The Martins Ferry Athletic Department and Martins Ferry Athletic Hall of Fame Committee has selected six more deserving teams from the past as “Teams of Distinction” to be honored at this year’s homecoming on Friday, Oct. 5 against Indian Creek.

The “Teams of Distinction” category was established to bring to light Purple Rider teams of the past who may not have been state champions like the three teams inducted into the Hall of Fame back in 2015 (1930 baseball; 1941 basketball; 1941 football), but they set standards in their sport by reaching the regional and/or state level, and others deemed to have gone “above and beyond” in some manner.

This year’s additions are the 1930, ’34, ’36 and ’98 football teams; the 1974 cross country team and the 1999 wrestling squad.

Here are this year’s “Teams of Distinction”:

1930 Football

The 1930 football team not only continued the Purple Riders’ string of successful seasons during the one-year coaching stop of Alex B. Fox, but the team became only the second undefeated squad in school history by posting a sparkling 10-0-2 record with a pair of scoreless ties while outscoring their opponents 193-32.

The team included Urvin Zimmerman, George Gocsik, Chester Poluga, Norman Davis, Earl Stullenberg, James Debula, Howard Green, Dan Giancola, Richard Rogers, Francis Snodgrass, Albert Negus, Woodrow Moore, Clarence Reynard, Billy Wargo, James Scarfpin, Joseph Kozelko, Otis Kirkpatrick, Charles Yoho, William Pucci, Bill Dorsey, Charles Griffith, Mike Hodick, Maurice Rowley, Harry Oliver, Edwin Lash, Joe Kalas, John Groza, Louis Martin, Harry Fontenot, Steve Kalas, Tony Spustak, Ralph Berwinkle, Harold Simpson, Hugh Jones, William Perry, Francis Pearsol, Clyde Brown, Edward Boston, Charles Wurshur, John Poludniak, Alex Yachtman, Frank Neavin, John Jiga, Kenneth Joseph and Floyd Ruble. The assistant coaches were Charles Gibson and Edward Erb. Scores: Mingo (26-0); Linsly (19-0); Hamilton (7-6); East Erie, Pa. (7-6); Marietta (26-0); Pittsburgh, Pa. (31-6); Bellaire (0-0); Campbell Memorial (13-2); East Liverpool (26-0); Bridgeport (25-0); Cleveland East (0-0); Wheeling (13-6).

1934 Football

The 1934 football team featured the return to Hall of Famer Earl Loucks for his second stint as head coach and the Purple Riders dominated their way to a perfect 10-0 season. The team outscored its opponents by a whopping 238-9 margin with eight shutout victories, earning the mythical distinction as “Champs of the Ohio Valley”.

The team included Manuel Vetanze, Jack Kindberg, Russell Williams, John Banyas, Robert Shane, William Elias, Frank Groza, Ira Trosch, Robert Bruney, Lloyd Long, Clifford Heffelfinger, Lewis Kovach, Herbert Miller, Wayne Riethmiller, Erwin Ruetinik, John Bennett, Charles Bruney, William Burkle, Bill Davis, Chester Moore, Peter Mills, Stanley Tosch, John Sako, Joseph Burnetta, Dan Spear, Ollie Pratt, Charles Yanak, Frederick Komornie, Donald Sommers, Lewis Sommers, Chester Coss, James Mitchell, Roy Riethmiller, Richard Padden, Bill Evans, Dick Higgins, Herbert Young, Ken Berwinkle, Bernard Riesbeck, John Fletcher, Walter Crane, Bill Davis, Frank Rico, Michael Orend, Donald Laase, Homer Doughty, Charles Jackson, A.C. Bell, Robert Lichinburger, Roy Horner, Wilfred Graham, Alfred Bauchnecht, Jack Armstrong, Carl Nemi, Harry Brown, Fran Swiger, Steve Gocsik, Thomas Barber and Sam Moses. The assistant coaches were Harold Leffler and Fred Thomas. Scores: Dennison (34-0); Pittsburgh Peabody (25-0); Linsly (32-0); Tiffin (22-6); Marietta (16-0); Bellaire (22-0); East Liverpool (19-0); Youngstown Chaney (19-0); Lorain (6-3); Ashland, Ky. (45-0).

1936 Football

The 1936 Purple Rider football team made it two perfect 10-0 seasons in three years as Coach Earl Loucks’ squad dominated its opponents with a 285-27 scoring margin with five shutouts, and the team was again dubbed the mythical “Ohio Valley Champions”. The team included Mike Orend, Joe Joseph, Jack Clark, Bob Bruney, John Bennett, Tom Barber, Charles Jackson, Frank Swiger, Dan Spear, Frank Orend, Basil DePasquale, Bob Donavan, Roy Horner, Junior Negus, Chuck McDermott, Bob Heffelfinger, Bob Laase, Walter Krone, A.C. Bell, George McNickle, Bill Otto, Stanley Woznick, Harold Jackson, Bill Williams, Nelson Lauless, Ernest Chontos, Harold Tice, Curley Madison, Bob Fareu and Orlando Pratti. The assistant coaches were Fred Thomas, Ed Moran, Garth Hood, Tom Gailey and Leo Rose. Scores: Uhrichsville (61-0); East Palestine (46-0); Lorain (32-2); Pittsburgh Taylor Alderdice, Pa. (7-6); Warren (25-0); Bellaire (7-3); New Castle, Pa. (20-14); Wooster (32-2); Huntington, W.Va. (25-0); Weirton, W. Va. (30-0).

1974 Cross Country

The 1974 MFHS cross country team – coached by Hall of Famer Gordon Downie – was the first in school history to win the sectional and district championships and qualify as a team for the OHSAA Class AA State Cross Country Meet where they finished in 11th place. The team included Bruce Smith, Mike Frazier, Sam Carter, Brad Bullock, Colin McNickle, Charlie Cunningham, Chris Mussard, Bill Hampton, Jerry Helt, Eric Orts, Paul Fitzhugh and Greg Suto. At the state meet, Smith was the individual state champion (9:43.6) and he was joined as an all-Ohioan by Frazier, who placed sixth (9:54). The ’74 team also won invitationals at Dover, Martins Ferry and Cambridge along with the Belmont County Cross Country Championships; was second to powerhouse John Marshall in the OVAC Cross Country Championships (Smith and Frazier finished 1-2 in 10:16 and 10:17) and Bellaire Invitational; and fourth at the Malone Invitational. The Rider harriers also finished 6-0 in dual and triangular meets.

1998 Football

The 1998 Purple Rider football team made school history as the first to advance to the OHSAA Playoffs after a perfect 10-0 regular season. Coach Dave Bruney’s squad also made its mark as the highest-scoring team in school history, outscoring its opponents 574-184 to average 52.2 points per game.

The team included, captains George Shreve, Fred Ray, Adam Zann, Craig Bruney and Donnie Cash, Tom Sobota, B.J. Hedger, Shane Gasmire, Derek Price, Rob Duncan, Rusty Lucey, Sam Cruise, Matt Stefan, Brian Moore, Mike Sikora, Mike Trowbridge, R.J. Vavrock, J.R. Thomas, Doug Curnes, Zac Bruney, Mark Hughes, Jay Wallace, Jason Wensyel, Jay Agnew, Randall Reasbeck, Ron Wilson, Lucas Collette, Josh King, Ty Allen, Chad Gullo, Dustin Holt, John Yoder, Mike Reese, Jeremy Leonard, Greg Ware, Shane Drost, Tony Collette, Nathan Holzopefel, Jesse Booth, Bobby Anderson, Todd Miller, David Cornett, Jared McPeek, Steven Yarnevic, Brad Wink, Randy Powers, Adam Holmes, Brad Simpson, Nick Redinger, Don Dlesk. The assistant coaches were Bill Bruney, Mike Delatore, Dirk Fitch, Jim Fogle, Tony Collette, Paul Matuska, Greg Steele, Justin Kropka, John Bennett, Babe Sidon and Jeff Drohomirecky. Scores: Cambridge (41-14); Columbus Beechcroft (61-14); Steubenville Catholic (48-26); Union Local (56-12); St. Clairsville (68-27); River (60-0); Fairport Harbor Harding (92-0); Wellsville (24-14); Tuscarawas Valley (50-0); Bellaire (36-7); Youngstown Ursuline (44-69/D-IV Playoffs).

1999 Wrestling

The 1999 wrestling squad captured not only the Class 3A division, but was the overall champion in the prestigious OVAC Ron Mauck Wrestling Tournament and Coach Jeff Oberdick’s squad took it up another notch by finishing third in the OHSAA Division III State Tournament behind Delta and Sandusky St. Marys. The team included Mike Jones, John Tierney, Ryan Strauss, Robert Brandon, Jason Schaal, Corey Smith, Doug Curnes, Derek Roth, David Tierney, Todd Miller, David Proctor, George Apostolec, John Yoder, Steve Yarnevic, Scott Roth, Kirk Roth, B.J. Hedger, Greg Ware, Dustin Holt, David Cornett, Jarod McPeek, Brian Sobota, Derek Blackington, Casey Berisford, Jason Wensyel, Craig Bruney, Rob Duncan, George Padgelek, Tom Sobota, Marshall Palmer, Bill Shreve and Sam Cruise. Babe Sidon was the assistant coach. Earning all-Ohio status by placing at the state meet were S. Roth (3rd at 140 pounds), Bruney (3rd at 189), Curnes (4th at 112), Duncan (4th at 160) and Ware (6th at 135). Place-winners at the OVAC meet were Ware (1st at 135), S. Roth (1st at 140), Bruney (1st at 189), J. Tierney (2nd at 103), Curnes (2nd at 112), Shreve (4th at 215), Hedger (4th at 145), D. Tierney (5th at 119), Cruise (6th at 225), Proctor (8th at 130) and Duncan (8th at 160).