January 24, 1980
Picture #1 – W.R. “Ross” Ash – Athletic contributions were many
Picture #2 – First FHS football team–1897: (left to right) top row: Arthur Fletcher, Roldon Nichols, Otis Wickerd, Clarence Fox, Ed Sill. Second Row: Manager Vic Stewart, Coach Will Rhoades, Lee Yates. Third row: Ray Lance, Captain ” C. Newcomb, Louis Jones, Carl Smith. Fourth row: George Shupe, Earl Near, Chalmer N. Natfield.
Picture #3 – Coach L. C. Boles
Picture #4 – 1905 Champs of Northwest Ohio: (left to right) top row: Prentice Callin, Delbert Stevens, Bill Maurer, Amos Dildine. Broyles, Ollie Bender, Dick Lyons, Ross Kipke. Third row: Coach “Mother” Clark, Tom Norris, Charles Seichrist, Harry Arters, Earl Rosendale, John Pudge Johnson, Floyd Mowery, Wayne Norris, Harry Mumma, Leonard Reycraft, Prof. Ross Ash (teacher and faculty manager of sports). Second row: Clarence Stevens, Wells Callin, Curt Guernsey, Nate Hatfield, Tal Cribbs, Box Fox, Earl Fox, Frank Friesner. Bottom row: Fred Cory, Byron Raiston, Charles Howell, mascot Bobby Dicken, Carl Gasther, Carl Copley.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first in a series about Fostoria High School’s early football teams. The accompanying photos are just a few of the many that could be included if space were available. Today’s story if not meant to be a demeaning reflection on teams of later years.
It took a window display at Kaubisch Library, and a little red booklet displayed there, to get me off dead center and start writing about Fostoria’s famous football teams of the past.
In one of my first Potluck articles I mentioned L. C. Boles, the Fostoria High School coach who turned out many undefeated football teams, and I promised to write more about him and that era of Fostoria sports. Since then, a number of readers have inquired when I was going to write that story. I admit procrastination is part of the problem–however, I knew that story would “keep” for awhile.
But, that little red booklet, which I had never seen before, aroused my curiosity. Pat Bowman at the library let me look through it, and that did it. I knew, then, that it was time to let the football players in Fostoria, and the younger prospective players know about this town’s football heritage: Ohio champions many times, and national champions in 1912.
On the other hand I’m sure other sports fans will welcome this story too, even though they may have heard some of this tale as it has been repeated through the years by their elders, and even by some of the football players still living, who played on FHS football teams of the past.
Incidentally, the booklet, from which I will extract some details, was planned and written by Hal Stout and Clayton Kinsey, two employees of The Fostoria Daily Review back in 1916. Stout had been a member of some of the FHS winning teams and a star player. Kinsey was circulation and advertising manager for The Review.
FOOTBALL STARTED HERE IN 1895
According to historical notes, football was introduced in Fostoria High School in 1895 by Will and Clayt Holopeter. The game as it is known today had never been played in this part of the U.S. The only style of football played in Ohio had been the game similar to rugby, played with a round ball which was kicked, not carried.
When the new game was introduced at FHS, it was not played competitively with schools in other towns for two years. By 1897 the game had caught on sufficiently to schedule competition with other schools. That year FHS won five out of seven games.
The uniforms worn them would be considered a disgrace and unsafe today. No two players had the same uniform–all were different styles and colors.
The area in back of the high school was a woods, and it was not cleared and made into a football field until 1901. In the meantime, games were played at Victor Field on Columbus Avenue, an area that is still a vacant field, next to Cadwallader properties.
WILL RHOADES: FIRST FHS COACH
The first coach, Professor Will Rhoades, a high school instructor, and the 13 players are show in the photos accompanying this article.
In 1899, with Rhoades still coaching, the team had grown to 17 members and northwestern became champions of northwestern Ohio, rolling up 228 points to their opponents 36. That year Heidelberg College, Tiffin, invited the team to fill in an open date as a practice game. The score was FHS 56, Heidelberg 0.
In 1900, when Rhoades left Fostoria and became coach at Findlay, the Fostoria team lost to them, 23-0. But, the next year Fostoria won, 39-0.
So, there developed a strong rivalry between the neighboring schools. Part of it was related to the two school’s colors. In 1898 FHS selected red and black as their colors, but it was later learned that Findlay had also chosen those colors. The two schools decided that whoever won the last game of that year could keep the red and black. Fostoria won the game on Thanksgiving, a big day for football here, and has defended those colors ever since.
In 1901, Coach St. John led Fostoria to the championship of northwestern of Ohio, outscoring opponents of 128 to 28. St. John coached here only one year, after which he went to Wooster, to Ohio Wesleyan and finally to Ohio State where he was popular and successful for many years.
FIRST OHIO CHAMP TEAM 1902
1902 found William Sweet from Ohio Wesleyan coaching the FHS team, and he led them to a state championship, rolling up 270 points against their opponents. The five points were won by Toledo in a tie score.
It seems like coaches came and went often back then. 1903 found Coach Carlisle leading FHS to another northwestern Ohio championship. This was the first year that the players were outfitted with matching uniforms–shoulder pads, leg guards, jerseys, and all the rest.
1904 was a good year for FHS, with a total scoring record of 214 points to opponents 11. However, they lost to Oberlin, one of their arch-enemies and always a close scorer. The score for the game was 6-5.
Coach “Mother” Clark arrived on the Fostoria scene in 1905. Although he only served one year, the FHS team again became champs of Northwestern Ohio with a scoring record of 192 to opponents’ 0.
1906 found Coach Keller instructing the football team and bringing another Ohio championship to Fostoria. The scoring totals that year were 333-0.
BOLES CAME HERE IN 1907
Starting in 1907 with Boles as coach there was a period of six years when Fostoria probably experienced its greatest years in football. Boles came here from Ohio Wesleyan and that first year he made his team state champions with a total scoring record of 367 to 11.
During those years it was not a matter of winning, but of how badly the opponents would be beaten.
In 1908, although FHS was champion of Northwestern Ohio, they lost to East High of Cleveland 14-5. Carl Peter, father of (today’s) Carl Peter Jr., scored the only touchdown for Fostoria. Scoring totals were that year 327 to 21.
1909 was the worst year coach Boles experienced in Fostoria. With all “green” material he was unable to lead his team to a championship. That year Lorain beat FHS 17-18, and Toledo also delivered a loss to the locals; it was the last game ever played with Toledo during Boles’ regime. The last game of that season Fostoria is said to have played a thriller against North High of Columbus, with the score 0-0. However, Fostoria still totaled 188 points as opposed to 32 for opponents.
FHS AGAIN CHAMPS IN 1910
Boles turned out an Ohio championship team in 1910. Back then, Fostoria and Findlay played two games each season, one in each town. The first game in Findlay, played on a wet, slippery field, resulted in Findlay winning 2-0. At the return game at Fostoria, Findlay was defeated 29-0. That same year, Fostoria defeated Columbus North 11-0. Fostoria ended the season with a total of 113 points to 7 for opponents.
In 1911, Boles led his team to another Ohio State championship, with Fostoria accumulating 312 points to opponents’ 14. That year they defeated Findlay 3-0 and 5-0.
Continued next week