Ironton Football Dot Com - Fighting Tiger News 1st Edition

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Football Preview - Friday Sept. 11, 1959

October 31 2007

Joe Holtzapfel

While going through some of my old programs, I noticed one about the Ironton Lions Club's Annual Football Preview held at Tanks Memorial Stadium, then known as Beechwood Stadium. The Preview included 8 teams
and 7 marching bands. The teams involved were; Fairland, Coal Grove, South Point, Oak Hill, Chesapeake, St Joseph, Rock Hill and Ironton. All schools had a band with the exception of St Joseph.

This Ironton team was coached by Charles Kautz with help from Bob Shockley, Carl White, Dick Ratliff, Alvis Brown and Don Jenkins. This team had some mighty fine players, one that really stuck out was former Chicago Bear Danny Pride. The QB of this team was Charlie Fletcher and the work horse of the team was old #40 FB Woody Hall. Phil Elias, Chas Leach and Ronnie Holley were the halfbacks. The line consisted of Pride, Steve Woods and Bob Adams at the ends, Jim Wipert was the center along with Tom McMillan. Guards were Guy Dillard, Chas Lovejoy and Bill Morgan. The tackles were Ronnie Hammonds and Mike Bowman.

Delving further into the program I noticed Ironton Saint Joseph has a young halfback who sported the number 86. I thought that kind of unusual but then I noticed that the smallest number on the St Joe team was #74. #86 by the way was none other than Ironton Coach Bob Lutz. Coach Lutz's brother Jim also played on this St Joe team.

Rumors still are making the rounds on just who will fill the Ironton open spots next year. Youngstown Cardinal Mooney will just not go away and it seems like Olentangy Liberty could still fill a spot on the schedule. We'll just have to wait and see what comes out of all of this.

Stay Tuned!

Remembering 1979

October 17 2007

Joe Holtzapfel

I am constantly reading the web about the Fighting Tigers and I started to reflect back on 1979. Sure that was quite a long time ago but only in the minds of some. To others, it seems like yesterday that we were planning that long trip up to the Rubber City of Akron. My mother asked if I was going to make the trip and the only answer I could give was a very positive,' yes'. I remember it so well when she asked me if Ironton had a chance and my answer to her was that Ironton had two chances, slim and none, and I wanted to be there just in case slim made it.

What a day it was, cloudy and rainy, but who cared, the Fighting Tigers were playing and that was all that mattered. We packed our foul weather gear, as we always did, hopped in Tommy Tipton's van and headed for northeast Ohio. When we arrived at the Rubber Bowl, we went immediately inside to watch the finish of the game ahead of ours. It was a very exciting game but I couldn't imagine how it could even come close to being the game ours was going to be. Was I ever right about that one!

The game came down to the last 46 seconds when the Ironton tailback crossed the goal line, tying the score and then came the all important extra point attempt. Our kicker put that thing right between the uprights but wait, on the field laid a yellow flag and we were told we would have to do it all over again. Just as if the script was written in Hollywood, the kick was true and the young men of Ironton became the cities first Ohio Football State Champions ever. The crowd was going crazy and so were the players and coaches on the field.

What a great memory that is and it will always be one of the shining points in my life when I talk about Ironton Fighting Tiger football. Do I remember the names, well most of them, but in order not to leave anyone out, I ask that you go to the Tim Hodges link on this site and it will give you all the names and numbers of those very talented young men. At this point in time, the 2007 Ironton Fighting Tigers are 5-3 and need a win in the last two games to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Zanesville Blue Devils come to town Friday Night and these young Ironton Fighting Tigers need a good crowd there to spur them on to victory. How about let's fill The Tank and cheer them on to a needed win. Stay Tuned!

The Tradition Continues!

October 8 2007

A Conversation With Former Fighting Tiger, Andy Colegrove - 2007 Schedule

By Joe Holtzapfel

Talked with a former Ironton Fighting Tiger at the Ironton Gallipolis game Friday Night. Andy Colegrove had the weekend off and came home to see the family. Andy is being red shirted this year by the YSU Penguins and had a choice to either travel with the team or make a trip home to see the family and he choose the latter. Mom and Dad were sure glad to see him when he walked into the stadium at Gallipolis.

I had a chance to ask him a few questions and he very graciously answered them. My first question was how school was going and he told me he was starting to get into the swing of things. He is only taking 13 credit hours this semester and I told him that was a very good choice, since this is his first semester. Being red shirted will give him an extra year to complete most of his work. He told me that he is starting to get used to Youngstown and that it reminds him of an oversized Ironton. Andy's learning where are the good places are to eat, now why does that not surprise me? His main hangout is the mall at Boardman. He says it is very nice and he likes to run over there every chance he gets.

I did talk with him about what the YSU coaching staff had in mind for him but we'll save that for another time. What a great young man and no wonder, he comes from a very fine family. Jim and Rhonda has to be busting at the seams with pride over this one.

The 2007 Football Schedule

I've been trying to find out how the Ironton football schedule is going to look next year but it seems like its still up in the air. Currently, we have two opens on the schedule, one in the second week and the other in the ninth week. Rumor has it that Youngstown Mooney and Columbus DeSales are being talked to but it is still all rumor right now. Mooney would fit into week 2 and DeSales in week 9 but nothing is final on that yet. Stay Tuned!