Great article from Alex Harrison on the best to ever do it at Elder.
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Elder head coach Joe Schoenfeld's 34th season leading the Panthers got an early boost with a historic win.
With a 46-37 victory in front of a home crowd against Turpin, Schoenfeld picked up his 500th victory, putting the already legendary coach into the Ohio High School Athletic Association record books.
Schoenfeld, a 1977 graduate of Elder before playing and graduating from Xavier University, took over the program from Paul Frey, who won 383 games at Elder and back-to-back state championships in 1973 and 1974.
"I've been lucky to be at Elder for an awfully long time and I'm very appreciative of all the players that have actually won the games for Elder while I've been here," Schoenfeld said. "It's just kind of a special feeling to have been here this long and to have learned from the best, from Coach Frey who coached me when I played here and just having coached a bunch of good players and great kids over the years."
Frey and Schoenfeld have been the last two head coaches for Elder's basketball program in a stretch that started in the 1969-70 season and has spanned 883 wins and three state titles.
"The only reason you would have two coaches in all those years is Elder is just a great place to coach," Schoenfeld said. "I think the fact that two coaches stayed here this long and have been successful says a lot, mostly about the kids we were able to coach."
Schoenfeld has led Elder to a state championship in 1993 and a state runner-up finish in 2001 among his 500 victories for his West Side alma mater.
"He does it the right way all the time, year in and year out," Elder athletic director Kevin Espelage said.
Celebration of Schoenfeld's victory was short, as Elder acknowledged the milestone win and presented him with a game ball. Just as Schoenfeld gave credit to his players over the years for the success, those who know Schoenfeld the best spoke to his character before any of his 500 wins.
Elder head coach Joe Schoenfeld after leading the Panthers to a district championship in 2023.
"When he leaves the court and the fieldhouse tonight, he goes home and he's a parent and a father and a husband and then he's a tremendous teacher all day long in our classrooms," Espelage said. "He's what you want in high school athletics and you're not going to see that too much longer with what's out there nowadays."
Schoenfeld was a freshman when he watched from the stands at St. John Arena in Columbus as Frey led the Panthers to a 60-36 victory over Mount Vernon in 1974 for Elder's second-straight Ohio state championship.
Eighteen seasons later, Schoenfeld took over the program from Frey. Before he could get a trophy of his own. Before that could happen, he had to pick up career win No. 1.
In Schoenfeld's debut as Elder head coach, the Panthers fell 82-76 to Holmes. In the next game against Chaminade, he knocked out his first win and conference win with a 66-59 victory.
The Panthers finished that year with a 13-8 record and a first-round tournament loss, but with a 9-1 record in the Greater Catholic League to win the conference.
In his second season leading the Panthers, Schoenfeld was back at that same St. John Arena where he saw Frey and Elder win as a freshman.
This time he was patrolling the sideline as Elder defeated Stow 87-81 in the state semifinals before career win No. 37 to defeat Toledo St. John's 62-53 for the Ohio state title.
In the title game, Elder, complete with transfer senior and current Louisville head coach Pat Kelsey, survived a 9-for-22 day at the charity stripe as Mike Schwallie led the team with 20 points. John Miller, who had 30 points in the semifinal with Stow, had nine.
Elder finished the season with a 24-4 record, the first of Schoenfeld's nine seasons of at least 20 wins and still the most wins he's had in a single season.
The OHSAA basketball record book recognizes coaches who have won at least 500 games in their careers. With the victory over Turpin, Schoenfeld put himself on that list.
"It's an honor," Schoenfeld said of reaching the 500-win mark. "There's so many awesome coaches that have coached in high school basketball in Ohio. To be a part of that group, it means a lot to be honest with you."
Elder dropped its season opener on the road at Dayton Northridge 49-29 to set up the home opener with Turpin. Elder led 11-5 after a quarter but was held scoreless for most of the second and trailed the Spartans 21-15 at halftime.
In the second half, Elder outscored Turpin 31-16 to take over the game. Junior Alex Dugan had team-highs with 17 points and six rebounds. Senior Cam Williams had 15 points, five rebounds, four steals and three assists.
After shooting 29.3% from the field in the season opener with a 1-for-18 night on three-pointers, Elder shot 43.2% against Turpin going 5-for-19 beyond the arc.
The hunt for victory No. 501 will be against Western Hills at Elder on Dec. 6.
