Ashton High School Aces

Ashton-Franklin Center High School

Home of the Raiders

The History of Ashton High School

Ashton, Illinois is located in Lee County, nine miles southwest of Rochelle along the old Lincoln Highway and the Union Pacific "Overland Route" from Chicago to San Francisco. The town was plotted in 1854. Crest Foods is Ashton's largest employer.

Rick Rasmussen tells us the following about the history of Ashton High School:

"The first high school in Ashton, IL was on the corner of Paddock Ave and Route 38. The old high school was actually deemed unfit in 1983, so from the 1983-1984 school year on, all students in K-12 were relocated to the Western Ave. location."

The original high school building was graced with the words "High School." on the front doorway with the period at the end to reflect the typical punctuation of that time (1890).

Robbie Wright tells us the fate of the original high school building:

"The old high school building did not initially sit empty. Someone bought the school and made it into apartments or a private residence before it was eventually tore down (in 1999)."

In 2004, CUSD #271 (which included Ashton and Franklin Center) did some reorganization and decided make the former Franklin Center High School in nearby Franklin Grove a K - 4 facility. The new high school became Ashton-Franklin Center High School and the history of Ashton High School ended. The newer Ashton High School is now used to house AFC High School.

For more information on Ashton High School please visit http://genealogytrails.com/ill/lee/leeschoolashtonhs.html .

Ashton High School "Quick Facts":

Year High School Opened: 1890
Year closed: 2004

Consolidated to:                               Ashton-Franklin Center High School
Nickname:                                       the "Aces"
School Colors:                                 Green and Gold
School Fight Song:                           "Go You Aces"

Lyrics provided by STEEN LAWSON

                                                     Go You Aces on to fame
                                                     Go You Aces Go
                                                     Fight till you win boys
                                                     Never give in boys
                                                     We're rootin' for you - you know

                                                     Rah! Rah! Rah!

                                                     When you come out before us
                                                     Our colors will unfold
                                                     We'll Cheer for you
                                                     Throughout the game
                                                     To back our Green and Gold

This fight song is to an original tune. It was composed in the early 60’s, possibly ever earlier.

From Rick Rasmussen:

"Prior to 2004, (prior to the 1988 -1989 school year), Ashton High School and Franklin Center High School consolidated in football, wrestling, band, and chorus. I was a member of the graduating class of 1991 and I remember voting on the name AFC Raiders and the colors black and gold for the teams we had co-oped at that time."

Football Press Box

AHS Football Field

Athletics

Football

Football was the prime sport at Ashton High School. The first football team formed in 1950 and lasted for nearly 40 years before the Ashton-Franklin Center co-op in 1985. Out of those 40 years, only 12 of those years produced winning records:

1953-54 - Record: 5-2           (Coach: Dick Rabbitt)
1955-56 - Record: 6-1           (Coach: Ken Johnson)
1956-57 - Record: 4-2           (Coach: Don Simpkins)
1962-63 - Record: 4-2-2        (Coach: Ron Stump)
1966-67 - Record: 5-2           (Coach: Don Lackey)
1967-68 - Record: 6-2           (Coach: Don Lackey)
1978-79 - Record: 6-2           (Coach: Dave Whiteman)
1979-80 - Record: 6-2           (Coach: Dave Whiteman)
1980-81 - Record: 5-3           (Coach: Bob Aubry)
1983-84 - Record: 5-3           (Coach: Bob Aubry)
1984-85 - Record: 6-3           (Coach: Jeff Jahn)
1989-90 - Record: 6-3           (Coach: Jeff Zick)

The Ashton-Franklin Center co-op began in 1988 and lasted until the consolidation of 2004. During that time, AFC earned their first playoff berth in 1990 with a record of 6-4. In 1994, the AFC Aces went a perfect 9-0 in the regular season and finished the year 10-1. They would not qualify for the IHSA playoffs until 2003, when they finished second in the Four Rivers Conference and went 9-3 before falling to eventual Class 1A state champions, Galena.

Boys Cross Country

No seasonal records are available, but one athlete scored two medals in the state tournament:

1980-81 Chris Hager 11th Place Finish

1981-82 Chris Hager 10th Place Finish

Wrestling

Another sport Ashton offered starting in 1969. In 1980-81, the Raiders finished in 10th place at the state tournament and finished 12-7-1 overall.

Nine individual grapplers won a total of 14 medals at the IHSA State Match competition. This includes Dave Lloyd who won the 145 lbs. title in 1982 and Jamin Soria who earned a total of four medals and two STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS! Ashland's individual medalists are listed below.

Andy McCannon 1975A 145 lbs. 2ND Place

Curt Dusing 1976A 112 lbs. 2ND Place

Chris Hager           1981A                   98 lbs.                   3RD Place
Dave Lloyd            1981A                 138 lbs.                 2ND Place
                              1982A                 145 lbs.                   STATE CHAMPION!!

Jamin Soria           1992A                 HWT                       4TH Place
                              1993A                  HWT                      STATE CHAMPION!!
                              1994A                  275 lbs.                3RD Place
                              1995A                  275 lbs.                  STATE CHAMPION!!

Mike Gleissner       1995A                  171 lbs.                4TH Place
Joe Gleissner         1996A                  171 lbs.                  4Th Place
                              1997A                  189 lbs.                  2ND Place
Stephen Feiden     2004A                  275 lbs.                4TH Place
Dave Gleissner       2004A                 189 lbs.                   3RD Place

Volleyball

The girls were offered volleyball starting in the 1978-79 school year and would go through four coaches before Jan (Hughes) Cupp took over in 1987-88. She led the AFC Raiders to six Regional Championships starting in 1993-94:

1993-94 - 13-4            Regional Champions                           Coach Jan Cupp
1994-95 - 22-5            Regional Champions                       Coach Jan Cupp
1995-96 - 22-5            Regional Champions                          Coach Jan Cupp
1997-98 - 19-13-1        Regional Champions                        Coach Jan Cupp
1998-99 - 28-5-3         Regional Champions

Rock Falls Invitational Champs

Upstate Illini E. Conference Champs Coach Jan Cupp
2001-02 - 20-15 Regional Champions Coach Jan Cupp

2003-04 - N.R.A. Aledo Tournament Champions Coach Jan Cupp

Ashton won Conference Championships in 1995 and 2001, the year they also won the Four Rivers Conference Tournament.

Boys Basketball

Boys basketball was offered at Ashton High School as well. Over the years, they won one District Championship.

1937-38 N.R.A. District Champions Coaches Name Unavailable

1999-00 N.R.A. Amboy Tourny Champs Coaches Name Unavailable

2000-01 N.R.A. Amboy Tourny Champs Coaches Name Unavailable

March 4, 1958 was a dreary day for the AHS Boys Basketball team. They were beat by eventual state second-placers, Rock Falls, 142-36 in the opening-round of Regional play.

Girls Baskeball

The Lacy Aces had some great seasons as well..

1997-98 Amboy Tourny Champs Coach Mike Messer

2001-02 Four Rivers Conference Champs Coach Mike Messer

FR Conference Tourny Champs

Amboy Tourny Champs

In 2001, they won the Amboy Fresh-Soph Tournament as well as the varsity.

Also Offered

Baseball and Softball were also offered. No records could be found at this time.

Great Coach

Jan Cupp coached volleyball starting in 1987 and esablished a record of 279-197-8 and continues to coach volleyball for Ashton-Franklin Center High School.

Ashton High School Stage

Speech / Individual Events

Ashton High School also had an Individual Events team that placed seventh in the state tournament in 1957. In 1958, Doris Pogue was the State Champion in Verse Reading at the IHSA Individual Events State Tournament.

1956-57 Individual Events Team Finished SEVENTH in STATE MEET Competition!!

1957-58 Individual Medalist - Doris Prague Verse STATE CHAMPION!!

If you have more Information about Ashton High School:

Please e-mail us at eganann@sbcglobal.net. You can also write to us at:

Illinois HS Glory Days

6439 N. Neva St.

Chicago, Il. 60631