The History of Ashton High School Ashton, Illinois is located in Lee County, nine miles southwest of Rochelle along the old Lincoln Highway and the Union Pacific “Overland Route” from Chicago to San Francisco. The town was plotted in 1854. Crest Foods is Ashton’s largest employer.
Rick Rasmussen tells us the following about the history of Ashton High School:
“The first high school in Ashton, IL was on the corner of Paddock Ave and Route 38. The old high school was actually deemed unfit in 1983, so from the 1983-1984 school year on, all students in K-12 were relocated to the Western Ave. location.”
The original high school building was graced with the words “High School.” on the front doorway with the period at the end to reflect the typical punctuation of that time (1890).
Robbie Wright tells us the fate of the original high school building:
“The old high school building did not initially sit empty. Someone bought the school and made it into apartments or a private residence before it was eventually tore down (in 1999).”
In 2004, CUSD #271 (which included Ashton and Franklin Center) did some reorganization and decided make the former Franklin Center High School in nearby Franklin Grove a K – 4 facility. The new high school became Ashton-Franklin Center High School and the history of Ashton High School ended. The newer Ashton High School is now used to house AFC High School.
For more information on Ashton High School please visit http://genealogytrails.com/ill/lee/leeschoolashtonhs.html .
Ashton High School “Quick Facts”:
Year High School Opened: 1890
Consolidated to: Ashton-Franklin Center High School
Lyrics provided by STEEN LAWSON
Go You Aces on to fame
Rah! Rah! Rah! This fight song is to an original tune. It was composed in the early 60’s, possibly ever earlier. From Rick Rasmussen:
“Prior to 2004, (prior to the 1988 -1989 school year), Ashton High School and Franklin Center High School consolidated in football, wrestling, band, and chorus. I was a member of the graduating class of 1991 and I remember voting on the name AFC Raiders and the colors black and gold for the teams we had co-oped at that time.”
Athletics
Football
Football was the prime sport at Ashton High School. The first football team formed in 1950 and lasted for nearly 40 years before the Ashton-Franklin Center co-op in 1985. Out of those 40 years, only 12 of those years produced winning records:
1953-54 – Record: 5-2 (Coach: Dick Rabbitt)
The Ashton-Franklin Center co-op began in 1988 and lasted until the consolidation of 2004. During that time, AFC earned their first playoff berth in 1990 with a record of 6-4. In 1994, the AFC Aces went a perfect 9-0 in the regular season and finished the year 10-1. They would not qualify for the IHSA playoffs until 2003, when they finished second in the Four Rivers Conference and went 9-3 before falling to eventual Class 1A state champions, Galena.
Boys Cross Country
No seasonal records are available, but one athlete scored two medals in the state tournament:
1980-81 Chris Hager 11th Place Finish 1981-82 Chris Hager 10th Place Finish
Wrestling
Another sport Ashton offered starting in 1969. In 1980-81, the Raiders finished in 10th place at the state tournament and finished 12-7-1 overall.
Nine individual grapplers won a total of 14 medals at the IHSA State Match competition. This includes Dave Lloyd who won the 145 lbs. title in 1982 and Jamin Soria who earned a total of four medals and two STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS! Ashland’s individual medalists are listed below.
Andy McCannon 1975A 145 lbs. 2ND Place Curt Dusing 1976A 112 lbs. 2ND Place Chris Hager 1981A 98 lbs. 3RD Place Jamin Soria 1992A HWT 4TH Place Mike Gleissner 1995A 171 lbs. 4TH Place Volleyball
The girls were offered volleyball starting in the 1978-79 school year and would go through four coaches before Jan (Hughes) Cupp took over in 1987-88. She led the AFC Raiders to six Regional Championships starting in 1993-94:
1993-94 – 13-4 Regional Champions Coach Jan Cupp
1998-99 – 28-5-3 Regional Champions Coach Jan Cupp Rock Falls Invitational Champs Upstate Illini E. Conference Champs Sectional Tournament Title Game lost to Milledgeville 15-6, 15-13 Millegdeville lost in Elite 8 round.
2001-02 – 20-15 Regional Champions Coach Jan Cupp Sectional Tourney Semi-final lost to Bureau Valley 15-13, 15-6 Bureau Valley won Sectional, lost in Sweet 16
2003-04 – Aledo Tournament Champions Coach Jan Cupp Record needed
Ashton won Conference Championships in 1995 and 2001, the year they also won the Four Rivers Conference Tournament.
Boys Basketball
Boys basketball was offered at Ashton High School as well. Over the years, they won two District Championships! Season records, coaches’ names, and other information is needed.
We did locate some postseason scores from the IHSA Tourney were located on a website titled “Illinois Postseason Basketball Scores.” These scores are listed below.
1933-34 Oregon District Tournament Coaches name & record needed 1st Rd Beat Creston 16-8 2nd Rd lost to Rochelle 32-15 Rochelle lost in semi-final round
1934-35 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.
1935-36 Leaf River District Champions Coach’s name & record needed Title Game Beat Leaf River 43-32 Oregon Regional Tourney 1st Rd Lost to Polo 47-28 Polo lost in title game
1936-37 Mt. Morris Regional Tournament Coach’s name & record needed 1st Rd lost to Rochelle 52-9 Rochelle won Regional tourney
1937-38 District Champions Coach’s name & record needed District scores unavailable Regional scores unavailable
1938-39 Dixon Regional Tournament Coach’s name & record needed 1st Rd lost to Sterling 39-23 Sterling lost in title game
1939-40 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed. 1940-41 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.
1941-42 Oregon Regional Tounament Coach’s name & record needed 1st Rd Beat Stillman Valley 50-29 Semi-final lost to Oregon 39-26 Oregon lost in title game.
1942-43 Dekalb Regional Tounament Coach’s name & record needed 1st Rd Beat Leaf River 39-19 Semi-final lost to Shabonna 33-26 Shabonna lost in title game
1943-44 Regional Tournament Coach’s name & record needed 1st Rd lost to Rochelle 43-27
1944-45 Oregon Regional Tournament Coach’s name & record needed 1st Rd lost to Rochelle 39-30 Rochelle won Regional title
1945-46 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.
1946-47 Mt. Morris Regional Tournament Coach’s name & record needed 1st Rd lost to Byron 46-43 Byron lost in title game
1947-48 Oregon Regional Tounament Coach’s name & record needed 1st Rd Beat Oregon 50-29 Semi-final lost to Rochelle 45-34 Rochelle lost in title game
1948-49 Rochelle Regional Tounament Coach’s name & record needed 1st Rd Beat Forreston 52-26 Semi-final lost to Rochelle 36-34 Rochelle won title game
1949-50 Mt. Morris Regional Tournament Coach’s name & record needed 1st Rd Beat Leaf River 42-29 Semi-final lost to Byron 64-39 Byron won title game
1950-51 Rochelle Regional Tournament Coach’s name & record needed 1st Rd lost to Rockford St. Thomas 63-44 St. Thomas lost in semi-final round
1951-52 Mt. Morris Regional Tournament Coach’s name & record needed 1st Rd lost to Forreston 71-48 Ashton scorers: Hicks 13, Butler 10, Tews 8, Warner 7, Cultra 4, Miller 2, Waupel 2, Dennis 2 Forreston lost in semi-final round
1952-53 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed
1953-54 Mt. Morris Regional Tournament Coach’s name & record needed 1st Rd lost to Forreston 73-43 Ashton scorers: Butler 15, Wisman 9, Gaskins 6, Lawson 5, Huntley 3, Hicks 2, Warner 2, Bolen 1 Forreston lost in title game
1954-55 Rochelle Regional Tournament Coach’s name & record needed 1st Rd lost to Rockford St. Thomas 63-51 St. Thomas lost in semi-final round
1955-56 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed
1956-57 Rock Falls Regional Tournament Coach’s name & record needed 1st Rd lost to Sterling 67-47 Sterling lost in semi-final round
1957-58 Rock Falls Regional Tournament Coach’s name & record needed 1st Rd lost to Rock Falls 142-36 Rock Falls won Regional title
1958-59 Sterling Regional Tournament Coach’s name & record needed 1st Rd lost to Rock Falls 92-45 Rock Falls lost in title game
1959-60 Leaf River District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed 1st Rd Beat Franklin Center 60-47 Semi-final lost to Byron 76-47 Byron won District title.
1960-61 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed
1961-62 Stillman Valley District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed 1st Rd Beat Leaf River 75-45 Semi-final lost to Byron 66-56 Byron lost in title game
1962-63 Forreston District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed 1st Rd Beat Byron 64-39 Semi-final lost to Forreston 70-50 Forreston won District title.
1963-64 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed 1964-65 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed 1965-66 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed 1966-67 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed
1967-68 Mt. Morris District Runner-up! Coach’s name & record needed Semi-final Beat Franklin Center 63-52 Title Game lost to Forreston 56-54
1968-69 Stillman Valley District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed 1st Rd Beat Forreston Semi-final lost to Byron 76-66 Byron lost in title game
1969-70 Byron District Tournemant Coach’s name & record needed 1st Rd Beat Leaf River 68-66 Semi-final lost to Byron 63-50 Byron won District title
1970-71 Polo District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed 1st Rd Beat Leaf River 60-55 Semi-final lost to Mt. Morris 79-70 Mt. Morris won District title.
1971-72 Byron Class ‘A’ Regional Tournament Coach’s name & record needed 1st Rd lost to Polo 74-64 Polo lost in semi-final round
1972-73 through 2003-04 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed
1999-00 Amboy Tourny Champs Coach’s name & record needed
2000-01 Amboy Tourny Champs Coach’s name & record needed
March 4, 1958 was a dreary day for the AHS Boys Basketball team. They were beat by eventual state second-placers, Rock Falls, 142-36 in the opening-round of Regional play.
Girls Baskeball
The Lacy Aces had some great seasons as well..
1997-98 Amboy Tourny Champs Coach Mike Messer
2001-02 Four Rivers Conference Champs Coach Mike Messer FR Conference Tourny Champs Amboy Tourny Champs
In 2001, they won the Amboy Fresh-Soph Tournament as well as the varsity.
Also Offered
Baseball and Softball were also offered. No records could be found at this time.
Great Coach
Jan Cupp coached volleyball starting in 1987 and established a record of 279-197-8 and continues to coach volleyball for Ashton-Franklin Center High School.
Speech / Individual Events
Ashton High School also had an Individual Events team that placed seventh in the state tournament in 1957. In 1958, Doris Pogue was the State Champion in Verse Reading at the IHSA Individual Events State Tournament.
1956-57 Individual Events Team Finished SEVENTH in STATE MEET Competition!!
1957-58 Individual Medalist – Doris Prague Verse STATE CHAMPION!! | ||||||||||||||||||||
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