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. 86, Wapakoneta
Qualification
Three players from Wapakoneta have been listed on 11 Ohio State rosters. Timothy Burke was the first to wear an Ohio State uniform. He was an offensive tackle for the Buckeyes between 1975-1979. Early in his Ohio State career, Burke missed time due to injury. Heading into his senior season, the coaches believed that Burke would be a fine tackle for the team if he could stay healthy. He earned the starting spot at left tackle that season. At Wapakoneta, Burke earned varsity letters in three sports and admired two-time All-American John Hicks.
Offensive linemen Mike Madigan (1984, '85) and Blake Pfenning (2015-18) are the other players from Wapakoneta to make an Ohio State roster. Madigan was a two-time Western Buckeye League Offensive Lineman of the Year, but broke his arm in spring practice of 1985. Pfenning earned All-Big Ten Academic honors during his time in Columbus and joined the program as an invited walk-on in 2015.
Back To School
Wapakoneta is located in Auglaize County and is a member of the Western Buckeye League. The team currently competes in Division III, Region 12. The Redskins have made the playoffs in five of the last six years and the regional finals in three of the last four seasons. In 2018 Wapakoneta defeated Trotwood-Madison, 24-21, in round one and Bishop Fenwick, 27-17, in round two. The Redskins lost to Alter, 7-21, in the regional final.
Notable
In the 2015-2016 school year, 67 percent of the 160 students who attempted an AP test earned a three or higher.
Famous Alumni
The school has one famous name you might have heard of, Neil Armstrong. The "Wapak" native was the first person to walk on the moon and inspired this 11W t-shirt. You can visit The Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta. Armstrong was a humble person who did not like the spotlight or his likeness being used for commercial gain. He did his best to protect his famous quote and likeness from being exploited.
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 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.
| 100 | 99 | 98 | 97 | 96 | 95 | 94 | 93 | 92 | 91 |
| 90 | 89 | 88 | 87 | 86 | 85 | 84 | 83 | 82 | 81 |
| 80 | 79 | 78 | 77 | 76 | 75 | 74 | 73 | 72 | 71 |
| 70 | 69 | 68 | 67 | 66 | 65 | 64 | 63 | 62 | 61 |
| 60 | 59 | 58 | 57 | 56 | 55 | 54 | 53 | 52 | 51 |
| 50 | 49 | 48 | 47 | 46 | 45 | 44 | 43 | 42 | 41 |
| 40 | 39 | 38 | 37 | 36 | 35 | 34 | 33 | 32 | 31 |
| 30 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 21 |
| 20 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 |
| 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
2,749 days since Ohio State has not defeated That Team.
176 days until The Game.
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.
