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Windham High School (Windham, Ohio)
Encyclopedia
Windham High School is a public high school
in Windham, Ohio
. It is the only high school in the Windham Exempted Village School District. Their nickname is the Bombers. Windham High School was founded in 1883.
County Division and began play in the PTC in 2005. Currently, Windham sponsors seven athletic teams:
and was a longtime member of the former Portage County League.
In 1939, the school was ranked by American Boy Magazine as the 16th best in the nation for six-man football
. This selection was made by Stephen Epler, the creator of what was then a fairly new sport. The Bombers defeated Stamford Collegiate Secondary School in Niagara Falls, Ontario
for the first-ever international title on October 5, 1940., and were ranked in the top 10 in the nation by American Boy Magazine. Three members of the team, Harold and Fred Stanley and Robert Turner, were chosen as All-American players, the only Windham players ever so honored.
until 1953, when the Windham school district became the Windham Exempted Village School District. In Ohio, Exempted Village School Districts are given similar authority to city school districts; i.e. to "determine for itself the number of members and the organization of the district board of education". At this time, Windham withdrew from the PCL and competed as an independent.
Prior to 1953, most schools in Portage County were given "A" classification in Ohio's system of measuring school size for athletics. Due to increasing enrollment from the construction of the Ravenna Arsenal a decade earlier, Windham was close to "AA" classification. In 1957, Windham had an exceptional year in football, posting an undefeated record of six wins and a tie. In order to maintain "A" classification, Windham cut freshmen from the team at the beginning of the season. However, in contests against Garrettsville
and Ravenna Township, football coach Leo Kot played two freshmen to prevent running up the score
. These contests led directly to Windham's classification as "AA" upon appeal from Mogadore High School, and the subsequent formation of the Tomahawk Conference
.
The Bombers won the Tomahawk Conference championship for football all three years of the conference's existence, sharing the title with Southeast in 1959. Windham also won all three conference titles in baseball, and in 1961 the Bombers were state runners-up, losing the state baseball championship to Liberty Union High School
.
. Parrish coached the Bombers from 1972 until 1974 after serving as an assistant from 1969–71.
The PCL became the basis of the extant Portage Trail Conference
, created through inter-county expansion in 2005. On July 2, 2011, Windham announced that it would be leaving the PTC following the 2012–13 school year and joining the Northeastern Athletic Conference, citing declining enrollment and a resulting decreasing ability to compete in the PTC.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Windham, Ohio
Windham, Ohio
Windham is a village located in Portage County, Ohio, United States. It is formed from portions of Windham Township, one of the original townships of the Connecticut Western Reserve. The population was 2,209 at the 2010 census. In 1942, the US government chose Windham as the site of an army camp...
. It is the only high school in the Windham Exempted Village School District. Their nickname is the Bombers. Windham High School was founded in 1883.
Athletics
Windham High School offers several athletic teams, all of which are known as the Bombers. The school currently competes in the Portage Trail ConferencePortage Trail Conference
The Portage Trail Conference or PTC is an association of sixteen public high schools and their associated middle/junior high schools located in the United States within the northeastern Ohio counties of Portage, Summit, and Stark...
County Division and began play in the PTC in 2005. Currently, Windham sponsors seven athletic teams:
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History
The Bombers have a long and decorated athletic history, particularly in football and boys basketball. During the late 1950s, the school played a leading role in establishing the short-lived Tomahawk ConferenceTomahawk Conference, Ohio, 1958-1960
The Tomahawk Conference was a short-lived athletic confederation which existed in Portage County, Ohio, between 1958 and 1961. Information on the conference has been compiled from primary sources, the Akron Beacon Journal, and the Ravenna Evening Record , two Ohio newspapers both available on...
and was a longtime member of the former Portage County League.
In 1939, the school was ranked by American Boy Magazine as the 16th best in the nation for six-man football
Six-man football
Six-man football is a variant of American football that is played with six players per team, instead of 11.-History:6-man football was developed in 1934 by Chester High School coach Stephen Epler as an alternative means for small high schools to field a football team during the Great Depression...
. This selection was made by Stephen Epler, the creator of what was then a fairly new sport. The Bombers defeated Stamford Collegiate Secondary School in Niagara Falls, Ontario
Niagara Falls, Ontario
Niagara Falls is a Canadian city on the Niagara River in the Golden Horseshoe region of Southern Ontario. The municipality was incorporated on June 12, 1903...
for the first-ever international title on October 5, 1940., and were ranked in the top 10 in the nation by American Boy Magazine. Three members of the team, Harold and Fred Stanley and Robert Turner, were chosen as All-American players, the only Windham players ever so honored.
Tomahawk Conference
According to the Ravenna-Kent Record-Courier, Windham competed in the Portage County LeaguePortage Trail Conference
The Portage Trail Conference or PTC is an association of sixteen public high schools and their associated middle/junior high schools located in the United States within the northeastern Ohio counties of Portage, Summit, and Stark...
until 1953, when the Windham school district became the Windham Exempted Village School District. In Ohio, Exempted Village School Districts are given similar authority to city school districts; i.e. to "determine for itself the number of members and the organization of the district board of education". At this time, Windham withdrew from the PCL and competed as an independent.
Prior to 1953, most schools in Portage County were given "A" classification in Ohio's system of measuring school size for athletics. Due to increasing enrollment from the construction of the Ravenna Arsenal a decade earlier, Windham was close to "AA" classification. In 1957, Windham had an exceptional year in football, posting an undefeated record of six wins and a tie. In order to maintain "A" classification, Windham cut freshmen from the team at the beginning of the season. However, in contests against Garrettsville
James A Garfield High School (Garrettsville, Ohio)
James A. Garfield High School is a public high school just out side the limits of Garrettsville, Ohio in Freedom Township. It is the only high school in the James A. Garfield Local School District. Their mascot is the G-Men. The name the G-Men came from the investigation by the Federal Government...
and Ravenna Township, football coach Leo Kot played two freshmen to prevent running up the score
Running up the score
In North American sports, "running up the score" occurs when a team continues to play in such a way as to score additional points after the outcome of the game is no longer in question and the team is assured of winning...
. These contests led directly to Windham's classification as "AA" upon appeal from Mogadore High School, and the subsequent formation of the Tomahawk Conference
Tomahawk Conference, Ohio, 1958-1960
The Tomahawk Conference was a short-lived athletic confederation which existed in Portage County, Ohio, between 1958 and 1961. Information on the conference has been compiled from primary sources, the Akron Beacon Journal, and the Ravenna Evening Record , two Ohio newspapers both available on...
.
The Bombers won the Tomahawk Conference championship for football all three years of the conference's existence, sharing the title with Southeast in 1959. Windham also won all three conference titles in baseball, and in 1961 the Bombers were state runners-up, losing the state baseball championship to Liberty Union High School
Liberty Union High School
Liberty Union High School is a public high school in Baltimore, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Liberty Union-Thurston Local Schools district. Their mascot is the Lions. The school colors are red and black....
.
Portage County League
In 1961, the Bombers returned to the reconstituted Portage County League. Windham continued to enjoy success in football, and the school was the first head coaching job for later college and professional football coach Stan ParrishStan Parrish
Stan Parrish is an American football coach and former player. Most recently, he was the head coach at Ball State University from 2009 to 2010. Parrish was previously head coach at Wabash College, Marshall University and Kansas State University. He has been an offensive coordinator at Ball State...
. Parrish coached the Bombers from 1972 until 1974 after serving as an assistant from 1969–71.
The PCL became the basis of the extant Portage Trail Conference
Portage Trail Conference
The Portage Trail Conference or PTC is an association of sixteen public high schools and their associated middle/junior high schools located in the United States within the northeastern Ohio counties of Portage, Summit, and Stark...
, created through inter-county expansion in 2005. On July 2, 2011, Windham announced that it would be leaving the PTC following the 2012–13 school year and joining the Northeastern Athletic Conference, citing declining enrollment and a resulting decreasing ability to compete in the PTC.