1981 Ironton 10-0 No Playoffs

[85inside]

Much debate over best teams under Bob Lutz at Ironton. I have always contended that 1981 may have been the best. Ironton went 10-0 and did not qualify for playoffs that season. I believe only 4 teams qualified in each division at that time.

This team featured a back field that had all four members getting schollies. The fighting Tigers scored 420 points in 10 games and only gave up 122.

Certainly one of those "what if" teams.

[MTSWNGRVSG]

Just a side note, one of the teams that got in that year went to the state finals. So what would this team have done!

[Gray Fighting Tiger]

The only Lutz era team that I think was possibly equal to this 81 team was the 78 team which also was undefeated but missed the playoffs. The 81 team just missed the playoffs, coming in 3rd at a time (as mentioned above) when only 2 teams per region continued on to the post-season. Ironton had more level 1 points than any other team in the region, but due to the relatively poor performance of Ironton's opponents, didn't quite get enough level 2 points to finish in the top 2.

1981 D III Region 11
1 - Zanesville West Muskingum 20.0000 92.0000 112.0000
2 - Washington Court House 19.5000 87.7500 107.2500
3 - Ironton 23.0000 82.9861 105.9861

Of considerable interest to Ironton fans, and alluded to in the above post... Washington C. H. went on to make the finals, where they lost to Akron SVSM 48-7. The next year, Ironton lost in the finals to SVSM 21-14. I have to think that, had the 81 Ironton team made the playoffs, they would have done better than losing the state title game by 41 points.

[EagleFan89]

Just curious, what were the point values per division back then. Beating a D3 school gets you 4.5 points now, but with only 23 first-level points with 10 wins, the point values were much smaller back then.

[Gray Fighting Tiger]

Just curious, what were the point values per division back then. Beating a D3 school gets you 4.5 points now, but with only 23 first-level points with 10 wins, the point values were much smaller back then.

I don't recall exactly what it was back then, but it was smaller. Something like
D I = 3.0
D II = 2.5
D III = 2.0
D IV = 1.5
D V = 1.0
(there was no D VI then)

[85inside]

Actually in 1981 think there were still only 3 divisions. Class A,AA,AAA.

[C-Bolt]

In 81 They used A,AA,AAA in the regular season but come playoff time they used Roman Numeral ranks,I remember Nelsonville was Div.IV State champions that year and boy would I loved to see them play Ironton that year that might have been the biggest game of all time in this area.....I would have payed big money to see that one!

[bman]

Comparing teams from different years really isn't too fair, especially with private schools that can find the cupboard stocked much more in a small space of time. WCH made a good accounting for themselves of getting to the big show.

[BigCarlito72]

Gheesh, I was just a kid but I remember that and being so mad. Kept asking my pops what the heck was going on!

[NY BUCKS]

In 81 They used A,AA,AAA in the regular season but come playoff time they used Roman Numeral ranks,I remember Nelsonville was Div.IV State champions that year and boy would I loved to see them play Ironton that year that might have been the biggest game of all time in this area.....I would have payed big money to see that one!

That would be a game for the ages...NY WINNING THOUGHT...LOL
NY Scored 425 32.7 points scored
74 points allowed 5.7 give up
7 shutouts logan wheelersburgh
28 of those points were 2 coal grove 12 state runner up totogany ostego 16

[Gray Fighting Tiger]

It's interesting to discuss these things, and the fans of each team are naturally going to think their favorite was better. Maybe N-Y could have beaten Ironton in 1981; we'll never know. But make no mistake, that edition of the Fighting Tigers was one of the best high school teams ever from southeast Ohio.

[C-Bolt]

I was on the field in both those games against those two teams that year and remember NY might have been bigger but had very comparable speed to the Tigers,Itown's backfield was unreal with talent that year but NY'S was no slouch either and both defenses would just knock the snot out of you on a cold night,I remember our defense that year knocked Bacon out on the field and they had to use smelling salts to get him awake,it was really scary because his Mom and Dad were on the field looking over him as he lay there, I can't make a prediction who would win,both teams had no weaknesses that I could recall and unlike now days Itown could even throw the ball back then so you couldn't stack the line or they would burn you over the top.....

[footballcrazy]

Coal Grove played Nelsonville- York that year in the playoffs and were winning 13-0 at the half. The Buckeyes came back and won 14-13. CG was in div.IV that year and Ironton was in DIV.III. And yes the 1981 football team was by far the best ever in Ironton history and would have walked to the championship. CG's 81 team I feel was CG's best ever they should have won it also they beat Wheelersburg that year and should have beat Nelsonville, the Buckeys went on to win the championship game I think it was 38-6

[pbuck]

Coal Grove played Nelsonville- York that year in the playoffs and were winning 13-0 at the half. The Buckeyes came back and won 14-13. CG was in div.IV that year and Ironton was in DIV.III. And yes the 1981 football team was by far the best ever in Ironton history and would have walked to the championship. CG's 81 team I feel was CG's best ever they should have won it also they beat Wheelersburg that year and should have beat Nelsonville, the Buckeys went on to win the championship game I think it was 38-6

the score of the NY CG game was 14-12

[NY BUCKS]

AND NY QB taggert only played 3rd and 4th quarters to bring them back.....State final was 34-16

[C-Bolt]

I'm confused,you mean Taggart only played the second half in the Coal Grove playoff game? Was he sick or something that night?