HOBART | The Hobart marching band marched into the banquet hall at The Ambassador on Friday night playing the Brickies' fight song -- "Our Boys Will Shine."

A packed audience stood regardless of age or circumstance. Some had canes. Others long hair in ponytails. There were crew cuts in blue suits.

At least six decades of the Hobart football family.

They all stood and cheered as a group of teenagers played the time-honored tune. Rudy Kuechenberg, one of the inductees, stood pumping his fist. It was a great start to a historic night, the fans concluded.

The inaugural Hobart Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony, now called the Brickie Ball, had more than 300 people there to watch Bob Kuechenberg, John Johnson, Rudy Kuechenberg, the late Stew Mattix, the late Don Howell, the late Russ Deal, Jerry Hicks and Tom Kerr go into the Class of 2008.

"This is the Mt. Rushmore of Hobart football," said current Hobart coach Wally McCormack, whose idea it was to honor a football program with 11 state championship game appearances, four titles and countless Division I programs and NFL players among its alums.

Bob Kuechenberg has been a finalist for the NFL Hall of Fame for eight consecutive years. He played in five Super Bowls, winning twice. He won a national championship at Notre Dame. But his roots were always purple and gold.

"Coach Deal and coach Howell, that tandem, meant more to me than (Notre Dame) coach Ara Parseghian and (Dolphins coach) Don Shula. That's what this means to me."

Most former players talked about Deal and Howell and the Hobart brand of discipline during the lengthy ceremony.

"Me and Mark Greenberg were talking about a practice at the Dust Bowl," said Ted Karras Jr., who played at Hobart in the 1980s before playing football for Northwestern and the Washington Redskins. "Coach Kerr was talking and I looked over at Greenberg. I got blindsided on my helmet. I never looked away from the coach again.

"We're talking about the hits and the practices. Tough discipline -- that was Hobart football."

Mark Leto, the Brickies' trainer for 16 years, was a practice player with Hobart before graduating in 1984. The hugs and conversations meant as much to him as the pro and college players.

"It's amazing to see so many different classes talking and remembering," Leto said. "This is really special. Hobart Brickie football is nothing but a family -- a great family."