Greg Nared, Jeff Shaw top SCOL QBs in 1983
By
Bob Patton-
(Continued from last week.)
With three league games under their belts in the 1983 campaign, Washington and Wilmington were tied for the top rung in the SCOL, with 3-0 records. They were followed by Circleville, with a 2-1 mark, while McClain, Hillsboro, Miami Trace and Teays Valley all stood at 1-2 and Madison-Plains was 0-3.
League-leaders Washington and Wilmington were scheduled to meet each other the last night of the regular season at Gardner Park in Washington C.H.
On the 14th of October, Miami Trace traveled to Teays Valley to meet the much-improved Vikings.
The two teams battled through four tough quarters, and finally settled for a 24-24 tie. The tie effectively ended the likelihood of either team figuring prominently in the SCOL race this season.
At WCH, the Hillsboro Indians put up a terrific fight, but the Blue Lions finally came away with a 19-6 win, even though they fumbled the ball away three times. WCH totaled 310 yards of offense while holding the resurgent Indians to 224 total yards. The Indians, though, had no reason to hang their heads. They forced an outstanding team to fight for its life.
This was Homecoming weekend in Greenfield. Prior to the McClain vs. Wilmington game, MHS senior Whitney Rannells was crowned Homecoming Queen. Her attendants were Queen’s attendant Janne Solbakk (an exchange student from Norway), senior attendant Robin Hilterbrand, junior attendant Angie Campbell, sophomore attendant Lisa Clyburn and freshman attendant Billie Joe May.
The highlight of the evening for McClain, however, was the crowning of the Queen. In the football game, Wilmington scored two touchdowns in each of the first two quarters en route to a 35-0 whitewashing of the Tigers. The vaunted Hurricane defense held the Tigers to a grand total of 48 yards of offense. It was no contest.
At Circleville, the homestanding Tigers scored three touchdowns in each of the first two quarters to post a whopping 42-6 halftime lead over Madison- Plains. They played everybody in the second half, coasting to a 56-14 win. This lopsided win allowed the Tigers to move into an uncontested third-place standing, behind the two undefeated teams, Wilmington and Washington C.H.
After four league games, Wilmington’s Greg Nared and receiver Aaron Cox of Madison-Plains stood atop the passing race in the SCOL, but neither enjoyed much of a lead. Nared had racked up 760 yards through the air. He was only eight yards ahead of Jeff Shaw, of WCH, who had thrown for 752 yards. Shaw, however, continued to be the most accurate passer in the league, completing 54.5 percent of his attempts. Shaw and Nared were the leaders in touchdown passes, both with five. Cox, of Madison-Plains, had caught 23 passes to lead all receivers, but Cam Storer of Wilmington and Mike Wilson of WCH each had 21 catches.
The Blue Lions had the most potent offense in the SCOL, by a good margin. They had totaled 2,471 total yards of offense and had scored 228 points. Wilmington was second, but trailed WCH by a substantial margin. The ’Cane did, however, boast the league’s stingiest defense. They had held opponents to a total of 1,137 total yards and only 36 points. WCH was second in this category, but they were not close.
Miami Trace traveled to Madison-Plains Oct. 21, to tangle with the Golden Eagles. While Washington was entertaining Teays Valley, the McClain Tigers were doing battle with the Circleville Tigers at Circleville, and the Wilmington Hurricane was in Hillsboro to lock horns with the improved Indians.
Circleville dominated McClain, accumulating 293 yards of total offense in the game to McClain’s 57. In first downs, the red-and-black had 16 to McClain’s two. The final score was Circleville 21, McClain 0.
The closest game in the league was at Hillsboro, where the determined Indians played state-ranked and undefeated (in the SCOL) Wilmington very tough. A second-quarter Indian fumble led to a Hurricane touchdown – the only touchdown of the game. The Hurricane got out of town with a narrow 6-0 win
Miami Trace drubbed Madison-Plains, 47-6, and Washington thumped Teays Valley, 26-7.
It appeared that the SCOL championship was going to be decided Nov. 4 at Washington C.H., when the Blue Lions and the Hurricane would tangle in a battle for the gold.
But, the Oct. 28 games had to be played first.
Miami Trace outlasted Hillsboro 20-7, as the Indians were able to generate very little offense. At Greenfield, WCH rambled over the McClain Tigers 35-0, when the Tigers were able to chalk up only 71 yards of offense and just five first downs.
Teays Valley downed Madison-Plains, 40-0, in what one of the SCOL-area sportswriters tabbed “the first ever SCOL Lame Duck Bowl,” between the two teams who would both be leaving the SCOL after this season.
The big shocker was at Wilmington, where Circleville played the Hurricane nose-to-nose. In an unbelievable twist, Wilmington had the ball on Circleville’s seven-yard line with 27 seconds remaining in the game and the score tied 7-7. Wilmington head coach Bob White sent in usually reliable kicker J.D. McIntosh to attempt a 24 yard field goal, which sailed wide
left. But, a flag appeared, and Circleville was called for a roughing the kicker violation. Possession came back to the Hurricane, on the three-yard line, with a first and goal. White sent McIntosh back into the game. This time, the senior kicker muffed a 20-yard field goal with 22 seconds remaining.
But, wait! Another flag! Another penalty against Circleville – this time for being offside. McIntosh was given a third opportunity, this time from the 19. The third time is a charm, you say? Wrong! He missed again. The game ended in a 7-7 tie.
This tie dropped Wilmington out of the first-place tie with Washington for the league championship.
Washington played host to the Wilmington Hurricane on the last night of the 1983 league season. The Blue Lions, sitting atop the SCOL, sported a 6-0 league mark. But, Wilmington was 5-0 with one tie. They still had not lost a league game. So, a win at WCH on Friday night would give the SCOL championship to the Hurricane. Any team which completed the SCOL season undefeated qualified for the gold football. There was no reference (at that time) to ties. So, Wilmington was playing for the SCOL title and the gold football.
A tremendous crowd was on hand in Gardner Park to see Hurricane quarterback Greg Nared connect on 17 of 27 tosses for 226 yards. This gave him a total of 1,158 yards for the season, making him the top passer in the SCOL. Remarkably, Nared completed the entire 10-game schedule without throwing a single interception.
But in this game, it wasn’t enough. The awesome Blue Lion offensive line enabled fullback Fred Jones to roll up 154 rushing yards on 24 carries. This gave Jones a total of 1,245 rushing yards for the season, making him the top rusher in the league. His two touchdowns also made him the number-one scorer in the SCOL, with 98 points. The final score was Washington 21, Wilmington 13.
Wilmington, the best defensive team in the league, was unable to contain the WCH rushing offense. Washington won the SCOL championship, and the gold football (their first in ten years). They appeared a cinch to make the state playoffs.
(Continued next week.)
Bob Patton is a Highland County sports historian and a contributing writer to The Highland County Press.[[In-content Ad]]
With three league games under their belts in the 1983 campaign, Washington and Wilmington were tied for the top rung in the SCOL, with 3-0 records. They were followed by Circleville, with a 2-1 mark, while McClain, Hillsboro, Miami Trace and Teays Valley all stood at 1-2 and Madison-Plains was 0-3.
League-leaders Washington and Wilmington were scheduled to meet each other the last night of the regular season at Gardner Park in Washington C.H.
On the 14th of October, Miami Trace traveled to Teays Valley to meet the much-improved Vikings.
The two teams battled through four tough quarters, and finally settled for a 24-24 tie. The tie effectively ended the likelihood of either team figuring prominently in the SCOL race this season.
At WCH, the Hillsboro Indians put up a terrific fight, but the Blue Lions finally came away with a 19-6 win, even though they fumbled the ball away three times. WCH totaled 310 yards of offense while holding the resurgent Indians to 224 total yards. The Indians, though, had no reason to hang their heads. They forced an outstanding team to fight for its life.
This was Homecoming weekend in Greenfield. Prior to the McClain vs. Wilmington game, MHS senior Whitney Rannells was crowned Homecoming Queen. Her attendants were Queen’s attendant Janne Solbakk (an exchange student from Norway), senior attendant Robin Hilterbrand, junior attendant Angie Campbell, sophomore attendant Lisa Clyburn and freshman attendant Billie Joe May.
The highlight of the evening for McClain, however, was the crowning of the Queen. In the football game, Wilmington scored two touchdowns in each of the first two quarters en route to a 35-0 whitewashing of the Tigers. The vaunted Hurricane defense held the Tigers to a grand total of 48 yards of offense. It was no contest.
At Circleville, the homestanding Tigers scored three touchdowns in each of the first two quarters to post a whopping 42-6 halftime lead over Madison- Plains. They played everybody in the second half, coasting to a 56-14 win. This lopsided win allowed the Tigers to move into an uncontested third-place standing, behind the two undefeated teams, Wilmington and Washington C.H.
After four league games, Wilmington’s Greg Nared and receiver Aaron Cox of Madison-Plains stood atop the passing race in the SCOL, but neither enjoyed much of a lead. Nared had racked up 760 yards through the air. He was only eight yards ahead of Jeff Shaw, of WCH, who had thrown for 752 yards. Shaw, however, continued to be the most accurate passer in the league, completing 54.5 percent of his attempts. Shaw and Nared were the leaders in touchdown passes, both with five. Cox, of Madison-Plains, had caught 23 passes to lead all receivers, but Cam Storer of Wilmington and Mike Wilson of WCH each had 21 catches.
The Blue Lions had the most potent offense in the SCOL, by a good margin. They had totaled 2,471 total yards of offense and had scored 228 points. Wilmington was second, but trailed WCH by a substantial margin. The ’Cane did, however, boast the league’s stingiest defense. They had held opponents to a total of 1,137 total yards and only 36 points. WCH was second in this category, but they were not close.
Miami Trace traveled to Madison-Plains Oct. 21, to tangle with the Golden Eagles. While Washington was entertaining Teays Valley, the McClain Tigers were doing battle with the Circleville Tigers at Circleville, and the Wilmington Hurricane was in Hillsboro to lock horns with the improved Indians.
Circleville dominated McClain, accumulating 293 yards of total offense in the game to McClain’s 57. In first downs, the red-and-black had 16 to McClain’s two. The final score was Circleville 21, McClain 0.
The closest game in the league was at Hillsboro, where the determined Indians played state-ranked and undefeated (in the SCOL) Wilmington very tough. A second-quarter Indian fumble led to a Hurricane touchdown – the only touchdown of the game. The Hurricane got out of town with a narrow 6-0 win
Miami Trace drubbed Madison-Plains, 47-6, and Washington thumped Teays Valley, 26-7.
It appeared that the SCOL championship was going to be decided Nov. 4 at Washington C.H., when the Blue Lions and the Hurricane would tangle in a battle for the gold.
But, the Oct. 28 games had to be played first.
Miami Trace outlasted Hillsboro 20-7, as the Indians were able to generate very little offense. At Greenfield, WCH rambled over the McClain Tigers 35-0, when the Tigers were able to chalk up only 71 yards of offense and just five first downs.
Teays Valley downed Madison-Plains, 40-0, in what one of the SCOL-area sportswriters tabbed “the first ever SCOL Lame Duck Bowl,” between the two teams who would both be leaving the SCOL after this season.
The big shocker was at Wilmington, where Circleville played the Hurricane nose-to-nose. In an unbelievable twist, Wilmington had the ball on Circleville’s seven-yard line with 27 seconds remaining in the game and the score tied 7-7. Wilmington head coach Bob White sent in usually reliable kicker J.D. McIntosh to attempt a 24 yard field goal, which sailed wide
left. But, a flag appeared, and Circleville was called for a roughing the kicker violation. Possession came back to the Hurricane, on the three-yard line, with a first and goal. White sent McIntosh back into the game. This time, the senior kicker muffed a 20-yard field goal with 22 seconds remaining.
But, wait! Another flag! Another penalty against Circleville – this time for being offside. McIntosh was given a third opportunity, this time from the 19. The third time is a charm, you say? Wrong! He missed again. The game ended in a 7-7 tie.
This tie dropped Wilmington out of the first-place tie with Washington for the league championship.
Washington played host to the Wilmington Hurricane on the last night of the 1983 league season. The Blue Lions, sitting atop the SCOL, sported a 6-0 league mark. But, Wilmington was 5-0 with one tie. They still had not lost a league game. So, a win at WCH on Friday night would give the SCOL championship to the Hurricane. Any team which completed the SCOL season undefeated qualified for the gold football. There was no reference (at that time) to ties. So, Wilmington was playing for the SCOL title and the gold football.
A tremendous crowd was on hand in Gardner Park to see Hurricane quarterback Greg Nared connect on 17 of 27 tosses for 226 yards. This gave him a total of 1,158 yards for the season, making him the top passer in the SCOL. Remarkably, Nared completed the entire 10-game schedule without throwing a single interception.
But in this game, it wasn’t enough. The awesome Blue Lion offensive line enabled fullback Fred Jones to roll up 154 rushing yards on 24 carries. This gave Jones a total of 1,245 rushing yards for the season, making him the top rusher in the league. His two touchdowns also made him the number-one scorer in the SCOL, with 98 points. The final score was Washington 21, Wilmington 13.
Wilmington, the best defensive team in the league, was unable to contain the WCH rushing offense. Washington won the SCOL championship, and the gold football (their first in ten years). They appeared a cinch to make the state playoffs.
(Continued next week.)
Bob Patton is a Highland County sports historian and a contributing writer to The Highland County Press.[[In-content Ad]]