Local Author’s Book on Football Scores

By Mary Casey-Sturk

Cincinnati is known for great high school football teams and equally great rivalries. Indian Hill resident, Gregory J. Fry, tackles this topic with his new book, Conquering the Hill: The Remarkable Journey to the Greatest Gridiron Victory in Cincinnati Public Schools History. 

This is the true story of Western Hills High School’s last-minute victory over the Elder Panthers in the fiftieth (and final) Thanksgiving Classic in 1978. Beyond the “Super Bowl of Price Hill”, as it was dubbed, the book details the beginnings of these and other schools, the competition between public and private schools, and local history.  Fry has compiled past quotes and interviews from prominent locals, including Dave Parker, Gerry Faust, and Pete Rose (from his autobiography co-authored with Roger Kahn). He also personally interviewed Buddy LaRosa for his insights. The book not only shares the story of this game, but also of the 150-year history of Cincinnati Public School Football.

Along the way, he weaves in stories of the people he met and spoke with during the 18+ months of working on the book (his first). It’s more than “a football book”, it’s about loss, sorrow, redemption, and perseverance.

Fry, an anesthesiologist, has long been a fan (and player) of football and local history. He and his wife, also an anesthesiologist, have called Indian Hill home since 1990 and share their abode with 2 dogs, 3 cats, 2 horses, and chickens.

Indian Hill Living spoke with Fry about his book.

“The Elder-Western Hills Thanksgiving Day game remains the single greatest spectacle in the history of Cincinnati high school sports…and that’s not just my opinion. That’s particularly true when it moved back downtown in the 1970s (in the early years it was played at Redland Field). Countless of my friends and acquaintances who never even attended either school have told me they were at those games.” Fry adds, “It survived three wars, the Great Depression, and the Civil Rights Movement-without interruption.”

Why a book about football?

“It’s a tribute book to my high school and my teammates, but I’m trying to not make it just about football. I’ve tried to weave some very interesting individual and family stories. It’s got a lot of universal themes.”  Fry continues, “I tried to make it about just people I feel were just very remarkable individuals.” 

“This was the final Thanksgiving Day game between West Hi and Elder. I was a college freshman at this point, but I had been teammates with the players. It was the 50^th year of this Thanksgiving tradition, and West Hi hadn’t won a game in 20 years or so.”  Adding, “We (West Hi) won 6-0, and the victory was a pretty massive upset. We would have reunions every year over Thanksgiving weekend, and it got to the point when I said to myself, my friends and former teammates, ‘well, this is the greatest story that’s never been written’.”  

Fry skillfully shares both sports and human stories throughout the book, which was published earlier this year.

In the moving epilogue, learn the personal reason Fry wrote this book. As a member of the Western Hills High School class of 1978, the stories he shares are close to his heart as he recounts friendships both on and off the field. Loss and sorrow. 

One story subject is Bob Shimizu. Bob Shimizu and his family were incarcerated for two years at the Poston Internment Camp in Arizona. Originally, his father was the only one seized, spending time at Fort Abe Lincoln in Bismarck, North Dakota (another camp) before being reunited with his wife and kids at Poston.

His family was among the thousands of Japanese Americans incarcerated during World War II. Bob’s family settled in Cincinnati, and he became a three-sport star at West Hi as well as sports editor of the student newspaper. Later, he received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy. Redemption and perseverance.

“It’s not strictly a football book”, says Fry, “it’s amazing stories about families.”

The book is available through the publisher Orange Frazer Press or ask at your local bookstore.