With the beginning of the school year just around the corner, I thought it would be best to revisit what could be considered the best era of Pirate football ever seen at Cardington-Lincoln High School.
Coach Harold Mercer took over the Pirate program in its adolescence in 1957 (side note: football had a sole season in the first decade of 1900s, but ceased to exist after a player was fatally injured; it would not reestablish until 1947). Mercer’s first season at the helm was his worst posting with a 5-4 win-loss record. After that, it was off to the races. The 1958 season saw improvement to a 7-2 record, but the 1959-1961 seasons were phenomenal.
A run of three straight conference titles began: 1959 as undefeated Mid-Ohio Conference champions at 9-0, 1960 as undefeated MOC champions at 8-0, and 1961 as MOC champions at 7-1-1. Offensively for the team, the 1959 season was statistically superior by averaging 43 points scored per game, while the 1960 team racked up 35.7 points per game and the 1961 team at 38.4 points per game. Neither of those three seasons did the Pirates give up more than two touchdowns defensively. The Pirates held their opponents to 5.1 points per game in 1959 (this statistic might be a program record), 10.5 points per game in 1960, and 7.3 points per game in 1961.
The lineup of players who played under Mercer were generational stars. Five players received All-Ohio honors whether they made first team, second team, or honorable mention (another side note: there were only two divisions for football then; Class A and AA). Gary Crum was recognized especially for the efforts given during his senior season. Receiving First Team All-Ohio honors and voted the Offensive Back of the Year for Class A, Crum rushed 142 times that year for 1,651 yards and scored 36 total touchdowns. He passed away in 2007, but was inducted posthumously to the Cardington-Lincoln Athletic Hall of Fame in 2018. After graduating from Cardington, he played football at Northwestern University and coached at a couple of universities following his playing career. Accepting his award that night many years ago was his brother-in-law, Ron Carsner, who was Honorable Mention All-Ohio for the same season.
Larry Coomer was awarded with First Team All-Ohio honors for each of the three years the Pirates won the conference championship. He tallied 519 points throughout his high school career with posting 25 total TDs and rushing for over 1,000 yards in 1961. Coomer was inducted into the Cardington-Lincoln Athletic Hall of Fame in 2018.
Doug Click, an unanimous First Team All-MOC selection and Honorable Mention All-Ohio, was inducted for his playmaking abilities during his senior football season in 1960. He scored 132 points that year and went on to earn a scholarship to play at Ashland University following his high school graduation.
Bob Otterbacher was just recognized as Honorable Mention All-Ohio under Mercer’s tenure, but received First Team-All Ohio honors in 1962 under Mercer’s successor, Henry Schroth.
This is an era where I am able to hear stories about as many players are now friends and some are family (my Great Uncle Don Strohl played on the offensive and defensive lines for these teams).
These Pirates never got the opportunity to play on today’s Merle Fisher Athletic Field as the current high school did not open until the fall of 1967, but they would have rung the restored victory bell that sits beside the scoreboard many times.
As Cardington-Lincoln High School takes to the gridiron once again this season, be sure to pridefully don your red and black, shout “Go Pirates!” from the bleachers, and reflect on the storied history of the town’s football program in the coming weeks.
Looking Back:
• 50 years ago, July 1974: Faye Farmer was awarded a scholarship by the Morrow County Farm Bureau to attend the Northwest Region Farm Bureau Youth Conference that was held at Bluffton College.
• 40 years ago, July 1984: Cecil Maxwell was appointed district governor for the Rotary Club and was the first Cardington Rotarian to serve in the post. Bill Clauss’ summer league baseball team posted a 14-6 season record. Michelle (Grooms) Yake won the 100-yard individual medley and 50-yard backstroke from the Cardington Swim Club against the Lincoln Park Pool swim team.
• 30 years ago, July 1994: Rob Chappell was named reserve champion for his apple pie during the Cardington Carnival’s Men Only Pie contest. The Cardington Garden Club gave its first landscaping award to Dick and Kathy Hack of Chesterville Avenue.
• 20 years ago, July 2004: John Davis, Jim Crawford, and Bruce Fissell of the Morrow County Veterans Council raised money for a veterans memorial to be placed outside of the county’s courthouse. Ohio Reads volunteers were honored for their time mentoring and assisting students at Cardington-Lincoln Elementary School. The volunteers for the school year were Pat Aikman, Betty Cocklin, Clara McClenathan, Pat Drouhard, Brian Mounts, Trish Coleman, Linda Harvey, Eilene Heimlich, Kelly Kirkpatrick, Kathy Townsend, Ed Wahl, Rob McDonald, Don Lee, Carolyn Poorman, Dianne VanHouten, Nancy Burdsall, and Carla Frazier.
