Ohio Heritage Conference 2024

Here is a picture of what I think that would look like (my Mount Rushmore of OHC Football). Enjoy!

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ghsknightsfan said:
Villinger, Kasner, DeWitt, Buescher all come to mind at first.
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I don’t think you could include Villinger if we are talking OHC. And Buescher is getting close, but they’re still too new.

3 easy ones for me; Kasner, DeWitt, Toby Smith. The last spot goes to Forrest, McGill, Buescher or we could even (at this point in time) bring Payton Printz into the conversation. He is fading with the current coaches, but 5 years ago he was probably my 4th.

Smith was something like 110-40 with 7 playoff appearances as WLS coach and responsible for turning around a mediocre program. Not sure we can exclude him
 
wls_color said:
I don’t think you could include Villinger if we are talking OHC. And Buescher is getting close, but they’re still too new.

3 easy ones for me; Kasner, DeWitt, Toby Smith. The last spot goes to Forrest, McGill, Buescher or we could even (at this point in time) bring Payton Printz into the conversation. He is fading with the current coaches, but 5 years ago he was probably my 4th.

Smith was something like 110-40 with 7 playoff appearances as WLS coach and responsible for turning around a mediocre program. Not sure we can exclude him
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if we are only including coaches who actually coached in the OHC, i would say that’s a fair list. i would put Buescher over Forrest strictly due to postseason success, but it’s close. who was the head coach at Southeastern when they went 12-1 in 2001? i recall them having a good run for awhile.
 
ghsknightsfan said:
if we are only including coaches who actually coached in the OHC, i would say that’s a fair list. i would put Buescher over Forrest strictly due to postseason success, but it’s close. who was the head coach at Southeastern when they went 12-1 in 2001? i recall them having a good run for awhile.
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I’m admittedly not educated in Mechanicsburg football history but weren’t they fairly average prior to Forrest? For him to do what he did with a limited talent pool….he had plenty of success without Romero correct? It’s pretty impressive. Better than every Champaign County program but with a much more shallow pool to throw out on to the field.
 
ColumbusCatholic said:
I’m admittedly not educated in Mechanicsburg football history but weren’t they fairly average prior to Forrest? For him to do what he did with a limited talent pool….he had plenty of success without Romero correct? It’s pretty impressive. Better than every Champaign County program but with a much more shallow pool to throw out on to the field.
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Neal Kasner is the one who built the program at Mechanicsburg and Forrest has carried the torch ever since.
 
ColumbusCatholic said:
I’m admittedly not educated in Mechanicsburg football history but weren’t they fairly average prior to Forrest? For him to do what he did with a limited talent pool….he had plenty of success without Romero correct? It’s pretty impressive. Better than every Champaign County program but with a much more shallow pool to throw out on to the field.
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There was a short period between Kasner and Forrest where there was some mediocrity. I believe they had 2 coaches in about a 5 year stretch.
 
ghsknightsfan said:
if we are only including coaches who actually coached in the OHC, i would say that’s a fair list. i would put Buescher over Forrest strictly due to postseason success, but it’s close. who was the head coach at Southeastern when they went 12-1 in 2001? i recall them having a good run for awhile.
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SE just had studs if you ask me. I think the coach was Perry, but not a 100% sure. The infamous fog bowl where ML dismantled the Trojans.
 
wj6.jpg







I've officially made it through. I appreciate you not questioning my sanity over the last week. As a thank you, while I was posting some awesome WJ photos (long story of how that came about haha), I was also creating the world's best "Where's Waldo" using some WLS Tigers. The order of appearance is numbered above each person. Once they appear in one, they appear in all. So the first WJ photo I have includes the only #1, but he is also in all 5. The #2 is in 2-5. The #5 photo is only in the fifth photo.

Happy hunting, and go Tigers!
 
wls_color said:
I don’t think you could include Villinger if we are talking OHC. And Buescher is getting close, but they’re still too new.

3 easy ones for me; Kasner, DeWitt, Toby Smith. The last spot goes to Forrest, McGill, Buescher or we could even (at this point in time) bring Payton Printz into the conversation. He is fading with the current coaches, but 5 years ago he was probably my 4th.

Smith was something like 110-40 with 7 playoff appearances as WLS coach and responsible for turning around a mediocre program. Not sure we can exclude him
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If my memory serves me correctly, Villinger did come back and coach at least one season during the OHC era when it got late in the in the offseason and Cedarville had not yet found a new coach.

I would have to say DeWitt, Kasner and Toby Smith are all excellent choices. Coach Printz also had some pretty awesome teams at Triad back in the day. His double wing sets racked up some serious yards if I remember correctly. Their Jet Sweep game was deadly.
 
ghsknightsfan said:
Neal Kasner is the one who built the program at Mechanicsburg and Forrest has carried the torch ever since.
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Neal Kasner 1999-2005
Mike Owens 2006
Chris Kosierk (spelling?) 2007-2009
Kurt Forrest 2010 - Current

Forrest never had the opportunity to coach any of the kids that were coached by Kasner due to the 4 year gap in between those two. He took over what the other two had done and left behind.
 
ghsknightsfan said:
if we are only including coaches who actually coached in the OHC, i would say that’s a fair list. i would put Buescher over Forrest strictly due to postseason success, but it’s close. who was the head coach at Southeastern when they went 12-1 in 2001? i recall them having a good run for awhile.
Click to expand...
According to the great Joe Eitel

Buescher Playoff Stats - 22 seasons- 15 playoff appearances - 29-15 52% - 3 Final Fours
Forrest Playoff Stats - 14 Seasons - 11 Playoff appearances - 17-11 65% - 2 Final Fours

I don't get to see many games anymore but I do like to help on info I can look up to add to the the conversations. I would've agreed with you Knightsfan before I looked up their records.
 
Great Day said:
According to the great Joe Eitel

Buescher Playoff Stats - 22 seasons- 15 playoff appearances - 29-15 52% - 3 Final Fours
Forrest Playoff Stats - 14 Seasons - 11 Playoff appearances - 17-11 65% - 2 Final Fours

I don't get to see many games anymore but I do like to help on info I can look up to add to the the conversations. I would've agreed with you Knightsfan before I looked up their records.
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I believe since Forrest took over at Mechanicsburg they have played WJ 14 times. Buescher in currently winning the series 9 to 5. One of Forrests final 4 teams was also beat by a WJ final 4 team as well.
 
Great Day said:
Neal Kasner 1999-2005
Mike Owens 2006
Chris Kosierk (spelling?) 2007-2009
Kurt Forrest 2010 - Current

Forrest never had the opportunity to coach any of the kids that were coached by Kasner due to the 4 year gap in between those two. He took over what the other two had done and left behind.
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When Buescher started at WJ he was the 4th coach in 5 years. Took over a 1-9 football program from the year before. Finished his first season going 0-10 and finished the season with 18 or 19 players.
 
BIG OHC said:
I believe since Forrest took over at Mechanicsburg they have played WJ 14 times. Buescher in currently winning the series 9 to 5. One of Forrests final 4 teams was also beat by a WJ final 4 team as well.
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Joe Eitel agrees, 9-5 since 2010. In 2010 Coach Buescher was in year 9 of his program as Forrest was getting his started. Once 2013 hit and both coaches only had kids coached by them it has been pretty even, 6-5 in favor of WJ. Looks like two great programs going back and fourth.

2010 - WJ 35-7
2011 - WJ 31-0
2012 - WJ 40-20
2013 - WJ 21-6 (both teams made final 4)
2014 - WJ 21-14
2015 - Burg 43-8
2016- Burg 49-18
2017- WJ 28-0
2018 - WJ 23-19
2019 - WJ 30-22 (both teams final 4)
2020- Burg 37-29
2021- Burg 30-13 (WJ final 4)
2022 - Burg 26-14
2023 - WJ 33-7
 
wls_color said:
I don’t think you could include Villinger if we are talking OHC. And Buescher is getting close, but they’re still too new.

3 easy ones for me; Kasner, DeWitt, Toby Smith. The last spot goes to Forrest, McGill, Buescher or we could even (at this point in time) bring Payton Printz into the conversation. He is fading with the current coaches, but 5 years ago he was probably my 4th.

Smith was something like 110-40 with 7 playoff appearances as WLS coach and responsible for turning around a mediocre program. Not sure we can exclude him
Click to expand...
Forrest has two Final Fours. Feels like he has to be in the top 4.
 
Okay, here are the coaching stats (only while teams have been in the OHC). Including Ryan Haines of Greeneview after some research because he is right there with Buescher of West Jeff according to the stats.

Which confirms my picks for the Mount Rushmore of OHC coaches: Toby Smith, Kurt Forrest, Neal Kasner, and Steve DeWitt.

Toby Smith (WLS): 107-23 (.823 W%) in 13 seasons. 8 playoff appearances, 4 conference championships.
Kurt Forrest (MB): 101-35 (.743 W%) in 14 seasons. 11 playoff appearances, 5 conference championships.
Neal Kasner (MB & GV): 78-31 (.716 W%) in 11 seasons. 7 playoff appearances, 2 conference championships.
Steve DeWitt (SCC): 84-66 (.560 W%) in 15 seasons. 8 playoff appearances, 2 conference championships.
Payton Printz (TRI): 83-67 (.553 W%) in 15 seasons. 5 playoff appearances, 2 conference championships.
Shawn Buescher (WJ): 54-12 (.818 W%) in 7 seasons. 7 playoff appearances, 4 conference championships.
Dan McGill (WLS): 67-29 (.698 W%) in 10 seasons. 7 playoff appearances, 3 conference championships.
Ryan Haines (GV): 51-17 (.750 W%) in 7 seasons. 6 playoff appearances, 5 conference championships.

Longevity has DeWitt & Printz ahead of Buescher, Haines, and McGill at this point, but if any coach 15 years in the OHC I see them passing those 2, and possibly Kasner.

Some things I found interesting with that research:

- Never would have guessed Toby Smith has the most head coaching wins and highest winning % all time of any OHC coach in history.
- Kurt Forrest leads the OHC all time in playoff appearances and conference championships (tied with Haines). He could be the all-time in head coaching wins and will tie the longevity record next season (15 with DeWitt and Printz).
- Shawn Buescher is the only coach to have never missed the playoffs as an OHC coach, can tie Forrest/Haines for all-time conference championships as a head coach next year if WJ wins the North, and can pass Toby Smith for all-time OHC win % next season with a 9-1 or 10-0 season.
 
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