MADISON TOWNSHIP — Friday night was a community celebration as the Madison school district honored its centennial year.
The home stands were nearly filled and a number of fans lined the home side of the fence during the Rams’ 35-14 loss to River Valley.
Madison (0-2) jumped to a 14-0 halftime lead, with junior running back Kaleb Gordon racking up 101 yards on 16 carries in the first half, including a 5-yard TD run in the final minute.
The Rams also got a 55-yard TD pass from Cameron Kuhn to Khris Adkins-Tolbert in the first quarter.
But Gordon got hurt early in the third period and didn’t return. Madison didn’t threaten to score again, and the Vikings rolled for five touchdowns in the second half. River Valley quarterback Chase Ebert threw for two scores and ran for another to lead the way.
Still, it was a jovial mood for the fans.
“It was a great atmosphere for a high school football game,” Madison coach Brent Besancon said.
The alumni band joined the current Rams on the field to bring home Long Train Runnin’ and Louie, Louie.
Alumni players and coaches were saluted throughout the evening.
The alumni cheerleaders gathered on the track, headlined by 92-year-old Shirley Bell Smith, her white pants and Ram pom-poms.
“We need to have more nights like this,” athletic director Doug Rickert said while pointing to the stands.
Inside the school old yearbooks and photos were featured through the decades.
At the game, public address announcer Jim Dillon recounted some of the top moments in school history during breaks in the action.
1950s and ’60s
This group of alumni saw the original Madison High School on Ashland Road hill transition from the high school built in 1925 to the “old junior high” as students moved into the new high school on Esley Lane in 1963.
Some of the alumni ran on Madison’s first six-lane cinder track and participated in commencement ceremonies on the new Ram Field.
During these years students would have attended the following buildings and when those buildings were opened: Lincoln School 1869, Jesse Beer 1934, Lincoln Heights built in 1948, Mifflin 1949, Woodville 1950, Eastview 1965, Madison South 1965, and Wooster Heights 1958.
1970s and ’80s
During these years the 1970 football team went undefeated and win the conference. The 1975 track squad finished runners-up at the state track meet. Meanwhile, the Ramettes extended from 16 to 24 girls.
The Madison Career Center opened in the 1975-76 school year. One of Madison’s largest graduating classes received 415 diplomas in 1980. Jesse Beer transitioned to the Madison Early Learning Center in 1985.
The Lincoln School closed for good in 1975 and Woodville School #2 closed in 1987.
1990s and 2000s
In 1992 students saw the closing of Lincoln Heights Elementary. In 1990 the Ram football team was the first squad in 52 years to win nine games in a single season and make it to the playoffs. In 1991 and 1992 the Rams were undefeated, 10-0. In 1993 the volleyball squad won a regional championship.
In 1995 the softball team was a state semifinalist. In 1996 the boys’ track team was state runners-up.
The 1997 Ram volleyball team won the Division 1 state championship, the first team state championship in school history. In 1999, the baseball squad was a regional finalist for the first time in school history.
2010 through 2024
In 2011, Wooster Heights Elementary was demolished so that the new Madison Middle School could be constructed. The middle school then opened in January of 2014.
In 2010 and 2011, the volleyball team went to the Final Four. In 2011, the boys basketball team won its first district title in 63 years.
The 2012 football team was a regional semifinalist. In 2014, the community celebrated the renovation of Ram Field with new artificial athletic turf, a resurfaced track, and new lights.
In 2014, the football team went to the playoffs for the second time in three years. In 2019, the girls’ soccer team was state runner-up.
In March of 2020, the state shut down the schools as a result of the Covid pandemic, requiring Madison students to participate in remote learning through zoom classes. Each senior celebrated graduation wearing a mask with only their family members in attendance.
The 2020 girls’ soccer team became the second team in school history to win a state championship, claiming the Division II state title. In 2021, the softball team won the district championship, and the girls’ track team was well represented at the regional track meet.
Ram Pride
The 1991 Madisonian Staff summed up Ram Pride in the following statement.
Ram Pride … the cheer, love, faith, and support we have for our school, sports, classes, friends, and ourselves. It’s what we feel on the inside and show on the outside.
A feeling that will last a lifetime. Whether we are cheering at pep rallies or wearing our green and white clothes, Ram Pride is always there.
It isn’t just something that we have on a Friday afternoon when we get out of class … it is there every day.