New class of former Cambridge standouts being inducted into Athletic Hall of Fame
The Cambridge High School Athletic Department will honor two graduates and two coaches who became Bobcats when they induct Stephen Ford III, Tommy “Buck” Hollins, Carl Dupler and Al “Zip” Joseph into the CHS Athletic Hall of Fame.
The Hall of Fame induction banquet is scheduled for Thursday, beginning at 6 p.m. at Cambridge High School. The inductees also will be recognized during halftime of the Bobcats football game with Indian Valley on Friday at McFarland Stadium.
Carl Dupler
Carl Dupler joined the track team for his senior year at Logan High School in 1930 and parlayed that into a successful collegiate career at Ohio University.
Dupler began his coaching career at Hollister High School in Athens in 1937. He went to Nelsonville High School for a year in 1945 and coached at Cambridge from 1946 through 1957 and from 1961 through 1970. During his 19 seasons as head track and field coach, Dupler accumulated a record of 112-71 for a .612 winning percentage.
He was inducted into the Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches (OATCCC) Hall of Fame in 1976.
Dupler, who taught industrial arts among other subjects, also coached football and basketball at both the high school and junior high school levels.
Stephen Ford III
During his three three-year career, Ford amassed 5,351 yards rushing yards including 1,938 yards in 2005 during a 9-2 campaign and 2,223 in 2006 when the Bobcats went undefeated in the regular season and defeated Northwest in the first round of playoffs before ending the season 11-1.
Of significance is Ford’s 69 carries for 412 yards in a 41-35 victory over Dover during the regular season. Ford scored two touchdowns in the victory, the last time the Bobcats beat the Tornadoes on the gridiron.
For his career, Ford rushed 855 times for a 6.3 yards per carry average and 68 touchdowns. Ford also caught 18 passes for 325 yards and three touchdowns. On special teams, he returned 11 kickoffs for 170 yards, and 14 punts for 114 yards.
Ford’s accolades include first team All-Ohio honors following both the 2005 and 2006 seasons when he was named the Division III offensive player of the year. He also earned first team All-Ohio Valley Athletic Conference and All-Eastern Central Ohio League status in both 2005 and 2006. Following the 2006 season, Ford played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl game in San Antonio, Texas.
Tommy “Buck” Hollins
Tommy “Buck” Hollins won 10 letters playing football, basketball, and baseball for Cambridge High School in the late 1960s and early 1970s and excelled in all three sports.
In football, Hollins earned three letters and AAA (only three divisions in Ohio at the time) All-Ohio status his senior year (1971) when he broke Lenard Crawford’s all-time rushing record with 1,155 yards in only nine games. In 1970, when Crawford ran for 1,114 yards, the previous school record, Hollins rushed for 850 yards. Hollins was also a two-year starter on defense at linebacker.
In basketball, Hollins was a four-year letter winner ending his career as the fourth leading scorer in school history (currently 17th) with 826 points. He led one of those teams to a regional appearance in Athens. He averaged 16.6 ppg his senior campaign when he earned AAA All-Ohio honors.
In baseball, Hollins was an outstanding pitcher and shortstop. He batted .388 his senior year and went 4-2 on the mound with an 0.83 earned run average.
Hollins, who picked up his nickname because of his size and strength, earned a scholarship to play football at Eastern Kentucky University.
Al “Zip” Joseph
Laying the foundation for the success of Cambridge basketball program were the teams coached by Al “Zip” Joseph during an era where Ohio only had two and later three competitive divisions with the Bobcats competing in the “big school” category.
During Joseph’s first stint as the Bobcat mentor from 1957-1962, he guided Cambridge to sectional championships in 1958-59, 1959-60 and 1960-61 with a district championship in 1961.
When he returned to the bench for his second stint as head coach from 1974-1980, he led the Bobcats to sectional titles at the end of the 1975-76, 1976-77, and 1977-78 seasons with district runner-up finishes in 1976 and 1977. He also coached Cambridge to its first Ohio Valley Athletic Conference championship, an AAAA (big school division) title in 1977-78.
Joseph finished his career as the CHS career wins leader and still sits second on the list to only Gene Ford. Joseph also served as a football coach and taught art at CHS for 33 years.
Joseph picked up the nickname “Zip” while a student athlete at Martins Ferry High School. He was said to be so quick on the basketball court that his teammates started calling him Zip.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Jeffersonian: Cambridge Athletic Hall of Fame set to welcome four new members
