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. 54, Piqua

Qualification

Five players from Piqua have been listed on 15 Ohio State rosters. Matt Finkes, Quinn Pitcock and Brandon Saine are the most recognizable Indians.

Finkes played defensive end for the Buckeyes from 1993 through 1996. He came to Columbus as a USA Today All-American and All-Ohioan. Finkes also won the Division I state championship in wrestling and made the Junior World Team. He also came in fourth place at the state championships in the high hurdles his senior season. 

Ohio State went 41–8–1 with Finkes on the team and won the 1997 Rose Bowl. He is second on the all-time tackles for loss list with 59.0 and is fourth in career sacks (25.0). In 1997, the Panthers selected Finkes in the 6th round of the NFL Draft.

Pitcock arrived on campus six years after Finkes. During his first season, Ohio State won the national championship in 2002. The Buckeyes were 55–9 with Pitcock on the team and won 3 Big Ten titles. He was named to the All-American and All-Big Ten teams in 2006 and was also given the Bill Willis Award. Pitcock was selected by the Colts in the 3rd round of the 2007 NFL Draft.

At Piqua, Pitcock earned All-Ohioan honors his junior and senior seasons. He also made it to the state finals three times in the shot put and discus. 

Coming out of high school, Saine was known for his blazing speed. He had the state Division I record in the 100-meter dash (10.38), four state track titles and also won the national championship in the 60-meter dash. Saine's speed was also utilized by Piqua's football team as he led the program to its only state title in 2006. He was named Mr. Football for the state of Ohio that season.

As a member of the Buckeyes, Saine never seemed to meet the lofty expectations of fans. He played in 49 games during his college career and finished with 301 carries for 1,408 yards and 9 touchdowns. The numbers aren't bad, but it always felt as though Saine was never fully utilized in Tressel's offense.  

The first player from Piqua to make an Ohio State roster was DE Michael Faler. He was only listed on the 1977 team roster. LS Jackson Haas also made the roster once as a senior in 2007. 

Back To School

Piqua is located in Miami County and is a member of the Greater Western Ohio Conference. The team currently competes in Division III, Region 12. The Indians went 6–4 in 2018. The last time the program made the playoffs was 2007.

Notable

Piqua High school has one state title. The football team defeated Pickerington Central, 26-7, in 2006 and finished 13–2.

Famous Alumni

Famous names you may know: Besides the Buckeyes mentioned above, 2004 brozne medal hockey player, Kristin King. 

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. 

2,781 days since Ohio State has not defeated That Team.
145 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.