1975 Otterbein (13) vs Capital (7) Football Film, 1 of 2

Authors

Archives, Otterbein UniversityFollow

Files

Description

Otterbein 13 – Capital 7

Saturday, September 27, 1975, 7:30 p.m.

Memorial Stadium, Westerville, Ohio

Time: Reel #1 - 13:41, Reel #2 – 13:21 Type: B & W Program: No

Schools: Otterbein University is a private university in Westerville, Ohio. The university was founded in 1847 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ and named for United Brethren founder the Rev. Philip William Otterbein. After the merger of the Evangelical United Brethren Church and the Methodist Church, in 1968, Otterbein has been associated with the United Methodist Church. Colors: Tan and Cardinal. Mascot: Cardinals

Capital University is a private university in Bexley, Ohio. Capital was founded on June 3, 1830, as the "Theological Seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Ohio" in Canton, Ohio, 40 years before the founding of The Ohio State University, making it the oldest university in Central Ohio and one of the oldest, and largest, Lutheran-affiliated universities in North America. It moved to downtown Columbus in 1832. On March 2, 1850, the non-seminary portion of the school was renamed Capital University and the seminary was renamed the Evangelical Lutheran Theological Seminary (ELTS). The university eventually moved its main campus to the rural periphery of the state capital in the community of Bexley. This rural area has since developed into an upscale suburb. Capital University's educational mission is based on Lutheran values of free inquiry, critical thinking, and leadership. Colors: Purple, Gray and White. Mascot: Crusaders (Capital University athletic teams were known as the Fightin Lutherans until 1963 when Crusaders was adopted as the school’s mascot. After the Crusaders mascot came under scrutiny due to the negative connotation of the crusades the university formally adopted a new mascot name “Capital Comets” on September 30, 2021.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_University

Pio, Chris, Gryphons, Gorloks and Gusties: A History of NCAA Division III Nicknames and Mascots, Privately Published, Las Vegas, NV, 2021, p. 29.

Coaches: Otterbein – Richard Mather Seils (June, 1945, El Paso, Texas; BA ’67 – Denison University, MS ’69 -Ohio University, PhD ’85 – Ohio State University) Rich Seils’ Otterbein career began in 1973 as an assistant football coach, in charge of the offensive backs, and head golf coach. Born in El Paso, Texas, his family moved to Ohio in 1963 when his father, Dr. Ray Seils, was named athletic director at Denison University. He was a four-year letter winner in football and a two-year letter winner in men’s lacrosse from 1963 to 1967. As a player at Denison, Seils was a first-team All-Ohio Athletic Conference selection as a center in 1966. He was a team captain that season and also was voted the team’s Most Valuable Player. In two years as a member of the lacrosse team, Seils helped the Big Red go 21-1 during that span, highlighted by a 12-0 senior season in 1967.

After graduating from Denison in 1967 he earned an MS degree in 1969 from Ohio University where he coached the freshman team for two years. From Athens he taught physical education at Grandview Heights while also assisting with the football team and was head wrestling coach. After one year he became head football coach. In 1971 Seils moved to Defiance College as head wrestling coach and offensive coordinator in football, before accepting the Otterbein assistant football coaching job, and head golf coach, in 1973. When Moe Agler retired following the 1974 season Seils was named head coach of the Cardinals. Seils spent 10 years as the head football coach, guiding the Cardinals to a 49-40-2 record from 1975 to 1984.

In 1984 Seils had a 20-year stint as the athletic director at Thomas Worthington High School in suburban Columbus. He is a member of the Ohio High School Athletic Directors’ Hall of Fame and the Ohio Capital Conference Hall of Fame.

Capital – Eugene “Gene” Slaughter (May 18, 1926 – June 22, 1998, Capital ’50, 3rd year, 2-6, overall, 25-years, 120-95-3) After graduating from Ironton High school in 1944, Slaughter served three years in the Navy before attending Capital University, lettered in football four straight years. Following graduation, he began a 10-year high school coaching career in the state of Ohio – first at Southpoint (1950-51), Jackson (1952-1956) where his teams were in the top ten of the state for three years, and then to Warren (1957-1959) where his teams were in the top ten every year. His record was 24-5-1. In 1960 he followed his top player, Paul Warfield, to Ohio State where he served as one of Woody Hayes’ assistant coaches before taking the reins at Capital in 1961. In 1983, when Warfield was inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame, he asked Slaughter to make his induction speech. When Slaughter was inducted into the Capital University Hall of Fame, Warfield returned the favor. Slaughter retired from coaching on February 24, 1986 after leading the Crusaders for 25-years and compiling a record of 120-95-3. Slaughter produced nine All-Americans and 84 All-Ohio Athletic Conference selections. Perhaps his ultimate coaching experience came in 1970 when Capital went 8-1 and defeated Luther College (Iowa) 34-21 in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, recognized as the Division III national championship game. After Slaughter relinquished his coaching duties he retained his position as Capital’s athlete director, a position he held for the last five years of his coaching career, for one more year until 1987. Following his retirement from Capital, Slaughter was co-owner of the Old Mohawk Tavern in the German Village are of Columbus. He also lived upstairs of the establishment. Slaughter died at the age of 72 on June 22, 1998 after a short illness.

Notes: Otterbein is in dark jerseys and white helmets; Capital is in white jerseys and dark helmets. For more game details see the Columbus Dispatch articles linked to this page.

References:

“College Grid Card,” Columbus Evening Dispatch, September 25, 1975, p. D2

Sander, John, “Hess Happy with Defense,” Columbus Evening Dispatch, September 25, 1975, p. D3.

Sanders, John, “Upswing Otters Set Cap Ambush,” Columbus Evening Dispatch, September 26, 1975, P. D1.

Sanders, John, “Unbeaten Otters Await Cap Visit,” Columbus Evening Dispatch, September 26, 1975, P. D2.

“Capital Faces Rival Cards,” Columbus Evening Dispatch, September 27, 1975, p. 1B

“Otterbein Beats Crusaders 13-7,” Columbus Sunday Dispatch, September 28, 1975, P. E1 & E10.

Publication Date

9-27-1975

City

Memorial Stadium, Otterbein College, Westerville, Ohio

Keywords

College Football, Football Programs, Football Films

Comments

Otterbein is in dark jerseys and white helmets; Capital is in white jerseys and dark helmets. For more game details see the Columbus Dispatch articles linked to this page.

Recommended Citation

Archives, "1975 Otterbein (13) vs Capital (7) Football Film, 1 of 2" (1975). 1975 Sports Films. 2.
https://digitalcommons.otterbein.edu/sports_films_1970s_06/2