Ties run deep between Hall of Fame, high school football in Ohio
General
Published on : 12/4/2024
State football championships in seven divisions governed by the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) will be decided at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium this week.
The stadium, named for the former owner of the New Orleans Saints, sits adjacent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame where, among its 378 enshrinees are 29 former Ohio high school football players.
The list of former Ohio high school student-athletes with their respective high schools includes:
McAfee’s Ironton High School will be playing for the state title in Division V. LeBeau’s London High School lost in the state semifinals in Division III.
Nine of the schools from which these Hall of Famers matriculated have won state titles since the inception of the OHSAA State Football Tournament in 1972, with DeBartolo’s Cardinal Mooney leading the way with eight championships followed by Noll’s Benedictine with seven.
Canton McKinley (Motley) and Canton Central Catholic (Page) each have won three titles, while Friedman’s Glenville and McAfee’s Ironton each have earned a pair of championships. Glenville, the defending state champion in Ohio’s Division IV, lost in the state semifinals this season.
Staubach’s alma mater, now Purcell-Marion, and Paul Brown’s Massillon Washington each have won a single OHSAA football title on the field.
Brown also coached at Massillon from 1932-1940 and accumulated an 80-8-2 record and six poll championships that determined state titlists prior to 1972.
The high school football stadiums in Alliance (Len Dawson), Toronto (Clarke Hinkle), Mantua Crestwood (Jack Lambert) and Purcell-Marion (Roger Staubach) are named after their Hall of Fame alums.
Cris Carter Field at Barnitz Stadium is in Middletown, and the Cleveland Browns, in partnership with the Berea School District, built a community field named in Lou Groza’s honor.
In 2024, Benedictine began playing their home games at Don Shula Stadium on the campus of John Carroll University.
Joe Carr, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Charter Class in 1963, spent his entire life in Columbus and served as NFL president from 1921-1939.
While this year’s participating players are on the road to Canton to capture a football championship, the future might reveal players on the road to Enshrinement.
Join us for the 2024 OHSAA Football State Championships at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.
The stadium, named for the former owner of the New Orleans Saints, sits adjacent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame where, among its 378 enshrinees are 29 former Ohio high school football players.
The list of former Ohio high school student-athletes with their respective high schools includes:
- CLIFF BATTLES – Kenmore (Akron)
- BOB BROWN – East Tech (Cleveland)
- PAUL BROWN – Massillon
- CRIS CARTER – Middletown
- LARRY CSONKA – Stow
- LEN DAWSON – Alliance
- EDWARD J. DEBARTOLO JR. – Cardinal Mooney (Youngstown)
- DAN DIERDORF – Glenwood (Canton)
- BENNY FRIEDMAN – East Tech, Glenville (Cleveland)
- RANDY GRADISHAR – Champion
- LOU GROZA – Martins Ferry
- WILBUR (PETE) HENRY – Mansfield
- CLARKE HINKLE – Toronto
- JACK LAMBERT – Crestwood (Mantua)
- DANTE LAVELLI – Hudson
- DICK LEBEAU – London
- TOM MACK – Cleveland Heights
- GEORGE McAFEE – Ironton
- AUGUST (MIKE) MICHALSKE – West (Cleveland)
- MARION MOTLEY – McKinley (Canton)
- CHUCK NOLL – Benedictine (Cleveland)
- ORLANDO PACE – Sandusky
- ALAN PAGE – Central Catholic (Canton)
- JIM PARKER – Macon (Ga.), Scott (Toledo)
- DON SHULA – Harvey (Painesville)
- ROGER STAUBACH – Purcell (Cincinnati)
- PAUL WARFIELD – Warren G. Harding (Warren)
- BILL WILLIS – East (Columbus)
- CHARLES WOODSON – Ross (Fremont)
McAfee’s Ironton High School will be playing for the state title in Division V. LeBeau’s London High School lost in the state semifinals in Division III.
Nine of the schools from which these Hall of Famers matriculated have won state titles since the inception of the OHSAA State Football Tournament in 1972, with DeBartolo’s Cardinal Mooney leading the way with eight championships followed by Noll’s Benedictine with seven.
Canton McKinley (Motley) and Canton Central Catholic (Page) each have won three titles, while Friedman’s Glenville and McAfee’s Ironton each have earned a pair of championships. Glenville, the defending state champion in Ohio’s Division IV, lost in the state semifinals this season.
Staubach’s alma mater, now Purcell-Marion, and Paul Brown’s Massillon Washington each have won a single OHSAA football title on the field.
Brown also coached at Massillon from 1932-1940 and accumulated an 80-8-2 record and six poll championships that determined state titlists prior to 1972.
The high school football stadiums in Alliance (Len Dawson), Toronto (Clarke Hinkle), Mantua Crestwood (Jack Lambert) and Purcell-Marion (Roger Staubach) are named after their Hall of Fame alums.
Cris Carter Field at Barnitz Stadium is in Middletown, and the Cleveland Browns, in partnership with the Berea School District, built a community field named in Lou Groza’s honor.
In 2024, Benedictine began playing their home games at Don Shula Stadium on the campus of John Carroll University.
Joe Carr, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Charter Class in 1963, spent his entire life in Columbus and served as NFL president from 1921-1939.
While this year’s participating players are on the road to Canton to capture a football championship, the future might reveal players on the road to Enshrinement.
2024 OHSAA Football State Championships
Join us for the 2024 OHSAA Football State Championships at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.
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