Conference added Pleasant View in '59
By
Bob Patton-
In the fall of 1959, Pleasant View High School of near Columbus became the seventh member of the SCOL. The league had operated with only five member schools for several years.
The McClain Tigers fielded one of their most powerful football teams, and the purple and gold appeared to be the class of the league in early competition. But Washington C.H. was in the running and
Circleville also showed some promise.
In late October, McClain edged tough Franklin Heights, 22-14, giving the Greenfield school a 4-0 league mark. The same night saw Washington squeak by Wilmington, 14-6, giving the Blue Lions a league
record of 3-0. The two leaders were to meet the next Friday night in Greenfield. The winner would have a definite edge in the loop race.
But McClain’s vaunted defense proved too much for the Blue Lions. Coach Paul Orr’s Tigers blocked a punt, intercepted two passes and recovered a WCH fumble as the purple and gold took a decisive 30-6 win over the Fayette County team. This win assured the Tigers of, at least, an SCOL co-championship.
The following Friday, McClain defeated Coach Bill Atsalis’ Hillsboro Indians 28-0 at Hillsboro. This win locked down the SCOL football title for the Tigers. It was also their eighth win in an undefeated season.
On the final playing date of the season, McClain proved that their SCOL Championship was no fluke, in a non-league matchup with Columbus City League Champion Eastmoor. This was a knock-down, drag-out contest which was tied, 8-8, with a minute and 10 seconds remaining, when the Tigers’ little Petey Coleman got into the Eastmoor backfield, intercepted a shovel pass, and scooted 50 yards to score the winning touchdown. This iced an undefeated season for McClain.
The final SCOL football standings were:
McClain, 6-0-0
Washington, 5-1-0
Wilmington, 3-3-0
Franklin Heights, 3-3-0
Circleville, 3-3-0
Hillsboro, 1-5-0
Pleasant View, 0-6-0
Following the close of the season, Coach Bill Atsalis, of Hillsboro, reflected on his first season as coach of the Indians and talked about some of the problems he faced.
Atsalis said he would like to play a reserve schedule and start a freshman program. But he had a grand total of only 34 boys out, at the beginning of the season, and only 20 at the end. This included a number of freshmen and sophomores. He mentioned, specifically,
McClain. MHS was a little smaller than Hillsboro High School in enrollment, but the Tigers were able to run three teams out on the field, where he was forced to use freshmen and sophomores to have one.
The Hillsboro football program was under-staffed, he said. Hillsboro had only four coaches while McClain, Circleville and Franklin Heights had seven and Pleasant View had six.
The 1959 All-SCOL Football Squad was:
Stillings, WCH
Nichols, WILM
Maxie, MHS
Grooms, MHS
Carter, WCH
Gabriel, FH
Morehead, MHS
Looney, MHS
Hicks, CIRC
Balliaari, FH
Grim, MHS
Jones, HHS
Beatty, MHS
Huff, WCH
Craft, MHS
Ward, CIRC
Mullenix, HHS
Lamb, FH
Vanscoy, WILM
Travis, FH
Hannas, CIRC
Thomas, WCH
Long-time Indians Head Basketball Coach Ray Oliver had moved on to greener pastures and Tom Bryant of Chillicothe had been employed to replace him. McClain, with four men scoring in double figures, downed the
Hillsboro Indians 82 – 60 at Hillsboro. But, the following week, Circleville downed McClain, 56-49. Not to be left out, Washington rang up a 93-59 win over Wilmington on Friday evening, then came back to clip Hillsboro, 84-57, on Saturday night.
With only two weeks remaining in the SCOL regular season, it appeared entirely possible that the league race could end up in a four-Way tie.
The league race did, indeed, end up in a four-way tie.
The final league standings were:
Washington, 9-3
Circleville, 9-3
Wilmington, 9-3
McClain, 9-3
Hillsboro, 4-8
Franklin Heights, 3-9
Pleasant View, 0-12
The Hillsboro Indians met the McClain Tigers in the first round of the class AA Sectional Tournament at Paint Valley. The winner would match up with tough Chillicothe.
The Hillsboro/McClain game featured poor shooting by both teams. The Indians led for three quarters, once leading 17-6. But they blew a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter to the neighboring Tigers, who came from behind to win the game in the last few minutes.
The final score was McClain 44, Hillsboro 41. McClain was beaten by Chillicothe in their next outing and the 1959-60 season was over.
No All-SCOL Basketball Squad was chosen.
Miami Trace of neighboring Fayette County was formally welcomed into the league at the spring meeting of the SCOL. The Panthers would
gradually merge into the sports schedule over the next few seasons.
In an aside, little Marshall High School, of Highland County, completed an undefeated regular season and roared to the district finals, where they were edged by powerful South Webster by two points.
Marshall’s reserve team was also undefeated.
At first glance, these facts don’t appear to have anything to do with the South Central Ohio League. They would, however, prove to have a profound effect on the SCOL in days to come.
Bob Patton is a Highland County sports historian and a contributing writer to The Highland County Press. Send comments to the Press at: hcpress@cinci.rr.com.[[In-content Ad]]
The McClain Tigers fielded one of their most powerful football teams, and the purple and gold appeared to be the class of the league in early competition. But Washington C.H. was in the running and
Circleville also showed some promise.
In late October, McClain edged tough Franklin Heights, 22-14, giving the Greenfield school a 4-0 league mark. The same night saw Washington squeak by Wilmington, 14-6, giving the Blue Lions a league
record of 3-0. The two leaders were to meet the next Friday night in Greenfield. The winner would have a definite edge in the loop race.
But McClain’s vaunted defense proved too much for the Blue Lions. Coach Paul Orr’s Tigers blocked a punt, intercepted two passes and recovered a WCH fumble as the purple and gold took a decisive 30-6 win over the Fayette County team. This win assured the Tigers of, at least, an SCOL co-championship.
The following Friday, McClain defeated Coach Bill Atsalis’ Hillsboro Indians 28-0 at Hillsboro. This win locked down the SCOL football title for the Tigers. It was also their eighth win in an undefeated season.
On the final playing date of the season, McClain proved that their SCOL Championship was no fluke, in a non-league matchup with Columbus City League Champion Eastmoor. This was a knock-down, drag-out contest which was tied, 8-8, with a minute and 10 seconds remaining, when the Tigers’ little Petey Coleman got into the Eastmoor backfield, intercepted a shovel pass, and scooted 50 yards to score the winning touchdown. This iced an undefeated season for McClain.
The final SCOL football standings were:
McClain, 6-0-0
Washington, 5-1-0
Wilmington, 3-3-0
Franklin Heights, 3-3-0
Circleville, 3-3-0
Hillsboro, 1-5-0
Pleasant View, 0-6-0
Following the close of the season, Coach Bill Atsalis, of Hillsboro, reflected on his first season as coach of the Indians and talked about some of the problems he faced.
Atsalis said he would like to play a reserve schedule and start a freshman program. But he had a grand total of only 34 boys out, at the beginning of the season, and only 20 at the end. This included a number of freshmen and sophomores. He mentioned, specifically,
McClain. MHS was a little smaller than Hillsboro High School in enrollment, but the Tigers were able to run three teams out on the field, where he was forced to use freshmen and sophomores to have one.
The Hillsboro football program was under-staffed, he said. Hillsboro had only four coaches while McClain, Circleville and Franklin Heights had seven and Pleasant View had six.
The 1959 All-SCOL Football Squad was:
Stillings, WCH
Nichols, WILM
Maxie, MHS
Grooms, MHS
Carter, WCH
Gabriel, FH
Morehead, MHS
Looney, MHS
Hicks, CIRC
Balliaari, FH
Grim, MHS
Jones, HHS
Beatty, MHS
Huff, WCH
Craft, MHS
Ward, CIRC
Mullenix, HHS
Lamb, FH
Vanscoy, WILM
Travis, FH
Hannas, CIRC
Thomas, WCH
Long-time Indians Head Basketball Coach Ray Oliver had moved on to greener pastures and Tom Bryant of Chillicothe had been employed to replace him. McClain, with four men scoring in double figures, downed the
Hillsboro Indians 82 – 60 at Hillsboro. But, the following week, Circleville downed McClain, 56-49. Not to be left out, Washington rang up a 93-59 win over Wilmington on Friday evening, then came back to clip Hillsboro, 84-57, on Saturday night.
With only two weeks remaining in the SCOL regular season, it appeared entirely possible that the league race could end up in a four-Way tie.
The league race did, indeed, end up in a four-way tie.
The final league standings were:
Washington, 9-3
Circleville, 9-3
Wilmington, 9-3
McClain, 9-3
Hillsboro, 4-8
Franklin Heights, 3-9
Pleasant View, 0-12
The Hillsboro Indians met the McClain Tigers in the first round of the class AA Sectional Tournament at Paint Valley. The winner would match up with tough Chillicothe.
The Hillsboro/McClain game featured poor shooting by both teams. The Indians led for three quarters, once leading 17-6. But they blew a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter to the neighboring Tigers, who came from behind to win the game in the last few minutes.
The final score was McClain 44, Hillsboro 41. McClain was beaten by Chillicothe in their next outing and the 1959-60 season was over.
No All-SCOL Basketball Squad was chosen.
Miami Trace of neighboring Fayette County was formally welcomed into the league at the spring meeting of the SCOL. The Panthers would
gradually merge into the sports schedule over the next few seasons.
In an aside, little Marshall High School, of Highland County, completed an undefeated regular season and roared to the district finals, where they were edged by powerful South Webster by two points.
Marshall’s reserve team was also undefeated.
At first glance, these facts don’t appear to have anything to do with the South Central Ohio League. They would, however, prove to have a profound effect on the SCOL in days to come.
Bob Patton is a Highland County sports historian and a contributing writer to The Highland County Press. Send comments to the Press at: hcpress@cinci.rr.com.[[In-content Ad]]