Clifford "Spiv" Rightnowar attended Taylorville Township High School from. the fall of 1934 to the spring, of 1938. During that time he played on the Tornado football team, basketball team and during his senior year the track team. He is considered by many. to he best all-around athlete of his era.
In his playing, days, Rightnowar was a 160 pound halfback and played on Taylorville Teams that won 22 games lost 6 and tied 2. As reported in the 1938 school year book, " 'Spiv' ran from the eighteen yard line the entire length of the field for the touchdown, and then made the extra point with a kick," to help beat Gillespie 20-0. In the last game of his high school career, Rightnowar led the Tornadoes to a 7-6 victory over Pana as the "margin of victory came. when 'SO/ jumped over the line for the extra point". Statistics wet,' not reported in the news or the yearbook. but in each and every game it was apparent that Rightnowar was a talent to be stopped.
During the 1937-33 basketball season, Rightnowar shared captain honors with Howard Parrish. Playing in the first game ever in the current high school gymnasium on 'January 7 . 1938, Rightnowar please over a thousand hometown fans and led the scoring as Taylorville upended arch rival Pana 23-11. Two days later at Staunton, Rightnowar scored a personal and team season high 18 points in leading the Tornadoes to a 42 - 18 victory. During his junior and senior years, the Tornadoes won 46 and lost .14 and advanced to the Sectional Tournament both years losing in the 1933 finals to Paris 4 -27,
Following basketball. Rightnowar ran on the very successful relay teams that helped support an excellent Tornado track team. He also participated on the newly formed boys baseball team.