Program History

Head coach Robert Servis came from Kettering Fairmont to found the Tippecanoe men’s soccer program. The team played a JV schedule in 1981, going 2-3-2 that fall before moving up to varsity in 1982.

The program’s inaugural varsity season yielded a 3-8-1 record, but the foundation was laid by Servis. The Red Devils captured their first Southwestern Rivers Conference championship a year later. Led by first-team all-SRC senior Treven Pyles and team MVP Russ Imler, Tipp reeled off a six-game unbeaten streak midseason.

The 1984 team began the season just 3-2-2, but found its stride with six straight shutouts to end the regular season with another conference title.

In 1985, Tipp returned nine starters and became the first team in the program’s young history to reach double-digit wins and get ranked in the area polls. On the strength of Shaun Hodges’ 25 goals and 17 assists, the Red Devils finished 15-4-1, won the conference, and picked up their first two tournament victories. In the district final, Tipp dropped a heartbreaker to Mansfield Christian in penalty kicks. Servis was named area coach of the year.

The program also started a junior varsity team that year, led by Greg Southers, and went 7-1-1.

A year later, Tipp took yet another step forward, capturing the program’s first ever district title — a 4-0 win over Bethel. Although young, the 1986 squad finished 13-6-2 and won the SRC for the fourth straight year.

The 1987 team achieved the best record in program history to-date, going 16-3-2, winning the SRC, and earning state recognition for the first time. The Red Devils captured a second-straight district title and beat Jamestown Greenview 1-0 in the regional semi-final before falling 2-1 to Cincinnati Forest Park in the regional title game.

1988 was expected to be a rebuilding year after losing 12 seniors, but the young squad had other plans. Tipp went 15-3-4, winning the SRC and district titles, but fell in overtime of the regional semi-final, 3-2 to Springfield Catholic Central. Jason Miller earned second-team all-state recognition.

“We lost so many players from last year that I didn’t know what to expect,” said coach Servis. “To win the league again and reach the semi-finals was a credit to the effort of the team.”

Tipp recorded its first ever undefeated regular season in 1989, finishing 20-1-3. The only loss of the season was a 5-1 defeat at the hands of eventual state champion Cincinnati Roger Bacon in the state semi-final. It marked the program’s first trip to state as the Red Devils avenged the previous year’s loss to Springfield Catholic Central with a 1-0 overtime win over the Irish and then topped Worthington Christian 1-0 in the regional title game. Servis recorded his 100th career win during the season.

A new decade dawned with a return trip to state. Although it ended with the same result (a 4-0 loss to Roger Bacon in the state semi-finals) the program set a new mark with 21 wins, won the SRC for the 8th straight year, won a 5th-straight district title, and a 2nd-straight regional crown.

The 1991 team returned a core of talent, led by first-team all-state selection Scott Downing. The Red Devils opened the season 8-0-1 before dropping three of their next four. They rebounded with three straight wins to close the regular season and then fell just short of a third straight trip to state. They lost to Columbus St. Charles 3-2 in penalty kicks. Even so, it was yet another successful season with a conference and district title and a 16-4-1 record. Downing was named first-team all-state for the second straight year and became the program’s first all-American.

Tipp returned to state in 1992, finishing 18-3-1 overall and winning the SRC, district, and regional championships. This time, it was Columbus St. Francis DeSales that sent the Red Devils home one game short of the state title game.

The 1993 team recorded a third undefeated regular season in five years, going 16-0-1 before falling to Bellbrook 2-1 in the district final. The Red Devils captured their 11th straight conference title thanks to Andrew Moore’s school record 32 goals.

In 1994, Tipp fell short of the SRC title for the first time since the program’s first season. The team finished with a 12-5-2 record and made it to the district finals for the 10th straight season where they once again fell to Bellbrook.

The following year, Tipp brought another SRC title to town, but bowed out of the tournament before the district final for the first time since the inaugural season. Even so, the program gained its second first-team all-state performer in goalie Whitney Gibson, who was responsible for an 8-game shutout streak.

The 1996 team had to replace a big senior class and endured only the program’s second losing season, finishing 6-11-2. But the team improved as the season went on. After starting the season 1-9-1, Tipp went 5-2-1 the rest of the way, including a pair of tournament victories, before succumbing to Eaton in penalty kicks in the district final.

The momentum gained in the latter half of the year carried through to the start of the 1997 season as the Red Devils won their first four games. They dropped three of four midseason before a late-season push into the district finals once again. There, Tipp fell to Springfield Catholic Central. It marked the first time in 16 years that the program failed to win the conference in back-to-back years.

1998 brought a resurgence as Tipp raced out to a 6-0 start, including avenging the previous year’s season-ending loss to SCC. After a 4-3 setback at Troy, the Red Devils won their next seven, outscoring opponents 39-4 in the process, and captured another SRC title. They opened the tournament with back-to-back 1-0 wins before an agonizing district final defeat to Dayton Carroll in penalty kicks.

Tipp returned 11 letter winners in 1999 with an 11-game winning streak and 6-game shutout streak, winning the conference once again and finishing with a 16-2-1 record. After a 6-0 win over Trotwood-Madison and a 7-0 win over Greenville to open the tournament, Tipp fell to Wayne, 3-2, in the district final.

With high expectations entering the 2000 season, Tipp fell just short of a conference title, but that didn’t stop them from winning the district title for the first time since 1992. The Red Devils beat Springfield Shawnee 5-0 in the district title game, but fell 3-0 to Cincinnati Turpin in the regional semi-final. Senior Brad Gibson led the way for the Red Devils with 28 goals and 13 assists, earning a first-team all-state nod.

The 2001 team went undefeated through the regular season before a 4-3 overtime loss to Springfield Greenon in the district championship game. Senior Kris Barney set a school record with 34 goals and was named first-team all-state and Tipp’s first all-Midwest honoree since Downing a decade prior.

What the 2002 team lacked in scoring power it made up for with defense. Led by junior defender Adam Smith, the Red Devils went 12-4-4, recording nine shutouts and winning the district title. Like the 2000 team, Tipp’s season ended at the hands of Cincinnati Turpin in the regional semi-finals.

The 2003 season opened with a 3-1 loss at Beavercreek, but the Red Devils reeled off 14-game unbeaten streak — with seven straight shutouts — until a regular season ending 1-0 loss to Vandalia Butler. Tipp won the conference — their first as a member of the Central Buckeye Conference — and beat Springfield Greenon in the district title game before a 1-0 overtime loss in the regional semi-finals to Cincinnati Hamilton Badin. Smith was named to the All-Ohio first team — the third player to do so in four years.

In 2004, Tipp won its second straight CBC crown with a 15-2-2 record. The only defeats were a 2-0 regular season loss to Wayne and a district final overtime loss to Northwestern. Following the season, Servis retired with a 316-87-46 record, handing the reigns to Downing, who had returned to the program as an assistant coach in 2000.

It took the Downing’s first team four games to earn their first win, but after that the Red Devils won 14 of their next 16. Tipp got revenge on Northwestern with a 3-0 win in the district final, but suffered a 3-2 overtime loss to Sunbury Big Walnut in the regional semi-final. Edgar Rendon led the way with 20 goals and Michael Porto earned second-team all-state recognition.

2006 was a rebuilding year as Tipp went 10-5-4 and allowed a program-high 35 goals. Yet, the Red Devils still reached the district final for the 11th straight year.

In 2007, Tipp recaptured the conference title with a 12-5-2 record. The team avenged the previous year’s district final loss to Bellefontaine with a 1-0 win in the district semi-final before falling to Dayton Carroll 3-2 in overtime. Jarod Weaver earned second-team all-state honors.

The 2008 team went 14-4-2, winning the CBC and the district title. Tipp began the season 1-2-1, but went 10-1-1 through the rest of the regular season. In the tournament, the Red Devils picked up just their second ever penalty kick victory, defeating Cincinnati Finneytown. But tournament nemesis Dayton Carroll knocked Tipp out in the regional semi-final.

The following season brought another undefeated regular season to town as Tipp scored 26 more goals than the previous year. The Red Devils won the CBC once again and faced a rematch with Cincinnati Finneytown in the district final. This time, the Wildcats got the best of Tipp, 3-2 in overtime.

The new decade began with a second straight undefeated regular season and a fourth straight CBC championship. Led by Cullen Barron’s 23 goals and a tenacious defense, Tipp set a school record with just five goals allowed all season. One of those goals came in a 1-0 loss to Cincinnati McNicholas in the district final.

The Red Devils went 14-5-1 in 2011, allowing just seven goals in the process. Four of the team’s 5 losses were 1-0 defeats, including a season-ending loss to Cincinnati Wyoming in the district final. Barron was named first-team all-state as the Red Devils won yet another CBC crown.

In 2012, Tipp won the CBC for the sixth consecutive year, finishing the season 13-4-3. The Red Devils recorded a six-game shutout streak and went four straight games without scoring a goal themselves, but three of those were 0-0 ties. Tipp lost in the district final to Cincinnati Indian Hill, 3-1. The senior class that graduated following the season finished their careers allowing just 33 total goals in four years. Keeper Ryan Pignatiello became the program’s fourth all-Midwest honoree.

The 2013 team went 14-4-2 and shared the CBC title with with Tecumseh. The two teams tied 1-1 late in the season. Tipp advanced to the district final before losing 3-0 to Bellbrook — a rematch of a late-season match which ended in a 1-1 tie.

Although Tipp fell short of the conference title the following season, 2014 brought a tournament breakthrough as the Red Devils won their first district title in six years, a penalty kick victory over Monroe. Tipp bowed out in the regional semi-finals to Bishop Watterson.

In 2015, Tipp steamrolled through the regular season with a 15-1-0 record. The only loss was a 2-1 midseason defeat at Wayne. Tipp recaptured the CBC crown, but got upset by Dayton Carroll, 3-1, in the sectional final.

Tipp switched to the Greater Western Ohio Conference in 2016 but that didn’t stop the Red Devils from winning it. The team went 19-2-1 that year with a 12-game winning streak. The only two losses of the season came at the hands of Alter, which beat the Red Devils 4-0 in the regular season and 2-0 in the regional final. Tipp knocked off Cincinnati Wyoming 1-0 in overtime to win the district title and then beat Beechcroft 1-0 in to reach the regional title game. Mitchell Colvin earned first-team all-state honors.

2017 was identical to the previous season as Tipp went 19-2-1, won the GWOC, won the district championship, and fell one win short of state. The Red Devils went 18 games without losing until another 2-0 loss to Alter in the regional title game. Caiden Smith was named first-team all-state.

The following year, Tipp got double-digit goals from three different players — Ben Sauls, Andrew Baileys, and Ben Halsey. The Red Devils went 16-3-2 and won their third straight GWOC title. They beat Monroe, 1-0, in the district final, but got knocked out in the regional semi-final by Cincinnati Summit Country Day, 2-1.

Tipp finally broke through with the first state championship in program history in 2019. Sauls led the way with 19 goals as the Red Devils went 23-0-1 and outscored opponents 115 to 17. The only tie was against Alter midseason, but Tipp finally got the best of the Knights in the district final, sending them home with a 2-1 overtime win. Tipp then beat Marietta 5-1 and Cincinnati Wyoming 4-3 in penalty kicks to advance to state for the first time since 1992. This time, however, the Red Devils succeeded, knocking off Columbus Academy and Warren Howland (both 1-0) to become state champions.