East Liverpool High School Football Chronology of Events
1898 .. First football team formed at ELHS, coached by Dennis McCurran. (pix?)
1904.. Field goals reduced from five points to four.
1904.. Fred Mountford, the school’s first acknowledged “super-star” has 85-yard punt against Wellsville, October 14.
1906.. Forward pass legalized.
1907.. Membership of the athletic association makes decision to purchase new “suits” featuring blue and white colors, September 4. Letter “H” for High on the front rather than “EL”.
1909.. Field goals reduced from four points to three.
1910.. First ELHS football team with complete records coached by Frick Wallover.
1912.. Touchdowns up from five to six points.
1916.. Both teams claim victory at East Palestine on controversial George Kidder recovery of loose ball on opening kickoff, October 21.
1917.. East Liverpool Tribune edited by Jerry Simms first uses team nickname “Potters” in game with Cambridge, October 20. Name was formerly reserved for C. A. Smith’s pro baseball team.
1920.. Robert “Robbie” Robinson recovers nine fumbles in one season.
1923.. Monroe Patterson donates west end property to the Board of Education. Official dedication held on November 15, 1924 in game with Leetonia. (one of, at least, three dedications of the property).
1927.. Startling, 7-0, upset sparked by Dave Anderson’s lateral interception score at Bellaire, October 29.
1928.. Direction of playing field changed from east/west to north/south at Patterson Field. New fencing, drainage and large concrete monument erected. Second dedication of the facility takes place in game with Martins Ferry, November 10.
1931.. First night game at Patterson Field vs. Toronto, October 10.
1932.. ELHS defeats Canton McKinley, 13-0, on controversial Bob Kapp touchdown, October 29. Lose to East Palestine two weeks later, 0-7 in what was considered the biggest football upset in Columbiana County history. November 12.
1932.. Bill Booth transfers from Newell.
1933.. Wooden bleachers added to Patterson Field to accommodate crowds wanting to see Booth play.
1933.. Booth named to Columbus Jaycee’s All-Ohio team. The first such squad named.
1934.. Concrete stadium completed by WPA workers leading to third dedication ceremony in game vs. Martins Ferry, November 3.
1936.. Major upset victory over Weirton, 13-7, who came in with 493-50 point advantage over their opponents, October 23.
1937.. Bill Booth killed in auto crash, September 4 near present Stratton Dam.
1941.. Invention of penalty flag by Coach Dike Beede of Youngstown College.
1945.. First ELHS undefeated team, tied twice under Coach Don Ogden. Allow only 19 points.
1945.. Henry Pack scores five rushing touchdowns against Wellsville. Thanksgiving Day. Coach Ogden moves on to Jackson Michigan.
1946.. Ogden’s line coach, Roy Hodge named head coach. Team goes 3-6
1947.. Roy Hodge resigns after opening loss to Toronto and is replaced by assistant Harold Leffler who wins only one game.
1948.. Team defeats only Wellsville and Yougstown North. Leffler is replaced by Wade Watts, the fifth coach in six years.
1949.. First broadcast of game done by “phonecast” to the EL school auditorium from Lima. Ohio. Maury Magill was announcer, assisted by Harry McConville and Bob Curran on September 16.
1951.. Games broadcast on local station WLIO each week with Eddie Lane at the microphone. Team goes 8-2 with Eddie Oliver (Miami of Florida), Clair Williams (Western Reserve University) and Tom Jenkins (Pitt) in same backfield. New electronic scoreboard replaces old hand-operated board in east end zone.
1952.. Undefeated, once tied by Sandusky, under Coach Wade Watts.
1955.. Undefeated under Coach Bob Gibson.
1956.. Most points scored in a season, 407, under Coach Lou Venditti and quarterback Bernie Allen.
1958.. Two-point conversion rule instituted. Bob Mackall scores initial two pointer vs. Akron St. Vincent on September 12
1959.. Training/meeting room constructed under stadium by Blue and White Nonpareil Club.
1959.. Historic upset victory, 14-13, at Warren Harding, October 16.
1961.. Locker rooms and showers divided from opponents and ceiling added to under stadium dressing areas.
1963.. Large concession stand built by Key Club, Band Mothers along with Blue and White Nonpareil Club.
1964.. Bob McNea named head coach and compiles 37-10-2 record through 1968 season-best percentage in school history.
1969.. Norm Six replaces Bob McNea as head coach in controversial hiring.
1972.. Computer playoff system initiated by OHSAA.
1985.. Coach Larry Bruno, ELHS Class of 1940, is Joe Nameth’s presenter at Pro Football HOF ceremonies in Canton.
1986.. Lou Holtz, ELHS Class of 1954, is named Notre Dame head football coach.
1986.. Five overtime victory, 21-20, game with Wintersville, October 17.
1995.. Bob Thayer, ELHS Class of 1976, replaces Bob Morris as head coach.
1996.. Team barely misses playoffs by controversial call at Edison Local loss, 28-35, in overtime, October 11.
1997.. 100th edition of ELHS football coached by Bob Thayer compiles 8-2 record and chalks up inspired overtime, 12-9 victory over Chardon, October 3.
1998.. First Potter football team to qualify for the post season. Team wins at Boardman High School Stadium vs. Uniontown Lake, 26-14 on November 13. Lose second round to Chardon at Warren’s Mollenkopf Stadium, 6-31, on November 30.
1999.. Dan Aldrich and Matt Salsberry, killed in an automobile accident on Saturday, June 12 near Ada, Ohio. Another ELHS student, Emily Bickerton also lost her life in the crash.
1999.. Qualify for playoffs, travel to Columbus Independence, lose 0-12, November 5.
2000.. Two players recover fumbles and run for touchdowns; Jason Ludwig (52-yards) and Chris Campbell (56-yards) vs. Steubenville Big Red in 26-7 win at Patterson Field, October 20.
2002.. Qualify for playoffs and home field advantage posting 20-14 win over Marietta on November 1. Lose to Avon Lake, 14-31, on November 8 at Massillon’s Paul Brown Stadium.
2004.. Thayer resigns as head coach with school’s top over-all record 67-38 (also 27 wins between 1996-1998, most in any three year period) to accept Westlake head coaching position.
2005.. Pat McNicol, ELHS Class of 1980, moves up from assistant to head coach. Team goes 3-7 with 499-458-27 overall record.
2006.. Team posts 500th all-time victory with 10-7 overtime win over Weirton, September 6.
2008.. Coach Pat McNicol resigns prior to final game with Salem. Assistant Coach Alfred Johnson named interim head coach.
2009.. 112th season. Mark Asher named head coach on March 9, 2009.
2010.. Team led by Willie Leavell and Marky Thompkins qualify for playoffs, defeated by Licking Valley at Patterson Field on November 6, 29-3. Thompkins establishes career total offense mark with 3,516 yards
2011.. Asher accepts head coaching position at Struthers, is replaced by Beaver Local and Mt. Union graduate Rick Prescott. Thompkins adds to his total offense career record up to 4,332 yards despite missing four games because of injuries.
2012.. Construction begins on new restrooms and locker rooms on bluff over-looking the playing field.
2013.. New facilities dedicated; Rick Prescott resigns as coach following a 5-5 season
2014.. Josh Ludwing becomes the teams’ 46th coach. He was a teammate of Prescott’s at Mt.
Union and served as his assistant during his tenure at ELHS. A member of the Class of 2000, Ludwig makes the seventh graduate of ELHS to hold the position. The others include: George “Pop” Kidder 1926; Ernest Bucher, 1922; Edwin Wells, 1914; Arthur “Frick” Wallover 1910; Bob Thayer, 1996 – 2004 and. Pat McNicol, 2005 – 2008