Tribe posts 17 victories in 1988
By
Bob Patton-
(Continued from last week.)
On the last Friday in January 1988, Washington visited Circleville, where the Lions outscored the Tigers by eight points from the field but attempted only 12 free-throws to Circleville’s 31. Circleville beat the visitors, 60-52.
And in the biggest upset in the SCOL that season, McClain downed the league-leading Wilmington Hurricane, 73-71 This upset deprived the Hurricane of any chance to win the gold basketball that season.
Junior Shane Anderson led the Tigers with 18 points and 8 rebounds, but the purple-and-gold had four starters in double figures.
Mike Taylor posted 25 points for Wilmington and big Petri Jolkkonen had 16, but the Tigers held the other Hurricane players down very effectively.
Even though this game was played in Greenfield, the Tigers outscored Wilmington by 16 points from the field, and the black-and-orange actually had the advantage from the free-throw line, as McClain had three players foul out of the game while one Hurricane departed with five fouls.
Going into February, as the 1987-88 season wound down, Wilmington played Lebanon on the Lebanon court, Feb. 2. With Mike Taylor putting up 34 markers, the Hurricane recovered from their defeat at McClain by rushing to a 41-22 halftime lead and holding on for a comfortable 80-64 win.
Also, Hillsboro trounced Georgetown in another non-league encounter, 81-55 on the Indians’ home court.
Washington C.H. visited Hillsboro on Frida, Feb. 5. The Blue Lions were employing a “triangle and one” effectively to shut down the Indians’ inside game.
With the Indians’ top three-point shooter, Ritchie Butler, having a bad night shooting, Coach Stewart went to his bench for junior guard Tom Stanforth. Stanforth came off the bench to rack up 17 Hillsboro points.
The Indians actually had five men in double-figures, and the Indians captured the win, 70-63. Haithcock’s 21 points led the Lions.
At Wilmington, the Hurricane smashed Circleville, 89-67, when Taylor, Cleaver and Rayman totaled 71 points. Scott Allen scored 22 for the Tigers, who were really never in this game.
On Saturday night, Circleville beat Waverly 59-48, and Hillsboro edged Unioto, 64-59, in Chillicothe.
Tuesday, Feb. 9 saw Miami Trace visit undefeated Jamestown Greeneview.
The Rams were 18-0 for a reason. Greeneview jumped out to a 30-15 lead after one quarter and went on to a 100-70 win over Trace.
Everybody in the gym scored for Greeneview, including the custodian. Two Ram players, Combs and Sonneman, scored 30 points each. Sonneman was named first team All-State that year.
Washington downed the West Jefferson Rough Riders, 60-51, with Haithcock scoring 16 Lion points.
In Wilmington, Mike Taylor poured in 43 points, his all-time high, but he needed one more basket. Dayton Colonel White won the game, 88-87.
Washington hosted their cross-county rivals, the Miami Trace Panthers, Friday, Feb. 12.
The Blue Lions won every quarter, then held on in the fourth stanza, as Trace mounted a comeback. In the end, it was Washington 75, Trace 70.
Hillsboro visited Wilmington, where the Hurricane clinched the league championship by taking an 86-72 win over the Indians, as Mike Taylor padded his individual scoring lead by tallying 35 points.
Circleville beat the McClain Tigers 52-42, at Circleville, with Scott Allen getting 20 points for the red-and-black. This win tied Circleville with Hillsboro for second place in the SCOL.
Later, Miami Trace met the Columbus West Cowboys, in Columbus.
The Panthers put up a terrific battle, especially Jason Moore, who racked up a total of 25 points. But, in the end, the Cowboys came out on top by a score of 73-67.
In Bellbrook, senior Mike Taylor notched 32 points and grabbed five rebounds, and the SCOL champion Wilmington Hurricane clipped Bellbrook, 82-70.
Also, Circleville came from behind and nipped Zane Trace, 52-49 on the Circleville court, and McClain edged Fairfield, 60-57, on the Leesburg court. Remarkably, the visitors (McClain) hit 18-of-23 free-throw attempts, while the home team did not shoot a free-throw all night. How often does that happen?
In some of the final SCOL games of the season, Wilmington ran off and left Miami Trace, 92-60, with all five Wilmington starters scoring in double-figures, and McClain pulled off another upset, at Washington, when they defeated the Blue Lions, 67-61. Shane Anderson hit for 20 McClain points in this one, while Haithcock had 23 and Pittser 21 for Washington.
Hillsboro took sole possession of second place in the SCOL by whopping Circleville, 69-55 in the Hillsboro gym.
So, the final standings for the South Central Ohio League in the 1987-88 season were:
Wilmington – 9-1, 17-3
Hillsboro – 7-3, 17-3
Circleville – 6-4, 12-8
Washington – 4-6, 11-9
McClain – 2-8, 6-14
Miami Trace – 2-8, 6-14
Circleville was still actively looking for another league, as they wanted out of the SCOL.
They had recently attended a meeting of officials from several schools in the greater Columbus area, such as Hamilton Township, Teays Valley, Bexley, Whitehall and others who were considering the formation of an entirely new league.
The future of the South Central Ohio League did not look particularly bright at that time.
(Continued next week.)
Bob Patton is a Highland County sports historian and a contributing writer to The Highland County Press.[[In-content Ad]]
On the last Friday in January 1988, Washington visited Circleville, where the Lions outscored the Tigers by eight points from the field but attempted only 12 free-throws to Circleville’s 31. Circleville beat the visitors, 60-52.
And in the biggest upset in the SCOL that season, McClain downed the league-leading Wilmington Hurricane, 73-71 This upset deprived the Hurricane of any chance to win the gold basketball that season.
Junior Shane Anderson led the Tigers with 18 points and 8 rebounds, but the purple-and-gold had four starters in double figures.
Mike Taylor posted 25 points for Wilmington and big Petri Jolkkonen had 16, but the Tigers held the other Hurricane players down very effectively.
Even though this game was played in Greenfield, the Tigers outscored Wilmington by 16 points from the field, and the black-and-orange actually had the advantage from the free-throw line, as McClain had three players foul out of the game while one Hurricane departed with five fouls.
Going into February, as the 1987-88 season wound down, Wilmington played Lebanon on the Lebanon court, Feb. 2. With Mike Taylor putting up 34 markers, the Hurricane recovered from their defeat at McClain by rushing to a 41-22 halftime lead and holding on for a comfortable 80-64 win.
Also, Hillsboro trounced Georgetown in another non-league encounter, 81-55 on the Indians’ home court.
Washington C.H. visited Hillsboro on Frida, Feb. 5. The Blue Lions were employing a “triangle and one” effectively to shut down the Indians’ inside game.
With the Indians’ top three-point shooter, Ritchie Butler, having a bad night shooting, Coach Stewart went to his bench for junior guard Tom Stanforth. Stanforth came off the bench to rack up 17 Hillsboro points.
The Indians actually had five men in double-figures, and the Indians captured the win, 70-63. Haithcock’s 21 points led the Lions.
At Wilmington, the Hurricane smashed Circleville, 89-67, when Taylor, Cleaver and Rayman totaled 71 points. Scott Allen scored 22 for the Tigers, who were really never in this game.
On Saturday night, Circleville beat Waverly 59-48, and Hillsboro edged Unioto, 64-59, in Chillicothe.
Tuesday, Feb. 9 saw Miami Trace visit undefeated Jamestown Greeneview.
The Rams were 18-0 for a reason. Greeneview jumped out to a 30-15 lead after one quarter and went on to a 100-70 win over Trace.
Everybody in the gym scored for Greeneview, including the custodian. Two Ram players, Combs and Sonneman, scored 30 points each. Sonneman was named first team All-State that year.
Washington downed the West Jefferson Rough Riders, 60-51, with Haithcock scoring 16 Lion points.
In Wilmington, Mike Taylor poured in 43 points, his all-time high, but he needed one more basket. Dayton Colonel White won the game, 88-87.
Washington hosted their cross-county rivals, the Miami Trace Panthers, Friday, Feb. 12.
The Blue Lions won every quarter, then held on in the fourth stanza, as Trace mounted a comeback. In the end, it was Washington 75, Trace 70.
Hillsboro visited Wilmington, where the Hurricane clinched the league championship by taking an 86-72 win over the Indians, as Mike Taylor padded his individual scoring lead by tallying 35 points.
Circleville beat the McClain Tigers 52-42, at Circleville, with Scott Allen getting 20 points for the red-and-black. This win tied Circleville with Hillsboro for second place in the SCOL.
Later, Miami Trace met the Columbus West Cowboys, in Columbus.
The Panthers put up a terrific battle, especially Jason Moore, who racked up a total of 25 points. But, in the end, the Cowboys came out on top by a score of 73-67.
In Bellbrook, senior Mike Taylor notched 32 points and grabbed five rebounds, and the SCOL champion Wilmington Hurricane clipped Bellbrook, 82-70.
Also, Circleville came from behind and nipped Zane Trace, 52-49 on the Circleville court, and McClain edged Fairfield, 60-57, on the Leesburg court. Remarkably, the visitors (McClain) hit 18-of-23 free-throw attempts, while the home team did not shoot a free-throw all night. How often does that happen?
In some of the final SCOL games of the season, Wilmington ran off and left Miami Trace, 92-60, with all five Wilmington starters scoring in double-figures, and McClain pulled off another upset, at Washington, when they defeated the Blue Lions, 67-61. Shane Anderson hit for 20 McClain points in this one, while Haithcock had 23 and Pittser 21 for Washington.
Hillsboro took sole possession of second place in the SCOL by whopping Circleville, 69-55 in the Hillsboro gym.
So, the final standings for the South Central Ohio League in the 1987-88 season were:
Wilmington – 9-1, 17-3
Hillsboro – 7-3, 17-3
Circleville – 6-4, 12-8
Washington – 4-6, 11-9
McClain – 2-8, 6-14
Miami Trace – 2-8, 6-14
Circleville was still actively looking for another league, as they wanted out of the SCOL.
They had recently attended a meeting of officials from several schools in the greater Columbus area, such as Hamilton Township, Teays Valley, Bexley, Whitehall and others who were considering the formation of an entirely new league.
The future of the South Central Ohio League did not look particularly bright at that time.
(Continued next week.)
Bob Patton is a Highland County sports historian and a contributing writer to The Highland County Press.[[In-content Ad]]