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. 39, Sandusky
Qualification
Seven players from Sandusky have been listed on 20 Ohio State rosters. The first Blue Streak to play in Columbus was running back Elmer Lippert. He played between 1971 and 1973 and amassed 135 carries for 688 yards (5.1 ypc) and 4 touchdowns.
DT Craig Nemitz was on the Buckeyes for one season, 1973, and defensive back Robert Gentry and offensive tackle Thomas Swank were on the roster for the 1973 and 1974 campaigns. Nemitz had unusual strength and quickness was considered one of the top high school tackles in Ohio in 1972. Swank and Gentry were only listed on the rosters.
DT/OT Luther Henson (1977-80) was an All-Big Ten defensive tackle in 1979, however, the coaching staff moved him to offensive right tackle in the spring of 1980. At Sandusky, Henson went 24–1 as a heavyweight wrestler his senior year.
HB Kelvin Lindsey (1979-83) Did not see much action during his first years at Ohio State. He only played 10 games between his freshman and sophomore years because of an ankle injury. He missed the 1981 season due to academic issues. In 1983, he competed with Keith Byars for the starting tailback job.
At Sandusky he rushed for 1,666 yards his senior year and was named the A.P. Back of the Year in 1978.
OT Orlando Pace (1994-96) earned a lot of awards during his career. An All-Ohioan and Parade All-American as senior at Sandusky, Pace was named the Big Ten Freshman of the year at Ohio State in 1994. He then won the Lombardi Award in 1995 and 1996, was the Football News Offensive Lineman of the Year in 1995 and 1996, was an All American and All-Big Ten player in 1995 and 1996, won the Outland Trophy in 1996 and was the Chicago Tribune's Offensive Lineman of the Year in 1996.
Pace's Awards didn't stop after college. He was the No. 1 overall pick by the Rams in the 1997 NFL Draft. He made seven Pro Bowl teams and named to the NFL's All-Decade Team for the 2000s. The Big Ten's Offensive Lineman of the Year Award is named after Pace. He also won Super Bowl XXXIV.
When playing for Sandusky, Pace was also an outstanding basketball player and was selected to play in the Ohio All-Star Game.
Back To School
Sandusky is located in Erie County and is a member of the Sandusky Bay Conference. The team competes in Division III, Region 10. The Blue Streaks went 5–4 in the regular season last year and made the playoffs. The team traveled to and defeated Bay 34-14. Sandusky then beat Lexington 56-12 in the second round. The title hopes ended when Norwalk edged out Sandusky 20-17 in the regional final.
Notable
Sandusky has three state championships, one each in boys' golf (1947), boys' swimming (1946) and boys' track and field (1937).
The football team has a historic rivalry with Fremont Ross. The schools have Ohio's second-oldest rivalry and have played each other since 1895.
A little amusement park called Cedar Point has been in Sandusky for about 150 years.
Famous Alumni
Famous names you may know: NFL players Ed Bettridge, John Bettridge, Corey Croom and Thom Darden, NBA player, Olympic gold medalist and NCAA champion Scott May, founder of Harvard Law Review John Jay McKelvey, Miss Ohio and Miss America Jackie Mayer, two-time NCAA wrestling champ and Buckeye Kevin Randleman.
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.
2,795 days since Ohio State has not defeated That Team.
131 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.
