Fortner, Larry

 

Larry Fortner – (1994)

 

Long considered one of the best all-around athletes in Lorain County prep sports history, versatile Larry Fortner never stopped excelling at Clearview High School from his freshman through his senior years.

The sports of football, basketball and track and field were all blessed by Fortner’s participation, which helped elevate the Clippers to the unprecedented state-wide recognition and heights in each sport.

A four-year starting quarterback and eventual football All-Ohioan at Clearview, Fortner also helped Coach Wayne Ross’ 1972 Clippers (10-2) become the first Lorain County qualifier to the then-new Ohio High School Athletic Association grid-playoff elimination format.

Facing Marion Pleasant in the 1972 “A” grid finals with 7,000 fans watching at Ohio Wesleyan University, Clearview dominated the game and all statistics, but lost, 20-14, after Pleasant got an “unpleasant” break and returned two fumbles for touchdowns, one on the last play of the game.

In that heart-breaker, Fortner fired five key passes to future LSHF teammate Larry Harris. The aerials were instrumental in keeping both of CHS’s scoring drives alive. The drives were capped by short, slashing TD runs by Otis Jenkins.

Larry excelled in every aspect of the game of basketball, too. With dogged determination, the ability to play hurt, plus overwhelming desire, Fortner was instrumental in Clearview’s amazing cage records of 22-2 in 1972-73, 24-2 in 1973-74 and 19-4 in 1974-75 (65-8 over three seasons).

Coach Bob Walsh’s cagers — led by 1973 Ohio Player of the Year Larry Harris, a senior, and by Ohio future Player of the Year-to-be Fortner (1975), a junior — rolled past Franklin Monroe, 74-69, for all the marbles in the 1974 “A” state hardwood finale in front of 13,900 fans at Ohio State’s St. John Arena in Columbus.

Fortner, warming up for his senior season, contributed mightily to the state championship crown with his 14 points and nine clutch rebounds. He would have totalled more, but fouled out with 2 1/2 minutes to play.

A year later, Fortner averaged 23 points and a bushel of rebounds in guiding the Clippers to another “A” regional cage berth at Canton. Fortner’s No. 43 basketball jersey and No. 10 football jersey were retired at Clearview after he was named the school’s second straight Ohio cager of the year in March, 1975.

Fortner, a 6-4 205-pounder, broke or tied the state track Class A meet high jump record at Columbus three successive years: sailing six-feet, five inches in 1972, 6-6 1/2 in 1973 and 6-7 in 1974. He then won the same sky-bar event at 6-5 in 1975, his senior campaign. His career high was 6-9.

With Fortner’s help, Coach Ross’ Clearview spikers finished second in Ohio in 1972; they were state champions in 1973; and they finished among the top seven team positions the other two years Fortner went airborne there.

The holder of virtually all Clearview football passing records, Fortner chose Miami University of Ohio over Ohio State, Michigan and Pittsburgh in the scholarship-bidding wars. It was a good choice because Larry went on to lead the Redskins to a 10-1 record and the Mid-American Conference football championship as a junior quarterback in 1977.

During that title-winning season under Coach Denny Crum, Fortner set Miami season records by passing for 1,473 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also rushed for 349 yards for a record 1,822-yard composite in total offense. He was named Miami’s Most Valuable Player and also received the team’s Scalper Award for offensive efficiency in 1977.

During Fortner’s three-year helm as the starting field marshall at Oxford, O., the Redskins finished 3-8, 10-1 and 8-2. He served as the Redskins’ co-captain with Pat McDermott in 1978. Miami was named the nation’s most improved NCAA Division I football team in 1977.

Fortner was drafted in the 12th round by the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League in 1979, but was put on waivers after having to play behind all-pro quarterback Bob Griese, super sub Don Strock and Guy Benjamin during pre-season drills.

In 1980, the Atlanta Falcons had some injury problems and signed Fortner as a back-up quarterback behind Steve Bartkowski of California University and Mike Moroski of Cal-Davis. He stayed the entire 1980 season with the Falcons, but, being a self-proclaimed realist, Fortner realized his future was in Lorain County and soon after he retired from the NFL.

Fortner is now a respected Lorain County Sheriff’s Department deputy sheriff under Sheriff Martin Mahony.