REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 10-0
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Playoffs
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Head Coach: Tom Grippa (Career Record: 27-6)
Captains: Greg Harmeyer, Jeff Weber, Joe Huber, Brian Weisker
Final GCL Standings
1.
ELDER 2. St. Xavier 2. Moeller 2. La Salle 5. Roger Bacon
Season Highlights: The 1989 Panthers knew that it would be difficult to top the 1988 team's 9-1 record, first playoff appearance, and first playoff win. Nothing less than a "perfect" season would do. With the loss of quarterback Steve Keller, Jeff Meier and Dennis Penderghast to graduation, Coach Tom Grippa faced a monumental challenge.
Quad-Captains Greg Harmeyer (linebacker), Jeff Weber (defensive back), Joe Huber (running back), and Brian Weisker (offensive lineman) led the Panthers into their first game against Boone County, Ky., in the first meeting between the two schools. In his first start at quarterback, senior Rob Paff passed for 318 yards, completing 15 of 21 passes, and 5 touchdowns. Jeff Dattilo and Joe Ficker each had 2 TD receptions, and Joe Huber added another. Dan McCluskey added 4 PATs, and Dan Beckenhaupt scored on a 2-point conversion pass from Jeff Weber. The Elder defense was outstanding, holding the Rebels to only 96 total yards, and the Panthers took their opening game, 36-0.
As part of the first "LaRosa's High School Football Classic", the Panthers' second game featured the Aliquippa, Pa., Fighting Quips at Riverfront Stadium. This time the running game had a chance to shine, as Joe Huber rushed for 4 touchdowns on the ground, and Randy Ruwan added another. Huber had 26 carries for 132 yards; one of his touchdowns was a 60-yard run. Paff also hit Kevin Martin for his first TD reception of the season. McCluskey's 4 PATs gave the Panthers a 40-13 win over the visitors. Chris Lynd had a fumble recovery, and Kevin Espelage picked off a Quip pass.
Coaches always say that for certain big games you can "throw out the record book", and the Elder-Western Hills game was the perfect example. As the 2-0 Panthers took the field against the 1-1 Mustangs, they had no idea of the battle which lay ahead. Western Hills jumped out to a 20-0 lead in the first quarter, their scores coming on an 86-yard kickoff return, a short run, and 24-yard pass interception return. Joe Huber scored on a 16-yard run to make the score 21-7 at the end of the first quarter. In the second, the Mustangs scored again, but the Panthers responded with two scores before the half, on TD passes from Paff to Martin and Dattilo, making the half-time score, 27-21 Mustangs. The third quarter was scoreless, but Western Hills scored with 4:30 remaining in the fourth quarter, and completed a conversion run to make their lead 35-21. Paff led the Panthers to two scores in the final 3 minutes, on two TD passes to Kevin Martin, but the key play was the two-point conversion pass from Paff to Martin to tie the game, 35-35, following a missed extra point after the first score. The first overtime was scoreless. In the second OT, the Mustangs scored on a four-yard run and kicked the PAT, making the score, 42-35. Chad Feldman ran the ball 9 yards for the Panthers' score in response, and Coach Grippa went for the two-point conversion to win the game, rather than continuing the tie. The planned receiver was covered, so Paff ran in the conversion, and the Panthers won, 43-42.
For Game 4 the Panthers traveled to Withrow, and kicker Dan McCluskey kicked a record-tying 3 field goals (23,32, and 27 yards). McCluskey's 9 points, along with Mark Tiernan's 6-point tally on a 13-yard pass from Paff, gave the Panthers a 15-13 win over the Tigers. In addition to his TD reception, Tiernan rushed for 125 yards in the game. The Panther defense held the Bombers scoreless, aided by a Mike Stallmeyer fumble recovery, while Paff tossed TD passes to Martin (60 yards) and Max Hofmeyer (7 yards) and scored on a 32-yard run himself. The final score was Elder 19, St. Xavier 0, and the Panthers were 5-0 at the halfway point of the season.
The La Salle Lancers were up next, and the defense provided 3 interceptions (two by Jay Owens), as the Panthers won, 26-7. Joe Huber scored two on the ground, and Beckenhaupt scored a third on a short pass from Paff. Dan McCluskey added a 31-yard field goal and a PAT, and Chad Feldman had 2 conversion runs for 4 points each.
The set the stage for the annual battle with Moeller, which returned to UC's Nippert Stadium after a seven-year absence. Both teams were undefeated at 6-0; Elder had won the last two meeting between the two teams the previous season. After a scoreless first quarter, Moeller struck first, on a 4-yard run, to lead at half-time, 7-0. Moeller blitzed Paff relentlessly, allowing him to pick up only 6 yards passing in the first half. After a change in the blocking scheme which gave Paff more time to throw, he threw 3 long TD passes, of 61 yards (to Joe Ficker), 62 (to Mark Tiernan), and 28 yards (to Jeff Dattilo), while the defense held Moeller off the board. Jay Owens and Jeff Weber intercepted Moeller passes; Weber was credited with seven solo tackles and seven assists in the game. Paff passed for 260 yards, completing 12 of 33.
The Panthers then faced GCL opponent Roger Bacon, and had a much easier time. The offense accumulated 449 total yards, 223 through the air and 226 on the ground. Joe Huber rushed for 174 yards on 23 carries, and scored 4 touchdowns. Joe Ficker caught 2 Paff TD passes, and Dan McCluskey kicked 5 PATs for 41 points total. The defense held the Spartans to 260 yards and 18 points.
Joe Huber again ran wild in Game 9 against Purcell-Marian, picking up 175 yards and 5 rushing TDs. Mark Tiernan added a sixth, and McCluskey added 5 PATs to give the Panthers another big win, 41-6.
Carrying a 9-0 record into the final game of the season against Oak Hills, the Panthers held-off the upset-minded Highlanders to win 21-0, on TDs by Huber, Hofmeyer, and Kevin Espelage, who returned an interception 31 yards for the score. The Panthers had completed their first perfect season since 1954.
Elder was chosen City Champion for the second consecutive season, and was ranked second in the state, 20th in the country by USA Today. The Harbin rankings matched up the Panthers with the Moeller Crusaders, who were 8-2, having lost to both Elder and La Salle during the regular season, in the first round of the playoffs. Playing again at UC's Nippert Stadium, the result reversed the teams' previous meeting. This time, the Crusaders controlled the game, scoring two TDs in the second quarter, and three in the fourth quarter to win going away, 35-7. The Panthers could only manage to pick up 176 total yards and 1 score, on a five-yard pass from Paff to Dattilo in the fourth quarter.
Joe Huber led the team scoring on the season, with 18 TDs, for 108 points, as well as the team's rushing, with 143 carries for 777 yards. Rob Paff completed 112 out of 212 passes for 1811 yards and 20 TDs in the regular season. Leading receiver was Kevin Martin with 37 receptions for 691 yards and 5 TDs. Jeff Weber led the team in tackle points with 175, and had 2 sacks and 2 interceptions. Junior Mark Berkowitz was a close second with 172 tackle points and two fumble recoveries. Chad Unger and Jay Owens led the team with 5 pass interceptions each, while Matt Bonhaus led the team in sacks with 9.
After defeating Elder in the first round of the playoffs, Moeller went on to beat Middletown, 20-14, and Lima Senior, 31-28, in 3 overtimes. The Crusaders faced Cleveland St. Ignatius in the state title game, and were defeated 34-28.
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USA TODAY ALL-AMERICAN TEAM |
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Honorable Mention |
Matt Bonhaus |
OHIO
STATE ALL-STAR TEAM
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Second
Team Offense
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Rob
Paff
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First Team Defense |
Matt Bonhaus |
Special
Mention
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Brian
Weisker
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Lineman of the Year |
Matt Bonhaus |
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First
Team Defense
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Matt
Bonhaus
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Special
Mention
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Kevin
Martin, Joe Huber, Greg Harmeyer
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Honorable
Mention
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Jeff
Weber
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Lineman of the Year |
Matt Bonhaus |
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First
Team Defense
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Matt
Bonhaus, Greg Harmeyer, Jeff Weber
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Honorable
Mention
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Kevin
Martin, Greg Connors, Paul Otten, Dan McCluskey, Dan Beckenhaupt
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CINCINNATI
POST ALL-METRO ALL-STAR TEAM
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First
Team Offense
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Rob
Paff, Kevin Martin
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First
Team Defense
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Matt
Bonhaus, Greg Harmeyer, Jeff Weber, Dan Beckenhaupt
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Honorable
Mention
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Greg
Connors, Joe Huber, Brian Weisker
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Co-Coach of the Year |
Tom Grippa |
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Paul
Otten
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Matt
Bonhaus, Dan Beckenhaupt, Greg Harmeyer, Jeff Weber
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Matt
Mazzaro
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Honorable
Mention
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Ted
Renneker, Chad Unger, Dan Vornhagen, Joe Ficker, Chris Lynd, Nick
Taylor
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Player
of the Year
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Jeff
Weber
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Best
Defensive Back
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Jeff
Weber
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Best
Linebacker
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Greg
Harmeyer
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Best
Receiver
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Kevin
Martin
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Most
Improved Player
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Dan
Beckenhaupt, Rob Paff
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Mr.
Panther
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Jeff
Taulbee
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Mr.
Z. I. P.
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Greg
Harmeyer, Jeff Weber
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Name |
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Aspinwall, Jason |
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Autenreib, Dan |
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Baker, Doug |
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Beckenhaupt, Dan |
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Berkowitz, Mark |
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Bonhaus, Matt |
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Brogan, Brian |
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Brogan, Dan |
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Brogan, Mike |
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Conners, Greg |
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Dattilo, Jeff |
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Espelage, Kevin |
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Feldman, Chad |
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Ficker, Joe |
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Fieler, Steve |
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Gerding, Matt |
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Gierse, Bryan |
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Grau, Tom |
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Gross, Tom |
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Grote, Doug |
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Harmeyer, Greg |
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Haussler, Mike |
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Hesketh, Tony |
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Hofmeyer, Max |
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Huber, Joe |
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Jorg, Blaine |
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Klett, Mike |
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Kock, Jeff |
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Lewis, Brian |
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Lowther, Tom |
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Lynd, Chris |
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Martin, Kevin |
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Mazzaro, Matt |
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McCluskey, Dan |
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Merkle, Ray |
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Meyer, Jim |
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Moore, Gary |
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Moore, Mike |
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Moorman, Rob |
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Mullen, Tom |
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Noble, Jake |
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Oker, Jay |
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Otten, Paul |
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Owens, Jay |
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Paff, Rob |
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Renneker, Ted |
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Rohe, Dan |
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Ruwan, Randy |
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Salzarulo, Mark |
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Soldano, Chris |
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Stallmeyer, Mike |
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Steinbach, Nate |
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Taulbee, Jeff |
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Taylor, Nick |
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Tiernan, Mark |
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Tyson, Jeff |
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Unger, Chad |
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Vornhagen, Dan |
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Weber, Jeff |
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Weidner, Rick |
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Weisker, Brian |
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Wittich, Randy |
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