Clinton High School was a public school in Clinton serving students in grades 7 through 12. It was created in 1886 and then from the consolidation in 1961 of former high schools in southern Vermillion County, Indiana, Dana High School, Hillsdale High School, St. Bernice High School, and Blanford High School. Then in 1977 Clinton was replaced by a new building and renamed South Vermilion High School
Campus
The school was located in the center of Clinton just off Main St in the 300 Block of Blackman St. Their football field and baseball field was located at SportLand Park on the south west side of Clinton.
Consolidation
School
Location
Mascot
Colors
Year Started
Year Closed
Blanford
Blanford
Bears
1923
1928
Consolidated into Clinton
Dana
Dana
Aggies
1925
1961
Consolidated into Clinton
Hillsdale
Hillsdale
Hilltoppers
1916
1961
Consolidated into Clinton
Saint Bernice
Saint Bernice
Hornets
1928
1961
Consolidated into Clinton
Athletics
Basketball
Clinton has an all-time record of (25) sectional Championships 1912, 1913, 1914, 1916, 1925, 1928, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1938, 1939, 1942, 1943, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1955, 1956, 1961, 1968.[3] The Clinton Wildcats made it to the IHSAA Sweet Sixteen (8) times in its history and the Elite Eight (2) times in its history[4]
Year
Site
1912
Terre Haute
1913
Terre Haute
1914
Terre Haute
1916
Terre Haute
1925
Clinton
1928
Clinton
1930
Clinton
1931
Clinton
1932
Clinton
1933
Clinton
1934
Clinton
1935
Newport
1938
Marshall
1939
Clinton
1942
Clinton
1943
Clinton
1945
Marshall
1946
Clinton
1947
Clinton
1949
Clinton
1950
Clinton
1955
Rockville
1956
Clinton
1961
Rockville
1968
Terre Haute
[5]
Clinton also has won (4) Regional Championships 1928, 1943, 1947, 1950.[6]
Year
Site
1928
Greencastle
1943
Clinton
1947
Clinton
1950
Greencastle
Football
The Clinton Wildcat are mostly known for their football team that has won 5 Indiana Big School Football Champions in 1920, 1924, 1928, 1932, and 1933.
Head coaches
Clinton Wildcats Head Coaches
Name
Seasons
Record
H. B. Allen
1916
0–0
Mark Lyday
1917–1918
0–1
Earl M. Morgan
1919–1921
17–6–1
Earl Pike
1922
4–3–2
Max Bullock
1923
3–5–2
Paul "Spike" Kelly[7]
1924–1930
50–11–5
John Magnabosco
1931–1934
34–3–3
Ed Shaver
1935
6–5
Raymond "Tubby" Trobaugh
1936
4–4–1
Maurice E. "Babe" Frump
1937–1940
23–14–2
Name
Seasons
Record
William J. Coyer
1941–1942
14–5
N. E. Wernz
1943
5–2–1
B. Leland McCool
1944
7–1–1
Frank Welton
1945
3–5–1
Robert Burton
1946
2–6–1
George Bibich
1947
2–7
Arthur B. Haverstock
1948–1949
5–13–1
Thorval Mattax
1950–1952
21–6–3
Chester Sanders
1953–1954
10–8–2
Stewart "Red" Faught
1955–1956
9–11
Name
Seasons
Record
John Alfier
1957–1960
10–25–5
William S. Syvantek
1961–1964
13–13–4
Coach Deal
1962
2–8
Dick Schrier
1965
7–3
Jerry Chance
1966–1968
9–19–1
Rene Foli
1969–1971
10–17–3
Brent Anderson
1972–1976
28–21
Overall Record
1916-1977
298-222-39
Team Records
Clinton Wildcats Football Records
Season
Record
1916
0–0
1917
0-0
1918
0-1
1919
5-2
1920
6-2
1921
6-2-1
1922
4–3–2
1923
3–5–2
1924
8–1
1925
4–3–2
1926
5-3-1
1927
8-1
1928
10-0
1929
8-1-1
Season
Record
1930
7-2-1
1931
9-1-1
1932
9-1
1933
9-0-1
1934
7-1-1
1935
6-5
1936
4-4-1
1937
7-2-1
1938
5-4
1939
6-5
1940
5-3-1
1941
7-3
1942
7-2
Season
Record
1943
5-2-1
1944
7-1-1
1945
3-5-1
1946
2-6-1
1947
2-7
1948
2-6-1
1949
3-7
1950
5-4-1
1951
9-1
1952
7-1-2
1953
5-4-1
1954
5-4-1
1955
5-5
Season
Record
1956
4-6
1957
2-6-2
1958
4-6
1959
1-8-1
1960
3-5-2
1961
2-8
1962
2-8
1963
6-2-2
1964
5-3-2
1965
7-3
1966
2-7-1
1967
1-9
1968
6-3
Season
Record
1969
5-4-1
1970
5-4-1
1971
0-9-1
1972
3-7
1973
7-3
1974
10-0
1975
4-5
1976
4-6
Total
298-222-39
Conference championships
Clinton has won or shared a conference championship around nine occasions, including six Indiana High School Football Conference titles and three Western Indiana Conference titles.
Clinton has won or shared a State championship on five occasions, including three outright Indiana High School Football titles and two shared titles. In 1933 Clinton tied East Chicago Washington 6–6 in the arranged post-season North-South Mythical State Championship Game and was named Winner of Indianapolis Times & IHSAA ‘Most Outstanding Team in Indiana’
Season
Coach
Selector
Record
Conf. Record
1920
Earl M. Morgan
Heze Clark - Best Team In the State (Shared with Wabash)
6-2
4-0
1924
Paul "Spike" Kelly
8-1
4-0
1928
Paul "Spike" Kelly
Indianapolis Times - IHSAA - Dick Miller- "Most Outstanding Team"
John Magnabosco 1923 - Head Coach Ball State 1935-1952 Head Coach Clinton Wildcats 1931-1934 3X State Champs 31,32,33. Indiana Football Hall Of Fame
Tony Berto 1939 - Coached 39 years total - Otsego, Michigan, High School 1946–1948, Boonville HS 1948–1952, and Delphi HS 1952–1985; coached 3 sports for 24 years and 2 sports for 15 years (football, basketball, baseball, track, and golf); Delphi football record of 203 wins. Lettered at Purdue 1939–1943 in Football Basketball and Baseball. Indiana Football Hall Of Fame[10]
Gerry Dick 1976 QB - American journalist and former news anchor at WRTV, a television station in Indianapolis, Indiana.He is best known as the current host of Inside INdiana Business, a television program owned by Grow Indiana Media Ventures.
References
^"Clinton Wildcats". www.almanacsports.com. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
^Old Gold and Black. Clinton, Indiana: Clinton High School. 1937.
^"ALL-TIME SECTIONAL CHAMPIONS". pastbb.homestead.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-12. Retrieved 2015-08-05.
^"IHSAA Boys Basketball State Finals Records". www.ihsaa.org. Retrieved 2020-08-31.
^"CLINTON - SECTIONALS (22) and REGIONALS (4)". tnyhistory.homestead.com. 2 April 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
^"All-time Regional champions". Archived from the original on 2015-03-16. Retrieved 2015-08-05.
^"KELLY, PAUL L. "SPIKE"". www.indiana-football.org. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
^"AlmanacSports.com - Football - Clinton High School Football All-State Players". www.almanacsports.com. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
^"DAL SASSO, CHRIS C." www.indiana-football.org. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
^"BERTO, TONY". www.indiana-football.org. Retrieved 19 August 2024.