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. 83, Westlake

Qualification

Three players from Westlake have been listed on 11 Ohio State rosters. The first Westlake player for Ohio State was fullback John Bledsoe (1970-72). His junior season was his best in Columbus as he rushed for 265 yards on 61 carries and scored twice. He accumulated those numbers in the first three games before his season was sidelined due to a deep thigh injury. Over 11 games his senior season, Bledsoe only had 20 carries for 93 yards and a touchdown. At Westlake, he rushed for 408 yards and 8 touchdowns...in a single game.

22 years after Bledsoe suited up for the Scarlet and Gray, TE Bob Houser joined the team. He was used primarily as a blocking tight end and was the back-up to Rickey Dudley. Houser played in 38 games and caught 6 passes for 44 yards. He earned four varsity letters at Ohio State and was earned three Academic All-Big Ten honors.

Bob's younger brother, Kevin, joined the team in 1996. Kevin eschewed taking a redshirt so he could be on the same team as Bob. Kevin earned playing time by winning the job as starting long snapper. He played in 11 games on the 1997 team as freshman for the Rose Bowl winning Buckeyes. Houser remained a special teams warrior during his four seasons at Ohio State.

Kevin Houser finished his Buckeye career with 7 receptions for 65 yards and 2 touchdowns. Like his brother, Kevin also earned four varsity letters and was named to the All-Big Ten Academic team three times. Unlike his brother, Kevin was selected in the NFL Draft. In 2000, the Saints took him in the 7th round. 

Back To School

Westlake is located in Cuyahoga County and is a member of the Southwestern Conference. The team currently competes in Division II, Region 6.  The last time the Demons made the playoffs was 2016. They traveled to Springfield in the first round and won 48-41 it overtime. Westlake fell to Olmsted Falls, 21-49, in round two. There must have been a talent drain, because in 2017, Westlake went 0-10 and the team was 1-9 in 2018.

Notable

The school was once known as Dover and the teams were referred to as "Dover Men". The student body would shorten Dover Men to "D-Men", which is how the nickname "Demon" stuck for Dover/Westlake.

Academically, Westlake ranks in the top four percent of schools in Ohio and is known for its award winning technology and engineering departments. 

Famous Alumni

Some famous names you may know: to date, nobody of note. 

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. 

2,752 days since Ohio State has not defeated That Team.
173 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.