ASHLAND — The Ashland County Sports Hall of Fame has chosen its Class of 2024, and it includes 11 individuals, a trustee achievement couple, and a storied football team.
There are individual biographies of each of these high-achievers below. But the inductee that resonated with me was the 1990 Loudonville football team.
Those Redbirds, coached by the legendary Mike Warbel, took me on a ride that still seems fresh 33 years later.
It was my first fall in north central Ohio. The previous autumn I covered the Fostoria Redmen who played in the Division II state championship game at Ohio Stadium, so following a squad that could reach the pinnacle wasn’t new to me.
But what Loudonville was doing that year was unprecedented here. To this day the Redbirds remain the lone Ashland County high school football team to play for a state crown.
You can watch the first half of the state championship on YouTube at this link. You can watch the second half of the state championship game on YouTube at this link.
Warbel’s wrecking crew laid waste to the local schedule, then set its sites on bigger game. Before the season, the Redbirds set a state championship as their goal, which seems goofy for 99 percent of Ohio high school football teams.
But Loudonville was simply a different animal.
The Redbirds were led by three All-Ohioans, running back Dan Weber, quarterback Jason Beans, and receiver Pete Brothers.
The ‘Birds were unchallenged in the regular season rolling through a perfect, 10-0 campaign.
The playoffs included a 47-8 pounding of Smithville and a 25-7 beating of Elyria Catholic.
That set up an epic state semifinal with Campbell Memorial. Most figured this was the de facto state championship game, and it was played like that. Tight, tough, and to the end on a chilly, windy night at Baldwin-Wallace.
The Redbirds prevailed on a fake extra point that turned into a two-point conversion pass from Beans to Rich Burkepile for the difference in an 8-7 victory at Baldwin-Wallace.
That set up a state championship game at Massillon’s famed field with Versailles. It started like nearly every other outing for the Redbirds — with a 14-0 first-quarter lead.
But a disastrous second period included a pick-six, a partially-blocked punt, and a bomb that nearly went the distance. It was really the lone bad quarter for a team that played 56 of them in a memorable season.
But it was enough.
By the time it was over, Loudonville trailed 21-14 at the half — and finally fell 29-26 to finish as Division IV, state runner-up.
There have been some great players and teams in Ashland County’s long sports history. But this is the best football team many of us have seen within the county’s borders.
The Redbirds will be inducted on Oct. 12, 2024 at Ashland University Convocation Center. They will take their place in a hall of fame display at the Ashland County Historical Society in the Noonan House in Ashland.
Here’s the entire 2024 class:
Robert Castor
Robert Castor was a 2000 AHS grad that excelled on the high school golf team with a special team state championship in 1998 and runner up in 1997.
He went on to excel in golf and in the classroom at Duke University.
He was a four-year letter winner and co-captain at Duke where he won many golfing awards.
Marcus Gordon
Marcus Gordon was a 2002 Mapleton grad who excelled in football, baseball and especially in wrestling.
He qualified for state wrestling championships for four years with first place in the state his junior and senior years and was Division III Most Outstanding Wrestler in State of Ohio.
Gordon still owns the takedown record at MHS with 886. He went on to wrestle at Eastern Michigan and then to Ashland University where he was a two-time Academic All-American.
Gordon was an assistant wrestling coach at AU for five years and has been the head assistant wrestling coach at Bloomsburg for the last seven years.
Taylor Housewright
Taylor Housewright was a 2008 AHS grad where he excelled in football and basketball. He was a three-year starter at QB for the Arrows and won 1st Team All-Ohio his junior and senior years.
He was also the Division II AP Player of the year his senior year. He went on and excelled in football at Ashland University at QB as the starter for three years and helped take them to the Division II NCAA playoffs in 2012.
He set many records in passing at AU. He then pursued the football coaching profession and has coached at various colleges and currently an assistant at Oregon University.
Justin Kerr
Justin Kerr was a 1994 Mapleton grad that excelled in wrestling at MHS and also a John Carroll University. He was a state champion in the 152 weight class and placed sixth in the High School National Championship in 1994.
He went on to John Carroll and was a three-time Ohio Athletic Conference Wrestling Champion in 1997, 1998, and 1999.
He was also a three-time All-American and placed as high as third-place in the NCAA National Championship.
Kerr set many records at John Carroll and was inducted in to their Sports Hall of Fame in 2010. He also started Ohio Quest Wrestling in 2006 that has open wrestling tournaments in Ohio and Pennsylvania as fund-raising events.
Shaina Corbin Kidd
Shaina Corbin Kidd is a 2011 Ashland High School grad. Shaina participated in track, cross country and soccer in high school.
She received All-Ohio honors in track in 2010 and 2011. Was the conference MVP in 2010 + 2011. She then attended Arizona State University where she ran track and cross country.
She won the PAC 12 outdoor track and field championships in 5000M and 3000M steeple chase where she placed 10th. She placed in many of the long distance events at Arizona in both trach (inside and outside) and cross country. She received All-Academic Honorable Mention in 2014.
Tom Marquette
Tom Marquette is a 1978 Ashland High grad that was a well-rounded athlete that competed in basketball, track & field, golf and fast pitch softball later in his career.
Tom was the leading scorer on the 1978 AHS basketball team and was the Male Athlete of the Year at AHS.
He broke the school record in the long jump and also placed 5th in the state meet. Tom went on to play basketball at Ashland University and also track and field where he lettered all four years in both sports.
He then went on to play fast pitch softball in the Ashland area and played with many good teams. He also coached basketball and golf at Northwestern High School for a few years as well as coaching golf for the AHS girls team.
Matthew Paullin
Matthew Paullin is a 2000 Ashland High School grad. He was the first AHS athlete to qualify for state competition in each of his four years in cross country.
Paullin was the AHS Athlete of the Year and Archie Griffin Award in 2000. Matt then enrolled at Youngstown State University from 2000-05 and ran track and cross country for them. Co-freshman of the year in cross country.
Since then he has participated in 34 marathons across the country, such as the Boston Marathon where he has run in the top 1% seven times. He’s also ran in others in Columbus, London, Virginia Marathons and has a personal best time of 2:35.
He not only competes in marathons, he has won many awards and succeeded both nationally and internationally.
Daniel Priest
Daniel Priest is a PGA professional for 43 years in the Ashland area. He was the golf pro at the Ashland Country Club for over 30 years.
He has been the AHS boys golf coach since 2019 and led them to a berth in the State Championship golf tournament each year.
Previously, he was the AHS assistant girls golf coach that finished fourth at state during the 2018 season.
He was a five-time Northern Ohio Professional Golf Association Winner.
Dana Stake Riffel
Dana Stake Riffel was a 1986 Loudonville High School graduate. Dana was an all-around athlete that participated in volleyball, basketball, and softball in high school.
She was a four year letter winner in each of these sports. All of her volleyball teams were exceptional winners with sectional, district and regional championships. She averaged 17 points per game her junior year in basketball and that is before 3 pointers.
She was the TG player of the year in 1985-86, scored 41 points in a game which is still a school record and averaged 22 points/game her senior year.
She led her softball teams to many wins at LHS and led the team in many areas. Riffel went on to Dayton University where she excelled in softball as well.
John Saccomen
John Saccomen played football at Hubbard HS and also Miami of Ohio. He taught and coached football at AHS 1976-1982 and 2005-2012.
He also was an assistant wrestling coach at AHS from 1984-1987 and then head coach 1988-1990. He also coached football at Ashland University from 1983-2004 and then again from 2013 – present.
He is the longest tenured football assistant at Ashland University. He has coached football for 50 years.
He is a great teacher on and off the field. He has worked and developed many All-Americans at AU over the years.
Christopher Yoder
Christopher Yoder is a 1999 AHS grad. During his time at AHS on the golf team, he had low stroke average 1995-1998 and currently holds the low stroke average at AHS at 35.8.
He was a medalist at many invitational tournaments, first-team All-State 1997 and 98. 1998 Division I State Champs.
Went on and played golf at Wake Forest University. After graduation from Wake Forest he was an assistant men’s golf coach from 2004-2009. He then became associate head golf coach at Ohio State from 2009-2010.
He then became a PGA Golf Professional in 2011 and works at Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Oh. as a teaching pro. Chris does a lot for US Kids Golf and for junior golf at Scioto.
TRUSTEE Achievement Award
Robert & Janet Archer: They have contributed so much to the Ashland community for the betterment of the Ashland City Schools, Ashland University, Ashland YMCA and others.
They have helped improve the athletic and music/theater facilities and programs over the years at Ashland High School, and Ashland University as well as many other projects to better the community of Ashland County.