Submitted photo Ken Boring works the chains during Mineral Ridge’s recent matchup against Waterloo. He’s been doing it for 59 years.

It was September of 1964 and Ken Boring was attending a Mineral Ridge football booster club meeting.

Boring was born in Johnstown, Pa., but in 1954 work relocated him to Mineral Ridge and he quickly became a loyal member of the community and an avid follower of the Rams.

At this particular meeting, a fellow booster club member told Boring that the chain crew, which worked the first down and line of scrimmage markers at Mineral Ridge home games, needed a helping hand. Boring, with his knowledge of the game and his passion for the Rams, seemed like an ideal candidate for the job.

“Why not, I figured I would have the best seat in the house for the game and it sounded like a fun way to help out the program,” Boring said. “I thought I would go down there and see what it was like to watch the game from the sidelines, right at the line of scrimmage.”

Needless to say, Boring enjoyed the experience. And, he obviously was the right man for the job.

After all, nearly six decades later, Boring continues to be a fixture — and a legend — on the Mineral Ridge sidelines.

Boring, who will turn 89 years old on Oct. 2, is now in his 59th year of working with the Rams’ chain gang crew.

“I never envisioned I’d be at it for this long, but then again I never expected to be alive this long,” Boring said with a laugh. “I love being down there. I love the game, I love being close to the action and hearing the hits and seeing the game that close up and from that perspective.

“As long as I am able, I’m going to keep at it until they tell me I can’t do it any longer because it’s just something I love to do.”

During his 59-year stint, Boring has seen many changes, both with the Mineral Ridge program and with the game of football. The Rams have gone through 13 coaching changes since Boring’s first year on the sidelines. He witnessed the arrival of the postseason tournament, and he saw the arrival of the “mercy rule.”

“We’ve had some really great coaches, some really great men here,” Boring said. “Most of the older fans will quickly name Joe Rich when they talk about the all-time great coaches. He coached baseball, football and track, and he was the athletic director. He did it all.

“Some of the changes are good for the game. I like the running clock when teams are leading by thirty points. These are still kids playing a game. And they are doing good things to try and make the game safer.”

Boring also has witnessed the evolution of the spread offense at the high school level.

“Back in the day it was pretty simple, you got yourself a big fullback and you gave him the ball,” Boring said. “Coaches used to say that if you put the ball up in the air, it’s anybody’s ball. Today, offenses can be pretty complicated. Our current coach (Brian Shaner) likes to throw and we’re good at it. If you have the quarterback and the wide receivers, why not mix it up.”

Boring says he has missed “an extremely few” number of games over the past six decades, and he has worked in “every type of weather imaginable except lightning.” He is grateful for the invention of synthetic turf, which he says makes his job “safer and less messy.”

One thing that hasn’t changed over the years is the equipment used to measure first downs and mark the down and distance.

“We’re using the same chains, the same posts, it’s still a simple operation that works,” Boring said. “We still have to be ready to run down the sidelines. We have to be alert or we’ll get run over. I’ve been hit once or twice, but you learn early on how and when to get out of the way.

“It’s just an interesting experience to be down there. You hear the hits. You hear the referees and coaches and players and get a different perspective than you would if you are sitting in the stands.”

Boring noted that there have been many changes to his crew over the past six decades, the most notable being the fact that his son Tom is now never more than 10 yards away from him on a football Friday night.

Tom has been a part of the chain gang for roughly the past 25 years.

“I sort of volunteered him into it quite a while ago,” Boring said. “It’s a great experience for both of us. It’s nice that I know he has my back and watches out for me. It’s just a great way for us to spend Friday nights.”

Boring says he has seen his share of great players come through the Rams program. He noted that it used to be customary for the booster club to follow the careers of alumni who went on to play at the collegiate level.

“We would take buses to schools like Michigan, Pitt, Bowling Green and a lot of smaller colleges to watch our boys play, it was always a lot of fun,” Boring said.

Boring’s commitment to Mineral Ridge goes well beyond the sidelines of E.Z. Whittaker Field. He has served in the Mineral Ridge / Weathersfield Township Fire Department for more than 50 years, including a 30-year stint as fire chief. Though technically retired, he still conducts fire inspections.

Boring also served as the school district’s bus mechanic for 12 years. He volunteers his time to his church, and he is regularly spotted watering flowers and maintaining the gazebo located in the heart of Mineral Ridge.

Weathersfield Local School District superintendent Damon Dohar refers to Boring as “perhaps the most invaluable individual to our school and our community.”

“There simply aren’t enough adjectives to describe what a great guy Ken is,” Dohar said. “He would give you the shirt off his back, that’s the kind of guy he is. He would do anything for our schools or for the community in general. He is a true legend in every sense and his story should be told for decades to come.

“I guarantee that you couldn’t find any individual in this community who would have a single negative word to say about Ken. He is as well known as anyone here. And, no one in Weathersfield is more admired than Ken. He never asks you for anything, he just gives and gives.”

Dohar spent time on the sidelines with Boring last Friday when Mineral Ridge hosted Waterloo. Dohar says he is “in awe” of Boring’s continued energy and commitment to his sideline duties.

“At 89 years old, Ken moves around better than most 49-year-olds,” Dohar said. “It’s just amazing to think that he’s been doing this for fifty-nine years, and he does it with the same drive as ever.

“Ken will forever be praised for his service to this community.”

Indeed, Boring shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, since 2021 Boring has taken on the added task of working the Cardinal Mooney home games, which are now held at Mineral Ridge. Before all home games, he can be spotted outside the stadium parking cars.

“I’ve been lucky with good health and I can still move down the field and get the job done,” Boring said. “I always believed that if you commit to something you do whatever you can to be there and follow through with your commitment.”

In Boring’s case, it’s a commitment he’s honored for nearly six decades.

“I still enjoy being out there. I still love the game so as long as I’m able, I don’t see a reason to stop.”