As Bob Hope would say, "Thanks for the memories.

Saturday, June 17, 2000

As Bob Hope would say, "Thanks for the memories."

The Ironton Tiger Clan likes the idea of saying thanks and will do so Saturday, July 1, when an appreciation dinner is held in honor of longtime Ironton High School coaches Bob Lutz and Mike Burcham.

"We just want to say thanks for all they’ve done for the past 30 years," Tiger Clan president Rick McKnight said. "These guys have put in more hours than anyone could ever imagine, and they’ve done it for our children and our community."

Lutz and Burcham have retired as teachers, but have re-signed to operate the athletic department.

Lutz will remain as the head football coach and Burcham the athletic director and assistant head coach. With the duo back on the sidelines, the memories will continue for at least three more years.

In order to recall those memories and say thanks, an appreciation dinner will be held from 7-10 p.m. Saturday, July 1, at the Ironton Eagles Lodge.

The dinner is a family affair with no alcoholic beverages. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for children.

Interested people should contact McKnight at 576-9015, John Wolfe at 532-7000, Dave Lawless at 532-6705, Rich Mountain at 532-8755 (Scherer-Mountain Insurance), or Jeff Linn at 532-4872 (Bob Linn Sporting Goods).

The dinner is catered by the Scioto Ribber.

Lutz has is tied for eighth on the Ohio high school all-time victory list with 282. His 31-year record is 282-60-5 and he is a member of the National High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame. His teams have won two state championships and have been runners-up six times.

Ironton has 19 playoff appearances, third most in state playoff history, and the 11 consecutive playoff appearances between 1985-95 is tied with Steubenville for the longest streak.

Burcham has been the athletic director at Ironton since 1972 and is a member of the Ohio High School Athletic Directors Hall of Fame.

Burcham also served as the Ironton baseball coach for 19 years and posted a 319-129 record with a state championship. He is a member of the Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame and the University of Rio Grande Athletic Hall of Fame where he still holds the record for the most career home runs.