Man’s stolen championship ring returned after 26 years
ARDMORE — Against all odds, an Ardmore man whose state championship ring was stolen 25 years ago was recently reunited with it.
James Fagan, now an employee at Mercy Hospital, was out of town visiting family in Ohio when his house was broken into in 1992. The only things taken were his TV, some clothes, his late brother’s class ring, and his 1982 4A state championship football ring from his time on the Ardmore High School football team.
“Over the years, I never thought I’d ever see my ring again,” Fagan said. “I’d hear the other guys talk about their rings, their belt buckles and stuff like that. You get reminded.”
To this day, he doesn’t know who committed the burglary. But last month, a strange number texted him. It belonged to a woman living in Ringling, who had found his ring while looking through an abandoned house.
“She snapped a picture of it and I’m like ‘whoa!’,” Fagan said. “So we met up in Lone Grove, and I have my ring. Just like that.”
Fagan said he’s not much for jewelry, but after so long, he finds it hard to part with the ring he’d considered long gone.
“When I’m out working, I’m worried I could lose it or something,” Fagan said. “But there’s a lot of sentimental value for me. Also, it’s nice for my son to be able to see it.”
Ardmore won the state championship game against Bixby that year. Fagan played defensive back and receiver.
The year was a notable one for a few reasons. It was the first time Ardmore High School had won the state championship through the playoff system. Ardmore only lost one game that season, against Eisenhower Senior High School in Lawton, known affectionately as Lawton Ike.
“We played them on their field and they had turf, which was new for us,” Fagan said. “Even so, we did well. We had eight shutouts, which was impressive too. We just had an awesome team that year.”