Correct there was no conference and the schedule that yea reflected it as they played LaSalle, McNicholas, Western Hills, East Central & Zanesville among others.
I remember 1999 pretty well (my freshman year)... We lost in a back & forth game with LaSalle, beat a touch East Central team at their place where it was a pretty hostile crowd, the playoff clinching victory came over a Mark Cupito lead McNick team at our place and they defeated either Zanesville or a Zanesville-area team on the road in multiple overtimes.
Then of course the Elder game....... What a special night. With permission from local authorities, OHHS did not turn away anyone who walked up in attempt to buy a ticket. Fans were packed in seats and were permitted to stand anywhere on the walking track (just couldn't stand on grass). Senior class that year raised money to have a fireworks display go off the baseball field during halftime after the band performed. And of course the actual game with a late FG from the right hash that slipped just inside the left upright and landed into the hearts of the OHHS students.... literally..... kick was caught by the guy standing in front of me as our student section was the area behind that endzone :Ohno:
That year rivals any other year in my memory as the time when students showed the greatest support to football team. The senior class of '99 knew which buttons to push to motivate their classmates and the entire student body. They as a senior class ran so many fundraisers to help benefit the school. 1st day of school was a pep rally in the main gym where one of the football players was set to have a "bench-off" with one of the football coaches. Bench was set at 400 lbs and they said if the student-athlete out-repped the coach, that every student donates $1 the next day in school. Well, he did, and student reacted by raising money which helped pay bus drivers to take students to any away football game that year. I rode out to East Central and I believe Western Hills on the student "rally bus" and it was something to be seen when hundreds of students unload from buses to an away stadium.
Sorry for the long post, but there was so much good that came from that one fall season in 1999