All-SCOL picks spurred controversy
By
Bob Patton-
There was a certain amount of controversy concerning the select-ion of the All-SCOL football team at the end of the 1963 season. It seems that these honorary all-star teams are always arbitrary and nearly always, in some way, controversial. All the coaches wanted to get as many honors for their players as they possibly could. Former Hillsboro sports writer Don Edwards questioned Wilmington’s getting nine players on the offensive and defensive All-SCOL teams, when Hillsboro got none. “If Wilmington had all the good players and Hillsboro had none, how did the Indians beat Wilmington on their home field?” he wondered.
And, of course, Circleville, who many Hillsboro people considered the best team in the league, got only five. Circleville lost to Wilmington by one point, at Wilmington, with their All-Ohio linebacker, Duke Fyffe, on the shelf with a leg injury.
(There’s never an easy answer, and we have to accept that there will be controversy, at times.)
Coach Al Burger departed McClain High School after only two years, and ended up as basketball coach at Wilmington. The Tigers would be coached by George Barnes. Jim Saunders was back for his second year at Hillsboro. Pleasant View, coached by Bo Brickles, was the preseason choice of the area sports writers to take the SCOL basketball title.
But Hillsboro, with 6-foot-8 scoring machine Fred Cluff, and the McConnaughey brothers, (Jim and Terry), promised to be quite competitive, as well. As a junior, Cluff had been the second leading scorer in the SCOL, trailing only Carl Weaver of Miami Trace. Cluff had outscored McClain’s Tom Doyle by only three points. The Indians started fast, beating McClain, 77-60, then squeaked
out a one-point victory over Franklin Heights, 33-32, when the Falcons elected to stall. But, Wilmington trounced the Tribe, 68-49, at Wilmington.
Meanwhile, Pleasant View had coasted to six straight wins with offensive ball control and aggressive defense. Jon Warden, big George Fannin and 5-9 defensive leader Tad Lamb were Pleasant View’s top players. They played a slow, deliberate game with precision. Hillsboro bounced back from the Wilmington loss by trouncing
Washington, 69-51. The Indians managed to hold dangerous Tom Townsend to 10 points, while Cluff racked up 23 and Terry McConnaughey 20. The following Friday night, though, the Indians journeyed to Pleasant View, near Columbus, to challenge the league leaders. The Indians couldn’t hit, couldn’t rebound and couldn’t hang onto the ball. They came home on the short end of a 69-39 walloping.
Hillsboro still managed to hold onto second place in the SCOL, now with two losses in league play. In January, the Indians, playing at home, downed another pack of
Panthers, Miami Trace, 83-76, with Cluff rocking the place with his highest point production of the year (so far) 39 points. Jim McConnaughey added 21 markers, including 11 in the fourth quarter. Pirley Harris of MT totaled 31 points to lead his team.
The same night, Pleasant View defeated McClain, 70-48, Washington beat Franklin Heights in overtime and Wilmington downed hapless Circleville, 77- 57.
On Saturday night, Pleasant View was edged by Teays Valley, a
non-league opponent, 51-50. This was the Panthers’ first loss of the
season. Hillsboro took the measure of Jackson, at Jackson, 59-50.
At the end of January, the Indians traveled to Greenfield, where big Fred Cluff outdueled Tom Doyle of the Tigers, and Hillsboro took the game, 63-56. Cluff totaled 33 points for the Indians and Ken Kessler scored 15. The big news came when McClain rallied to beat league leading Pleasant View, 69-67, in one of the tightest cage matchups in SCOL history.
On Valentine’s Day in 1964, the Pleasant View Panthers clinched
the SCOL championship by clipping Franklin Heights, 61-47, for their
15th win, overall, and their 12th league victory. The same night,
second place Hillsboro evened the score with Wilmington by pummeling the Hurricane, 101-89 with Fred Cluff totaling 40 points, with Terry McConnaughey adding 30.
One of the biggest games of the season occurred when Pleasant View invaded Hillsboro’s gym Feb. 19, and was soundly beaten by
the Indians, 71-54. Cluff’s 22 points and Terry McConnaughey’s 21 showed the way for Hillsboro.
The Indians had a battle royal with Washington on the final night of the season, on the Blue Lions’ home court. Hot shooting Tom
Townsend scorched the nets for 25 points and teammate Bob Wilson added 24 for the Blue Lions, as the Indians squeaked out a 76-73 win behind Cluff’s 26 markers and Terry McConnaughey’s 21.
The final SCOL standings for the 1963-64 basketball season were:
Pleasant View — 15-3, 12-2
Hillsboro — 13-5, 11-3
Wilmington — 10-8, 9-5
Miami Trace — 8-10, 7-7
McClain — 7-11, 6-8
Franklin Heights —6-12, 5-9
Washington — 5-13, 4-10
Circleville — 2-16, 2-12
In the first round of the Paint Valley sectional tourney, Hillsboro, the top-seeded team, soundly defeated McClain, 80-62, as Cluff counted 29 points and Jim and Terry McConnaughey added 18 and 17, respectively. Tom Doyle racked up 28 for the Tigers.
Trace met a tough Waverly team in the nightcap. MT trailed by one point with but two seconds remaining in the tilt. But Panther
scoring ace Pirley Harris attempted a 20-footer, which was in the air
when the buzzer sounded, as it ripped the cords and Miami Trace was a one-point winner.
They would meet the Indians in round two. On Friday night, the Indians were abruptly dropped from tournament competition, when Miami Trace eliminated them, 70-59. Hillsboro finished the season with a record of 14 wins and 6 losses. On Saturday night Chillicothe ended Trace’s season, as all SCOL teams were out of the tournaments. The All-Tournament team at Paint Valley included: senior Steve Campbell and Ronnie Martin of Chillicothe, Pirley Harris and Dan Huffman of Miami Trace, and Fred Cluff, of Hillsboro.
The All-SCOL team was selected by league coaches. Hillsboro’s
6-8 senior pivot man was named honorary captain. Following are the complete first and second team selections: First Team: Fred Cluff, HHS; Pirley Harris, MT; Tom Doyle, MHS; George Fannin, PV; John Patton, WHS; Jon Warden, PV; Second Team: John Thomas, CHS; Terry McConnaughey, HHS; Charles Walters, FHHS; Tad Lamb, PVHS; Tom Townsend, WCH; Gary Rinehart, WHS.
In June 1964, Hillsboro senior Fred Cluff was presented a
plaque commemorating his selection to the 1964 High School
All-American basketball squad.
He later played basketball at Ohio University.
Bob Patton is a Highland County sports historian and a contributing writer to The Highland County Press.[[In-content Ad]]
And, of course, Circleville, who many Hillsboro people considered the best team in the league, got only five. Circleville lost to Wilmington by one point, at Wilmington, with their All-Ohio linebacker, Duke Fyffe, on the shelf with a leg injury.
(There’s never an easy answer, and we have to accept that there will be controversy, at times.)
Coach Al Burger departed McClain High School after only two years, and ended up as basketball coach at Wilmington. The Tigers would be coached by George Barnes. Jim Saunders was back for his second year at Hillsboro. Pleasant View, coached by Bo Brickles, was the preseason choice of the area sports writers to take the SCOL basketball title.
But Hillsboro, with 6-foot-8 scoring machine Fred Cluff, and the McConnaughey brothers, (Jim and Terry), promised to be quite competitive, as well. As a junior, Cluff had been the second leading scorer in the SCOL, trailing only Carl Weaver of Miami Trace. Cluff had outscored McClain’s Tom Doyle by only three points. The Indians started fast, beating McClain, 77-60, then squeaked
out a one-point victory over Franklin Heights, 33-32, when the Falcons elected to stall. But, Wilmington trounced the Tribe, 68-49, at Wilmington.
Meanwhile, Pleasant View had coasted to six straight wins with offensive ball control and aggressive defense. Jon Warden, big George Fannin and 5-9 defensive leader Tad Lamb were Pleasant View’s top players. They played a slow, deliberate game with precision. Hillsboro bounced back from the Wilmington loss by trouncing
Washington, 69-51. The Indians managed to hold dangerous Tom Townsend to 10 points, while Cluff racked up 23 and Terry McConnaughey 20. The following Friday night, though, the Indians journeyed to Pleasant View, near Columbus, to challenge the league leaders. The Indians couldn’t hit, couldn’t rebound and couldn’t hang onto the ball. They came home on the short end of a 69-39 walloping.
Hillsboro still managed to hold onto second place in the SCOL, now with two losses in league play. In January, the Indians, playing at home, downed another pack of
Panthers, Miami Trace, 83-76, with Cluff rocking the place with his highest point production of the year (so far) 39 points. Jim McConnaughey added 21 markers, including 11 in the fourth quarter. Pirley Harris of MT totaled 31 points to lead his team.
The same night, Pleasant View defeated McClain, 70-48, Washington beat Franklin Heights in overtime and Wilmington downed hapless Circleville, 77- 57.
On Saturday night, Pleasant View was edged by Teays Valley, a
non-league opponent, 51-50. This was the Panthers’ first loss of the
season. Hillsboro took the measure of Jackson, at Jackson, 59-50.
At the end of January, the Indians traveled to Greenfield, where big Fred Cluff outdueled Tom Doyle of the Tigers, and Hillsboro took the game, 63-56. Cluff totaled 33 points for the Indians and Ken Kessler scored 15. The big news came when McClain rallied to beat league leading Pleasant View, 69-67, in one of the tightest cage matchups in SCOL history.
On Valentine’s Day in 1964, the Pleasant View Panthers clinched
the SCOL championship by clipping Franklin Heights, 61-47, for their
15th win, overall, and their 12th league victory. The same night,
second place Hillsboro evened the score with Wilmington by pummeling the Hurricane, 101-89 with Fred Cluff totaling 40 points, with Terry McConnaughey adding 30.
One of the biggest games of the season occurred when Pleasant View invaded Hillsboro’s gym Feb. 19, and was soundly beaten by
the Indians, 71-54. Cluff’s 22 points and Terry McConnaughey’s 21 showed the way for Hillsboro.
The Indians had a battle royal with Washington on the final night of the season, on the Blue Lions’ home court. Hot shooting Tom
Townsend scorched the nets for 25 points and teammate Bob Wilson added 24 for the Blue Lions, as the Indians squeaked out a 76-73 win behind Cluff’s 26 markers and Terry McConnaughey’s 21.
The final SCOL standings for the 1963-64 basketball season were:
Pleasant View — 15-3, 12-2
Hillsboro — 13-5, 11-3
Wilmington — 10-8, 9-5
Miami Trace — 8-10, 7-7
McClain — 7-11, 6-8
Franklin Heights —6-12, 5-9
Washington — 5-13, 4-10
Circleville — 2-16, 2-12
In the first round of the Paint Valley sectional tourney, Hillsboro, the top-seeded team, soundly defeated McClain, 80-62, as Cluff counted 29 points and Jim and Terry McConnaughey added 18 and 17, respectively. Tom Doyle racked up 28 for the Tigers.
Trace met a tough Waverly team in the nightcap. MT trailed by one point with but two seconds remaining in the tilt. But Panther
scoring ace Pirley Harris attempted a 20-footer, which was in the air
when the buzzer sounded, as it ripped the cords and Miami Trace was a one-point winner.
They would meet the Indians in round two. On Friday night, the Indians were abruptly dropped from tournament competition, when Miami Trace eliminated them, 70-59. Hillsboro finished the season with a record of 14 wins and 6 losses. On Saturday night Chillicothe ended Trace’s season, as all SCOL teams were out of the tournaments. The All-Tournament team at Paint Valley included: senior Steve Campbell and Ronnie Martin of Chillicothe, Pirley Harris and Dan Huffman of Miami Trace, and Fred Cluff, of Hillsboro.
The All-SCOL team was selected by league coaches. Hillsboro’s
6-8 senior pivot man was named honorary captain. Following are the complete first and second team selections: First Team: Fred Cluff, HHS; Pirley Harris, MT; Tom Doyle, MHS; George Fannin, PV; John Patton, WHS; Jon Warden, PV; Second Team: John Thomas, CHS; Terry McConnaughey, HHS; Charles Walters, FHHS; Tad Lamb, PVHS; Tom Townsend, WCH; Gary Rinehart, WHS.
In June 1964, Hillsboro senior Fred Cluff was presented a
plaque commemorating his selection to the 1964 High School
All-American basketball squad.
He later played basketball at Ohio University.
Bob Patton is a Highland County sports historian and a contributing writer to The Highland County Press.[[In-content Ad]]