Orr leaves sideline for MHS AD's office
By
Bob Patton-
After the conclusion of the 1970 football season, Coach Paul Orr of Greenfield McClain submitted his resignation as head football coach in order to concentrate on his position as director of athletics. He was replaced by Jay Knierim. Knierim hailed from Michigan. He had been head football coach at Marysville, Ohio for two or three years.
In the announcement of his hiring, the Greenfield Times said that Knierim was 6 feet tall and weighed 340 pounds. He was, the story said, a member of the Ohio Football Coaches Association, the Michigan Football Coaches Association, The American Association of Football Coaches, and The Midwest Coaches Association. There must have been 25 or 30 different organizations that I no longer remember, prompting some wag to comment, “No wonder he weighs 340 pounds, he’s carrying 50 pounds of membership cards!”
Dale Ambos was back at Hillsboro for his third season as head coach of the Indians. The local prognosticators believed that this was the year that the Indians would finally sweep the field and take the league championship.
The Hillsboro paper reported, in mid-August, “The sideline coaches who attend almost every practice session believe that this is the team to take the SCOL crown, and urge other Hillsboro football fans to attend these practices.”
The “sideline coaches” are nearly always wrong. In most cases, they have not even seen the other SCOL teams. How can you pin the league title on any team without seeing their opposition?
For about the sixth consecutive year, the Indians opened their season against Lebanon, and lost again; this time, 14-0. Quarterback Scott Coffman gained 75 yards running the ball, and had a key pass intercepted on the 3-yard line in the third quarter. But the most important statistic was the final score, 14-0, the sixth consecutive time the Indians were defeated in the opening game by Lebanon.
In the second game of the season, Sept. 17, 1971, the Indians shut out Blanchester, 24-0, at Hillsboro. Scott Coffman had an outstanding game, including a 60-yard touchdown run.
On Sept. 24, the improving Indians played the Unioto Shermans, at Unioto. Dominating the second half, the Hillsboro squad controlled the ball 19 of the 24 minutes, scoring three touchdowns in the process, as they romped to a 34-14 win. They utilized backs Tim Shelton, Walter Shoemaker, Chris Fehring and Coffman to perfection. The Indians appeared to be primed and ready to take on any and all SCOL opponents.
The first day of October marked the opening of league play in the SCOL. The Hillsboro Indians traveled to Washington C.H. to take on the Blue Lions. The Indians put up a great battle, but the Blue Lion defense prevailed, 14-0. Four times the Indians got inside the WCH 40, but they were stopped at the 36, 30, 20 and 3.
In other league matches, Miami Trace took McClain, 40-13, and Wilmington beat Circleville, 20-8.
The second week of the league season saw the Circleville Tigers taking the field at John Wayne Richards Stadium against the Indians, in the annual HHS Homecoming game. Earlier in the week, Hillsboro officials had announced that lovely senior Linda Elkins had been selected 1971 Homecoming Queen. Her attendants were Barbara Dennison (senior), Rita Harless (junior), Sharon Mason (sophomore) and Mary Dean (freshman).
Again, the Indians put up a good battle, but were unable to generate any appreciable offensive thrust, as Circleville spoiled the homecoming by going home with a 22-0 win.
In a torrid league match in Fayette County the same night, Miami Trace edged WCH, 29-20, to win the annual county rivalry match. In other SCOL action, Wilmington beat McClain, 24-7.
Neither of Highland County’s entries had shown much offensive punch. McClain had scored 20 points in two games, while Hillsboro was still looking for their first SCOL score. Both teams were 0-2 in the league.
On Oct. 15, at Miami Trace, the Hillsboro Indians finally got on the scoreboard by moving the ball 83 yards in four plays, against MT substitutes. The Panthers literally scored at will, and took the game by a score of 43-6. In other league competition, Washington pummeled Wilmington, 57-22, and McClain gave Circleville a very good game before losing, 28-22.
Hillsboro played their fourth league game at Wilmington Oct. 22. The fans had barely been seated when the Hurricane got their first score. Wilmington had taken the opening kickoff. On the first play from scrimmage, running back Jack Watson broke through the Indians’ line and raced 40 yards for the first score. Quarterback Robert Raizk passed to Chris Breuleux for the two-point conversion. The Hurricane blasted the Indians, 35-6.
Elsewhere, Washington mauled McClain, 40-0, and Trace hammered Circleville, 40-8. Circleville had been expected to give MT a much better game, but the Roundtowners were never able to get anything going offensively or defensively.
In the final week of SCOL games, Wilmington would travel to Trace and Washington would go to Circleville. Either McClain or Hillsboro would get a league win, as McClain would journey to Hillsboro. Once again, the Wilmington paper predicted that this one would result in either a scoreless tie or a double-forfeit.
McClain’s Jim Jury scored all three Tiger touchdowns, as the Hillsboro Indians hit rock bottom on their own field, losing to the 0-7 Tigers, 20-12. Officials called a total of 203 yards of penalties against both teams, most so flagrant they could have been called from the pressbox, as two teams with a combined record of 2-12 squared off. In other games, Miami Trace won the league championship, and the gold football, by tripping Wilmington in a spine-tingling battle, 34-29. Washington downed Circleville, 17-0, at Circleville, to take second place in the league.
Final standings:
Miami Trace — 5-0, 10-0
Washington — 4-1, 8-2
Wilmington — 3-2, 4-6
Circleville — 2-3, 5-5
McClain — 1-4, 3-7
Hillsboro — 0-5, 4-6.
In this season, the two Fayette County teams, Miami Trace and Washington, so dominated the SCOL race that 7 of the top 8 individual scorers in the league wore either the black and white of Miami Trace or the blue and white of Washington. Tony Grooms, Miami Trace’s junior fullback had scored 17 touchdowns and a total of 102 points. He was followed by Jack Reno and Jeff Spears, both of Miami Trace, with 10 and 9 touchdowns respectively. Washington’s Bill Junk and Chuck Wilson were tied for fourth with 8 TDs each. They were followed by Rick Haines of Wilmington, Steve Ross of WCH and M – T’s Bill Greene.
So, there was no question about the Panthers’ and Blue Lions’ domination of the SCOL football season, in 1971. The All-SCOL team included: Jeff Spears, MT; Bob Self, WCH; Jim Heath, WCH; Don Valentine, Circ; Rick Bienz, WCH; Steve Warnock, MT; Gardner Cobb, MT; Shawn Muldoon, Wilm; Louis Hamilton, Wilm; Tom Fredricks, Circ; Wayne Stillings, WCH; Mark Davey, Circ; Peter Breuleux, Wilm; Rick Haines, Wilm; David Weade, MT; Mike Hamrick; Circ; Tom Shea, Circ; Bill Evans, MT; Jeff George, McC; Ray Jackson, MT; Tim Shelton, HHS; Glenn Gifford, MT; Jack Reno, MT; Bill Junk, WCH; Tony Grooms, MT; Dave Webb, Circ; Steve Ross, WCH; and Tom Atsalis, Wilm.
Bob Patton is a Highland County sports historian and a contributing writer to The Highland County Press.[[In-content Ad]]
In the announcement of his hiring, the Greenfield Times said that Knierim was 6 feet tall and weighed 340 pounds. He was, the story said, a member of the Ohio Football Coaches Association, the Michigan Football Coaches Association, The American Association of Football Coaches, and The Midwest Coaches Association. There must have been 25 or 30 different organizations that I no longer remember, prompting some wag to comment, “No wonder he weighs 340 pounds, he’s carrying 50 pounds of membership cards!”
Dale Ambos was back at Hillsboro for his third season as head coach of the Indians. The local prognosticators believed that this was the year that the Indians would finally sweep the field and take the league championship.
The Hillsboro paper reported, in mid-August, “The sideline coaches who attend almost every practice session believe that this is the team to take the SCOL crown, and urge other Hillsboro football fans to attend these practices.”
The “sideline coaches” are nearly always wrong. In most cases, they have not even seen the other SCOL teams. How can you pin the league title on any team without seeing their opposition?
For about the sixth consecutive year, the Indians opened their season against Lebanon, and lost again; this time, 14-0. Quarterback Scott Coffman gained 75 yards running the ball, and had a key pass intercepted on the 3-yard line in the third quarter. But the most important statistic was the final score, 14-0, the sixth consecutive time the Indians were defeated in the opening game by Lebanon.
In the second game of the season, Sept. 17, 1971, the Indians shut out Blanchester, 24-0, at Hillsboro. Scott Coffman had an outstanding game, including a 60-yard touchdown run.
On Sept. 24, the improving Indians played the Unioto Shermans, at Unioto. Dominating the second half, the Hillsboro squad controlled the ball 19 of the 24 minutes, scoring three touchdowns in the process, as they romped to a 34-14 win. They utilized backs Tim Shelton, Walter Shoemaker, Chris Fehring and Coffman to perfection. The Indians appeared to be primed and ready to take on any and all SCOL opponents.
The first day of October marked the opening of league play in the SCOL. The Hillsboro Indians traveled to Washington C.H. to take on the Blue Lions. The Indians put up a great battle, but the Blue Lion defense prevailed, 14-0. Four times the Indians got inside the WCH 40, but they were stopped at the 36, 30, 20 and 3.
In other league matches, Miami Trace took McClain, 40-13, and Wilmington beat Circleville, 20-8.
The second week of the league season saw the Circleville Tigers taking the field at John Wayne Richards Stadium against the Indians, in the annual HHS Homecoming game. Earlier in the week, Hillsboro officials had announced that lovely senior Linda Elkins had been selected 1971 Homecoming Queen. Her attendants were Barbara Dennison (senior), Rita Harless (junior), Sharon Mason (sophomore) and Mary Dean (freshman).
Again, the Indians put up a good battle, but were unable to generate any appreciable offensive thrust, as Circleville spoiled the homecoming by going home with a 22-0 win.
In a torrid league match in Fayette County the same night, Miami Trace edged WCH, 29-20, to win the annual county rivalry match. In other SCOL action, Wilmington beat McClain, 24-7.
Neither of Highland County’s entries had shown much offensive punch. McClain had scored 20 points in two games, while Hillsboro was still looking for their first SCOL score. Both teams were 0-2 in the league.
On Oct. 15, at Miami Trace, the Hillsboro Indians finally got on the scoreboard by moving the ball 83 yards in four plays, against MT substitutes. The Panthers literally scored at will, and took the game by a score of 43-6. In other league competition, Washington pummeled Wilmington, 57-22, and McClain gave Circleville a very good game before losing, 28-22.
Hillsboro played their fourth league game at Wilmington Oct. 22. The fans had barely been seated when the Hurricane got their first score. Wilmington had taken the opening kickoff. On the first play from scrimmage, running back Jack Watson broke through the Indians’ line and raced 40 yards for the first score. Quarterback Robert Raizk passed to Chris Breuleux for the two-point conversion. The Hurricane blasted the Indians, 35-6.
Elsewhere, Washington mauled McClain, 40-0, and Trace hammered Circleville, 40-8. Circleville had been expected to give MT a much better game, but the Roundtowners were never able to get anything going offensively or defensively.
In the final week of SCOL games, Wilmington would travel to Trace and Washington would go to Circleville. Either McClain or Hillsboro would get a league win, as McClain would journey to Hillsboro. Once again, the Wilmington paper predicted that this one would result in either a scoreless tie or a double-forfeit.
McClain’s Jim Jury scored all three Tiger touchdowns, as the Hillsboro Indians hit rock bottom on their own field, losing to the 0-7 Tigers, 20-12. Officials called a total of 203 yards of penalties against both teams, most so flagrant they could have been called from the pressbox, as two teams with a combined record of 2-12 squared off. In other games, Miami Trace won the league championship, and the gold football, by tripping Wilmington in a spine-tingling battle, 34-29. Washington downed Circleville, 17-0, at Circleville, to take second place in the league.
Final standings:
Miami Trace — 5-0, 10-0
Washington — 4-1, 8-2
Wilmington — 3-2, 4-6
Circleville — 2-3, 5-5
McClain — 1-4, 3-7
Hillsboro — 0-5, 4-6.
In this season, the two Fayette County teams, Miami Trace and Washington, so dominated the SCOL race that 7 of the top 8 individual scorers in the league wore either the black and white of Miami Trace or the blue and white of Washington. Tony Grooms, Miami Trace’s junior fullback had scored 17 touchdowns and a total of 102 points. He was followed by Jack Reno and Jeff Spears, both of Miami Trace, with 10 and 9 touchdowns respectively. Washington’s Bill Junk and Chuck Wilson were tied for fourth with 8 TDs each. They were followed by Rick Haines of Wilmington, Steve Ross of WCH and M – T’s Bill Greene.
So, there was no question about the Panthers’ and Blue Lions’ domination of the SCOL football season, in 1971. The All-SCOL team included: Jeff Spears, MT; Bob Self, WCH; Jim Heath, WCH; Don Valentine, Circ; Rick Bienz, WCH; Steve Warnock, MT; Gardner Cobb, MT; Shawn Muldoon, Wilm; Louis Hamilton, Wilm; Tom Fredricks, Circ; Wayne Stillings, WCH; Mark Davey, Circ; Peter Breuleux, Wilm; Rick Haines, Wilm; David Weade, MT; Mike Hamrick; Circ; Tom Shea, Circ; Bill Evans, MT; Jeff George, McC; Ray Jackson, MT; Tim Shelton, HHS; Glenn Gifford, MT; Jack Reno, MT; Bill Junk, WCH; Tony Grooms, MT; Dave Webb, Circ; Steve Ross, WCH; and Tom Atsalis, Wilm.
Bob Patton is a Highland County sports historian and a contributing writer to The Highland County Press.[[In-content Ad]]