Hilliard's Sines changes with times, keeps winning
By Ray Stein
Dispatch Sports Reporter
As a high school football coach at West Jefferson and Chillicothe in the 1980’s, John Sines didn’t take long to win a slew of games- and build a reputation.
Since taking over at Hilliard in 1991, Sines has destroyed the reputation but hasn’t stopped winning games, including the biggest ones in school history.
A fundamental overhaul of philosophy has enabled Sines- and Hilliard- to reach a Division I state semifinal for the first time.
And no matter how things unfold when the Wildcats (11-1) meet Cincinnati Moeller (12-0) at 1 p.m. Saturday in Dayton Welcome Stadium, the Dark Ages system Sines once swore by will remain locked away, never to return.
“When I first got into this business, I was your typical hard-nosed running football coach,” Sines said yesterday.
“My teams ran from one formation, basically because I didn’t want there to be any confusion about how other teams defended us. As long as I knew where they were, I figured we would find a way to block them.”
The philosophy took Sines and his teams a long way in a short time.
Sines, a Columbus native who graduated from West, started at West Jefferson in 1980 and in five seasons won 47 of 55 games. When the Roughriders won the Division IV state championship in 1982, Sines was named state coach of the year.
“That year we had a fullback run for 1,000 yards and a tailback run for 1,400,” Sines said. “And the interesting thing about it, we did not have a single play that was designed to go outside the tackle…”
“We played and beat Academy that year and Mike Mast, our fullback, had 903 yards and ran one play the whole game. Actually, he ran to plays: one right, one left.”
When Sines left in 1985 for Chillicothe – a program that had not had a winning season since 1969 – he packed the same approach.
“We did the same things at Chillicothe,” Sines said. “We only threw when it was third-and-forever, and we never threw on first or second down.”
Again, thought, it worked, as the Cavaliers went 52-11 in Sines’ six seasons. But in the middle of his tenure, Sines started feeling itchy about his ways.
“We made the playoffs against Gahanna in ’87, and we couldn’t do the things we had done to everyone else,” Sines said. “We felt we could get to the playoffs in Division I playing the way we did, but we weren’t going to go anywhere on regular basis trying to run over top of teams.”
About that time, Sines said he recalled J.D. Graham revamping his offensive style at Newark Catholic in the early 80’s.
“He’d been a pounder like me, but he changed all of a sudden,” Sines said. “That always stuck in the back of my mind. Any time a successful person changes, I’m interested.”
In 1990, Sines converted to an offense that balanced the run and pass. Chillicothe went 10-0 and Sines was again named state coach of the year.
He left for Hilliard in ’91 and coached the Wildcats to back-to-back 5-5 records before this season, when quarterback Steve Baird stepped up to ignite an attack that has rolled up more than 3,000 yards. This week, Sines was named state coach of the year for a third time, an honor that can be chalked up to adaptability.
“Making a change like we did, it’s been a mental challenge more than anything,” Sines said. “Even now, my inclination when we’re in trouble is to run the football.”
“But it gets less and less difficult every year, especially when you see what the passing game does for you. I don’t get to breathe fire like I used to when I was a running coach, but it makes sense.”
Dispatch Sports Reporter
As a high school football coach at West Jefferson and Chillicothe in the 1980’s, John Sines didn’t take long to win a slew of games- and build a reputation.
Since taking over at Hilliard in 1991, Sines has destroyed the reputation but hasn’t stopped winning games, including the biggest ones in school history.
A fundamental overhaul of philosophy has enabled Sines- and Hilliard- to reach a Division I state semifinal for the first time.
And no matter how things unfold when the Wildcats (11-1) meet Cincinnati Moeller (12-0) at 1 p.m. Saturday in Dayton Welcome Stadium, the Dark Ages system Sines once swore by will remain locked away, never to return.
“When I first got into this business, I was your typical hard-nosed running football coach,” Sines said yesterday.
“My teams ran from one formation, basically because I didn’t want there to be any confusion about how other teams defended us. As long as I knew where they were, I figured we would find a way to block them.”
The philosophy took Sines and his teams a long way in a short time.
Sines, a Columbus native who graduated from West, started at West Jefferson in 1980 and in five seasons won 47 of 55 games. When the Roughriders won the Division IV state championship in 1982, Sines was named state coach of the year.
“That year we had a fullback run for 1,000 yards and a tailback run for 1,400,” Sines said. “And the interesting thing about it, we did not have a single play that was designed to go outside the tackle…”
“We played and beat Academy that year and Mike Mast, our fullback, had 903 yards and ran one play the whole game. Actually, he ran to plays: one right, one left.”
When Sines left in 1985 for Chillicothe – a program that had not had a winning season since 1969 – he packed the same approach.
“We did the same things at Chillicothe,” Sines said. “We only threw when it was third-and-forever, and we never threw on first or second down.”
Again, thought, it worked, as the Cavaliers went 52-11 in Sines’ six seasons. But in the middle of his tenure, Sines started feeling itchy about his ways.
“We made the playoffs against Gahanna in ’87, and we couldn’t do the things we had done to everyone else,” Sines said. “We felt we could get to the playoffs in Division I playing the way we did, but we weren’t going to go anywhere on regular basis trying to run over top of teams.”
About that time, Sines said he recalled J.D. Graham revamping his offensive style at Newark Catholic in the early 80’s.
“He’d been a pounder like me, but he changed all of a sudden,” Sines said. “That always stuck in the back of my mind. Any time a successful person changes, I’m interested.”
In 1990, Sines converted to an offense that balanced the run and pass. Chillicothe went 10-0 and Sines was again named state coach of the year.
He left for Hilliard in ’91 and coached the Wildcats to back-to-back 5-5 records before this season, when quarterback Steve Baird stepped up to ignite an attack that has rolled up more than 3,000 yards. This week, Sines was named state coach of the year for a third time, an honor that can be chalked up to adaptability.
“Making a change like we did, it’s been a mental challenge more than anything,” Sines said. “Even now, my inclination when we’re in trouble is to run the football.”
“But it gets less and less difficult every year, especially when you see what the passing game does for you. I don’t get to breathe fire like I used to when I was a running coach, but it makes sense.”