Forty years ago, Minford joined forces in the SOC.  They had 27 players and a lot of spirit, but they had little else. 

The players had no home football field, no locker room, and they wore used equipment purchased from area schools.  The team used the band room at the old high school as their locker room. 

Most of the home games were played at the New Boston Stadium.  At the end of the first season, Minford owed New Boston $146.49 for electricity used at the stadium.

Their practice field was an old farm pasture. It had NO running water, NO lights, and NO fieldhouse.  Mike Flaig, Assistant Coach of the 1999 - 2000 football team, remembered it well.  "We had to walk to the field from the old high school across from Shoemaker's Gas Station.  We had no water to drink during practice.  Two area women would leave coolers of water setting out on their porches for us to drink from on our way back to the high school after practice.  We also ate apples off the trees behind the Legion building."

Minford's first football game was played at Wheelersburg.  The September 8, 1960, article from The Portsmouth Times said, "Although this is a home game for Minford, it will be played at Wheelersburg.  Minford does not have a home football field at present."

Predictions from that newspaper article were as follows:
Pogue - Pirates big and experienced, Wheelersburg 14-8
Chamis - Too many Pirates, Wheelersburg 26-6
Joseph - Harvest for Moon, Wheelersburg 34-6
Roberts - Look who's gettin cute already, Wheelersburg 38-0

Headline and text taken from The Daily Times, September 10, 1960, p. 10.
 
 

Wheelersburg proved too big and tough for Minford and walked off with a 52-6 victory.  The game was an SOC tilt and marked the Falcon's first entry into varsity competition.

Wheelersburg's Coach Harold Mullins, making his debut, has several lettermen back from a squad that last year posted an 8-2 record.  Minford, under Coach Claude Sammons, did not play varsity ball last year.

Minford's lone score came in the last quarter when Mike Borders, a halfback, scampered 72 yards on a fake punt.

Dale Mullins with three TD's was ably abetted by Mike Beinkampen and Bob Bays with two each and Dave Litteral with one touchdown.

Wheelersburg's Pirates jumped off to a fat, 20-0 lead at the end of the first quarter and were never in trouble.

Mullins got his first touchdown when he intercepted a pass and ran 35 yards.  His second was on a 40-yard juant around end and the third marker came on a short drive up the middle.

Bays got both his TD's on plunges through the middle and Beinkampen's two scores came on completed passes.

The first game played on Minford's new football field was against New Boston.  An article in the September 9, 1964 issue of The Portsmouth Times, p. 20 stated the following:

"The New Boston-Minford scrap not only will bring two new coaches together, but will be the first football game to be played at the new Minford grid field.  Coach Homer Pellegrinon will turn loose a strong backfield for New Boston against Minford, along with a couple of good ends.  The Tigers also will have an edge in experience over the Falcons.

Minford's Bill Caudill has switched several players to new positions over last year to get a strong first unit.  He has fair size on the team, but short on good speed.  The Minford football picture should start improving with a home field available for the first time since the school took up the sport in 1959."

The day before the game, a huge pep rally was held at the High School.  The rally started at 6:30 p.m., and there was a snake dance down Minford's main street to the new football field where a bonfire was held.

On the night of the game, ceremonies were held to dedicate the new athletic field.  According to an article in the September 12, 1964 issue of The Portsmouth Times, p. 11, "Members of the Minford and New Boston school boards took part with Dr. Roy Adams, Minford president and George Dodd, New Boston president making short remarks.  Also present were Raymond Hall, New Boston school superintendent, and James Warren, principal of Glenwood High, Harold Everling, Minford executive head, who also was in charge of the programming, and Richard Rannels, Minford principal.

Charles Flaig, president of the Minford Football Boosters Club, also made a short talk."

The First Game

Minford, 14
New Boston, 12

Article from the September 12, 1964 issue of The Portsmouth Times, p. 11.
 

New Boston got the scoring started in its game with Minford by scooting 91 yards in 15 plays in the second quarter.  The touchdown came on a 13-yard pass from Ed White to Larry Parlin with 2:24 remaining in the period.  The score was setup on some fine running by White and Roger Frazier.

Minford followed New Boston's score with its own by moving the following kick some 60 yards in eight plays, with Dale Willis going to final three yards with 10 seconds left in the second half.

Lonnie Brown, Minford's quarterback, hit four straight passes in the drive, three to Willis and one to Mike Swords.  Willis ran over the extra points to give Minford as 8-6 halftime edge, and what eventually proved to be the winning margin. 

New Boston regained the lead with 9:22 to go in the third canto when Bill Goddard took a short pass from White for the tiebreaking touchdown.  Minford recaptured the lead for good with its second touchdown, a 12-yard run by Terry Ross, to climax a 53-yard march in nine plays.

New Boston connected on five of 13 pass attempts and Minford hit on four of six and made one interception.

---

Regional Champs
1985

SOC Co-Champs
1985

• Return to MHS Football Page