LOOKING BACKWARD: This Week in AHS Football

The 2002 season is the 96th year of AHS football. Coach Scott Valentine is the 23rd head football coach. The Arrows have won 391 games and have 423 loses with 40 ties. The Orange and Black have won 11 league championships: 3 North Central Ohio League, 7 Cardinal Conference, and 1 Ohio Heartland Conference. The Arrows have one appearance in the State Playoffs in 1987.

5 Years Ago - 1997 Ashland 34, Orrville 0
Coach Dick James' team upset the state-ranked Red Riders. Jesse Schmitz set a school record with four interceptions. The line play was led by first-team OHC tackles Phil Hawk and Tony Dee. QB Doug Myers set season records with 16 TD passes and 1969 passing yards.

10 Years Ago - 1992 Ashland 23, Mansfield Senior 21
Coach Bob Quackenbush's "Believe" team upset the (8th) undefeated State ranked Tyger's. Tim Seder kicked a school record three field goals (29, 29, 34 yds). His 4th quarter FG sealed the victory. MVP Ryan Gray's quarterbacked and career tackle leader (263) Greg Fulk started the Arrows on six straight wins. It was the most consecutive wins since 1965.

15 Years Ago - 1987 Ashland 20, Wooster 14
Coach Q's squad rolled up the 6th win in 7 games. QB Jon Shoemaker went 12 of 20 for 242 yds and two TDs. Brad Schlechty caught the all-time record 92 yd TD pass from Shoemaker. Marc Rankin, John Leyerle, & Mark McQuate led the defense in tackles.

15 Years Ago - 1987 STATE PLAYOFF BOUND
The only playoff team in AHS football history: the passing combo Jon Shoemaker to Tim Swaisgood, the blocking of Ken Jennings and Brian Blessing, the tackling leaders Marc Rankin and John Leyerle. The Record 7-3, but bring on Cleveland Benedictine.

15 Years Ago - 1987 Ashland 13, Shelby 10
Marc Rankin's touchdown in the first overtime gained the 3rd straight win of the year. The 4-4 defense gave up the first points of the season. Jon Shoemaker passed for 108 yds & a TD on 10 of 22 passes.

15 Years Ago - 1987 Ashland 10, Galion 0
Eric Jentes 25 yd Field Goal was the winning margin, but it was a fumble recovery, an interception, and a touchdown by Jon Shoemaker that sealed the victory.

20 Years Ago - 1982 Ashland 28, Coshocton 0
Dan Mager rushed for 144 yards on 22 carries for the only win of the season. All Cardinal Conference lineman Ken Busch & Pat Phillips led the line play. MVP Todd Smeltzer & Ken Shakley led in tackles.

25 Years Ago - 1977 Ashland 23, Coshocton 6
Coach Ed Bush's Arrows produced "Flood Warnings" on kickoff returns by Mark Flood of 95 and 91 yard for TDs. The 95-yarder is still a school record. Brad Fast and Dave Patterson led the defense in tackles.

30 Years Ago - 1972 Ashland 33, Shelby 0
Dan Bowersox scored 27 points and ran up 280 yds in the Arrow's "Veer" offense. MG Rocky Martin, who had 117 tackles for the season, led a defense that permitted only 53 yds in total offense and no first downs rushing or passing. It was the final season for Shelby's legendary Bill Wilkins.

30 Years Ago - 1972 Ashland 35, Dover 14
The Arrows won their second consecutive Cardinal Conference championship under Head Coach Paul Dienstberger. They were led by seven returning lettermen: Matt Cooper, Scott Call, Chris Stratton, Rocky Martin, Mark Starr, Sam Long, and leading rusher and scorer: Dan Bowersox.

35 Years Ago - 1967 Ashland 22, Wooster 21
Mark Humrichouser's 83 yds TD pass to Bill Newkirk tied the school record. "General Taylor" was restrained by Mike McCormic (15 tackles) and Paul Parker (14 tackles). In the last minute Parker shot down the General's final 2-point attempt for an A's win.

40 Years Ago - 1962 Ashland 8, Madison 0
The 1st Cardinal Conference win behind Bruce Cooper's 142 yards rushing & Mike Humrichouser's 6 for 7 passing. Ray "Dale" Johnson, Bob Slack, Dan Miller, and Jim Long were the top linemen.

45 Years Ago - 1957 Ashland 7, Cleveland Glenville 0
After Bob Donley's punt block Gary Stoufer scored the only TD. Captains Dave Dauch & Dick Peterson led the line play for Coach Jack Powell.

50 Years Ago -1952 Ashland 19, Shelby 6
An all-time classic game: two unbeatens, Roseboro & Springer vs Reed & Milliron, and a record crowd (3,800) in Myers Field history. Jim Roseboro scored 2 TDs on 17 carries for 166 yds. Dan McBride was the defensive standout. It was the 17th straight victory for Coach C.E. Taylor's Orange & Black A's.

50 Years Ago - 1952 Ashland 39, Galion 14
Coach Cloyce Taylor's A's finished unbeaten. The school's longest winning streak: 21 in a row. All-Ohio Jim Roseboro and Bill Springer followed the outstanding tackles Jack Ebert and Jim Campbell.

55 Years Ago - 1947 first AHS "Pigskin Preview"
At Redwood Stadium before 2,500 fans four teams played six round-robin quarters as AHS defeated Shelby (7-0), New London (7-0), and Mansfield Madison (20-0). Dick Burns & Jesse Poorbaugh followed Kenny Reed's blocking for Taylor's Tots.

60 Years Ago - 1942 Ashland 12, Willard 0
Bob "Bubbles" Puglisi, a 214 pound FB, scored twice behind the blocking of Glenn "B-26" Martin. Nonetheless, World War II canceled the JV games and the band trips..

60 Years Ago - 1942 Ashland 40, Shelby 0
The A's fourth straight shutout as 1st Team All-Ohio Leo Strang had runs of 80, 73, 34, & 26 yards and two TDs. Bob Dove, Bob Picking, Glenn Martin, and Bob Puglisi earned All-NCO honors.

65 Years Ago - 1937 Ashland 13, Bucyrus 7
Dad's Day - Saturday afternoon at College Field. Bill Fritzinger plunged for two short TDs behind a line led by center & Capt. Dick Welsh.

70 Years Ago - 1932 Ashland 50, Bucyrus 0
AHS scalped the Redmen enroute to the second NCO championship. Nick Dolby scored 3 touchdowns and Rosie Starn's second team scored 3 times. John Depler, Earl Thomas, Ev Hesson, and Roger Wicks led a defense that gave up only 20 yards.

75 Years Ago - 1927 Ashland 13, Medina 0
Under Sid Boyd, the 7th AHS head coach, the A's were stopped one yard short of an NCO championship. Paul "Beanie" Johnson was Captain & QB. Center Fred LaRue was All-NCO, also.

80 Years Ago - 1922 Ashland 19, Mansfield 0
Our first NCO championship. 5,000 fans at YMCA Field. Downtown merchants decorated their stores. One of our all time classics. Capt. Don Cooper led the line, Howard Grindle the kicking, and the ball carriers were Charles Newsome and Capt. Herb Ganyard.

95 Years Ago - 1907 Ashland 17, Savannah College 0
The first "official" AHS football game on October 26, 1907 at Savannah College. On the third play HB Ellsworth Bryce broke away for 55 yds & the first TD, a "five point" score. Although games had been played in 1900-03, the eligibility of students, graduates, college men and ringers cast a shadow over the legitimacy of these earlier games.