Erik Callahan QBs 1988 Hillsboro Indians
By
Bob Patton-
In August 1988, member schools of the South Central Ohio Athletic League were busy getting ready for the 1988 football season.
In 1987, Hillsboro opened the season by playing two games in the first week of the season. They opened the season at home on a Monday night by beating Paint Valley, 23-0. On Friday night of the same week, they traveled to New Richmond, where they escaped with a narrow 10-7 win over the Lions.
This year, the Indians would try the same routine, opening on Monday night at Paint Valley, then hosting New Richmond at John Wayne Richards Field four nights later. But Paint Valley would be much tougher this year, and New Richmond would be stronger, too.
Quarterback Erik Callahan would be back directing traffic for Coach Jim Horne, as would senior fullback Troy Hammond, linebacker Brett Horton and tailbacks Cliff Phillips, Craig Jackson and Jay Jones. Juniors Klay Maynard and Rhett Snyder looked promising at split end and tight end.
Horne, now in his 14th year at HHS, his sixth year as head coach, was looking for a winning season in 1988. Actually, last year’s Indians were 6-4 overall, but they were only 1-4 in SCOL games, good for fifth place. They hoped to improve on that, this season.
Horne, like most of the league coaches, was picking Miami Trace and Washington number one and number two in the SCOL this fall.
Miami Trace had won four consecutive league titles and was shooting for a fifth. Head coach Al Riffey was beginning his third season at the helm. His league record for the first two years was a perfect 10-0. Fifteen lettermen would be returning for the Panthers, this season, including 6’4”, 220 lb. fullback Jamie Curry and rugged 5’10”, 175 lb. tailback Jim Smith. MT was not going to be an easy win for anybody in the SCOL.
Washington head coach Roy Lucas was the brother of Ohio State and NBA great Jerry Lucas. He would be in his second year calling the shots for the Blue Lions. The Lions would run an option offense this year, designed to take advantage of the talents of their 5’7”, 135 lb. senior quarterback, Chad Thomas.
The Lions had 47 young men on their football team this year, so their depth should not be a weakness. Most of the league coaches rated them at or near the top of the heap.
At McClain, Coach Otis Wagner was back for his fifth year as the head Tiger. In his previous four years, the McClain team had accumulated a 13-27 record.
Last season, the Tigers had an overall 3-7 record, but one of the wins came when Cincinnati McNicholas had to forfeit a 17-7 win over the purple-and-gold. McClain failed to win a league game. The Tigers, who ran out of the “T,” figured to throw more, this year.
They had last year’s starting quarterback, Brian Pittser, back, and this year, he had a couple of good split receivers to throw to.
Also, big tackles Todd Lovett and Tate Wagner would lend stability to the line.
McClain had added Newark Catholic to this year’s already rugged schedule. They would be a question mark, but they hoped for a very successful season.
Jim Tsilimos was back for his second year at the helm of the Wilmington Hurricane.
He considered the 1988 season as a rebuilding year for the Hurricane, who finished 4-1 in the SCOL (good for second place) in 1987, but only 4-6 overall. “There’s no Greg Nared, Gary Williams or Jodi Ames on our team this year,” he said. “If we win, it will be because we worked for it.”
The Hurricane would again run out of the wishbone offense, and Doug Rinehart, a 6’0”, 160 lb. quarterback would be calling the plays. How they would perform was anybody’s guess.
Mark Hartman would be back at Circleville for his second year. Last year, the Tigers were 2-3 in the SCOL and 3-7 overall. But six of the seven losses were by a touchdown or less. They hoped to turn several of those close losses into victories this season. But the Tigers had already been dealt a staggering blow, when talented returning quarterback Todd Tomlinson blew out a knee on the baseball diamond and had reconstructive surgery. He would be out for the entire season.
Rick Gerhardt would handle the punting and placekicking duties this season. It was said that he was accurate inside the 30-yard line and VERY accurate inside the 20. The Tigers were another question mark this season.
In their Monday night opener, Hillsboro took a rather easy 33-0 win over Paint Valley. The Indians gained 161 yards on 31 rushes and hit on 6-of-17 passes for another 122 yards, with one interception. PV gained 105 yards rushing on 25 attempts and completed 10-of-28 passes for 200 yards, but had four interceptions.
The Bearcats also fumbled four times, losing three. Hillsboro fumbled twice but recovered both times. The Indians would travel to New Richmond Friday night.
On Sept. 2 (the first Friday night of the season), the Indians grabbed their second win of the young season by thumping New Richmond, 29-3, on Richards Memorial Field.
Also, McClain clipped Paint Valley, 33-14, Goshen edged Wilmington, 7-3, a very fast Springfield Northeastern team pummeled Miami Trace, 25-6, Portsmouth ground out a 27-18 win over Washington, when the Trojans’ Troy Parker racked up 234 yards and three touchdowns, and Logan Elm ran all over Circleville, 41-7.
The next Friday night, the Hillsboro Indians improved their record to 3-0 by downing Unioto in Hillsboro, 25-6.
The Indian defense limited Unioto to only 17 rushing yards for the game, and defensive backfield ace Klay Maynard intercepted four Unioto passes.
Meanwhile, Indian back Cliff Phillips rushed for 134 yards and two Hillsboro touchdowns.
(Continued next week.)
Bob Patton is a Highland County sports historian and a contributing writer to The Highland County Press.[[In-content Ad]]
In 1987, Hillsboro opened the season by playing two games in the first week of the season. They opened the season at home on a Monday night by beating Paint Valley, 23-0. On Friday night of the same week, they traveled to New Richmond, where they escaped with a narrow 10-7 win over the Lions.
This year, the Indians would try the same routine, opening on Monday night at Paint Valley, then hosting New Richmond at John Wayne Richards Field four nights later. But Paint Valley would be much tougher this year, and New Richmond would be stronger, too.
Quarterback Erik Callahan would be back directing traffic for Coach Jim Horne, as would senior fullback Troy Hammond, linebacker Brett Horton and tailbacks Cliff Phillips, Craig Jackson and Jay Jones. Juniors Klay Maynard and Rhett Snyder looked promising at split end and tight end.
Horne, now in his 14th year at HHS, his sixth year as head coach, was looking for a winning season in 1988. Actually, last year’s Indians were 6-4 overall, but they were only 1-4 in SCOL games, good for fifth place. They hoped to improve on that, this season.
Horne, like most of the league coaches, was picking Miami Trace and Washington number one and number two in the SCOL this fall.
Miami Trace had won four consecutive league titles and was shooting for a fifth. Head coach Al Riffey was beginning his third season at the helm. His league record for the first two years was a perfect 10-0. Fifteen lettermen would be returning for the Panthers, this season, including 6’4”, 220 lb. fullback Jamie Curry and rugged 5’10”, 175 lb. tailback Jim Smith. MT was not going to be an easy win for anybody in the SCOL.
Washington head coach Roy Lucas was the brother of Ohio State and NBA great Jerry Lucas. He would be in his second year calling the shots for the Blue Lions. The Lions would run an option offense this year, designed to take advantage of the talents of their 5’7”, 135 lb. senior quarterback, Chad Thomas.
The Lions had 47 young men on their football team this year, so their depth should not be a weakness. Most of the league coaches rated them at or near the top of the heap.
At McClain, Coach Otis Wagner was back for his fifth year as the head Tiger. In his previous four years, the McClain team had accumulated a 13-27 record.
Last season, the Tigers had an overall 3-7 record, but one of the wins came when Cincinnati McNicholas had to forfeit a 17-7 win over the purple-and-gold. McClain failed to win a league game. The Tigers, who ran out of the “T,” figured to throw more, this year.
They had last year’s starting quarterback, Brian Pittser, back, and this year, he had a couple of good split receivers to throw to.
Also, big tackles Todd Lovett and Tate Wagner would lend stability to the line.
McClain had added Newark Catholic to this year’s already rugged schedule. They would be a question mark, but they hoped for a very successful season.
Jim Tsilimos was back for his second year at the helm of the Wilmington Hurricane.
He considered the 1988 season as a rebuilding year for the Hurricane, who finished 4-1 in the SCOL (good for second place) in 1987, but only 4-6 overall. “There’s no Greg Nared, Gary Williams or Jodi Ames on our team this year,” he said. “If we win, it will be because we worked for it.”
The Hurricane would again run out of the wishbone offense, and Doug Rinehart, a 6’0”, 160 lb. quarterback would be calling the plays. How they would perform was anybody’s guess.
Mark Hartman would be back at Circleville for his second year. Last year, the Tigers were 2-3 in the SCOL and 3-7 overall. But six of the seven losses were by a touchdown or less. They hoped to turn several of those close losses into victories this season. But the Tigers had already been dealt a staggering blow, when talented returning quarterback Todd Tomlinson blew out a knee on the baseball diamond and had reconstructive surgery. He would be out for the entire season.
Rick Gerhardt would handle the punting and placekicking duties this season. It was said that he was accurate inside the 30-yard line and VERY accurate inside the 20. The Tigers were another question mark this season.
In their Monday night opener, Hillsboro took a rather easy 33-0 win over Paint Valley. The Indians gained 161 yards on 31 rushes and hit on 6-of-17 passes for another 122 yards, with one interception. PV gained 105 yards rushing on 25 attempts and completed 10-of-28 passes for 200 yards, but had four interceptions.
The Bearcats also fumbled four times, losing three. Hillsboro fumbled twice but recovered both times. The Indians would travel to New Richmond Friday night.
On Sept. 2 (the first Friday night of the season), the Indians grabbed their second win of the young season by thumping New Richmond, 29-3, on Richards Memorial Field.
Also, McClain clipped Paint Valley, 33-14, Goshen edged Wilmington, 7-3, a very fast Springfield Northeastern team pummeled Miami Trace, 25-6, Portsmouth ground out a 27-18 win over Washington, when the Trojans’ Troy Parker racked up 234 yards and three touchdowns, and Logan Elm ran all over Circleville, 41-7.
The next Friday night, the Hillsboro Indians improved their record to 3-0 by downing Unioto in Hillsboro, 25-6.
The Indian defense limited Unioto to only 17 rushing yards for the game, and defensive backfield ace Klay Maynard intercepted four Unioto passes.
Meanwhile, Indian back Cliff Phillips rushed for 134 yards and two Hillsboro touchdowns.
(Continued next week.)
Bob Patton is a Highland County sports historian and a contributing writer to The Highland County Press.[[In-content Ad]]