Circleville, Wilmington set the pace in 1982-83
By
Bob Patton-
(Continued from last week.)
Circleville’s defeat at Miami Trace allowed Wilmington to slip back into the league lead. Going into February 1983, the league standings were:
Wilmington – 8-1, 10-4
Circleville – 8-2, 11-3
McClain – 6-3, 11-3
Miami Trace – 5-5, 6-8
Hillsboro – 4-6, 4-11
Teays Valley – 3-7, 4-10
Mad.-Plains – 2-7, 4-10
Washington – 2-7, 2-11
Almost before the new league standings came out, Wilmington was unceremoniously dumped by McClain, 54-43, and the tie between the Hurricane and Circleville was back on. Circleville did, however, drop all the way to 17th in the AP state basketball rankings for AA.
On Feb. 1, Miami Trace visited Wilmington and pushed the Hurricane all the way. But in the end, Wilmington came out on top, 65-59. Rob Smith led the way for Trace with 22 points, while Greg Nared chalked up 23 for the Hurricane. At Hillsboro, Circleville had a big fourth quarter, which enabled them to down the Indians, 65-54, behind a huge game from Luke McConnell (24 points). McClain’s game with WCH was postponed because of high absenteeism due to the flu.
In the third SCOL game Feb. 1, Madison-Plains blasted Teays Valley, 74-47. On Feb. 4, Madison-Plains and Circleville tangled again. The Golden Eagles jumped out on top and led the red and black, 16-11, after one quarter. This time, though, the Tigers regrouped, particularly in the second half, and downed the Eagles, 65-50. Wilmington found themselves trailing Teays Valley by 12 points with only four minutes remaining in the game. But a furious comeback enabled the Hurricane to tie the game and send it into overtime, where they upended the Vikings, 53-50.
Both McClain at Hillsboro and Washington at Miami Trace were postponed due to the flu epidemic.
Madison-Plains traveled to Washington C.H. for a re-scheduled SCOL game. The Eagles’ Dom Mancini hit what appeared to be a game-winning basket with five seconds remaining in the game. But Jeff Shaw outraced everybody to the other end of the court and hit a layup as the buzzer sounded, giving the Lions a 59-58 win, only their third league win of the season.
With only two SCOL playing dates remaining (although there were several make-up games to be played), McClain’s Rob Munyan still held a comfortable lead in the individual scoring race. The senior forward had 212 points in 10 SCOL games for a 21.2 ppg average. Counting all games, the Tiger forward had 301 points in 14 games for a 21.5 ppg average.
Luke McConnell, of Circleville ranked second in both categories. His ppg average was the same for both league games and overall games, 18.8. Greg Nared of Wilmington ranked third in the SCOL race. He was averaging 17.8 ppg. In the overall scoring race Tim Redman, of WCH, was third with a 17.5 ppg average.
On Feb. 11, Miami Trace visited Madison-Plains. The Eagles suffered yet another last-second defeat when MT’s Rob Smith rushed down the court, with the score tied at 63-63, and hit a 17-foot jumper at the buzzer to take a thrilling 65-63 win. Elsewhere, WCH notched their third straight win by edging Hillsboro, 59-53. Redman and Shaw scored 19 and 18 to lead the Lions. Teays Valley gave McClain a tough game before losing, 70-62.
The McClain at WCH game, which was postponed Feb. 1, was finally played on Feb. 12. The Blue Lions’ dynamic duo, Redman and Shaw, were playing great, and the Lions were much more competitive than they were a month earlier. With McClain holding a 56-53 lead, the Lions fouled to gain possession. McClain’s Jim Washburn missed the free throw, and Tim Redman hit a 16-foot jumper to cut the lead to 56-55. The Tigers then threw the ball over the WCH press to a wide-open Rob Munyan, who went inside for what would have been the game-winning basket, but it rimmed out. Redman scored at the buzzer and the Lions took a 57-56 win, which dropped McClain out of contention for the league title.
In a make-up game, McClain eased past Hillsboro, 70-53. The Tigers won their 14th game of the season, while Hillsboro lost their 15th, and eighth in a row.
In the final league games of the season, McClain took on league-leading Circleville in the old Mill Street gymnasium in Circleville. The purple-and-gold jumped out to a 20-10 lead after one quarter. Circleville came back to make it 30-28 at halftime. In the third quarter, the red-and-black collapsed as McClain outscored them, 23-6, cruising to a decisive 81-57 win.
Meanwhile, in Hillsboro, the Indians couldn’t keep pace with the high-flying Eagles and lost their 16th game of the season, 79-61. So, the basketball league race ended in a tie for the first time since 1972-73 when Circleville and Trace tied for the title. The final standings were:
Circleville – 11-3, 15-4
Wilmington – 11-3, 13-7
McClain – 10-4, 15-4
Miami Trace – 6-7, 8-11
Washington – 5-8, 7-12
Teays Valley – 4-10, 7-13
Mad.-Plains – 4-10, 6-14
Hillsboro – 4-10, 4-16
The 1982-83 All-SCOL team included: Jim Bevins, CHS; Todd Brayfield, MP; Doug Hoover, TV; Vince Johnson, HHS; Luke McConnell, CHS; Rob Munyan, MHS; Greg Nared, WHS; Tim Redman (honorary captain), WCH; Jeff Shaw, WCH; Rob Smith, MT; John Turner, MHS; and Bill Ward, WHS.
Sectional play began Feb. 23, with WCH meeting Wellston at the Unioto sectional. The Blue Lions edged the Rockets, 60-59. They would advance to meet top-seeded McClain on March 1. The Blue Lions played McClain very tough in the first half, settling for a 21-21 tie. McClain outscored WCH, 27-12 in the third quarter and won, 67-53.
Hillsboro, who had edged Vinton County in their first tourney contest, sprung the upset of the tournament when they downed second-seeded Waverly, 62-59, to move into the finals. For the second straight season, the Indians would meet the McClain Tigers for the sectional title. But this time, the Indians had won only six games, two of them in the tournament.
In the final game, the Tigers walloped Hillsboro, 74-44, to advance to the district tournament in the Convocation Center at Ohio University. Their opponent would be Nelsonville York (19-4). Tom Taggert, NY’s star forward, who averaged nearly 30 points per game, burned the Tigers for 20 points in the first half. Things didn’t look too promising, especially since Rob Munyan went scoreless the first quarter. The Tigers regrouped and held Taggert to 2-of-6 shooting in the second half. Meanwhile, Munyan was getting inside for open shots. Eventually, the Buckeyes switched to a man-to-man. Munyan ended up with 31 points and the Tigers won, 71-60. Miami Trace tangled with Vincent Warren at Ohio University, in AAA tournament play on Feb. 25. The Panthers shot only 30 percent from the field and lost, 74-51.
McClain’s regional tournament opponent would be Coshocton. McClain coach Rick Van Matre knew that the Tigers would have to be on top of their game if they were to have a chance to win.
The purple-and-gold jumped on the Redskins very quickly and raced to a 9-0 lead. But Coshocton settled down and methodically got back into the game. The Redskins played just well enough to keep McClain at a comfortable distance. Junior forward Tom Sandry, who notched only 7 points in the first half, added 17 more in the second half to run his total output to 24 points. Munyan scored 24 for the Tigers but Coshocton won, 62-47. The Tigers had made a great run, but now it was over.
In the other bracket, Wellsville upset Portsmouth. All of the SCOL teams had now ended their seasons. It was time to break out the baseball gloves.
When the All-Southeast District teams came out, Rob Munyan and Tim Redman of Washington were both named to the first team. Circleville’s Luke McConnell was named to the Central District second team. Robbie Smith, of Miami Trace and Greg Nared, of Wilmington, were both on the All-State Honorable Mention list in AAA. Rob Munyan earned second team honors, while Tim Redman was named Special Mention in AA, and Luke McConnell made the AA Honorable Mention list. With more than 600 high schools in the state, being listed anywhere on the All-State sheet is a significant honor.
Bob Patton is a Highland County sports historian and a contributing writer to The Highland County Press.[[In-content Ad]]
Circleville’s defeat at Miami Trace allowed Wilmington to slip back into the league lead. Going into February 1983, the league standings were:
Wilmington – 8-1, 10-4
Circleville – 8-2, 11-3
McClain – 6-3, 11-3
Miami Trace – 5-5, 6-8
Hillsboro – 4-6, 4-11
Teays Valley – 3-7, 4-10
Mad.-Plains – 2-7, 4-10
Washington – 2-7, 2-11
Almost before the new league standings came out, Wilmington was unceremoniously dumped by McClain, 54-43, and the tie between the Hurricane and Circleville was back on. Circleville did, however, drop all the way to 17th in the AP state basketball rankings for AA.
On Feb. 1, Miami Trace visited Wilmington and pushed the Hurricane all the way. But in the end, Wilmington came out on top, 65-59. Rob Smith led the way for Trace with 22 points, while Greg Nared chalked up 23 for the Hurricane. At Hillsboro, Circleville had a big fourth quarter, which enabled them to down the Indians, 65-54, behind a huge game from Luke McConnell (24 points). McClain’s game with WCH was postponed because of high absenteeism due to the flu.
In the third SCOL game Feb. 1, Madison-Plains blasted Teays Valley, 74-47. On Feb. 4, Madison-Plains and Circleville tangled again. The Golden Eagles jumped out on top and led the red and black, 16-11, after one quarter. This time, though, the Tigers regrouped, particularly in the second half, and downed the Eagles, 65-50. Wilmington found themselves trailing Teays Valley by 12 points with only four minutes remaining in the game. But a furious comeback enabled the Hurricane to tie the game and send it into overtime, where they upended the Vikings, 53-50.
Both McClain at Hillsboro and Washington at Miami Trace were postponed due to the flu epidemic.
Madison-Plains traveled to Washington C.H. for a re-scheduled SCOL game. The Eagles’ Dom Mancini hit what appeared to be a game-winning basket with five seconds remaining in the game. But Jeff Shaw outraced everybody to the other end of the court and hit a layup as the buzzer sounded, giving the Lions a 59-58 win, only their third league win of the season.
With only two SCOL playing dates remaining (although there were several make-up games to be played), McClain’s Rob Munyan still held a comfortable lead in the individual scoring race. The senior forward had 212 points in 10 SCOL games for a 21.2 ppg average. Counting all games, the Tiger forward had 301 points in 14 games for a 21.5 ppg average.
Luke McConnell, of Circleville ranked second in both categories. His ppg average was the same for both league games and overall games, 18.8. Greg Nared of Wilmington ranked third in the SCOL race. He was averaging 17.8 ppg. In the overall scoring race Tim Redman, of WCH, was third with a 17.5 ppg average.
On Feb. 11, Miami Trace visited Madison-Plains. The Eagles suffered yet another last-second defeat when MT’s Rob Smith rushed down the court, with the score tied at 63-63, and hit a 17-foot jumper at the buzzer to take a thrilling 65-63 win. Elsewhere, WCH notched their third straight win by edging Hillsboro, 59-53. Redman and Shaw scored 19 and 18 to lead the Lions. Teays Valley gave McClain a tough game before losing, 70-62.
The McClain at WCH game, which was postponed Feb. 1, was finally played on Feb. 12. The Blue Lions’ dynamic duo, Redman and Shaw, were playing great, and the Lions were much more competitive than they were a month earlier. With McClain holding a 56-53 lead, the Lions fouled to gain possession. McClain’s Jim Washburn missed the free throw, and Tim Redman hit a 16-foot jumper to cut the lead to 56-55. The Tigers then threw the ball over the WCH press to a wide-open Rob Munyan, who went inside for what would have been the game-winning basket, but it rimmed out. Redman scored at the buzzer and the Lions took a 57-56 win, which dropped McClain out of contention for the league title.
In a make-up game, McClain eased past Hillsboro, 70-53. The Tigers won their 14th game of the season, while Hillsboro lost their 15th, and eighth in a row.
In the final league games of the season, McClain took on league-leading Circleville in the old Mill Street gymnasium in Circleville. The purple-and-gold jumped out to a 20-10 lead after one quarter. Circleville came back to make it 30-28 at halftime. In the third quarter, the red-and-black collapsed as McClain outscored them, 23-6, cruising to a decisive 81-57 win.
Meanwhile, in Hillsboro, the Indians couldn’t keep pace with the high-flying Eagles and lost their 16th game of the season, 79-61. So, the basketball league race ended in a tie for the first time since 1972-73 when Circleville and Trace tied for the title. The final standings were:
Circleville – 11-3, 15-4
Wilmington – 11-3, 13-7
McClain – 10-4, 15-4
Miami Trace – 6-7, 8-11
Washington – 5-8, 7-12
Teays Valley – 4-10, 7-13
Mad.-Plains – 4-10, 6-14
Hillsboro – 4-10, 4-16
The 1982-83 All-SCOL team included: Jim Bevins, CHS; Todd Brayfield, MP; Doug Hoover, TV; Vince Johnson, HHS; Luke McConnell, CHS; Rob Munyan, MHS; Greg Nared, WHS; Tim Redman (honorary captain), WCH; Jeff Shaw, WCH; Rob Smith, MT; John Turner, MHS; and Bill Ward, WHS.
Sectional play began Feb. 23, with WCH meeting Wellston at the Unioto sectional. The Blue Lions edged the Rockets, 60-59. They would advance to meet top-seeded McClain on March 1. The Blue Lions played McClain very tough in the first half, settling for a 21-21 tie. McClain outscored WCH, 27-12 in the third quarter and won, 67-53.
Hillsboro, who had edged Vinton County in their first tourney contest, sprung the upset of the tournament when they downed second-seeded Waverly, 62-59, to move into the finals. For the second straight season, the Indians would meet the McClain Tigers for the sectional title. But this time, the Indians had won only six games, two of them in the tournament.
In the final game, the Tigers walloped Hillsboro, 74-44, to advance to the district tournament in the Convocation Center at Ohio University. Their opponent would be Nelsonville York (19-4). Tom Taggert, NY’s star forward, who averaged nearly 30 points per game, burned the Tigers for 20 points in the first half. Things didn’t look too promising, especially since Rob Munyan went scoreless the first quarter. The Tigers regrouped and held Taggert to 2-of-6 shooting in the second half. Meanwhile, Munyan was getting inside for open shots. Eventually, the Buckeyes switched to a man-to-man. Munyan ended up with 31 points and the Tigers won, 71-60. Miami Trace tangled with Vincent Warren at Ohio University, in AAA tournament play on Feb. 25. The Panthers shot only 30 percent from the field and lost, 74-51.
McClain’s regional tournament opponent would be Coshocton. McClain coach Rick Van Matre knew that the Tigers would have to be on top of their game if they were to have a chance to win.
The purple-and-gold jumped on the Redskins very quickly and raced to a 9-0 lead. But Coshocton settled down and methodically got back into the game. The Redskins played just well enough to keep McClain at a comfortable distance. Junior forward Tom Sandry, who notched only 7 points in the first half, added 17 more in the second half to run his total output to 24 points. Munyan scored 24 for the Tigers but Coshocton won, 62-47. The Tigers had made a great run, but now it was over.
In the other bracket, Wellsville upset Portsmouth. All of the SCOL teams had now ended their seasons. It was time to break out the baseball gloves.
When the All-Southeast District teams came out, Rob Munyan and Tim Redman of Washington were both named to the first team. Circleville’s Luke McConnell was named to the Central District second team. Robbie Smith, of Miami Trace and Greg Nared, of Wilmington, were both on the All-State Honorable Mention list in AAA. Rob Munyan earned second team honors, while Tim Redman was named Special Mention in AA, and Luke McConnell made the AA Honorable Mention list. With more than 600 high schools in the state, being listed anywhere on the All-State sheet is a significant honor.
Bob Patton is a Highland County sports historian and a contributing writer to The Highland County Press.[[In-content Ad]]