Remembering Air WEBO

First appeared on October 22nd, 2008
in The Lebanon Reporter

Once upon a Halloween night the Indianapolis Colts pounded the Denver Bronco’s 55-23 behind the fancy footwork of a bespectacled Eric Dickerson who shredded the Bronco’s defense for 159 yards and four touchdowns. That game marked the debut for the city of Indianapolis on ABC’s Monday Night Football. Memories of that night for fans of the Western Boone Stars may be a bit more blurry as they were busy celebrating their victory over the Carroll Cougars in the opening round of sectional play.
The year was 1988. The sports world was buzzing about a home run Kirk Gibson had hit on one good leg and, in a moment that will live in political infamy, Lloyd Bensten had already told Dan Quayle: “Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy.” In our small corner of the world “Air WEBO” was all the rage. After a dismal 1-8 season just two years previous, first year Coach Jeff Pearson had his Western Boone Stars carving up opponents and shattering records on their way to a magical 13-1 season that ended in storybook fashion on the turf of the Hoosier Dome.
By the third week in September, after pounding Lebanon 34-0, the Stars found themselves ranked ninth in 2A. Behind the strong quarterback play of David McClaine Western Boone was blasting opposing defenses with an explosive offense. McClaine’s name would ultimately be cemented in the record book with various Webo titles including most passing yards for a career (2450) and most touchdowns in a season (26). Pearson’s 1988 team also featured a 1,000 yard rusher in Travis Hollingsworth and a 1,000 yard receiver in Troy Martin.
In the second round of Sectional play the Stars ran into another offensive juggernaut in the Greencastle Tiger Cubs. In a thrilling game that saw 862 yards of total offense between the schools, the Stars came away with a 47-32 victory. On that night Air Webo gave way to a more traditional football attack as the two headed monster of Tim Weber and Travis Hollingsworth rushed for three touchdowns and nearly two hundred yards; each.
By the time they hit the Sectional Championship the Stars had rocketed their way to number four amongst 2A teams and the match up with ninth ranked Delphi was like a 60:00 advertisement for Pepto-Bismol as Webo escaped with a 14-6 win. And, just as the offense had carried Webo to that point, it was the defense that would ultimately carry them on. In preserving a 14-6 win, twice that evening the Oracles had first and goal possessions inside the 20 and twice the Stars stuffed them.
Surely nobody complained about the long car ride to Manchester College a week later as David McClaine and Troy Martin definitely made it a trip to remember by connecting on 5 touchdown passes en route to a 41-12 victory. Finally the Woodlan Warriors were all that stood between the Stars and a trip to the Hoosier Dome.
Ultimately the Stars locker room proved full of heroes that season as every game somebody new seemingly stepped forward. Fans may remember Kon Humphrey limping around on one good leg late in the game as the Warriors threatened to end Webo’s season. Despite a twisted ankle, Humphrey was able to drop the Woodlan Quarterback twice behind the line of scrimmage, thus punching the Star’s ticket to Indianapolis.
The Hoosier Dome, which still had that “new dome smell” at that point, served as the setting for the Stars championship match up with South Spencer. In another tight game, McClaine threw for 248 yards and a touchdown. The Quarterback would go on to win the Phil N. Eskew Mental Attitude Award and, more importantly, his team won state beating South Spencer 14-7.