Elder Panther Football - 1976

REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 6-4

Game #
Date
Opponent
Site
Score
W/L
Record
1
9/10/76
Lancaster
H
3-0
L
0-1
2
9/17/76
Woodward
H
12-8
W
1-1
3
9/24/76
Taft
H
54-0
W
2-1
4
10/1/76
Lexington Bryan Station
A
17-0
W
3-1
5
10/8/76
Moeller
Riverfront
34-6
L
3-2
6
10/15/76
La Salle
H
21-0
W
4-2
7
10/22/76
St. Xavier
A
20-0
W
5-2
8
10/29/76
Purcell
H
19-13
L
5-3
9
11/5/76
Roger Bacon
H
9-7
L
5-4
10
11/25/76
Western Hills
Riverfront
20-0
W
6-4
 

Head Coach: Ray Bachus (Career Record: 13-7)

Captains: Joe Ryan, Jerry Crowley, Randy Ritter, Mike Hofmeyer

Final GCL Standings
Overall
League

1. Moeller
10-0
5-0

2. Roger Bacon
7-3
3-2

2. St. Xavier
6-4
3-2

4. ELDER
6-4
2-3

5. La Salle
3-5-2
1-4

5. Purcell
3-7
1-4
 

Season Highlights: Coach Bachus returned at the Panther helm for his second season. In Game 1, Lancaster and Elder battled scoreless for all but the entire game, with Lancaster kicking a 20-yard field goal with 12 seconds left to win the game. The Panthers came from behind to top the Woodward Bulldogs, 12-8, on a 4-yard run by Paul Drennan.

Elder cranked up the scoring machine in Game 3, humiliating the Taft Senators, 54-0. Eight Panthers scored a touchdown, the most notable being Drennan's 51-yard run and Randy Ritter's 60-yard interception return. Paul Drennan rushed for 102 yards and touchdowns of 10 and 25 yards to lead the Panthers over Lexington Bryan Station, 17-0. Mike Schwebler added a 20-yard field goal and Tom Hamberg kicked 2 extra points to round out the scoring. The Elder-Moeller battle returned to Riverfront Stadium, but again the Crusaders controlled the game, winning 34-6. The defense held La Salle to only 54 total yards, while Paul Drennan scored 3 TDs to defeat the Lancers, 21-0. Interceptions by Tim McDonald, Randy Ritter and Greg Langenbrunner keyed the defense, and Paul Drennan's 132 yards rushing led the offense, as the Panthers topped the Bombers, 20-0. Highlight of the game was Mike Ramstetter's school record-setting 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the third quarter.

Trailing 13-7 at the half, Purcell scored twice in the fourth quarter to beat Elder, 19-13. The Panthers fell victim to another late field goal as the Spartans kicked a 37-yard field goal with six minutes left in the game to win, 9-7. The Mustangs made the season-ending meeting with the Panthers a bit closer, but the Panthers continued their winning streak, 20-0. Drennan, Hamberg, and Moeschl rushed for the game's touchdowns. The Panthers ended the season at 6-4, 2-3 in the GCL, good for 4th place.

Paul Drennan led the scoring for the 1976 Panthers, with 58 points on 9 touchdowns and 2 conversions. Scott Moeschl passed for 856 yards, completing 60 out of 127 passes. Drennan also led the team in rushing, with 129 carries for 681 yards, while Mike Hofmeyer led the receivers with 18 receptions for 362 yards.

Moeller, undefeated for the fourth straight year, was again successful in their fourth trip to the state playoffs. The Crusaders defeated Youngstown Mooney, 48-0, in the semi-finals and trounced Gahanna Lincoln, 43-5, to win their second consecutive state title.

 

HONORS
CINCINNATI ENQUIRER ALL-CITY ALL-STAR TEAM
Second Team Offense
Dan Wolf, Mike Hofmeyer
Honorable Mention
Scott Moeschl, Paul Drennan, Chris Leonard, Randy Ritter, Mike Shibinski, Tim Patton
CINCINNATI POST ALL-METRO ALL-STAR TEAM
Second Team Offense
Dan Wolf
Honorable Mention
Mike Hofmeyer, Chris Leonard, Randy Ritter, Mike Shibinski, Tim Patton
G.C.L. ALL-STAR TEAM
First Team Offense
Dan Wolf
Second Team Offense
Chuck Heidel, Mike Hofmeyer
First Team Defense
Chris Leonard, Randy Ritter
Second Team Defense
Steve Griewe, Mike Shibinski, Tim Patton
Honorable Mention
Jerry Crowley, Chris Auer, Joe Ryan, Tim McDonald, Wally Welch, Mike Kelley
Honorary Tri-Captain
Randy Ritter
TEAM AWARDS
Most Valuable Player
Randy Ritter
Best Offensive Lineman
Dan Wolf
Best Defensive Lineman
Chris Leonard
Best Offensive Back
Paul Drennan
Best Defensive Back
Mike Shibinski
Most Improved Player
Chuck Heidel
Mr. Panther
John Vollman
Mr. Z. I. P.
Joe Ryan
Trainer's Award
Jeff Ludwig, Jim Rosenthal

 

Team Roster

Number
Name
Position
Class
21
Auer, Chris
SE
Sr.
89
Beiler, Biff
LB
Jr.
68
Berding, Joseph
DE
Jr.
70
Burkhart, Kevin
G
Sr.
82
Conners, Daniel
DT
Sr.
55
Crowley, Jerome
C
Sr.
25
Dattilo, David
HB
Jr.
44
Drennan, Paul
HB
Jr.
71
Elder, Jeffrey
DT
Jr.
16
Finley, Michael
QB
Soph.
73
Gramke, Joseph
DT
Jr.
75
Griewe, Steven
DT
Sr.
28
Hamberg, Thomas
HB
Sr.
79
Hart, Steven
T
Sr.
77
Heffernan, James
T
Sr.
60
Heidel, Charles
G
Sr.
84
Heitker, Francis
SE
Jr.
69
Hengehold, Steven
T
Jr.
17
Hofmann, Richard
K
Sr.
81
Hofmeyer, Michael
FL
Sr.
72
James, David
T
Soph.
24
Jones, Paul
DHB
Jr.
22
Kelley, Michael
DHB
Sr.
30
Kenkel, Paul
M
Jr.
86
Kenny, Bryan
SE
Jr.
78
Knue, Gregory
T
Jr.
88
Koehne, Chris
TE
Jr.
16
Kreinest, Robert
QB
Sr.
15
Langenbrunner, Greg
S
Jr.
87
Lanzilotta, Kenneth
DE
Jr.
51
Leonard, Chris
MG
Sr.
85
Martino, Charles
MG
Jr.
42
McDonald, Timothy
DE
Sr.
80
Metze, Jerome
SE
Jr.
62
Meyer, Barney
G/DE
Sr.
19
Moeschel, Scott
QB
Jr.
32
Niehaus, Gregory
M
Jr.
65
O'Brien, Gregory
LB
Jr.
74
Ondeck, John
DE
Jr.
31
Patton, Timothy
DE
Sr.
35
Ramstetter, Michael
HB/FB
Jr.
67
Reis, Kevin
G
Sr.
34
Reis, Steven
HB
Jr.
50
Reuss, Donald
LB
Sr.
45
Ritter, Michael
MG
Jr.
63
Ritter, Randall
LB
Sr.
83
Rohe, Steven
TE/LB
Soph.
52
Ruffing, James
C
Jr.
33
Ryan, Joseph
M
Sr.
18
Ryan, Michael
QB
Jr.
36
Schwebler, Michael
K
Sr.
41
Shibinski, Michael
DHB
Sr.
40
Viox, Timothy
SE
Jr.
64
Vollman, John
MG
Sr.
43
Ward, Chris
FB/LB
Soph.
20
Welch, Walter
E
Sr.
23
Wendling, Bernard
DHB
Sr.
66
Wolf, Daniel
G
Sr.
61
Wright, Richard
G
Jr.

 

 
No. of Players
59
 

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