Tri-County League Football history

ThaXFactor said:
Who were some of the other standout players from the TCL through the years? 60's 70's 80's and 90's.
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From the '64 Louisville team; Bob Gladiuex (rb) went to ND and caught the td pass against MSU in the 10-10 game in '66, Mark Stier (lb) went to Ohio State, played on the '68 national championship team and was defensive MVP in the Rose Bowl against USC (oj).
 
ysuindy said:
Yes - that was definitely Poland's 1971 season. United Local scored 12 points in the fourth quarter then the colossal matchup at Minerva. One of my earliest memories of watching Poland football as my Dad took my brother and I to Minerva. We couldn't get seats and were standing along the fence at one of the goal lines. Poland was inside the five and trying to score as the game ended if I recall correctly.

I also recall Poland being ranked behind Minerva after that week 9 game. I believe Minerva lost their week 10 game as well.

Poland did indeed leave the TCL after the 71-72 school year to join the MVC. The 1972 football schedule was a mish-mash of TCL and MVC teams. That season had a lot of promise for Poland but went to hell in a hurry and they finished 3-6-1.

The TCL had some stretches of football domination. East Palestine from 1956-60, Louisville from 1962-66 and Minerva from 1967-70. From 1956 through 1971 those schools won at least a share of every football championship except Poland's undefeated seasons in 1961 and 1971.

Poland was a co-champ with East Palestine in 1960 and Lisbon was a co-champ with Minerva in 1967. East Palestine and Minerva shared the 1968 championship.

The TCL also had a good run in basketball in the early 70's with three State appearances in four seasons. Sebring was the 1970 runner-up and made the state semi-finals in 1973, with Poland making the semi-finals in 1972. The only other TCL boys basketball schools making the State Finals I could find were the previously discussed Columbiana teams with John Cabas as coach - runner-up in 1945 and state champs in 1947. And from looking at the football record book - Cabas was the Columbiana football coach in those school years as well
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there were plenty of injuries on that 72 Poland team but nothing can take away from the 71 team with 8 shutouts. Really a good team.
 
111411 said:
There were some great rivalries. Those old gyms had character.
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I LOVED playing in those old gyms! We had the "yellow gym" where everything and everyone looked yellow. Sebring had "The Pit". The fans in the balcony were ruthless lol. We used to joke about the "cave" in the visiting locker room that seemed to go on forever. Leetonia's gym was another one that was cramped and people packed in like sardines. The fans were so close to the floor you could smell what kind of chewing gum they had! Columbiana's gym was always like playing in a furnace it was so hot. Southern's gym was an exact replica of C-View's "yellow gym", except they didn't have the yellow lights. EP's old gym was also like a furnace. Those were the days. Today's gyms are nice, but they lack the atmosphere of those old ones. And the smells lol. All those gyms smelled like popcorn, sweat, mold, and mildew.......I loved it!
 
ThaXFactor said:
I LOVED playing in those old gyms! We had the "yellow gym" where everything and everyone looked yellow. Sebring had "The Pit". The fans in the balcony were ruthless lol. We used to joke about the "cave" in the visiting locker room that seemed to go on forever. Leetonia's gym was another one that was cramped and people packed in like sardines. The fans were so close to the floor you could smell what kind of chewing gum they had! Columbiana's gym was always like playing in a furnace it was so hot. Southern's gym was an exact replica of C-View's "yellow gym", except they didn't have the yellow lights. EP's old gym was also like a furnace. Those were the days. Today's gyms are nice, but they lack the atmosphere of those old ones. And the smells lol. All those gyms smelled like popcorn, sweat, mold, and mildew.......I loved it!
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They smelled like that because the locker rooms were under the stands. Concessions were right outside the gym doors. You're right, the newer gyms lack the personality of the past.
 
EP had 160+ and went 2 deep endzone to endzone. That was back 2000-2002. They went to many area band nights. EP was still a D4 school then. They averaged about 100 before then.
 
I'm pretty sure the large Poland bands came after their Tri-County League days.

I liked watching game in the old EP gym and of course liked the old Poland gym (hard to believe Poland is on their second gym since leaving the TCL).

Always disappointed I never got to a game in Sebring before I moved.

While not TCL I do remember going to watch a Springfield game at the school in Petersburg. That was a pit as well if I recall.
 
ysuindy said:
I'm pretty sure the large Poland bands came after their Tri-County League days.

I liked watching game in the old EP gym and of course liked the old Poland gym (hard to believe Poland is on their second gym since leaving the TCL).

Always disappointed I never got to a game in Sebring before I moved.

While not TCL I do remember going to watch a Springfield game at the school in Petersburg. That was a pit as well if I recall.
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At one point, Sebring won 61 in a row at home. That was a classic gym.
 
ThaXFactor said:
I LOVED playing in those old gyms! We had the "yellow gym" where everything and everyone looked yellow. Sebring had "The Pit". The fans in the balcony were ruthless lol. We used to joke about the "cave" in the visiting locker room that seemed to go on forever. Leetonia's gym was another one that was cramped and people packed in like sardines. The fans were so close to the floor you could smell what kind of chewing gum they had! Columbiana's gym was always like playing in a furnace it was so hot. Southern's gym was an exact replica of C-View's "yellow gym", except they didn't have the yellow lights. EP's old gym was also like a furnace. Those were the days. Today's gyms are nice, but they lack the atmosphere of those old ones. And the smells lol. All those gyms smelled like popcorn, sweat, mold, and mildew.......I loved it!
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I remember when Mogadore and Sebring played. Sebring packed their gym and they " allowed " 25 Mogadore fans in. Mogadore then returned the favor the following year at their " bandbox" gym. Packing it to the rafters before the j.v. game then " allowing " maybe 20 Sebring fans in. The rest were in the parking lot trying to get in...fun times!
 
wildcat71 said:
I remember when Mogadore and Sebring played. Sebring packed their gym and they " allowed " 25 Mogadore fans in. Mogadore then returned the favor the following year at their " bandbox" gym. Packing it to the rafters before the j.v. game then " allowing " maybe 20 Sebring fans in. The rest were in the parking lot trying to get in...fun times!
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Bogus calls in Moggy Basketball, like football?
 
wildcat71 said:
I remember when Mogadore and Sebring played. Sebring packed their gym and they " allowed " 25 Mogadore fans in. Mogadore then returned the favor the following year at their " bandbox" gym. Packing it to the rafters before the j.v. game then " allowing " maybe 20 Sebring fans in. The rest were in the parking lot trying to get in...fun times!
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Boy, that was a long time ago. I think Moggy came to Sebring in 1979 and Sebring went there in 1980. Sebring lost in the Regional Finals in 79 and I think Moggy may have been rated #1 in the state in 80.
 
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I've said it before, but I really liked the atmosphere and the fans in the old TCL. E Palestine, Columbiana, Leetonia, Lisbon, United, Crestview, and Southern. Before that I remember those trips to Stanton, and the absolute worst of all, Springfield. Going to the ITCL and the current setup just isn't the same. Boy, I miss the old days. I used to carry on the some nice conversations with Tom Bingham from EP, and Jim Meissner, from, I think, every other TCL school.

Well, now that Mrs. Ones and I have moved into our pre-retirement home, I am now in Federal League territory. I will probably never make it back.
 
ysuindy said:
Sure seemed that way. He gave us at Poland a lot of trouble when he was at West Branch - trips to the Cornfield Coliseum were never fun.
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He had a great "off the record" quote once. I'm not sure which one of the 17 schools he coached at when he said it, but it was "We're small..........but slow."
 
ThaXFactor said:
He had a great "off the record" quote once. I'm not sure which one of the 17 schools he coached at when he said it, but it was "We're small..........but slow."
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Said the same about the Bulldog team he took to Canton, which had another Bulldog coach on the team and later helped him with the JV squad.
 
111411 said:
What year did they go to Canton?
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I remember EP making it to Canton in 1976. I think they lost to Akron St.V-St.M. I know Brookfield won the Canton AA regional that year and I'm pretty sure they beat the Irish to make the final four. Brookfield then lost in the semis and Wellsville lost in the other semi-final. I don't know how Wellsville ended up going way down to southern Ohio in the regionals but they did. I think it was the Athens regional.
 
YTOWN said:
I remember EP making it to Canton in 1976. I think they lost to Akron St.V-St.M. I know Brookfield won the Canton AA regional that year and I'm pretty sure they beat the Irish to make the final four. Brookfield then lost in the semis and Wellsville lost in the other semi-final. I don't know how Wellsville ended up going way down to southern Ohio in the regionals but they did. I think it was the Athens regional.
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Up until 10-12 years ago, Wellsville competed in the East District, so their tournament path in most sports would've often taken them south. They were granted a switch to the NE District around the same time Minerva switched to the East.
 
Mr. Slippery said:

Up until 10-12 years ago, Wellsville competed in the East District, so their tournament path in most sports would've often taken them south. They were granted a switch to the NE District around the same time Minerva switched to the East.
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I'm curious if that was the last time OHSAA has granted a district switch. I know a few years ago there was a school in the Southwest District, as well as a school in the East district, that both petitioned OHSAA to get moved into the Central. Both pleas were rejected.
 
The Dock said:
I'm curious if that was the last time OHSAA has granted a district switch. I know a few years ago there was a school in the Southwest District, as well as a school in the East district, that both petitioned OHSAA to get moved into the Central. Both pleas were rejected.
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Vermilion was granted a switch from NE to NW around 2013 or 2014. A change in league affiliations may have prompted them to petition for the move.
 
Mr. Slippery said:
Vermilion was granted a switch from NE to NW around 2013 or 2014. A change in league affiliations may have prompted them to petition for the move.
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Thanks - knew you would know. It was Mechanicsburg and Zanesville Rosecrans that were unsuccessful in their petitions.
 
The Dock said:
Thanks - knew you would know. It was Mechanicsburg and Zanesville Rosecrans that were unsuccessful in their petitions.
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According to the boys basketball brackets, it was the 2009-2010 school year when Wellsville and Minerva began in their current Districts. Vermilion made the NE to NW switch beginning with the 2015-2016 school year. Vermilion joined the Sandusky Bay Conference in 2016 after the West Shore Conference disbanded.
 
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