Traverse City Central High School will mark the 40-year anniversary of one of its three state championship titles in football this week. The school announced Tuesday that this Friday’s home game against Bay City Central will include a tribute to the 1985 Trojan football team and its coaching staff. The game is scheduled to begin at 7pm this Friday, October 17 at Thirlby Field.

The Trojans won three football titles in the 1970s and 1980s, all under the leadership of legendary head coach Jim Ooley, and all before overcrowding at Traverse City Senior High demanded the opening of a second public high school in town. Ooley’s titles came in 1978, 1985, and 1988. After Ooley’s tenure – he retired in 1991 – it took until 2021 for one of Traverse City's public schools to make another trip to a state title game in football. The Trojans lost that Division 2 championship game to Warren De La Salle, 41-14.

The 1985 team went 13-0 en route to a state title in the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s Class A division, which contained all the state’s biggest public schools at the time. On November 30, 1985, Central claimed the state title decisively, beating Troy 29-3. The press release announcing this Friday’s tribute noted that 1985’s “historic team and its commitment to excellence remain a benchmark for the school’s athletic program,” even four decades later.

According to the release, the entire 1985 team and coaching staff “will be recognized for their achievement during the evening’s festivities” on Friday. First, players from the 1985 team “will serve as honorary captains for the pregame coin toss.” Then, between the first and second quarters of the game, the 1985 team and staff “will be formally introduced and honored” in front of the Thirlby Field crowd.

“We are thrilled to welcome back the members of the 1985 State Championship team,” said TC Central Athletic Director Justin Thorington. “Traverse City Central has a long-standing tradition and expectation of excellence, and that team's incredible victory and dedicated effort truly affirmed that standard for generations of future Trojans. We look forward to a great night celebrating their pivotal role in our school's athletic history and legacy.”

TC Central is encouraging all alumni, students, and community members to attend this Friday's game “and join in celebrating this landmark moment in Trojan history.”

Photo courtesy of MHSAA.