Six-man football arrived in Ohio in 1938 and Windham took to the sport like very few other teams in the nation.

In 1939, in only its second season, Windham was undefeated and was declared Ohio’s state champion by the creator of the sport, Stephen Epler, who ranked teams for “American Boy” magazine.

Windham’s Superintendent and coach, Deane Eberwine, boldly arranged to test his team, returning all its starters, against the Canadian champions, Stamford Collegiate Academy, in Niagara Falls, Canada.

On Oct. 5, 1940, the Bombers — newly christened with that nickname by Ravenna Record-Courier sportswriter Oliver Wolcott, traveled in a car caravan to Oakes Stadium in Niagara Falls.

At the end of a wet and windy game, Windham had defeated the best team in Canada, 39-1.

In the next day’s newspaper, the Record-Courier headlined the game report: Windham lays claim to World 6-man grid title.

Returning home and going undefeated the rest of the season, Epler declared Windham the “international champions” of 1940. The team was presented with a beautiful wooden and bronze plaque to immortalize “the fine sportsmanship of the young men of Canada and the United States” during that October game.