BEST 80'S FOOTBALL TEAMs

[High Plains Drifter]

^^^wasn't that 87, I may be wrong. Douthat's group?

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

the 80's was an amazing decade to be a fighting tiger fan. seemed like every other year we were at ohio stadium.

[bigbluedad]

Belpre's teams from 1983 and 1984 coached by the one and only Ralph Holder.

[know all]

81 miller falcons2-8.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

i loved 89, when ironton won division 3 , and wheelersburg won d4. awesome baby.

[1987chieftains]

89 was a good year for the river area.

[joe dirt]

trojans of '84

[bookem13]

1989 was a great year for southern Ohio football...maybe the best ever. Burg and Ironton win state titles (man did we want a piece of the Ironton Tigers that year, but couldn't get by Badin, who Ironton beat by 1 as their kicker missed an extra point late), Waverly made it to the final 8, Green goes undefeated, Chillicothe undefeated...I think Notre Dame had a good year as well that year (or maybe that was the year before with Maxey).

[jeep80]

Info gathered from Irontonfootball.com

One of the best Teams of the 80's

Ironton Fighting Tigers 103-12-2
Regular Season Record----91-6-2
Playoff Record-------------12-6

7 Playoff Appearances---
Played in 3 State Championship Finals, 4 State Semi Finals, 6 Regional Finals, 7 Regional Semi Finals

1980--9-1-1--Playoffs, lost Regional Final to New Concord John Glen 7-20
1981--10-0
1982--12-1---Playoffs, lost in the State Championship game to Akron St. Vincent St. Mary 14-21
1983---8-0-1
1984---7-3
1985---10-3---Playoffs, lost in the State Semi Finals to Columbus Desales 19-24
1986---10-1---Playoffs, lost Regional Semi Final to St. Clairsville 14-29
1987---10-2---Playoffs, lost Regional Final to Sheridan 14-27
1988---13-1---Playoffs, lost State Championship game to Akron St. Vincent St. Mary 12-14
1989---14-0---Playoffs, STATE CHAMPS, beat Campbell Memorial 12-7

Ironton gets my vote, but how did they manage to miss the playoffs in 1981 with a 10-0 record?
I think the point system was in effect then but, come on. 10-0? They should have been there.

[NYBuckeye96]

I just looked up the old Harbin point totals for 1981 -

1981 - DIII, R 11

1. West Muskingum 112.0000
2. Washington Court House 107.2500
3. Ironton 105.9861

Only the top two teams in each region qualified for the playoffs back then, so Ironton just missed the cut.

[somatter]

thanks NYBuckeye96,It's my demand!

[NICKNEVADA]

87-88 Notre Dame was stout! I was a frosh at East, we were 0-0 at half I believe, lost 14-0. But the state titles speak loudest, kudos to Burg, Ironton and the rest!

[Westsider1993]

Yeah that 89 year was something we lost to Ironton 14-7 they won state, and we lost to Burg 21-20 at Burg with a 20-7 halftime lead and they won state.

[blockcharge]

Green 10-0 Regular Season Playoffs Green 43 - Trimble 26? Green 14 - Shadyside 21. Only 4 teams made the playoffs in each region that year so Green made it ti the elite 8

[Orange and Brown]

Yeah that 89 year was something we lost to Ironton 14-7 they won state, and we lost to Burg 21-20 at Burg with a 20-7 halftime lead and they won state.

I wonder how many teams have lost to 2 state champions in the same year?

[Warpig]

Blockcharge, the final for the Green/Trimble game was 43-22, and the game wasn't really that close. The Tomcats scored all of their points in the fourth quarter. If I remember, Green had three really good backs, but I think the fullback (#6?) stands out in my memory.

Green jumped out early and had a touchdown or two lead, then Trimble started to put some plays together, then there was a play where Green forced a fumble, the ball popped up into the air, and a Bobcat caught it and took it to the house. That pretty much sealed Trimble's fate.

Long night in Athens for us Tomcat fans.

I was a shame, the undersized Tomcats of 1989 (only one player of the 20 on the roster was over 200 pounds) had given us a great undefeated regular season.

[maniac66]

Ironton's 81 team was rumored to be maybe one of the best period in the state that year they was loaded every where on that team but if I am correct was it only the top 2 that year to make it?
Not for sure but believe it was correct me if I am wrong please but that team had it all just a beast of a team.

[Portsmouth98]

Here's the best PHS had to offer in the 80's
1984 Trojans
Portsmouth 40 Chillicothe 20
Portsmouth 32 Columbus Linden McKinley 0
Portsmouth 19 Ironton 10
Portsmouth 28 Ashland,Ky 7
Portsmouth 20 Greenup County,Ky 21
Portsmouth 21 Jackson 14
Portsmouth 35 Wilmington 20
Portsmouth 43 Athens 14
Portsmouth 14 Cincinnati Purcell 9
Portsmouth 29 Portsmouth West 6
Portsmouth 14 Philo 13 * Regional Final
Portsmouth 13 Cincinnati McNicholas 26 State Semifinal

1980 Trojans
Portsmouth 20 Jackson 0
Portsmouth 28 Waverly 0
Portsmouth 9 Ironton 13
Portsmouth 28 Portsmouth West 8
Portsmouth 48 Fairland 6
Portsmouth 20 Greenup,Ky 3
Portsmouth 12 Columbus Mifflin 0
Portsmouth 3 Cincinnati Aiken 16
Portsmouth 0 Ashland,Ky 14
Portsmouth 27 Wheelersburg 12

1988 Trojans
Portsmouth 27 Washington CH 18
Portsmouth 22 Greenup,KY 0
Portsmouth 6 Wheelersburg 7
Portsmouth 20 Russell,KY 17
Portsmouth 30 Ashland,KY 23
Portsmouth 6 Ironton 18
Portsmouth 12 Boyd County,KY 6
Portsmouth 18 Ashland, OH 6
Portsmouth 6 Portsmouth West 35
Portsmouth 6 Miami Trace 0
Portsmouth 7 Cincinnati Harrison 36 Regional Semifinal

[Gray Fighting Tiger]

Ironton's 81 team was rumored to be maybe one of the best period in the state that year they was loaded every where on that team but if I am correct was it only the top 2 that year to make it?
Not for sure but believe it was correct me if I am wrong please but that team had it all just a beast of a team.

If you look back on page 1 of this thread it has an explanation of what the Harbin situation was.

The 1981 Ironton Fighting Tigers football team was arguably the best Bob Lutz coached team ever. Possibly the 1978 version (which also didn't make the playoffs despite a perfect record) was better. I don't recall which one Coach Lutz himself thought was better, but he did state his opinion some years ago.

I can't say where these teams fit in regardless of class; there were a bunch of very good teams from bigger schools that never saw the playoffs back then.

[maniac66]

Ironton's 81 team was rumored to be maybe one of the best period in the state that year they was loaded every where on that team but if I am correct was it only the top 2 that year to make it?
Not for sure but believe it was correct me if I am wrong please but that team had it all just a beast of a team.

If you look back on page 1 of this thread it has an explanation of what the Harbin situation was.

The 1981 Ironton Fighting Tigers football team was arguably the best Bob Lutz coached team ever. Possibly the 1978 version (which also didn't make the playoffs despite a perfect record) was better. I don't recall which one Coach Lutz himself thought was better, but he did state his opinion some years ago.

I can't say where these teams fit in regardless of class; there were a bunch of very good teams from bigger schools that never saw the playoffs back then.

Thank you grey tiger I over looked that.
I do remember the 81 team was just loaded all the way around and they was rumored to have been able to play with anyone maybe not bear them but at least play with them.
Alot of good teams back then and undefeated meant nothing unless you truly had the points