Coaches favor Trace in '85 preseason poll
By
Bob Patton-
In an unusual circumstance in the SCOL, there were no new football coaches in the league when the 1985 season got underway.
The dean of South Central Ohio League (football) coaches was Paul Ondrus, of Washington, who was in his 10th year at the helm. Bob White, of Wilmington, was in his sixth year, while Dick Hill, of Miami Trace, was in his fifth (he had also been head coach at McClain a couple of years).
Hillsboro’s Jim Horne was in his third season as head coach, while Circleville’s Dave Truex and McClain’s Otis Wagner were both in their second go-arounds.
In a rather informal survey of league prospects, nearly all the coaches put the hat on perennial power Miami Trace. Veteran Paul Ondrus said, “Trace seems to be head-and-shoulders above the rest of the league, so it may be them and then the rest of us.”
McClain’s Otis Wagner said, “They are, by far, the strongest team in the league.”
Jim Horne, at Hillsboro felt that “Trace will be the dominant factor in the league. They have the numbers and size, and they have tremendous speed, too.”
And, so it went around the league. Before the first game was even played, the Panthers were being crowned, again. This year, they would meet mighty Moeller in the last game of the season.
Many of the area coaches believed that Trace was capable of giving Gerry Faust’s Crusaders all they wanted.
Washington had high hopes of rebounding from a down season last year (4-6, overall), but the Blue Lions had only a 29-man roster. They couldn’t have much depth. The Lions would be predominantly a senior ball club, this year.
They only had six sophomores on the squad, which made some people wonder about next year and the year after. Wilmington, on the other hand, featured 24 talented sophs. The Hurricane had won the freshman football championship last year, and the sophomores were the strength of Coach White’s 1985 team. The Blue Lions and the Hurricane were expected to battle it out for second place this season.
The coaches looked for Circleville, Hillsboro and McClain to land in the bottom three slots, with Circleville possibly holding a slight advantage over the two Highland County teams. McClain had been simply riddled by graduation. They had lost virtually their entire team from 1984, when they had unexpectedly captured second place in the SCOL. They would be hard pressed to maintain that level of competition, this year.
Hillsboro had lost speedy tailback Bruce Ames and bruising fullback Hugh Ballein, but did have three-year starter Cris Walker back at quarterback, along with some talented sophomores, particularly lightning-fast Ryan Hopkins.
The season opened Aug. 30, this year, with all the SCOL teams playing non-league opposition. Hillsboro entertained East Clinton and took a 20-14 decision over the Astros. Xenia visited Wilmington and avenged a season-opening loss last year by defeating the Hurricane, 19-6. Ironton walloped Circleville on the Circleville field, 41-0. At Greenfield, Adena hit an opening-quarter field goal and made it hold up for a 3-0 win over McClain. Washington hosted West Jefferson and dropped a 24-20 heartbreaker to the Roughriders. Miami Trace thumped Springfield Northeastern, 33-12.
In the second round of non-league games, Sept. 6, Circleville visited Chillicothe, where they were rather rudely treated. The Cavaliers took a 35-14 win over the red and black. McClain was on the road at East Clinton.
The Tigers led the Astros at halftime, 9-7. But, the second half belonged to the Astros and the won the game, 19-9. Miami Trace beat Logan Elm, 18-9, at LE. At New Richmond, the Lions defeated the Hillsboro Indians in a close one, 20-18, while Cincinnati McNicholas downed WCH, 15-7, and Wilmington was swamped by Cincinnati Northwestern, 34-7.
After only two non-league contests, Miami Trace was 2-0, Hillsboro was 1-1 and McClain, Wilmington, Circleville and Washington were all 0-2.
But the Miami Trace Panthers were beaten at Logan Sept. 13, by a score of 40-33 when wide receiver D.J. Conrad hauled in nine passes for 257 yards and four touchdowns. The same night, Lebanon edged Wilmington, 19-10, Chillicothe walloped Washington, 31-7, Waverly ran all over the McClain Tigers, 43-6, and Hillsboro was on the road at Unioto, where the Indians came home with a 23-7 win.
Friday, Sept. 20, 1985 saw Hillsboro and Miami Trace win non-league encounters and all the other SCOL teams lose. At Hillsboro, the Indians entertained former SCOL member Madison Plains, and Hillsboro’s Ernest Smith ran for three touchdowns, one of which was a 63-yard jaunt. Hillsboro was a 32-0 winner over the Golden Eagles. Wilmington visited Mt. Healthy, near Cincinnati, where the Hurricane was blown away, 52-7.
McClain played Bishop Wehrle of Columbus on the McClain field. Wehrle routed the Tigers, 41-14. Logan trounced another SCOL team, this time Circleville. The final score was 43-7. Goshen played Washington at Gardner Park, and hammered the Blue Lions, 34-7. Finally, at Miami Trace, the Panthers ran away from Cincinnati Hughes 37-6.
So, after four rounds of non-league action, Hillsboro and Miami Trace sat atop the standings with identical 3-1 records and all the other teams in the league were 0-4. So far, this did not appear to be a banner year for the South Central League.
SCOL competition began on Sept. 27, with Miami Trace hosting the Wilmington Hurricane. The night did not get off to a great start for the Hurricane. Panther Shawn Johns took the opening kickoff, sped toward the left sideline, broke a couple of tackles and then outran the entire Wilmington team for an 87-yard touchdown return. That was just the first of the indignities. Trace walloped the ‘Cane, 47-7.
(Continued next week.)
Bob Patton is a Highland County sports historian and a contributing writer to The Highland County Press.[[In-content Ad]]
The dean of South Central Ohio League (football) coaches was Paul Ondrus, of Washington, who was in his 10th year at the helm. Bob White, of Wilmington, was in his sixth year, while Dick Hill, of Miami Trace, was in his fifth (he had also been head coach at McClain a couple of years).
Hillsboro’s Jim Horne was in his third season as head coach, while Circleville’s Dave Truex and McClain’s Otis Wagner were both in their second go-arounds.
In a rather informal survey of league prospects, nearly all the coaches put the hat on perennial power Miami Trace. Veteran Paul Ondrus said, “Trace seems to be head-and-shoulders above the rest of the league, so it may be them and then the rest of us.”
McClain’s Otis Wagner said, “They are, by far, the strongest team in the league.”
Jim Horne, at Hillsboro felt that “Trace will be the dominant factor in the league. They have the numbers and size, and they have tremendous speed, too.”
And, so it went around the league. Before the first game was even played, the Panthers were being crowned, again. This year, they would meet mighty Moeller in the last game of the season.
Many of the area coaches believed that Trace was capable of giving Gerry Faust’s Crusaders all they wanted.
Washington had high hopes of rebounding from a down season last year (4-6, overall), but the Blue Lions had only a 29-man roster. They couldn’t have much depth. The Lions would be predominantly a senior ball club, this year.
They only had six sophomores on the squad, which made some people wonder about next year and the year after. Wilmington, on the other hand, featured 24 talented sophs. The Hurricane had won the freshman football championship last year, and the sophomores were the strength of Coach White’s 1985 team. The Blue Lions and the Hurricane were expected to battle it out for second place this season.
The coaches looked for Circleville, Hillsboro and McClain to land in the bottom three slots, with Circleville possibly holding a slight advantage over the two Highland County teams. McClain had been simply riddled by graduation. They had lost virtually their entire team from 1984, when they had unexpectedly captured second place in the SCOL. They would be hard pressed to maintain that level of competition, this year.
Hillsboro had lost speedy tailback Bruce Ames and bruising fullback Hugh Ballein, but did have three-year starter Cris Walker back at quarterback, along with some talented sophomores, particularly lightning-fast Ryan Hopkins.
The season opened Aug. 30, this year, with all the SCOL teams playing non-league opposition. Hillsboro entertained East Clinton and took a 20-14 decision over the Astros. Xenia visited Wilmington and avenged a season-opening loss last year by defeating the Hurricane, 19-6. Ironton walloped Circleville on the Circleville field, 41-0. At Greenfield, Adena hit an opening-quarter field goal and made it hold up for a 3-0 win over McClain. Washington hosted West Jefferson and dropped a 24-20 heartbreaker to the Roughriders. Miami Trace thumped Springfield Northeastern, 33-12.
In the second round of non-league games, Sept. 6, Circleville visited Chillicothe, where they were rather rudely treated. The Cavaliers took a 35-14 win over the red and black. McClain was on the road at East Clinton.
The Tigers led the Astros at halftime, 9-7. But, the second half belonged to the Astros and the won the game, 19-9. Miami Trace beat Logan Elm, 18-9, at LE. At New Richmond, the Lions defeated the Hillsboro Indians in a close one, 20-18, while Cincinnati McNicholas downed WCH, 15-7, and Wilmington was swamped by Cincinnati Northwestern, 34-7.
After only two non-league contests, Miami Trace was 2-0, Hillsboro was 1-1 and McClain, Wilmington, Circleville and Washington were all 0-2.
But the Miami Trace Panthers were beaten at Logan Sept. 13, by a score of 40-33 when wide receiver D.J. Conrad hauled in nine passes for 257 yards and four touchdowns. The same night, Lebanon edged Wilmington, 19-10, Chillicothe walloped Washington, 31-7, Waverly ran all over the McClain Tigers, 43-6, and Hillsboro was on the road at Unioto, where the Indians came home with a 23-7 win.
Friday, Sept. 20, 1985 saw Hillsboro and Miami Trace win non-league encounters and all the other SCOL teams lose. At Hillsboro, the Indians entertained former SCOL member Madison Plains, and Hillsboro’s Ernest Smith ran for three touchdowns, one of which was a 63-yard jaunt. Hillsboro was a 32-0 winner over the Golden Eagles. Wilmington visited Mt. Healthy, near Cincinnati, where the Hurricane was blown away, 52-7.
McClain played Bishop Wehrle of Columbus on the McClain field. Wehrle routed the Tigers, 41-14. Logan trounced another SCOL team, this time Circleville. The final score was 43-7. Goshen played Washington at Gardner Park, and hammered the Blue Lions, 34-7. Finally, at Miami Trace, the Panthers ran away from Cincinnati Hughes 37-6.
So, after four rounds of non-league action, Hillsboro and Miami Trace sat atop the standings with identical 3-1 records and all the other teams in the league were 0-4. So far, this did not appear to be a banner year for the South Central League.
SCOL competition began on Sept. 27, with Miami Trace hosting the Wilmington Hurricane. The night did not get off to a great start for the Hurricane. Panther Shawn Johns took the opening kickoff, sped toward the left sideline, broke a couple of tackles and then outran the entire Wilmington team for an 87-yard touchdown return. That was just the first of the indignities. Trace walloped the ‘Cane, 47-7.
(Continued next week.)
Bob Patton is a Highland County sports historian and a contributing writer to The Highland County Press.[[In-content Ad]]