Recruiting is said to be the lifeblood of college football. This series will countdown the top 100 high schools in Ohio that have provided the Buckeyes with football players. The rankings are based on how many times a player from each high school has been listed on Ohio State's roster between 1970 and 2018.
No. 100, Louisville
Qualification
Louisville has produced six Ohio State players that appeared on 10 Ohio State rosters. The first Buckeyes from the Leopards were Richard "Dick" Kuhn and Daniel Givens in 1970. Givens was a junior defensive back and 1970 was the last time he was listed on the Ohio State roster. Kuhn was a senior tight end and finished his Buckeye career with 11 receptions for 163 yards and 2 touchdowns.
The third Louisville player to suit up for Ohio State was the best. Ken Kuhn, younger brother of Dick, played for the Buckeyes between 1972 and 1975. The linebacker was a captain of the '75 team and was named to the Big Ten All-Academic team in 1974 and 1975.
Kuhn was selected by the Bengals in the 7th round of the 1976 NFL Draft. In his senior bio, Kuhn listed his hobbies as lifting weights and cars. Think about that, weights weren't heavy enough, so he went out and started lifting cars.
Mike and Matt Baker were listed on the roster between 1993 and 1995. Mike was a defensive tackle and Matt was a linebacker. The latest Louisville player for the Buckeyes is long snapper Thomas Phillip. He was a junior on last year's team.
Back To School
Louisville High School is located in Stark County and does not play in a conference for football. The team currently competes in Division III, Region 9. The Leopards went 6–4 in 2018 and their last playoff appearance was 2015. They defeated host Poland Seminary, 42-7, in the first round, but lost in the second round to Archbishop Hoban.
The school has a strong history in football. Between 1962 and 1966, Louisville was 48–1–1 and had a 38 game unbeaten streak. The program has over 630 victories and is ranked in Ohio's top 30 for all-time wins.
Ohio State linebacker Mark Stier played for the Leopards, but is not included in this series because his Ohio State days were before 1970. He was a captain and voted Team MVP of the Buckeyes' 1968 title team.
Notable
The Leopards' cross country team won the state title in 2010 and the football team was state runner-up in 2007.
US News & World Report awarded Louisville the 2008 Bronze Medal of America's Best High Schools.
Famous Alumni
Famous names you may know: Could not find a famous person.
Explanation of the Rankings
School "A" had 14 players appear 16 times on Ohio State's roster. School "B" had 11 players appear 20 times on Ohio State's roster. School "B" will have the higher ranking. Why? Even though school "B" has less players, those players played for more years.
If two or more schools have the same number of roster appearances, the tie will be broken by the school with the highest average of roster appearances per player. If there is a tie in the average, the tie breaker will be the school with the most prominent Ohio State player.
Are you a former player, graduate, live near or have something to add about today's featured high school? Please share your story with us in the comments. What makes the 11W community unique is the amount of great information everybody is willing to share. (H/T, BroJim)
