of the game when defensive end Andrew Evans stripped the ball from the quarterback. It was recovered by Hillsboro, with only 29 seconds remaining. The Indians won a very tough game, 14-8.

At McClain, the battling Tigers were thumped by visiting Oak Hill, when junior tailback Dee Brunton rolled up 300 yards of offense and scored four touchdowns to defeat the purple-and-gold, 42-26.

The Tigers had suffered four losses on their home field this season.

With a state playoff appearance definitely within reach, Hillsboro entertained always-tough Western Brown Oct. 28.

In the first half, the heralded Indian defense repeatedly stopped the Broncos deep in Indian territory. At halftime, the Indians clung to a 6-0 lead.

But in the second half, the Tribe got some offensive momentum and outscored WB, 21-7. The final score was Hillsboro 27, Western Brown 7.

The Indians would travel to Clermont Northeastern the following Friday, Nov. 4. If they were able to bring home a win, the chances for a playoff bid were very good.

Also on Oct. 28, the McClain Tigers journeyed to Wellston, where quarterback Jim Bob Young connected on a 64-yard scoring strike to Troy Seely with 8:07 remaining in the game, to break a 0-0 tie and lead the Tigers to a 14-0 victory.

Running back Scott Counter added a touchdown on a 30-yard run to complete the scoring. Counter surpassed the 1,000 yard plateau again, this season. Both teams came into the game with 4-4 records.

After falling behind, 7-0, in the opening quarter at Clermont Northeastern Friday, Nov. 4, the Indians rallied for a 14-7 halftime lead.

They added two second half touchdowns to lock down a 35-7 win, which resulted in another SBAC championship and a trip to the state football playoffs.

McClain High School traveled to Dayton Northridge the same evening, where they turned a 7-7 halftime score into a 20-7 victory over the Northridge Vikings.

McClain quarterback Jim Bob Young finished with more than 1,100 yards passing for the season and running back Scott Counter gained 94 yards against the Northridge defense to reach the 1,100-yard plateau.

The Tigers finished with a 6-4 record, giving them two consecutive winning seasons for the first time in 27 years.

Washington C.H. ended a lackluster season, with a record of 5-5. Miami Trace, who had been ranked as high as fourth in the state, would up with an 8-2 record, having been upset by both McClain and Waverly. The Panthers failed to make the playoffs.

The 9-1 Hillsboro Indians would lock horns with another 9-1 team, the London Red Raiders. The Division III, Region 12 playoff game would be at Cox Field in Xenia.

The region’s other Division III game would feature 10-0 Lemon Monroe taking on 9-1 Hamilton Badin at Fairfield Stadium.

(Continued next week.)

Bob Patton is a Highland County sports historian and a contributing writer to The Highland County Press.