Ben Liebermann
The 2018 season was one for the record books and one that will be remembered for years. The tone for the season was set by the players early on in winter workouts with their “15 for 15” motto. The players did 15 push-ups after every workout, practice, and game, with the stated goal of playing 15 weeks and making it to the state championship game. Their work ethic would make every Tiger from every generation proud. And as the season rolled around, the records fell seemingly every week. The all time rushing record, most touchdowns, most points in a game, most kickoff returns for a touchdown, most extra points, most points scored in a game, among many others, were broken throughout the season.
The 2018 Tigers were dominant throughout the season and the majority of their regular season games ended with a running clock. But it also included a game with out of state national powerhouse East St Louis that was a battle of two very good teams with the Tigers pulling out a win at the end. The first perfect regular season since 1999 was completed with a third straight victory over Canton McKinley.
In the playoffs, the Tigers entered a new region with victories over Walnut Ridge, Columbus Whitehall, and Wadsworth before avenging a 2017 season ending loss to Cincinnati Winton Woods in the state semifinals. The season would culminate in the Tigers first state championship game appearance since 2005 where they would take on 3 time defending state champion Akron Hoban. After falling behind early, the Tigers staged a furious comeback only to fall short and finish an unbelievable season at 14-1.
It was also a great year for the Booster Club, as well. At the beginning of the season a new scoreboard was installed at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium as a result of a joint project between the school system, the Booster Club, and support from our local businesses. There was an increased effort to engage our out of town fans through the use of social media. Our out of state membership grew as a result. We were able to livestream the Steve Studer Memorial Lift-a-thon to allow fans to see offseason progress. The Spring Kickoff featured Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer. It was also a very strong year for fundraising. That success was aided in large part by assistance and cooperation from the Tiger Moms, School Board, School Administration, City Administration, and the coaching staff. It was a year from start to finish that showed just how unique and special our community is and one that will be remembered.