Back in 1996-97, Madison Heights High School was forced to surrender their school to Anderson High School in a cost cutting measure. Madison Heights High School then was forced to change mascots and the Pirates were forced out which upset many people in the community that had supported them for so many years. The Madison County Chiefs, a former semi-pro team, were in the process of wrapping up a story book career in 2003. When a few new leaders decided to keep the rich tradition of semi-pro football alive in Madison County and new name for the team was taken into consideration, the obvious choice was “The Pirates.”

The Pirates continued playing in Anderson until 2006 when alas the numbers dwindled and the team no longer could continue. It was then in 2008 when members of two defunct teams came together along with a few remaining Pirates, resurrected the ship, and brought the pirates back from the depths of the deep sea. With the new members, came a new port to call home , the “Pirate’s Cove” found near the falls of the creek of Pendleton. Their mission is to return their name and honor their fellow Pirates with the respect and fear opponents had of the Madison County Chiefs and to once again claim stake as champions of the seas.

So now, the Pirates name lives on and it is our wish to provide alumni of Madison Heights High School and a community have a reason to hold their heads up high, and still be proud to be, or a proud to become  ...

A Pirate

The team had a great first year back. In the Midwest Football League, the team went 7-5 with 3 of those loses by 2 pts or less. The spent the first half of the season coached under Coach Hooten, when after the third loss in a roll, tenisons spilled over on the deck and Coach refused to coach the team in week 7. A memborable cpme from behind win over the Wildcats and the team concluded the rest of the season with player coaches. They also made it to the semi-finals with a 4th quarter 21 point comeback over the Blitz, only to loose to so to be league chapions Adam County Patriots.

The team in new jerseys (red and black), picked up a old friend in Coach Dane Hill. He lead the team to a 6-6 record in the Midwest Football League. The league had greatly improved, espically in the Southern Division, the same that the Pirates participated in, and lost twice to both team that were in the championship that year, the Ohio River Bearcats, and the West Central Wildcats. The highlight of the year came on the road when the Pirates beat the Patriots at their house for the first time in 4 years. The Pirates exited quickly in the first round of the playoffs against a suprisly good team in the Ohio Force.