Staff photo / R. Michael Semple. Former Niles coach Bill Bohren (left) makes a point with 2000 Red Dragons player Brian Biddlestone on Friday night at Bo Rein Stadium.

NILES — In the 128-year history of Niles McKinley football, the program has experienced a 48-game unbeaten streak, a handful of undefeated seasons and a pair of state championships.

But just once has Niles won more than 10 games in a single season.

Last Friday, that team — the 2000 edition of the Red Dragons — was honored at Bo Rein Stadium during Niles’ game against rival Howland.

The 25th reunion brought together roughly 25 former players and coaches who were part of the team that went 11-2 and made Niles’ deepest playoff run in program history.

“That team was as good as any Division II team in the state,” said Bill Bohren, who coached the Red Dragons from 1996-2002. “We had a tremendous ball control offense. Our line was one of the best in the state. We had a great kicking game and our defense was outstanding.

“That team was built in all phases. On top of that, I had a staff of assistants that was second to none.”

Bohren, now 91, spent Friday night roaming the sidelines until the final play of the game.

Niles opened its 2000 season with nine straight wins, including back-to-back comfortable wins over Cleveland Benedictine and Liberty to start the season. There were some close calls along the way. The Dragons edged out Austintown Fitch 7-3 in week three. Two weeks later, Niles hosted defending DIII state champion Poland in front of a near-sellout crowd. Trailing 6-0 midway through the fourth quarter, Niles quarterback Brad Yeager connected with Matt Cross on a fourth down play to tie the game. Billy Sullivan’s extra point proved to be the difference in a Dragons 7-6 win.

There was also a week six tilt at Howland in which Niles was forced to play without its leader on the sidelines. Prior to kickoff, an illness put Bohren in the hospital. Defensive coordinator Larry Kempe took charge, and guided Niles to a 14-7 victory — but not without a bit of drama.

With the game tied at 7-7, a blown transformer at Lombardo Field forced the game to be halted with 7:41 left in the third quarter. The two teams had to return the following morning to complete the contest. Running back Matt Estes provided the winning score in the fourth quarter.

Sporting a 9-0 record, Niles traveled to Steubenville to conclude the regular season. Big Red defeated the Dragons 14-2.

“That was a great year, I remember the hype surrounding our team since our freshmen year,” said Sam Gatta. “We knew there were high expectations from day one. The excitement throughout the town was unbelievable. But we were never bothered by any of it. We enjoyed it. We just trusted in each other and in our coaches.”

Yeager referred to the group of players and coaches as “a fraternity,” and noted that of the 20 seniors on the team, all but four were on hand for the reunion.

“We were an extremely close-knit group back then, and we are still that way today,” Yeager said. “We all stay in touch. We’re all still like brothers.

“When we brought (the students from) St. Stephen’s, Mount Carmel and Edison together in ninth grade, we knew immediately that we had something special and we were on a four-year mission.”

Yeager would go on to serve as the Niles coach from 2008-2011. He is now a principal at Campbell Memorial High School.

Estes rushed for roughly 4,000 yards and 50 touchdowns during his career at Niles. He joked that he’s “still feeling the elbow, knee and shoulder pain” from the heavy workload. It was not uncommon for Estes to carry the ball 30-40 times per game during his senior season.

“I remember having back-to-back 40-plus carries against Struthers and Howland,” Estes said. “And, Coach Bohren had me play defense and cover kickoffs. But I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything in the world.

“We were all kids that grew up together in Niles, we came from Niles families that stayed here. That’s what made the whole thing so special. We had a special bond even before we came together in high school to form that team.”

Following the loss to Steubenville, Niles finished fifth in Region 5 and drew Youngstown Chaney as a first-round opponent. Earlier in the week the Cowboys were crowned the Division II AP state champions.

The game, played at Youngstown State’s Stambaugh Stadium, drew an estimated crowd of 18,000 fans.

“The buildup to that game was unlike anything else I ever experienced,” said Tony Limongi, a lineman who would go on to play at Youngstown State. “I always say that the biggest memory I have of playing at Stambaugh Stadium was the game against Chaney. It was unlike anything I experienced after that, because you had the complete attention of the two communities, and the entire Mahoning Valley for that matter.

“That was a wild season from the very start. Then to get to experience that moment with my teammates who were lifelong friends, it was unforgettable.”

Yeager described the game as “more than just a game, it was a special event for Niles and Youngstown.”

Current Niles mayor Steve Mientkiewicz was a junior on the 2000 team. Like the majority of former players who were on hand Friday, Mientkiewicz said that the first-round playoff game was easily his most memorable moment of the season.

“The quarterbacks would always go out in pregame with Coach Bohren, so we go out and it was like any regular Friday night,” Mientkiewicz said. “Then we see the crowd get a little bigger and then even bigger yet before we go into the locker room.

“Now we’re in the tunnel and we look out and see all those people. Me and Brad (Yeager) just looked at each other and our eyes lit up. It’s unbelievable to be a teenager and to see an entire community converge to give you support”

Niles would go on to defeat Chaney 21-20 in overtime. Estes ran for a pair of touchdowns, Yeager threw for a TD and Sullivan provided what proved to be the game-winning PAT. A week later the Red Dragons traveled to Bedford to take on Avon Lake, and again prevailed with a 21-20 overtime victory.

In the regional final, Niles returned to Bedford to play Olmsted Falls. The trip to Bedford included a stoppage because of weather conditions. The game was played in blizzard-like weather.

Olmsted Falls defeated Niles 41-13 and went on to win the DII state title.

Bohren said that of the more than 400 games he has coached over the years, the regional final would be the one he would most wish for a rematch.

“Olmsted Falls beat us good, no doubt about that,” Bohren said. “But I always believed that if we played that game on a different night on a good field we would have won a state title. Our team was that good. We didn’t achieve our mission, but that was a great season.”

Both Mientkiewicz and Yeager suggest that perhaps the Dragons did indeed fulfill the ultimate mission.

“I came away with great memories and with a lifetime bond among the players and coaches,” Mientkiewicz said. “What we accomplished on the football field was just a small part of the overall experience.”

Yeager echoed the comments made by Mientkiewicz, noting that the team’s ultimate victory was evident Friday night.

“We learned life lessons that made us who we are today,” Yeager said. “As a grown man you look back at how you were built, and for us it was our parents at home and it was Bill Bohren.

“Coach Bohren built a legacy at Niles. He molded us into a great team but more importantly his true legacy will be how he impacted our lives outside of football. He worked at making us upstanding young men, and that’s the greatest victory to come out of the 2000 season.”