Captains: Mark
Berkowitz, Mike Stallmeyer, Jay Owens, Mark
Tiernan
Final GCL-S
Standings
Overall
League
1.
Moeller
9-1
4-0
2. La
Salle
7-3
2-2
2.
ELDER
6-4
2-2
4. St.
Xavier
7-3
1-3
4. Roger
Bacon
1-9
1-3
Season
Highlights:As the 1990 season opened, the Panthers were on a 16-game regular
season winning streak. The streak continued against Huber Heights
Wayne, with Elder led by junior quarterback Dave Becker, and
Quad-Captains Mark Berkowitz (defensive back), Mike Stallmeyer
(defensive lineman), Jay Owens (defensive back), and Mark Tiernan
(wide receiver). Elder dominated Wayne 30-0, as Becker threw a TD
pass to Max Hofmeyer for 20 yards, and Chad Feldman led the ground
game with 95 yards rushing, including a 70-yard TD run. Tiernan and
Randy Ruwan added rushing TDs, and Dan McCluskey continued his
pinpoint kicking with 3 PATs and a 23-yard field goal.
For Game 2, the Panthers
returned to Riverfront Stadium. As part of the second edition of the
LaRosa's High School Football Classic, they Panthers put their
winning streak on the line against Booker T. Washington High School
from Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Panthers were unable to move the ball
effectively against Washington, and could only manage one TD, a
2-yard run by Randy Ruwan. The Panther defense allowed 317 yards, and
21 points, while Elder gained only 190 total yards, and 9 points. The
streak ended at 17 games, as the Panthers season record dropped to
1-1.
The Western Hills Mustangs
hosted the Panthers for Game 3. The Mustangs took an 8-0 lead into
the second quarter, when the teams exchanges TDs, the Panthers
scoring on a Randy Ruwan TD run. Following half-time, the Panthers
scored again on a Dave Becker 12-yard run, and with McCluskey's PAT
the score stood at 15-13. At this point, the defenses took over and
neither team scored again.
Withrow was the opponent
for Game 4, and the Panthers, led at quarterback by junior Tim
Austing, outscored the Tigers, 30-26. Austing passed for 247 yards
and 4 TD passes, to Max Hofmeyer, Jason Poland, and two to Jeff
Dattilo. McCluskey added a 20-yard field goal to his 3 PATs. Ruwan
rushed for 124 yards; Hofmeyer caught 5 passes for 100
yards.
Game 5 was
a defensive battle with the St. Xavier Bombers. The Panthers picked up only
7
yards on the ground, but with 217 yards through the air, and a
22-yard Austing-to-Ruwan TD pass, Elder won the contest, 7-3.
GCL rival
La Salle was next. The Lancers defense forced 3 fumbles and picked off 2
Austing passes, making a tough night for the Elder offense, which could only
manage a 25-yd McCluskey field goal. The Lancers overcame a Mike Stallmeyer
fumble recovery and a Dave Becker interception to score 28 points and take
the game.
Moeller (5-1)
and Elder (3-3) converged on Galbreath Field for their annual meeting. Moeller
took an early lead 14-7 at the half, with Elder's only score on a
61-yard Tom Ludwig return of a Crusader fumble. After a scoreless
third quarter, Austing drove the Panthers 84 yards in 10 plays and
picked up a score on a 3-yard pass to Jason Poland. On their next
possession, Moeller was forced to settle for a 19-yard field goal.
Shortly thereafter, the Panthers responded with a field goal of their
own, a 37-yard kick by McCluskey. Late in the contest, the Elder
defense kept the Crusaders from reaching the goal line, but with two
seconds on the clock, Moeller kicked an 18-yard field goal to win the
game.
The Panthers rebounded the
following week against the Spartans of Roger Bacon. Randy Ruwan
rushed for 107 yards and two TDs to lead the team to its fourth
victory, 14-0. The defense held the Spartans to only 70 total yards;
Bob Westerkamp recovered a Spartan fumble, and Jay Owens and Brian
Brogan each had a pass interception.
Elder then faced
Purcell-Marian at Shea Stadium in Norwood, and avoided a losing
season by winning their fifth game, 24-14. Ruwan scored on a two-yard
run, and Austing hit Tiernan and Dattilo with TD passes. McCluskey
added a 20-yard field goal to his 3 extra points. The season ended at
home against Oak Hills, and the Panthers went out in style, on 459
yards of offense, 268 through the air on Austing's 18-of-27 passing,
and 191 yards rushing, led by junior Ennis Jim with 136 yards on 12
carries and 1 TD. Tiernan led the receivers with 105 yards on 7
receptions and 2 TDs; Hofmeyer had four catches for 102 yards and 1
TD. The Panthers' record ended at 6-4, as they defeated the
Highlanders, 25-13.
Randy Ruwan
was the leading scorer for the season, picking up 42 points on 7 TDs. Tim
Austing
passed for 1442 yards on 116 completions out of 201 attempts; Dave
Becker added 389 yards on completing 23 out of 57. Ruwan also led the
rushing statistics, with 136 carries and 646 yards. The leading
receivers were Mark Tiernan (46 receptions for 540 yards) and Max
Hofmeyer (36 receptions for 591 yards). Mark Berkowitz was the
defensive leader with 163 tackle points, 1 sack and 1 interception.
Kevin Espelage had 126 tackle points 5 sacks and 1 fumble
recovery. (Berkowitz
went on to play for Princeton University and was named a team captain in
his senior year; Stallmeyer
attended Duke University and played defensive tackle for the Blue
Devils.)
When the Harbin points were
calculated at the end of the season for Region 4, Moeller finished
first, Princeton second (even though they had lost during the regular
season to Middletown and Moeller), Huber Heights Wayne was third, and
Middletown was fourth. Princeton defeated Huber Heights Wayne, 62-30,
while Middletown defeated Moeller. The Vikings went on to defeat
Middletown, 35-13, and Piqua, 34-7, to reach the state title game. In
that game, they faced the Warren Harding Raiders, and lost
28-21.
HONORS
OHIO
STATE ALL-STAR TEAM
Second
Team
Mike
Stallmeyer
SWOFCA
ALL-DISTRICT ALL-STAR TEAM
First
Team Defense
Mike
Stallmeyer
Special
Mention
Mark
Tiernan, Mark Berkowitz
Honorable
Mention
Tim
Austing, Rob Moorman
CINCINNATI
ENQUIRER ALL-CITY ALL-STAR TEAM
First
Team Offense
Mark
Tiernan
First
Team Defense
Mike
Stallmeyer, Mark Berkowitz
Honorable
Mention
Max
Hofmeyer, Kevin Espelage, Rob Moorman
CINCINNATI
POST ALL-METRO ALL-STAR TEAM
First
Team Offense
Max
Hofmeyer
First
Team Defense
Mike
Stallmeyer, Mark Berkowitz
Honorable
Mention
Mark
Tiernan,
Tim Austing, Mike Klett, Dan McCluskey, Kevin Espelage, Rob Moorman,
Jay Owens
G.C.L.
SOUTH ALL-STAR TEAM
First
Team Offense
Mark
Tiernan
Second
Team Offense
Mike
Klett, Max Hofmeyer, Jeff Dattilo, Randy Ruwan
First
Team Defense
Mike
Stallmeyer, Kevin Espelage, Mark Berkowitz
Second
Team Defense
Bob
Westerkamp, Rob Moorman
Honorable
Mention
Steve
Fieler, Jay Owens, Brian Brogan, Dan McCluskey
