09/26/2026
Welcome home, 1976 Purple Riders!
*If anyone took video of the pre-game honoring of the team on the field, we would love to "borrow it" to share with Purple Riders who couldn't make it.*
The text the announcer read explaining the team's significance to AHS football, written by Kevin Monahan:
LADIES AND GENTELEMEN, PLEASE DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION TO THE NORTH ENDZONE AS THE 1976 PURPLE RIDERS TAKE THE FIELD.
(If there is a banner at the north endzone, wait for the ’76 team to bust through the banner)
THIS IS THE 50 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF ONE OF THE TOUGHEST ARCOLA TEAMS AND ONE THAT IS CREDITED WITH JUMPSTARTING AN UNBELIEVABLE RUN OF ARCOLA FOOTBALL.
THAT SEASON, ARCOLA MOVED FROM THE BIG OKAW CONFERENCE TO AN INDEPENDENT. IN 10 GAMES, ARCOLA’S DEFENSE PITCHED 4 SHUTOUTS AND THE DEFENSE GAVE UP AN AVERAGE OF LESS THAN 9 POINTS PER GAME.
THE DEFENSE WAS ANCHORED BY 1975 TEAM MVP GREG VAN GUNDY. THEIR OFFENSE WAS LED QB JOHN FISHEL AND ALLSTATE RUNNING BACK AND 1976 TEAM MVP MIKE THOMAS. THE OFFENSE AVERAGED 31 PPG.
ARCOLA’S REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE INCLUDED SEVERAL CONFERENCE WINNERS AND ONLY 2 TEAMS WHO DIDN’T END THEIR SEASON WITH A WINNING RECORD.
THE SEASON WENT AS FOLLOWS:
ARTHUR: 31-0
BEMENT: 16-0
OCTAVIA: 20-6
*IN THEIR 4TH GAME, ARCOLA’S FIRST HOME GAME OF THE SEASON ALMOST EXACTLY 50 YEARS AGO WAS AGAINST CUMBERLAND.
TODAY IS THE 18TH MEETING BETWEEN THE SCHOOLS BUT 1976 WAS THE FIRST. ARCOLA BEAT A SOLID PIRATES TEAM 2814 IN 1976. A SPECIAL WELCOME TO ANY PIRATE FANS HERE TONIGHT THAT REMEMBER THAT GAME.
ARCOLA THEN WON A MEMORABLE GAME AT MACON 42-30
FARMER CITY 29-0
AND IN A MUCH-ANTICIPATED GAME DUBBED ‘THE DECATUR HERALD BOWL’ AGAINST UNDEFEATED MAROA, ARCOLA WON 36-6.
THAT SEASON WAS THE ONLY SEASON ARCOLA PLAYED IN THE 2A PLAYOFFS. IT WAS ARCOLA’S FIRST YEAR PARTICIPATING AND WINNING AN IHSA PLAYOFF GAME.
THAT FIRST PLAYOFF GAME AND FIRST PLAYOFF WIN CAME AT MARSHALL AND RESULTED IN A 40-14 PURPLE RIDER WIN.
THE LAST TIME THESE PLAYERS WERE TOGETHER ON THIS FIELD IN UNIFORM WAS A HARD FOUGHT 19-6 LOSS TO GILLESPIE.
WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE ASSISTANT COACHES JIM STRANGE AND RANDY ROTHROCK WITH THE TEAM TODAY.
THE 1976 TEAM IS NOW STANDING ON THE FIELD NAMED AFTER THEIR COACHES, COACH STEVE THOMAS AND COACH BYRON BRADFORD.
ALONG WITH THESE 2 HALL OF FAME COACHES, WE ALSO REMEMBER TWO GREAT RIDER RUNNING BACKS ON THAT TEAM IN PHIL SPANHOOK AND MARTY THOMAS.
FAMILY OF COACH AND MARTY THOMAS, COACH BRADFORD, AND PHIL SPANHOOK ARE ON THE FIELD TODAY.
FROM 1975 TO 1976, ARCOLA IMPROVED FROM 1-8 TO 9-1, NO ARCOLA TEAM BEFORE OR AFTER HAS HAD A BIGGER TURN AROUND OF WINS FROM ONE SEASON TO THE NEXT.
THIS SEASON WAS THE FIRST OF 25 STRAIGHT WINNING SEASONS.
FOR 20 SEASONS FROM 1976-1995, ARCOLA WON 85% OF THEIR GAMES, PLAYED IN 6 STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES, AND HAD AN AVERAGE SCORE OF 31-8.
AS SENIORS, THE JUNIORS ON THIS TEAM WOULD BECOME THE FIRST ARCOLA TEAM TO PLAY FOR THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP AND THE SOPHOMORES ON THIS TEAM WOULD WIN ARCOLA’S FIRST STATE CHAMPIONSHIP IN 1978.
THE 1976 TEAM STARTED IT ALL.
WE WELCOME THE PLAYERS, COACHES, CHEERLEADERS, BAND MEMBERS, AND CLASSMATES OF THIS MEMORABLE TEAM. YOUR ANNOUNCER IS A PROUD CLASSMATE.
WELCOME HOME AND CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 1976 ARCOLA PURPLE RIDERS! (pause for applause)
THE 1976 TEAM WILL NOW JOIN THE 2026 ARCOLA CAPTAINS FOR THE COIN TOSS…. THANK YOU AGAIN TO THE 1976 PURPLE RIDERS. (1976 TEAM EXITS TOWARDS ARCOLA SIDELINE)
