JEROMESVILLE, Ohio — Friday night lights hold a special place in Mark Fikes’ heart, his family passing the football down from generation to generation.
“So I'm the fourth generation to come back and live in Jeromesville, and help my father run the funeral home and the furniture store,” he said. “Right now, with my kids and my nephews going to Hillsdale.”
In the 1960s, Fickes said his father played football and other sports at Jeromesville High School. Shortly after, in 1964, the school combined with other local schools to form Hillsdale High School. And this weekend, their small town of just 500 people is sharing a big dream as they’re hoping to take the gold at the OHSAA championship in Canton this weekend.
Fickes said his son most recently played for Hillsdale, continuing the family’s legacy.
“He was the quarterback last year," he said. "They had a nice senior class. The kids that are playing now were younger, but they helped a lot. Last year they went eight and three."
This Friday, he said the Fickes family are catching the game and supporting their alma mater as the Falcons face number one ranked Marion Local Flyers.
“I'm optimistic," he said. "We know the team we're going to play is, is very good. I mean, they're looking to have their fourth state championship, but I believe our boys are confident, and I think you need to go in with confidence against a team like that and go see what you can do."
He isn’t the only one in the Ashtabula County with high hopes.
“I think come Friday morning, you're going to see a lot of people over there watching live,” Fickes said. “The towns will pretty much be shut down because the community will go show their support.”
Trevor Cline, Hillsdale football coach and sixth grade teacher, said it isn’t their first time going to playoffs, but the team is still making history.
“We've had our football program here at Hillsdale since 1963, and this is the first opportunity we've ever had to play for a state championship,” Cline said.
Even though they’re up against a big opponent, Cline said the team is treating it like any other game.
“They need to just continue to prepare like they've done up to this point of just working hard each day of practice, making sure that the preparation is there and the focus is there, and then everything else will take care of itself once we get to Friday.”
Regardless of the outcome, Fickes said the team is breaking barriers and creating a brighter future.
“I don't know if anyone [has] ever felt like, ‘Well, Hillsdale can make a state championship game,,’” Fickes said. “So I think those kids have paved the way for the younger kids to have that belief that they can do it. I mean, you'll see the sign out there, ‘We believe.’”