The Tampico H.S. "Trojans"

Tampico High School

Tampico, IL

The History of the Tampico Trojans

The small, quiet, town of Tampico sits in the southern end of Whiteside County in Northwest Illinois. It has a population of about 700 residents and is located on State Highway 172, 5 miles from the Whiteside-Bureau County line. Tampico is most noted for the birthplace of the 40th President of the United States, the late Ronald Reagan. Tampico was plotted in 1871 and incorporated in 1875.

Family History Coordinator for the Tampico Area Historical Society Denise McLoughlin provided us with this bit of Tampico School information:

"Ronald Reagan attended school in Tampico through at least fourth grade. His fourth grade photo at Tampico Grade School can be viewed at: http://www.tampicohistoricalsociety.citymax.com/albums/album_image/359307/89014.htm

This school is where the Tampico Elementary school now stands on W. 2nd Street. We also have the classroom ledger, donated to us from the old Tampico High School. The school in the photo (commonly refered to as "The Reagan School") no longer exists, but was the original "high school" - lower grades downstairs, upper grades upstairs. Second, The old Tampico High School is now the Tampico Middle School, grades 6, 7, 8."

You can view the Tampico Historical Society website at http://www.tampicohistoricalsociety.citymax.com . Great work by Denise McLoughlin and the folks of Tampico in preserving their storied history!!

Tampico's most famous high school graduate was J. Mason Reeves, who was at one time the Commander in Chief of the United States Navy. He graduated in 1890 and played football for the Navy. Tampico Township High School did not have a football team at the time. It is noted that Reeves invented a unique football helmet ("the first football helmet worn in a game") that protected him from injury. Read more about J. Mason Reeves at:

http://www.tampicohistoricalsociety.citymax.com/albums/album_image/46271/301690.htm

The history of Tampico Schools date back to 1874. Until 1912, the high school only had three grades. The brick building that housed TTHS for 75 years was built in 1921 and had 14 classrooms and a gymnasium. It was located near a railroad junction of the Hooppole, Yorktown & Tampico Railroad and the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad. The first mentioned was abandoned in 1953. In 1967, there were 153 students enrolled at TTHS. In the 1980's, Tampico lost it's main railroad, the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy route, that was the reason Tampico became a settlement like most other small towns.

Declining enrollment and financial concerns led to the closing of Tampico High School in 1996. The 1921 brick building located on Kimball Street (Hanaman Road) housed the Tampico Junior High School (6 - 8) through the 2011-12 school year. A new grade school building was erected on that same site in 2012 and the original Tampico High School building was razed in 2012.

High School students from Tampico now attend Prophetstown High School, eight miles to the northwest.

An nice article regarding the Tampico Alumni attempts to save the old football scoreboard can be viewed at http://www.saukvalley.com/articles/2009/08/29/16262380/index.xml . Thank you to Mike Gray for this information.

Tampico High School Scoreboard

Track Oval in Background

Tampico High School "Quick Facts":

Year High School opened: 1921

Year High School closed: 1996

Nickname: Trojans

School Colors: Scarlet, Gray, & White

School Fight Song: "Tampico High School Loyalty Song"

(Sung to Illinois Loyalty - click play button and sing along!)

                                             We're loyal to you Tampico High,
                                             We're scarlet and grey Tampico High,
                                             We'll ask you to stand,
                                             We're the best in the land,
                                             For we know you can stand Tampico High!

Hoo Rah

                                             So shoot in that ball Tampico High,
                                             We're backing you on Tampico High,
                                             Our team is the fame protector,
                                             On boys for we expect a
                                             Victory from you, Tampico High

Hoo Rah!

Athletics

The Trojans were members of the Two Rivers Conference in the 1940s and 1950s. Other teams in the conference included Mineral, Annawan, Atkinson, Prophetstown, Erie, Hillsdale, Cordova, Port Byron, and Lyndon. The athletic program joined the Little 8 Conference in the 1961 where it remained until the Indian Valley Conference was formed in 1976.

Tampico offered a variety of sports during it's 75 year tenure. The most noticable was the Boys Track and Field team. Don Wallace coached Boys Track for 30 years (1966-1996) and during his tenure, there were eight years that the Trojans went undefeated.

In 1988 Tampico High School's football team co-oped with Manlius while the volleyball, track and basketball were still seperate. Tampico was a member of the Indian Valley Conference in it's latter years and their sports were covered by the local newspaper (Tampico Tornado) until 1966 and the Sterling Daily Gazette until school's closure.

Jim Moore on the Podium - High Jump 2nd Place 1979

From left toright: Larry Harpman, JIM MOORE, Lonnie Hewitt, Eric Foster

Tampico Boys Track:

The track program at Tampico High School was well-known throughout the area in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. Coach Don Wallace built a program that other schools in the area marveled. In the 30-year existance of the program, 29 of those years were undefeated seasons. The only sub-.500 year was 1995-96 (1-5). Although they did not take home any IHSA hardware, the team's accomplishments of defeating rival teams in dual and triangular meets always surmounted the joy of a large Sectional plaque.

1975-76 - 9-0
1977-78 - 12-0
1982-83 - 5-0
1983-84 - 5-0
1984-85 - 5-0
1986-87 - 7-0
1991-92 - 9-0
1992-93 - 10-0

Boys Track Medalists:

1975 - - 100-yard dash - Mike Brady (8th)
1975 - - Shotput - Pat Dorathy (6th)
1979 - - High Jump - Jim Moore (2nd)
1982 - - Shotput - Doug Koehler (4th)
1984 - - Triple Jump - Scott Tornow (7th)

Tampico Girls Track:

Coach Wallace began coaching the Girls Track and Field Program in 1981 and the success was the same, if not better.

The most decorated athlete in TTHS girls track history is Mindy Bollman. She earned five IHSA medals, including the Championship from the 200-Meter Low Hurdles in Class A in 1982

1981-82 6-0

1982-83 6-0

1983-84 4-0-1

1984-85    5-0
1985-86    5-1
1986-87    7-0
1987-88    6-0
1988-89    7-0
1989-90    8-0
1990-91    7-1
1991-92    7-1-1
1992-93    9-1
1993-94    6-0
1994-95    7-0
1995-96    1-3

Girls Track Medalists:

1982 - - 200 Meter Low Hurdles - Mindy Bollman (8th)
1982 - - High Jump - Mindy Bollman (4th)
1983 - - 200 Meter Low Hudles - Mindy Bollman (1st)
1983 - - 100 Meter Low Hurdles - Mindy Bollman (3rd)
1984 - - 200 Meter Low Hurdles - Mindy Bollman (2nd)
1985 - - Discus - Renee Greer (7th)
1987 - - 400 Meter Relay team (7th)
1988 - - 800 Meter Relay team (6th)
1988 - - 1600 Meter Relay team (5th)
1989 - - 100 Meter High Hurdles - Jonnette Adamson (7th)
1990 - - 300 Meter Low Hurdles - Jonnette Adamson (3rd)
1993 - - 800 Meter Run - Jeanie Adamson (4th)
1994 - - 800 Meter Run - Jeanie Adamson (7th)
1994 - - 1600 Meter Relay team (7th)
1994 - - 3200 Meter Relay team (6th)

Boys Basketball

Tampico also had a solid Boys Basketball program that took home most of the schools IHSA hardware in it's 75 years. The program won FOUR District titles and TWO Regional crowns during its tenure. Some of the District and Regional scores were located at a web site titled "Illinois Post Season Basketball Scores" at the web address of https://sites.google.com/site/xtmi2000/ .

1935-36 District Champions

Walnut District Touney

Beat Harmon 50 - 18

Beat Walnut 29 - 23

Beat Prophetstown 20 - 13

Sterling Regional Tourney

Beat Rock Falls 30 - 20

Lost to Erie 29 - 25

Erie lost title to Dixon 24 - 23

1945-46 Coach Leland Rudiger

1946-47 Coach Leland Rudiger

1947-48 Coach Leland Rudiger

1948-49 Coach Leland Rudiger

1949-50 Ohio District Tourney Champs (13-15) Coach Leland Rudiger

Ohio District Tourney

Beat Malden 49 - 35

Beat Ohio 40 - 34

Beat LaMoille 36 - 34 in title game

LaSalle Regional Tourney

Lost to Princeton 54 - 37

Princeton lost in semi-final round

1951-52 Two Rivers Conf. co-champions (8-1)

1956-57 District Champions (10-14) Coach: Phlam

Kewanee Regional

Lost to Wethersfield 82 - 43

Wethersfield lost in semi-final round

1964-65 District Champions (17-9) Coach: Clint Evans

1986-87 Regional Champions (21-6) Coach: Steve Larsen

Port Byron Regional Tourney

Lost to Pearl City 74 - 51

Pearl City won Sectional

1993-94 Regional Champions (20-6) Coach: Jim Brandau

Tampico's Boys Basketball game with Ohio on February 7th, 1989 saw the Trojans attempt 25 three-point shots. Coupled with Ohio's 26 three-point shots, the total is 51 attempts, which ranks 5th all-time in the state.

Notable Roundball Athlete

Harlan Christofferson - Helped lead Tampico on the court during the early 1950s. Was named to the Two Rivers All-Conference team in 1952-53.

Girls Basketball

Tampico also offered Girls Basketball, starting with the 1979-80 school year. The team only had one winning season, and that was in 1984-85 when coach Ray Vance's team went 11-10. After 1987, the team co-oped with Manlius.

1984-85 11 - 10 Coach Ray Vance

Tampico HS Football Team of 1949-50

Submitted by Jim Stevens

Football

The football program was formed in 1922. That year, Tampico's football field was located on a "cow-field" a mile away. Players dressed in the locker room at the high school and then traveled to the field. Their first game ever took place at their homefield against Rock Falls. Although Tampico lost 49-7, the players had fun nonetheless.

Photo to the right: The photo to the right was provided by Jim Stevens and is of the Trojan grid iron warriors of 1949-50 of which Stevens was the Captain. The team was coached by a well respected man in Leland Rudiger. The Trojans had a nice season defeating the Mineral Leopards twice, Annawan once, and Prophetstown once. The team consisted of only four seniors, who are pictured in the photo as follows:

Back Row: #4 - Jerry Brandau, #15 - Jim Stevens, #16 - Harold Wright, #9 - Arlyn Strike. Coach Rudiger is pictured in the back row to the far right.

From 1948 to 1970, there was only three winning seasons. The team of 1949-50, and in 1952 when coach Robert Specht's squad went 5-1 followed by Specht's 1953 team that garnered a 4 - 3 record.. Don Wallace took over the team in 1966 and had a 6-1-1 season in 1970 and a 7-2 season in 1972.

In 1973, the Trojans went a perfect 10-0. Ironically, one year later, the IHSA started the state tournament for football, in which the Trojans were one year too early to qualify. They eventually did make the Class 1A playoffs in 1986 and finished with a record of 6-4 under coach Brian Applegate. There have been 12 coaches of the Trojan Football program. The best seasons of Tampico Trojan football are listed below, included are the co-op teams with Manlius.

1945-46 Coach Leland Rudiger

1946-47 Coach Leland Rudiger

1947-48 Coach Leland Rudiger

1948-49 Coach Leland Rudiger

1949-50 5 - 2 Coach Leland Rudiger

1952-53 5 - 1 Coach Robert Specht

1953-54 4 - 3 Coach Robert Specht

1970-71 6 - 1 - 1 Coach Don Wallace

1973-74 10 - 0 Coach Don Wallace

1986-87 6 - 4 1A Playoffs Coach Brian Applegate

Lost to LaMoille 6 - 0

As Part of the Manlius/Tampico (Warriors) Coop:

1989-90 9 - 2 2nd Round of 1A Playoffs Coach Ken Bourquin

Sweet 16 Finalist

Beat Prophetstown 10 - 0

Lost to Sterling Newman 20 - 9

1990-91 7 - 4 2nd Round of 1A Playoffs Coach Ken Bourquin

Sweet 16 Finalist

Beat Toulon-Lafayette 20-12

Lost to Annawan 7 - 0

Annawan went to Final 4 Rd.

1991-92 8 - 3 2nd Round of 1A Playoffs Coach Ken Bourquin

Sweet 16 Finalist

Beat Mt. Morris 12 - 0

Lost to Annawan 14 - 7

1992-93 9 - 3 Elite Eight Finalist Coach Ken Bourquin

Beat Mt. Morris 47 - 0

Beat Annawan 21 - 8

Lost to Poplar Grove N.B. 15-12

Poplar Grove Finished 2nd

1994-95 9 - 2 2nd Round of 1A Playoffs Coach Ken Bourquin

Sweet 16 Finalist

Beat Mooseheart 34 - 0

Lost to Durand 20 - 8

One unforgettable game occured in 1991 in a game against Annawan. The game was tied 0-0 after regulation and stayed that way into the fifth overtime. Annawan scored first and missed their PAT, but Manlius-Tampico tied it back up and made their PAT. The end result was 7-6 in Manlius-Tampico's favor.

In a game against Bradford in 1988, Tampico accumulated 593 total offensive yards (498 rushing and 95 passing) in a victory, which is the most in school history.

Girls Volleyball ...

The Lady Trojan volleyball program ran from 1979-80 until the 1995-96 school year. During that time, the Lady Trojans won two Regional titles, in 1988 and 1994.

1988 Regional Champions

1994 Regional Champions

Great Coaches

If one coach could be mentioned from Tampico High School, the first name to come to mind is Mr. Don Wallace. Wallace coached at Tampico High School from 1966 to 1996. He compiled a 67-78 record in Boys Basketball, 60-69-4 in Football, and a 176-53 in Boys Track and 90-7 in Girls Track!

Wallace continued to coach after the closure of TTHS, steering the ship for the Erie-Prophetstown Panthers until 2002.

From Class of 1950 member Jim Stevens regarding Coach Leland Rudiger:

"We had a very good coach during the years of 1946 thru 1950. His name was Leland Rudiger. As captain of the 1950 football team, we had a very successful year beating Prophetstown for the first time and most of the other conference football teams. Coach Rudiger also took us to the basketball regionals that year losing to Princeton, a much larger school."

Noteable Alumni

Dr. Vaughn Croft - Superintendent of Pima County Schools in Pima County, Ariz. Future Farmers of America honorary American degree recipient for helping to start agriculture programs in Tucson.

If You Have More Information About Tampico High School:

Including great teams you would like to share with us please e-mail this web site at: ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net . You can also write to us at:

Illinois HS Glory Days

6439 N. Neva St.

Chicago, Il. 60631

Back side of Tampico High School

View from under the east end zone goalpost.

Tampico High School Track & Field

Shot Put / Discus Pit (Track in background)