High school football preview: Oberlin alumni sad about season's cancellation

The cancellation of Oberlin's season due to lack of participation was a tough pill to swallow for some alumni. It wasn't always that way. "It's frustrating," said Howard "Spunky" Chambers Sr., a member of the strong teams in the 1960s. "Who'd have ever thought they'd cancel? As the years have gone by, truthfully, athletics — especially the boys — have geared themselves more toward basketball. It's easier for them to pick up a basketball than to get a group of guys to play football, where back in my day, we were always hanging out at the park and we put together football teams. "Those old teams, we grew up together, went to school together and it was just a common bond for most of us." "I had to sit down and take a deep breath," said Ron Rybarczyk, who was the quarterback on a couple of those great teams. "It's sad. I hope it comes back. Hopefully it's just a one-year thing." Sixty years ago, the Indians, as they were known then, completed three years of domination in the old Lakeland Conference, winning 25 games in a row, a then-Lorain County record. Oberlin had 9-0 seasons in 1965 and 1966 after finishing 8-1 in 1964, losing only to Clearview 16-14 in the second week of the season. The Clippers bounced back from a 14-0 halftime deficit to win. The record for a winning streak was broken by Elyria Catholic during its back-to-back state championship runs in 1983 and 1984 when the Panthers won 26 in a row. Oberlin and Avon Lake traded conferences before the start of the 1964 school year. Oberlin, a founding member of the Southwestern Conference in 1937, switched to the Lakeland Conference and Avon Lake moved to the SWC. It proved to be a good move for both schools. Another interesting part of the streak was Hall of Fame coach Al O'Neil. He was on the winning sideline at the start and end of the streak. O'Neil was an assistant on Clearview's staff in 1964 when Oberlin lost to the Clippers before putting together the streak. O'Neil was Avon Lake's head coach when the Shoremen beat Oberlin 42-8 to snap the streak to begin the 1967 season. How dominant was Oberlin? In 1964, it outscored its opponents 270-50. If you only consider the winning streak, it was 242-26 for seven wins that included three shutouts. In 1965, Oberlin scored 352 points and allowed 42 with four shutouts. In 1966, the difference was 376-18 with six shutouts. There were no playoffs back then, just a lot of speculation on just how good Oberlin was. Darell Goddard, who died in 2016 at the age of 88, was the coach and mastermind of the teams but had a plethora of talent. Goddard, an Air Force veteran from the Korean War, came to Oberlin in 1961 and coached freshman football until he was promoted to the varsity in 1964. He knew the talent. He remained at Oberlin until 1971. New London tied Oberlin for the 1964 Lakeland Conference championship even though Oberlin beat the Wildcats 40-6 during the season. That early season loss to Clearview came back to haunt Oberlin, which swept through the league in 1965 and '66. Even though it lost the non-conference opener in 1967 to Avon Lake, Oberlin won the championship again with a 6-0-1 conference mark, its only blemish a 12-12 tie with Wellington. Ralph "Bear" Holloway, who died in 2024, was the Golden Helmet winner in 1966, the only Oberlin player to ever win the trophy. The award was in its second year and Holloway, as his nickname suggests, was very tough on both sides of the ball. He earned a scholarship to Ohio State, joining Glen Hodge, who played on the 1964 team. Hodge and Tom Willbond were the backfield stars in 1964. In '65 and '66, Holloway and Willie Ellington were the main ball carriers, and Rybarczyk threw for over 2,500 yards and 25 touchdowns during his career. Holloway was one of many Oberlin players to play in college, including Rybarczyk, who played behind Bob Griese and Mike Phipps at Purdue. Holloway was 6-foot-3, 240 pounds and described by Goddard as "the best middle guard in the state." "Bear was one of the most dedicated and talented players I've ever coached," Goddard told the C-T in 1966. "He never missed a practice — preseason or otherwise — during his four years of football with us." Goddard actually recruited Holloway from the band after seeing him march during a practice session. "We grew up together," said Chambers, whose nickname "Spunky" as a toddler stuck. "Before he started playing football, he was in the band, playing cornet. Coach Goddard said 'you're a football player, not a band member.' It turned his life completely around." The team had around 35 players, but it was a who's who for Oberlin athletics. In addition to Holloway, Rybarczyk and Chambers, there were the Ellington brothers, Willie and Ray, along with Hodge brothers Glen and Bill. Dave Leininger and Jerry Lattig were captains along with Holloway. John Talbert and Lattig were the Most Valuable Linemen. Tim Eastin, a three-year letterman, led the team in interceptions and averaged 36 yards per punt. Chambers recalled that he and Eastin never allowed a touchdown pass in their two years in the defensive backfield. Mike Diewald, who would win the county decathlon, and Dick Kretchmar were among those to win multiple letters. Chambers said the team was loaded with great players and most of them played both ways, including himself at wide receiver and cornerback. "The offense practiced on Tuesdays and the defense on Wednesdays," Chambers said. "If you could survive Tuesday and Wednesday, you were ready to go Friday night." Chambers and Rybarczyk credited Oberlin's coaches for the success. "Our coaching staff was excellent," said Chambers. "They took pride in what they did. Everybody on the team respected each other but we respected the coaches too. It was a great group of guys and they demanded perfection." "When I look back to the '64, '65 and '66 seasons, we were just so fortunate to have coaches that were of the caliber that really wanted to see young people have success in sports and in the classroom," said Rybarczyk. "Back then, usually when you had a coach, it was a teacher at one of the schools in the system. Anybody that was walking around in the hallway doing something as a football player they shouldn't be, the coach would come up and be on your back and take you aside and told what you had to do to make up for that. That was the biggest part of what we had then." Goddard, Maurice Kalin, Dave Sladky, Cecil Laufaur and Tony Gennette were on the staff. Larry Pickeral and Jeff Monroe were the trainers. Rybarczyk said athletic director Les Brady, administrators, principals and teachers would watch practices and the games. It became a community event each Friday. Oberlin remained competitive in the Lakeland. In 1968 it tied Midview for second place behind Clearview and again finished in a tie for second with Clearview and Vermilion behind Amherst in 1969. Oberlin won the league title in 1970 and had another undefeated team in 1975, going 10-0. That was its last championship, as the Lakeland disbanded following the 1985 season. In 1986 Oberlin joined the Lorain County Conference and, through some changes in membership over the years, remains the smallest school in the reformed Lorain County League. The program has fallen on hard times since 2000. Oberlin has had nine winless seasons and lost 31 straight until it defeated Brooklyn 13-12 in the second game last year. The Phoenix beat Toledo Woodward 21-18 the following week but lost its last seven games. After only eight players showed up for practice to start this season, the season was canceled. Rybarczyk noted it's not only football that's affected. He remembered the band being one of the best around when he played and, of course, the cheerleaders and community will feel the impact as well. "I hope an article like this helps bring the program back," he said. "There's a lot of pride in Oberlin High School football. Really sad to see they're down a little bit. It can make a comeback with the right people. "We've been blessed with four beautiful children and nine beautiful grandchildren and I told them I hope you are fortunate enough that when you're in high school, you can have the same experience we had with our teachers and coaches that we have continued to look up to all the way to the day they passed away. They had that much of an impact on our life." Contact Tim Gebhardt at (440) 329-7135 or at timothygeb@msn.com. Oberlin's 25-Game Winning Streak 1964Overall 8-1, Lakeland Conference Co-Champions (7-1) with New London Defeated Avon Lake 14-8 to open season but lost to Clearview 16-14 the second week of the season. North Ridgeville 30-8 Amherst 12-0 Vermilion 18-6 Huron 52-6 New London 40-6 Wellington 28-0 Midview 62-0 Outscored opponents 270-50 1965Overall 9-0, Lakeland Conference Champions (8-0) *Avon Lake 40-8 Clearview 44-2 North Ridgeville 86-0 Amherst 12-0 Vermilion 26-18 Huron 52-8 New London 40-6 Wellington 28-0 Midview 24-0 Outscored opponents 352-42*Non-conference game 1966Overall 9-0, Lakeland Conference Champions (8-0) Avon Lake 28-0 Clearview 42-0 North Ridgeville 38-0 Amherst 58-0 Vermilion 32-6 Huron 28-0 New London 68-6 Wellington 14-6 Midview 68-0 Outscored Opponents 376-18 1967 Overall 7-1-1, Lakeland Conference Champions 6-0-1 Lost opener to Avon Lake 42-8 and tied Wellington 12-12. Outscored opponents 346-110.