The 1984 Hoover Vikings varsity football team built something no scoreboard could measure. That fall, a group of lifelong friends, guided by head coach Ed Glass and fueled by grit, talent, and an unshakable bond, stormed their way to the state championship. 

More than forty years later, the players, coaches, and community still honor that remarkable team, not for the heartbreaking loss they endured, but for the legacy of unity, resilience, and brotherhood they created together. There are many words that could describe the 1984 Hoover Vikings football team, but a “true team” was how former head coach Ed Glass [HHS coach from 1981- 95] described the 1984 Hoover Vikings in “Remembering the 1984 Team,” a story from Hoovervikingsfootball.com, in that no one player had the attitude of “star status.”

 “That’s what made them good,” he said. “No individual was larger than the group… They cared about each other and still do.” 

The 1984 Viking team was something special, and to this day it still holds a special place in both the community and the players hearts. The team fought hard and made their way to the state championship, where an upsetting loss to Toledo St. Francis ended the season at Ohio Stadium. 

While the loss stayed with many of the players, a decade later the players realized that what the team did that year was really remarkable, including Class of 1985 alumnus Mr. Andy Logan, who was a captain that year.

“We were just a group of really athletic guys that didn’t like to lose,” he said. “We worked hard, we worked well together, and we had great leadership.” 

The group grew up together, from seventh grade football all the way through high school. The group was used to winning, with many winning back during youth football. The team still stays close to this day even though life took them in their own directions. Mr. Eddie McClintock [Class of 1985] shares the bonds that he created with the team are ones that are going to last a lifetime. 

“The friends that I made on that team to this day are my brothers,” he said. “We went through something pretty special that year.” 

The friends that were made on this team was just one of the many things that helped lead them to success. However, with every great team, a great coach is behind them. That is just one of the many words to describe Coach Glass. 

“Great coaching was here in a lot of different schools.” Logan said. 

Logan shares that there were great coaches all over Stark County at the time, but Glass was always special. He was very smart with how he decided to move the ball. It was always what it took to win the game with Coach Glass, even if that meant putting in four receivers or one receiver and three tight ends. He taught many life lessons to this team, not only ones about their sports but lessons that transfer over for once they graduated and moved out into the world. 

“[He taught us] not giving up and how to keep fighting,” McClintock said, “keep going and how that translates to away from sports and how that translates to our lives.” 

How to keep pushing was taught to many of these boys by Coach Glass. However, growing up surrounded by sports was also a big motivator for these athletes.

“I was used to seeing results in athletics if you put in the work and the time,” Logan said. 

Logan comes from a very athletic family, with his brother playing football at Hoover as well. Growing up, Logan was surrounded by record-setting football teams, so back then he knew that he would eventually be a part of something special as well. 

“Growing up at Hoover my brother Jeff was on the first 10-0 in 1972,” he said. “I was five or six years old playing tackle football just outside the end zone looking out on that field saying some day we will be out there.” 

After growing up and seeing the Hoover Vikings set records, Logan was ready to do the same. The team came out dominating game after game, winning for the first six weeks of the regular season, but then came the first hurdle for the Vikings on their way to the state championship: Perry. 

The Panthers came onto the North Canton Memorial Stadium field dominating, the score quickly becoming 16-0. The team soon realized what they needed to do. Logan shares how they were feeling during that game. 

“That was the turning point in us saying regardless of what the score is in any point of the game we have the athletic ability or the firepower to come back and win,” Logan said. 

This game is remembered by many of the other players as well. One of those players included wide receiver Steve Schick [Class of 1985], interviewed in “Remembering the 1984 Team,” who reflected how the Vikings felt when the Panthers started off the game 16-0. 

“They were the best team we played,” he said. “They came into our place and went up 16-0 before we could blink…we all looked at each other and didn’t say anything. We knew we were better and had to win every single down from here on out.” 

Then came the first loss for the Vikings. The Alliance Aviators got lucky when a tipped pass fell into the arms of a receiver in the end zone. The Vikings couldn’t believe what had just happened. 

“It was the most unbelievable thing…a fluke thing,” Glass said. 

With only one loss during the regular season, the team was off to the playoffs. They continued to dominate out on the field.

“Once we got out of the Federal League and away from teams that knew what we liked to do…we ripped into them,” Schick said.

The Vikings fought their way through the playoffs. Between both the Lorain Admiral King and Mayfield, the Vikings won by a combined 70-6. 

With only one play stopping the Vikings from winning the state championship, that one play is remembered by many of the players. One in particular is McClintock. 

“I watched the ball go up over my head,” he said. “I have dreams of watching the ball go up into the goal.” 

The Vikings were preparing to go into overtime, but somehow the kicker from Toledo St. Francis made that kick that surprised everyone.

“He didn’t hit the ball very well,” Glass said. “It was a line drive hook…the doggone ball went over the crossbar by two feet.” 

The Vikings lost by this field goal. With the final score of 17-14, this was pretty hard on some of the players. 

“As a young high school kid, athlete, that was the most important thing in the world,” McClintock said. 

Wins and losses are part of any sport. Athletes always try to remember the wins instead of dwelling on the losses, but sometimes, all they want to know is how they lost that game. 

“When you get older, you try to remember the wins, and we had a ton of them at North Canton,” Glass said. “But those losses stay with you for awhile…and when people point to seasons, they want to know about the games we lost. It’s human nature.” 

The loss of the state championship stuck with many of the players for a long time, but time heals. 

“We were bitter for five years that we didn’t win the state championship and didn’t play very well,” Schick said. “After you get away from it for 10, 12 years, you start to realize it was pretty darn special what we did.” 

Today, the players realize that what they did back then was indeed very special, for both them and the community. Logan owns a sports shop here in North Canton, and every year he gets shirts for the players. The shirts always have information on the back about the tradition here at Hoover. 

“‘We stand on the shoulders of those that came before us’ was one saying,” he said. 

The Hoover tradition is something that every player knows when they step on and off the field. Not only do the players know that those who came before them are there for support, the fans are always there too. 

“That’s one thing that’s so special about North Canton,” Logan said. “The community comes out on Friday nights.” 

Whether that is the students, families, or the past students coming back to support. 

“The Hoover stands in particular…” McClintock said. “They were packed every week.” 

The community and past players will always remember being at a Hoover game, on the field or in the stands. The future players always know that they have the community and alumni behind them. 

“You know, like you play at Hoover, you’re a Viking for life,” McClintock said.