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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels September 23, 2004 Magic of high school football makes upset possible Cyrus The football dynasty at Ashland High School is a ghost now. The young men that played for former Grizzly coach Jim Nagel only have yearbooks to look back on - and friends that share their memories. However, the pride and tradition of Ashland football still lives at Phillips Field. I saw it in the way the Grizzlies played last Friday in the win over Cleveland. The intensity they brought to the field reflected itself on the scoreboard in a 48-13 victory. Still, many critics around town believe Ashland will lose big in their next game against conference rival and top-ranked North Medford. This prediction is easy to make. North Medford is the best team in the state of Oregon. Personally, I think the Grizzlies could win Friday night because I believe in the magic of high school football, the same magic that made Ashland football a powerhouse for over 10 years while being one of the smallest 4A schools in the state. I played at Ashland during its peak of success. From my freshman year to my junior year at AHS, the Grizzlies went to three state championship games. I played the role of tackling dummy until my senior year, then my friends and I picked up the torch of tradition, and led the Grizzlies through the 1994 season. We prepared all off-season to play North Medford because they beat us in the 1993 state championship game. The schedule had us playing our last regular season game at Spiegelberg Stadium. The expectation of both schools being undefeated, and playing for the Southern Oregon Conference crown, seemed to be a guarantee. It didn't happen though. Instead, we learned a greater lesson. After eight games in the 1994 campaign both schools were a disappointing 4-4, and playing for the last playoff spot in the SOC. North Medford was picked to win by everyone. Statistically the Black Tornado was one of the best offenses and defenses in the conference. It had a group of returning starters from the state championship game, and was coming off a huge win against South Medford. Our team had suffered humiliating loses at South Medford and Grants Pass. People in town gave up on us, and it looked as if Ashland's season was over before the game began. But that's the magic of high school football, when miracles happen. On Nov. 4, 1994, we suited up in our white uniforms and faced the mighty Black Tornado. The rain had turned the field into a mud puddle. I remember looking at the North Medford sidelines. They were in their black uniforms, jumping around and taunting us. I felt fear and confusion, then something amazing happened: a teammate grabbed my hand, and all of us formed a white wall of solidarity. Every sophomore, junior, and senior became a team captain and we marched out to the middle of the field for the coin toss. We won in overtime 16-14. The next week we lost to Marshfield, the eventual state runner-ups, by one point. I remember talking to a player from Grants Pass later that year and he thought we were going to roll to a fourth straight state championship game. Playing for a state championship again would have been nice, but I don't know if it would have compared to winning that game. I remember something Coach Nagel told us in the locker room once. He said we would always remember high school football because we were playing with our childhood friends. He was right. Go Grizz! Cyrus Emerson is a writer living in Ashland and a host of the Jefferson Daily on Jefferson Public Radio.Emerson DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams