Jon Smith and David Trosper were lifelong friends. Having grown up one mile apart, they played football together from fifth grade all the way through college. That included an unforgettable run at Boone County from 1985 to 1987.
Just over one year after Trosper died, his No. 44 was retired and the 1986 team was honored before the Rebels' homecoming game against Conner Friday, Oct. 2.
"It's pretty amazing. He left a wonderful legacy, helped so many athletes, so many students, and it's just a wonderful feeling to see so many people come out and do all the work to get his jersey retired," David's widow, Ginny, said.
Trosper was one of a host of talented players that helped the Rebels make school history. After the 1985 team posted a 10-2 record, the '86
squad, led by legendary coach Owen Hauck, was the first Boone County team to be named at-large state champions (which at the time meant the entire state excluding Louisville, which had powerhouses St. Xavier and Trinity), advanced to the first of the school's four state championship games, and paved the way for Hauck to win double-digit games in 11 of his final 13 seasons.
"We were pretty dominant back then" Smith said.
The 1986 team left such an indelible mark on the school that of the six numbers that Boone County's football team has retired, four belong to members of that 1986 team: Jon Ransdell, George Rudd, Trosper and Craig "Moon" Mullins. They were so talented that Ransdell, Smith, Mullins and Tony Law all ran the wishbone and triple option. While Hauck had several players switch positions before the season, the team had 21 starters; Law, widely considered the best player in school history, was the only two-way player.
After a loss to Campbell County, the Rebels needed help to sneak into the playoffs, where they traveled to top-ranked Boyd County in the first round. Led by Smith and Combs, Boone County upset the Lions 26-12 before beating George Rogers Clark and Warren Central at home to claim the at-large state title.
"It's always a really big deal when you're at home (in the playoffs), and that was huge," Ransdell said.
Before Ryle opened in 1992, followed by Cooper in 2008, Boone County was the Northern Kentucky powerhouse in the days where kids went to high school based on where they lived. Ransdell recalled going undefeated in two seasons at Ockerman Middle School, often playing in front of a packed crowd on Saturday mornings.
At the center of the dynasty was Hauck, who is 20th on the Kentucky High School Athletic Association's wins list with 258. He's on Boone County's Mount Rushmore for his accomplishments on the field, but more importantly, he was a father figure to a number of his players and endowed life lessons that Boone County alumni still carry with them today.
"He was a lot of things to a lot of different kids that came through Boone County. He gave it his all to every kid that played football for him, and even the kids that didn't play for him that he had in class, he would talk to and help," Ransdell said.
In the latter years of his career, Hauck sprouted a coaching tree more wide spread than an oak in full bloom. Trosper began his career at Union College and Morehead State before coming home to coach Holmes, then spent 18 years at Conner. Bryson Warner, a 1992 graduate, came back to coach the Rebels for five seasons. Smith and Lance Howard each spent over 30 years on the sidelines with the Rebels.
"You didn't sleep much because you knew you had to prepare with everything you had, but it was a tremendous honor. When you go into a football game and you know you're going to get the opponent's best effort, it's a lot of fun and it makes you better. I told him one time how competitive our game was, but his friendship means way more than the game," Warner said of coaching against Trosper. The two coached 16 games against each other, each winning eight games.
Current Conner coach Chase Floyd, also a Boone County grad, was Trosper's assistant for seven seasons. In his first season, he has 10 seniors who are continuing Trosper's tradition and building on the foundation that he built. At practices and before games, they echo his reminders to "Get your mind right!" as well as "Together we win!"
"He's the reason that I took this job, if we're being honest. I had a battle with cancer two years ago and he was my right-hand man throughout the process," Floyd said. "I don't know if I'm here right now if he wasn't there with me. Carrying on his legacy, doing the fundamentals that he did and the policies he had is very, very important to me and it's what drives us every day."
In addition to Trosper's untimely death, Law passed away in 2011, Mullins died in 2015 and Hauck passed away in 2016. They share a special connection as the three players carried Hauck off the field after the Rebels' win over Warren Central.
Whenever the football team reunites, the memories of their playing days are always at the forefront of the conversation, but of similar importance is paying respect to their coach and brothers who played such an important part in those unforgettable Friday nights.
"It was a good time. It was a neat place to grow up. It was a great community and those guys made it worthwhile," Smith said.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Boone County football celebrates legacies of David Trosper, 1986 team
