A look back at the 1969, 1970 Richland Rams WPIAL champions
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The Richland History Group will monthly highlight notable events from the area’s past.
Coach Gene Sullivan led the mighty Rams to their first WPIAL football title in 1969 and then did it again in 1970.
Both of these “speed and quickness” teams, while often outweighed by opponents, won regular-season AIC Section II titles by compiling 9-0 records before winning Class A (the middle of three classifications) championship games.
Both squads have been inducted into Pine-Richland’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
Prior to 1956 (the year Richland High School opened in what is Richland Elementary School today), township students attended Mars High School.
Only underclassmen played on the first Rams team in 1956 because Richland juniors and seniors continued to play for Mars. Previous to Santacroce Stadium being built near the intersection of Bakerstown and Meridian roads, the Rams played home games at Hampton High School on Saturday afternoons.
The Rams steadily improved since their inception. The 1965 Richland squad was powerful, ending with an 8-1 record; unfortunately, use of an ineligible player resulted in the forfeit of all eight ’65 wins.
The ’66 team made the Section II AIC championship game, losing 33-31 to Springdale, but the 1967 and ’68 squads won section runner-up games. Coach Sullivan had developed Richland into a powerhouse going into the 1969 season.
In 1969, junior QB Mike Buterbaugh completed 58 of 121 passes for 752 yards and 11 touchdowns. Mike’s brother, Keith, hauled in 22 of his brother’s passes (four TDs).
Senior Carl Adler was strong at tight end, as were running backs Ed Fleming and Paul Keil and lineman Chip Kohser.
However, it was versatile halfback John Herold (recruited by West Virginia and inducted this month into Pine-Richland’s Athletic Hall of Fame) who spearheaded the offense, running for 732 yards (averaging 6.3 per carry), catching 13 passes for 183 yards, scoring 12 TDs and throwing six passes (three completed with two TDs) in nine games.
John also started at defensive HB to boot.
The ’69 Rams defense was stingy. The starters allowed only three TDs all year, and most of their games were one-sided — the exceptions being wins over Freeport (7-0) and Leechburg (28-21).
As 9-0 section champion, Richland qualified to play in the year-end championship game against the New Brighton Lions, whose line outweighed the Rams by 36 pounds per man.
The Class A championship game was scheduled for Nov. 22 at night (Richland’s previous games were in the afternoon).
Sullivan adjusted by having his Rams practice under the lights at Mars High School.
A severe snowstorm postponed the Nov. 22 night game to a week later in the afternoon. Richland destroyed New Brighton, 30-0.
The 1970 juggernaut Rams returned key players from ’69.
While Herold and Adler had graduated, lineman Chip Kohser, running backs Ed Fleming and Paul Keil, and QB Buterbaugh returned.
The latter had an excellent season and went on to play at Susquehanna.
Richland again went undefeated (9-0) in the regular season and took down Beaver High School 8-7 in the Class A championship game.
Coach Sullivan followed his success at Richland by coaching at Geneva College.