Schools

MICDS-Burroughs Football Game Special to Two Coaching Legends

Ron Holtman, from MICDS, and Jim Lemen, from John Burroughs, met on the turf for more than three decades.

When a bunch of 16 and 17-year-old kids tee it up on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at John Burroughs, a couple of gentlemen will likely have more than a passing interest in the football slugfest between the Rams of MICDS and the Bombers of Burroughs.

That would be Jim Lemen, 71, and Ron Holtman, 82. They are two local prep coaching legends.

Lemen certainly will. His grandson, sophomore Trevor Bain, will suit up for the Bombers as a wide receiver and outside linebacker.

Think that pressure comes with coaching football?

Holtman explained it this way. He began his coaching career at Marquette High School in Alton, Illinois in the old ABC League.

“I was the only male in the school. The rest of the staff was comprised of nuns. I coached the team by myself. The alumni used to remind me there was a train leaving town regularly. They said, ‘If you don’t win, then be under the train, not on it.’”

Lemen fondly recalls going to dinner with his wife, Carol, after one momentous showdown with the Codasco Rams.

“We went alone to dinner at Busch’s Grove. There was a little old lady sitting at one of the tables, about 80 years old. We walked by her table and she banged her cane on the floor. ‘We got you this time,’ she cracked with a wry smile.”

Until the Missouri playoffs arrived in 1975, the final game of the year between MICDS and the Bombers meant everything to the players, the faculty and staff, the parents, siblings and alums, too.

“I used to tell the players to take all this in and give it everything you’ve got because you will remember this game for the rest of your lives,” said Lemen.

Holtman, who even to this day works with fundraising at MICDS and compiled a brilliant 321-69-8 (.789) record over 39 years, is enthusiastic about the rivalry.

“There’s a whole new dynamic to the series. They (Burroughs) have an NFL coach, Gus Frerotte, and this will be his first game.” He credits previous coach Todd Small for being a Burroughs innovator.

“He’s the one who brought the shotgun offense and eight men in the box on defense to the series,” Holtman said.

Great players used to line up for the red and white under Holtman’s tutelage. He brags proudly about 1979 star players quarterback Ron Sally and wide receiver Mark Militello.

Other greats have included tight end Turner Baur, running back Mike Mayweather, kicker Ken Rosenthal, running backs Donnie Johnson and Jack Anderson, and tackle Matt Levis.

More recent vintage stars were Mike Milen, Jonathan Reece and Matt Denk. Holtman feels with the playoffs around now, some of the bloom is off the proverbial rose.

“A lot of this rivalry has dissipated over the years. That’s all due to being involved often in state championships,” Holtman reasoned.

To some degree, Lemen, with a 35-year record of 238-123-4 agrees. Lemen won eight championships in 11 tries starting in 1975, with the final one coming in 2001.

“I think we have more state championships than wins over MICDS,” he said with a chuckle.

His list of luminaries is long, including tailbacks Greg Smith and Earl Gelfin, Ted Levis, Ted Holmes, A.J. Van Slyke and many others.

Lemen vividly recalls the 1975 game. “We won a state title that year. We beat MICDS 8-7, scoring in the last 45 seconds of the game.” In 1980, the Bombers won 17-14, they won 21-0 in ’81, and 33-11 in ’84.

Lemen worked extra hard to make sure the competition was kept between the lines.

“Some funny things would happen over the years. We urged our kids to not be involved with pranks off the field. We knew with the win came bragging rights that would last the entire year.”

For sure, two observers in the stands this Saturday will be watching out for banging canes and trains leaving town, as well as the outcome of the rivalry game.


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