Ironton High School

Ironton High School (IHS) is a public high school in Ironton, Ohio, United States. It is the only public high school in the Ironton City School District.

Ironton High School
Location
1701 South 7th Street Ironton , Ohio 45638 United States
Coordinates	38°31′28″N 82°40′11″W
Information
Type	Public high school
School district	Ironton City Schools
Superintendent	Sommer McCorkle
Principal	Jeff Hairston [1]
Staff	21.00 (FTE)[2]
Grades	9-12
Enrollment	418 (2023–2024)[2]
Student to teacher ratio	19.90[2]
Color(s)	Orange and black[1]
Fight song	Men of Ironton
Athletics conference	Ohio Valley Conference
Sports	Tennis, Football, Basketball, Softball, Baseball, Bowling, Golf, Cross Country, Track and Field, Volleyball, Wrestling, Cheerleading, Swimming
Nickname	Fighting Tigers[1]
Rivals	Portsmouth Trojans, Ashland Tomcats, Wheelersburg Pirates
Athletic Director	Trevon Pendleton
Website	www.tigertown.com

Athletics

The Ironton Fighting Tigers are a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (excluding football). Currently, the other members of the conference include Chesapeake High School (Panthers), Coal Grove High School (Hornets), Fairland High School (Dragons), South Point High School (Pointers), Rock Hill High School (Redmen), Portsmouth High School (Trojans), Gallia Academy High School (Blue Devils).

Ohio High School Athletic Association State Championships

Further information: Ohio High School Athletic Association

• Boys Football – 1979, 1989, 2024^[3]
• Boys Baseball – 1972^[4]
• Boys Golf – 1995, 1996, 1997^[5]

See also Ohio High School Athletic Conferences

Football

The Ironton Football team was coached by Bob Lutz prior to 2012. Lutz set an Ohio high school football record with 381 career wins and guided the team to State Championship victories in 1979 and 1989. During Trevon Pendleton's first five seasons as head coach, the team reached the State Championship game in 2019, 2020, and 2022, but ultimately fell short. In 2024, the Fighting Tigers brought home a State Championship trophy for the third time in the program's history.^[6] The Ironton Football team has appeared in the State Championship game 12 times: 1973, 1979*, 1982, 1988, 1989*, 1992, 1993, 1999, 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2024*.^[3]

Baseball

Mike Burcham was Bob Lutz's longtime assistant, and coached Ironton to its State Baseball Championship victory in 1972.

Basketball

The Boys' basketball team has been to the Final Four 3 times. They played in the State Championship game in 2005, but were defeated by North College Hill.

The Girls' basketball team has been to the Final Four 4 times. They finished the 2015–16 regular season with a perfect 22–0 record.

Notable alumni

• Coy Bacon, former NFL player
• Richard Brown, attorney
• George McAfee, former NFL player, member of Pro Football Hall of Fame.
• Clint McElroy, radio personality and podcaster^[7]