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Griffith’s legendary Four Horsemen carried the Panthersto the state title

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THE FOUR HORSEMENBy Bill Harrison– RSN Correspondent

Notre Dame’s Four Horsemen (of the apocalypse) comprised a winning group of collegiate football players at the University of Notre Dame under Coach Knute Rockne. They were the legendary backfield of Notre Dame's 1924 football team. The players that made up this group were Jim Crowley, Harry Stuhldreher, Don Miller and Elmer Layden. The high school version of the Four Horse-men comprised a winning group of prep football players from a little town called Griffith. The following is their story.

It was the 1997 Class 4A Indiana high school state championship game when Hamilton Southeastern faced off against a Griffith team that many felt before the first snap was one of the best to ever play on an Indiana football field. Hamilton entered the game with a 12-1 record and had a defense that gave up just 12 points a game. They knew what they had to do to stop the Panthers: Contain the option attack of quarterback Shane Radtke, fullback Tom Grasha and running backs Shawn Andriessen and Dennis Palucki. The foursome was appropriately nicknamed “The Four Horsemen” in

comparison to that legendary 1924 University of Notre Dame backfield. Considering the astronomical numbers they put up it was only fitting that they would garner a nickname that would encompass a lasting stamp. As time would prove, their mystic would be that of legend for the backfield that combined for most of the 5,540 rushing yards. It was an unforgettable trip through Indiana football history. The final score of that title game said it all: Griffith 49, Hamilton Southeastern seven. The Class 4A records set in that game said even more about the offensive stars: Largest margin of victory (42 points), most total yards (473), most rushing yards (340), longest kickoff return (Palucki -- 94 yards), most points in a quarter (28 in the third, tying the previous record) and most touchdown passes (three, shared by many). “After watching the film we coaches had a good idea what we were up against,” said then-Hamilton Southeastern coach Rob Cutter. “Their execution of their option offense was amazing. It was very difficult to find the ball. Their quarterback would ride the ball into the fullback's stomach for several steps while he was reading if he should pull it out or not. “They also were very balanced in who they gave the ball to. We tried to take away the fullback but they had two other backs along with the quarterback who were very fast, physical runners. Their offensive backfield was extremely fast. If I remember correctly as juniors most or all four of the backfield members made up their 4x100 state qualifying team the spring before.” Prior to the start of the game, Cutter, who retired in 2006, realized that this wasn’t a normal team he was up against. Matter of fact, he couldn’t believe what he saw. “I remember that morning of the state championship game they had what most teams would use as a walk through in the RCA Dome,” he added. “They used that time as a live hitting session. By the time the game started they looked like they had already played a full game. But they obviously still had plenty left in the tank.” The ringmaster of that option offense was Radtke, second son of head coach Russ Radtke. In that title game Radtke finished 9-for-12 passing for 133 yards and three touchdowns. He also added 15 carries for 161 yards, including a 47-yard TD run that put his team up 28-0 with 5:42 left in the third quarter. “We always knew we had the special players to be a championship team,” said Radtke, who finished the season with over 1,000 passing and 1,234 rushing yards. “People talk about the backfield all the time but seem to forget that we had a very good offensive line. We had a couple really big guys like Mike Grasch and Kevin Lehman but our guards were probably the two smallest linemen in the state. I think Johnny Vargo and Nick Spitz were listed as 177 pounds each and I was listed as 185. They played with a lot of heart and used their speed and angles to make up for size.” The Panthers main obstacle during their

drive to the state title was Hobart. The Brickies had four state title appearances in the 90s, including two titles (1993, 1991), leading up to the 1997 regional showdown between the two made it a game for the ages. The two already met in the regular season with Hobart handing the Panthers their first and only loss of the year. “I knew we were going to win state during the first film session and practice after we lost to Hobart in the second game of the season,” Radtke recalled. “Attitudes changed and you could really see the tempo pick up when we realized that we were not unbeatable. That loss was a wakeup call that served as a catalyst for everything else we accomplished that year. Everyone really picked it up after that and I can’t remember a bad practice for the rest of the year.” The Panthers proved they were a different team, beating Hobart 35-21 and earning a berth into semi-state against Dwenger. The win over Hobart passed the torch that legendary coach Don Howell held for most of his 33 seasons during which he compiled a 314-73-2 record before retiring in 1998. Howell passed away less than a year later. His defensive coordinator at the time, Tom Kerr, was in his 36th and final season with the school. The loss to Griffith was the last game he coached, ending a Hall of Fame career. “(Griffith) intercepted a screen pass and that turned the tide,” Kerr recalled. “They were very physical and had some great athletes. Obviously on that night they were better than us. And their fullback (Grasha) had an explo-sive start and he was very tough to bring down. “We stuck to what we did the first time because we had success doing it. They ran that outside option and we had a hard time stopping them. They were just a very strong powerful group of kids.” Radtke continued his football career at West Point. He is now an Army Blackhawk Pilot stationed in Alabama where he resides with his wife Christin and four-year old son Drew. Like most students after they graduate high school “The Four Horsemen” went their separate ways. But that doesn’t mean that an old friend is off limits to a good practical joke. “Shawn called me on his way home from a Bears game last year and posed as a reporter,” Radtke said. “He said he was doing a story on Griffith running backs and asked who I thought was the better between Shawn Andriessen and Ryan Gootee (class of 1996). He had me going for 2-3 minutes until I heard some of my other friends laughing in the background. I thought something was up when the “reporter” kept quoting Shawn’s exact statistics and arguing about my answers.” Palucki, like his quarterback, joined the Army where he was an Infantry man from 2003 to 2006 and served in Iraq. Grasha played football at St. Joseph in Fort Wayne and is married and living in Lowell. Andriessen did not play football after high school and is married with a daughter living in Highland. No matter how far apart they live, one remarkable season will always keep the high school version of “The Four Horseman” under one magical cloud.