Ford, Cole led HHS running game in '77
By
Bob Patton-
Ford, Cole led HHS
running game in ’77
By BOB PATTON
For The Highland County Press
As mentioned previously, Mike Doyle submitted his resignation as head football coach at Hillsboro during the winter of 1976-77. The Hillsboro
schools employed Jerry Peters to replace Doyle. Peters came to Hillsboro from Loveland, where he had (at various times) coached football, basketball,
baseball, track and wrestling.
Also, Teays Valley, of near Circleville had become the eighth team in the SCOL.
Hillsboro’s Indians opened the 1977 football season at New Richmond, as they had done the past several years, and were beaten by the Lions, 20-10, in spite of the fact that New Richmond had three regulars out with injuries, including their star player, senior Buster Hardin.
Bruce Ford finished with 96 yards for Hillsboro, one of the few bright spots for the Indians.
On the second Friday night of the season, Sept. 17, Hillsboro played at Zanesville Rosecrans, Circleville entertained Hamilton Township, Wilmington traveled to Grove City, McClain played at Springfield Shawnee and awesome Miami Trace visited Teays Valley.
The Panthers were the overwhelming favorite to take another SCOL football championship. They had 11 of 22 starters back from their undefeated
league champions of 1976. The 11 returnees included phenomenal senior Art Schlichter, All-State split end Bill Hanners and second team All-State
linebacker Denny Combs. On paper, the Panthers appeared far too tough for any of the other SCOL teams this season. The Wilmington Hurricane had a new head coach, Tony Lamke. They featured all-leaguer Gary Williams, who could do it all. They did not appear to have great depth and suffered from a lack of experienced players.
Washington C.H. featured an inexperienced junior quarterback (Todd Terrell). Their running backs were very fast, but inexperienced. But the Blue Lions did have an experienced line and All-SCOL performers Terry Wilson and Jeff Elliot among the 11 returning lettermen. They finished tied with Circleville for fourth place in the SCOL in 1976.
Fred Brisker, at McClain, had 16 lettermen returning, but the Tigers lost the entire starting backfield from last season and they were not nearly
as big as last year’s team. Brisker would have to pull a rabbit out of the hat to figure in this season’s SCOL race.
At Zanesville, Hillsboro guard Jerry Bach blocked a punt with a little over six minutes to go in the game and Bruce Ford scored from seven yards out, to give the Indians a 13-0 victory over Rosecrans.
Meanwhile, Circleville dropped a 10-6 game to Hamilton Township, Wilmington and Grove City battled to a scoreless tie, McClain and
Shawnee ended with a 6-6 tie, Washington C.H. bested Chillicothe, 28-18, and Miami Trace blasted Teays Valley, 58-0.
On Sept. 23, Hillsboro hosted the Pioneers of Zane Trace High School at John Wayne Richards Field. The Indians ran all over the young Pioneers,
47-12. The McClain Tigers traveled to take on Madison Plains, and walloped the Golden Eagles, 33-7, Circleville was defeated by Athens, 15-0, Washington downed New Lexington at home 16-6, Miami Trace manhandled Jackson, 62-0, Franklin Heights beat Teays Valley, 24-8, and Dayton Carroll walloped Wilmington, 47-7.
On the last day of September 1977, the Hillsboro Indians pulled off a memorable upset when they traveled to WCH and stunned the Blue Lions, 17-0, behind Jerry Bach, Bruce Ford, Jon Cole and Greg Banks. In other SCOL action, Wilmington burned McClain, 35-14, and Circleville clipped Madison Plains, 34-6. Both Miami Trace and Teays Valley played non-league games.
Hillsboro would go for their second SCOL win at Wilmington Oct. 7, but they would have their hands full. The Hurricane had been having injury
problems but had nearly all their mainstays back. Senior quarterback Gary Williams threw two touchdown passes, kicked two extra points and a 27-yard
field goal, and the Hurricane took a 17-7 victory over the Indians.
Elsewhere, new league member Teays Valley scorched WCH, 28-12, Miami Trace clobbered Madison Plains, 66-7, and Circleville edged McClain, 14-7 at
Circleville.
October 14 saw the mighty Miami Trace Panthers bring their powerhouse to Hillsboro. This turned out to be a mismatch. The Miami Trace offense amassed
a total of 537 yards in passing and running. The Panther football team was superb in every aspect of the game. They routed the Indians, 60-14. The 1977
MT team was just too good for the rest of the SCOL. For most of the season, they were ranked third in the state among AAA teams in the AP poll. And
Miami Trace was the smallest AAA school in the state.
In Greenfield, attractive McClain High School senior Joanie Free was crowned Homecoming Queen prior to the McClain vs. Washington football game.
Miss Free was accompanied by Queen’s Attendant Jill McNeil, senior attendant Susan Taylor, junior attendant Pam Stroud, sophomore attendant Kay Lucas and
freshman attendant Sara Jayne Bland.
To make the evening complete, the McClain Tigers scored nine points in the first half and held on to win the homecoming game, 9-6, over visiting
Washington C.H. Circleville beat Wilmington, 23-15, and Teays Valley took MP, 33-6. Hillsboro blasted Madison Plains, 33-0, on Oct. 21 and immediately
began preparing for next Friday night’s battle with their cross-county rivals, the McClain Tigers. Elsewhere, Miami Trace demolished Circleville,
78-0, Hamilton Township clipped Teays Valley, 13-8, McClain downed Chaminade-Julienne, of Dayton, 7-6, and Wilmington hung the fourth SCOL loss of the season on Washington C.H., 25-13.
Hard-running tailback Bruce Ford, of Hillsboro, had topped 1,000 yards rushing. Dennis Combs, of Miami Trace, stood in second place, and he was
more than 200 yards behind Ford. And the Hillsboro star was only a junior. In total yards of offense, Miami Trace had first place sewed up,
but Hillsboro ranked second.
In passing, MT’s Art Schlichter had the lead by a large margin over Alan Storer, of Greenfield McClain. On the last Friday night in October, the
Hillsboro Indians came from behind and staked out a narrow 18-13 win over the McClain Tigers on the Hillsboro field.
Earlier, McClain had utilized the “Lonesome End” play to score and put the Tigers on top 13-6 just before halftime. But, in the second half, the
Tigers inability to contain Ford and Cole cost them dearly. Ford rushed for 107 yards for the game, and Cole added 74.
In other SCOL action, Miami Trace upended Wilmington 52-10, Circleville edged Teays Valley, 7-0, and Washington downed Madison Plains, 33-0. This marked 17 consecutive losses for the Golden Eagles.
(Continued next week.)
Bob Patton is a Highland County sports historian and a contributing writer to The Highland County Press.
As mentioned previously, Mike Doyle submitted his resignation as head football coach at Hillsboro during the winter of 1976-77. The Hillsboro schools employed Jerry Peters to replace Doyle. Peters came to Hillsboro from Loveland, where he had (at various times) coached football, basketball, baseball, track and wrestling.
Also, Teays Valley, of near Circleville had become the eighth team in the SCOL.
Hillsboro’s Indians opened the 1977 football season at New Richmond, as they had done the past several years, and were beaten by the Lions, 20-10, in spite of the fact that New Richmond had three regulars out with injuries, including their star player, senior Buster Hardin.
Bruce Ford finished with 96 yards for Hillsboro, one of the few bright spots for the Indians.
On the second Friday night of the season, Sept. 17, Hillsboro played at Zanesville Rosecrans, Circleville entertained Hamilton Township, Wilmington traveled to Grove City, McClain played at Springfield Shawnee and awesome Miami Trace visited Teays Valley.
The Panthers were the overwhelming favorite to take another SCOL football championship. They had 11 of 22 starters back from their undefeated league champions of 1976. The 11 returnees included phenomenal senior Art Schlichter, All-State split end Bill Hanners and second team All-State linebacker Denny Combs. On paper, the Panthers appeared far too tough for any of the other SCOL teams this season. The Wilmington Hurricane had a new head coach, Tony Lamke. They featured all-leaguer Gary Williams, who could do it all. They did not appear to have great depth and suffered from a lack of experienced players.
Washington C.H. featured an inexperienced junior quarterback (Todd Terrell). Their running backs were very fast, but inexperienced. But the Blue Lions did have an experienced line and All-SCOL performers Terry Wilson and Jeff Elliot among the 11 returning lettermen. They finished tied with Circleville for fourth place in the SCOL in 1976.
Fred Brisker, at McClain, had 16 lettermen returning, but the Tigers lost the entire starting backfield from last season and they were not nearly as big as last year’s team. Brisker would have to pull a rabbit out of the hat to figure in this season’s SCOL race.
At Zanesville, Hillsboro guard Jerry Bach blocked a punt with a little over six minutes to go in the game and Bruce Ford scored from seven yards out, to give the Indians a 13-0 victory over Rosecrans.
Meanwhile, Circleville dropped a 10-6 game to Hamilton Township, Wilmington and Grove City battled to a scoreless tie, McClain and Shawnee ended with a 6-6 tie, Washington C.H. bested Chillicothe, 28-18, and Miami Trace blasted Teays Valley, 58-0.
On Sept. 23, Hillsboro hosted the Pioneers of Zane Trace High School at John Wayne Richards Field. The Indians ran all over the young Pioneers, 47-12. The McClain Tigers traveled to take on Madison Plains, and walloped the Golden Eagles, 33-7, Circleville was defeated by Athens, 15-0, Washington downed New Lexington at home 16-6, Miami Trace manhandled Jackson, 62-0, Franklin Heights beat Teays Valley, 24-8, and Dayton Carroll walloped Wilmington, 47-7.
On the last day of September 1977, the Hillsboro Indians pulled off a memorable upset when they traveled to WCH and stunned the Blue Lions, 17-0, behind Jerry Bach, Bruce Ford, Jon Cole and Greg Banks. In other SCOL action, Wilmington burned McClain, 35-14, and Circleville clipped Madison Plains, 34-6. Both Miami Trace and Teays Valley played non-league games.
Hillsboro would go for their second SCOL win at Wilmington Oct. 7, but they would have their hands full. The Hurricane had been having injury problems but had nearly all their mainstays back. Senior quarterback Gary Williams threw two touchdown passes, kicked two extra points and a 27-yard field goal, and the Hurricane took a 17-7 victory over the Indians.
Elsewhere, new league member Teays Valley scorched WCH, 28-12, Miami Trace clobbered Madison Plains, 66-7, and Circleville edged McClain, 14-7 at
Circleville.
October 14 saw the mighty Miami Trace Panthers bring their powerhouse to Hillsboro. This turned out to be a mismatch. The Miami Trace offense amassed
a total of 537 yards in passing and running. The Panther football team was superb in every aspect of the game. They routed the Indians, 60-14. The 1977 MT team was just too good for the rest of the SCOL. For most of the season, they were ranked third in the state among AAA teams in the AP poll. And Miami Trace was the smallest AAA school in the state.
In Greenfield, attractive McClain High School senior Joanie Free was crowned Homecoming Queen prior to the McClain vs. Washington football game. Miss Free was accompanied by Queen’s Attendant Jill McNeil, senior attendant Susan Taylor, junior attendant Pam Stroud, sophomore attendant Kay Lucas and freshman attendant Sara Jayne Bland.
To make the evening complete, the McClain Tigers scored nine points in the first half and held on to win the homecoming game, 9-6, over visiting Washington C.H. Circleville beat Wilmington, 23-15, and Teays Valley took MP, 33-6. Hillsboro blasted Madison Plains, 33-0, on Oct. 21 and immediately began preparing for next Friday night’s battle with their cross-county rivals, the McClain Tigers. Elsewhere, Miami Trace demolished Circleville, 78-0, Hamilton Township clipped Teays Valley, 13-8, McClain downed Chaminade-Julienne, of Dayton, 7-6, and Wilmington hung the fourth SCOL loss of the season on Washington C.H., 25-13.
Hard-running tailback Bruce Ford, of Hillsboro, had topped 1,000 yards rushing. Dennis Combs, of Miami Trace, stood in second place, and he was
more than 200 yards behind Ford. And the Hillsboro star was only a junior. In total yards of offense, Miami Trace had first place sewed up, but Hillsboro ranked second.
In passing, MT’s Art Schlichter had the lead by a large margin over Alan Storer, of Greenfield McClain. On the last Friday night in October, the Hillsboro Indians came from behind and staked out a narrow 18-13 win over the McClain Tigers on the Hillsboro field.
Earlier, McClain had utilized the “Lonesome End” play to score and put the Tigers on top 13-6 just before halftime. But, in the second half, the Tigers inability to contain Ford and Cole cost them dearly. Ford rushed for 107 yards for the game, and Cole added 74.
In other SCOL action, Miami Trace upended Wilmington 52-10, Circleville edged Teays Valley, 7-0, and Washington downed Madison Plains, 33-0. This marked 17 consecutive losses for the Golden Eagles.
(Continued next week.)
Bob Patton is a Highland County sports historian and a contributing writer to The Highland County Press.
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