Analysis: Hillsdale’s run to regional final sparks writer’s memories of 1990

Hillsdale will play for a regional championship for the second time in program history Friday evening and this year’s magical postseason run got me to thinking.

The last time the Falcons played in the Elite Eight was 1990. I was the backup point guard on that team and the memories of the month-long roller-coaster ride are still seared into my brain — into all of our brains — even 36 years later.

I don’t think I’m speaking out of turn when I say the 1989-90 Falcons underachieved during the regular season. All five starters were seniors and returning lettermen. I was one of five juniors.

We were in the small-school division (Division IV) and had a roster comprised entirely of juniors and seniors. I wouldn’t realize just how rare that is until I got into the sportswriting business and started paying attention to these things.

Despite all that talent and experience, we stumbled to a 10-10 regular-season record. We were an after-thought in the Wayne County Athletic League race and, quite frankly, not much was expected of us in the postseason.

We opened the playoffs against Lorain Clearview and pulled away late for a 78-67 win in a game played at Brunswick High School in front of a handful of family members and close friends. A .500 team playing in a sectional semifinal game against an unfamiliar opponent an hour from home didn’t draw a lot of fans.

We went back to Brunswick for the sectional championship game against Independence. A few more people showed up for that one and they saw senior Matt Figley — we called him ‘Fig’ — score 20 points in the 82-72 win.

We returned to Brunswick the following week for the district and the stands were a lot more populated for our semifinal game against top-seeded Mogadore. Point guard Pete Griggs, a four-year starter and the player I backed up, handed out a single-game record 15 assists in the 86-73 win. 

That sent us into the district championship game against Kidron Central Christian. KCC’s best player, Jason Workman, would go on to star at Ashland University in the mid-1990s. 

Kidron had no answers for our big man, the late Mark Rexroad, who scored 32 points in the 72-50 win.

The stands at Brunswick could barely hold the crowd that turned out for the district final. It seemed like everyone in Jeromesville and Hayesville and every farmhouse in between was crammed into the bleachers. They roared their approval when the five seniors hoisted the district championship trophy.

That win sent us into the regional tournament for the first time in program history. We played Richmond Heights in the semifinals at the Canton Memorial Field House and junior Donny Myers bounced off the bench to score what was at the time a career-high 17 points in the 70-62 win.

The win sent us to the Elite Eight, where Mansfield St. Peter’s and Will Meadows, Ohio’s Division IV Player of the Year, awaited. Meadows averaged 32 points a game that year.

The Spartans ended our run with a 71-61 win. St. Peter’s fell in the state semifinals to Springfield Catholic Central at Ohio State’s venerable St. John Arena the following week. I don’t know if we would have fared any better, but it sure would have been fun to run onto the floor at St. John.

What I remember most about our tournament run wasn’t what happened on the floor. The things that stick out are the pregame meals and the post-win bus rides home.

And all those fans who filled the stands in Brunswick and Canton. Current Hillsdale coach Ben Ferguson was among them.

Ferguson, who grew up just down the street from me in Hayesville, was in middle school at the time.

“I came to Hillsdale from St. Peter’s and the year I transferred, Hillsdale and St. Peter’s played in the regional finals,” Ferguson said after Tuesday’s regional semifinal win over Tiffin Calvert. “It’s really what drove my love for the game.

“It was such a big deal to me. I remember it like it was yesterday.”

You’re not alone, Ben.

On behalf of the 1989-90 Falcons, I’d like to wish Hillsdale the best of luck Friday against Heartland Christian. Now go get what eluded us all those years ago.

You’ll remember it for the rest of your lives.