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. 11, Massillon Washington
Qualification
15 players from Massillon Washington have been listed on 42* Ohio State rosters.
C/CB Steve Luke (1972-74) started his OSU career as center on the offensive line and lettered at the position. Later, he was an All-Big Ten defensive back when he broke-up 6 passes, had 3 interceptions and tallied 62 tackles as a senior. Luke started his his final 23 games as a Buckeye and was a pre-dental student. The Packers selected him in the 4th round of the 1975 NFL Draft.
At Washington, he was an All-Ohioan who played linebacker and tight end. He was also captain of the football and track teams.
LB Chris Spielman (1984-87) helped Ohio State win two Big Ten titles (1984, 1986) and was captain and MVP of the 1987 team. He was also a two-time All-American (1986, 1987), three-time All-Big Ten player (1985, 1986, 1987), Lombardi Award winner (1987), Cotton Bowl Defensive MVP (1987) and was inducted into the Varsity O Hall of Fame (2000) and College Football Hall of Fame (2009).
Ohio State's record book has Spielman's name at the top of the list for all-time solo tackles (283) and most tackles in a single game (29 against That Team). He led the Buckeyes in tackles in 1986 and 1987 and was a three-year starter. Spielman would have been a four-year starter, but two sprained ankles limited his playing time as a freshman. The Lions selected him in the 2nd round of the 1988 NFL Draft. He was a four-time Pro-Bowl selection and ended his 12-year career with the Browns.
At Massillon Washington, Spielman was a consensus All-American, two-time All-Ohioan and was named the Male High School Athlete of the Year by Armour-Dial. Spielman was named the "top high school linebacker in the nation" by Parade Magazine. As a senior, he had 112 tackles, 6 interceptions and recovered 2 fumbles.
Spielman's life after football per chrisspielman.com:
Currently, Chris is a NFL analyst with Fox Sports, a Professional Speaker and his most important role besides being a father of 4, is that of a Cancer Warrior – Chris continues the fight that he and Stefanie started together shortly after her first diagnosis. He found his biggest opponent to be off the field.
In 2013, Chris married Carrie Yocom, who brought 2 daughters to the family, Kendra and Gina.
Chris’ life has order: Faith, Family and Community – and he lives it daily in that order.
Spielman continues the fight against cancer with the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research.
The other charities Mr. Spielman supports:
Pelotonia Stefanie's Team of Hope
The Spielman Family Foundation
Spielman Gridiron Classic
Wings of the Morning
QB Justin Zwick (2002-06) was the starter for the 2004 season until he was injured against Iowa in week six. Troy Smith took over the starting job and Zwick became his back-up until getting the start in the 2004 Alamo Bowl. Played in 25 games and completed 158 passes for 1,779 yards, 7 touchdowns and 7 interceptions during his Ohio State career.
At Massillon, Zwick was named an All-American, All-Ohioan, the AP Co-Offensive Player of the Year and threw for 3,821 yards and 40 TDs as a senior. He finished his high school career with 10,500 yards and 112 touchdowns. Zwick also played basketball for three years and track for two. He began his high school playing days at Orrville where he led the team to a state title. Zwick transferred to Washington as a sophomore.
WR Devin Smith (2011-14) has the Ohio State record for average yards per catch when he averaged 28.2 yards per reception during the championship season of 2014. He is second all-time with 30 touchdown catches and he also led the team with 14 receptions in 2011.
Smith's caught four passes for 137 yards and three touchdowns against Wisconsin in the 2014 Big Ten title game. His three touchdowns are one behind the Ohio State record of four in a single game. Against Alabama, he had 2 catches for 87 yards. His 47-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter gave Ohio State a lead that they never relinquished.
Smith finished his Ohio State career with 121 catches for 2,503 yards and 30 touchdowns. He was also an accomplished track athlete as he tied for second in the 2014 Big Ten outdoor championships when he cleared 7 feet and a quarter inch in the high jump. The Jets selected Smith in the 2nd round of the 2015 NFL Draft. Knee injuries have dogged his pro career. He is currently with the Dallas Cowboys on a reserve/future contract.
As a Tiger, Smith was a two-time All-Ohioan and had 110 receptions for 2,119 yards and 24 touchdowns during his career. His 24 touchdown catches are second best in school history. He was also the state champion in the long jump.
CB Gareon Conley (2013-16) was a captain of the 2016 team and played in 41 games and started in 26 consecutive to finish his collegiate career. Tallied 91 tackles, 6 interceptions and broke-up 15 passes between 2014 and 2016. The Texans selected him in the 1st round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Conley was ranked as the No. 1 player in the state of Ohio and was an All-Ohioan as a senior. He had 13 pass break-ups, an interception and 25 tackles during his final year. Conley also caught 50 passes and 16 touchdowns.
| No. | POS | PLAYER | YEARS | OHIO STATE CAREER | HS CAREER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | K | FRED SCHRAM | 1970-71 | Made 60/63 XPs in and 14/26 FGs during in his 2 years as the starting kicker, led the team in scoring and was a perfect 27/27 on XPs in 1971, booted the game-winning 30-yard FG in sleet and snow against Purdue in 1970. | Did not play HS football, was a reserve in junior high. |
| 57 | OG | THOMAS HOUSER | 1970-71 | Did not see the field in 1970 or 1971. | Nothing listed. |
| 57, 46 | C/DB | STEVE LUKE | 1972-74 | See above. | See above. |
| 39 | FB | BILL HARMON | 1976 | Was not on the roster after his freshman season. | All-Ohioan and All-American honors, rushed for 1,278 yards and 14 TDs as a senior. |
| 92 | DT | ERIC BARNARD | 1979 | Played in 3 games for a total of 5.5 minutes during his only season on the roster. | All-Ohioan who earned 8 letters in 3 sports, The Tigers went 9-0-1 and 9-1 during his final 2 seasons. |
| 7 | QB | BRENT OFFENBECHER | 1981-83 | Enrolled at Wake Forest in 1979 and played in 3 games for the Demon Deacons before transferring to Ohio State, played in 7 games in 1982 and started against Wisconsin, finished career with 26 completions for 428 yards, 2 TDs and 5 INTs. | Graduated with almost every passing record at Massillon. |
| 36 | LB | CHRIS SPIELMAN | 1984-87 | See above. | See above. |
| 4 | WR | WES SIEGENTHALER | 1987-88 | Missed the '86 season because of a back injury (had surgery), as a senior, he played in 4 games and started the first 3 games of the season, caught 3 passes for 71 yards. | Played QB, RB and WR as a senior, earned 3 letters in football, 4 letters in track and 1 in basketball. |
| 69 | OT | JOHN SCHILLING | 1988-91 | Did not see the field during his time in Columbus, his brother, Mark, played for Washington State. | All-District and 2-year starter, 4 letters in wrestling and 1 in track. |
| 6 | HB | TRAVIS McGUIRE | 1992-93 | Had shoulder surgery in the spring of '92, played in 6 games in '93 and had 35 rushing attempts for 150 yards and a TD, also had 2 KO returns for 12 yards. | All-American, All-Ohian, Co-Player of the Year and DI Co-Offensive Player of the Year, set the school single season record with 1,960 rushing yards and 28 TDs as a senior, also set the single game record with 302 yards and 5 TDs against Canton McKinley. |
| 2, 12 | QB | JUSTIN ZWICK | 2002-06 | See above. | See above. |
| 29, 82 | WR | DEVIN JORDAN | 2003-05 | Red-shirted in 2003 and missed the 2004 season with an ankle injury, had a setback and DNP in 2005, is currently the WR coach at Wittenberg. | All-Ohioan as a junior and senior, caught 160 passes for 2,397 during his final 2 seasons, was Justin Zwick's favorite target. |
| 15, 9 | WR | DEVIN SMITH | 2011-14 | See above. | See above. |
| 19, 8 | CB | GAREON CONLEY | 2013-16 | See above. | See above. |
| 75 | OL | THAYER MUNFORD | 2017-PRESENT | Played in every game last season except for the Rose Bowl, 2017, he played in 12 of 14 games and had a key block on Dwayne Haskin's 22-yard run against That Team in 2017. | Started his HS career at LaSalle before transferring to Massillon for his senior season, won 2 state titles at LaSalle. |
*Massillon Washington will increase to players on 43 rosters after Munford completes the 2019 season.
Back To School
Massillon Washington is located in Stark County and is currently an independent. The team competes in Division II, Region 7. The Tigers went 10–0 in the regular season last year. The team easily won its first four playoff games over Walnut Ridge, Whitehall, Wadsworth and Winton Woods, before falling to Hoban in the state championship game.
Notable
Before the playoff system began in 1972, Massillon Washington won 24 AP state title. The program also has the most AP National Championships with 9 (1961, 1959, 1953, 1952, 1950, 1940, 1939, 1936, 1935).
Massillon Washington has the second most wins (880) in the country. Only Valdosta High School in Georgia has more (911).
The rivalry game against Canton McKinley is the only high school game in the country to have odds in Las Vegas.
Famous Alumni
Famous names you may know: NFL players Andy Alleman, Shawn Crable, Dennis Franklin (first African American to start for That Team), Horace Gillom, Ed Molinski, Harry Stuhldreher, Massillon's first All-American, Stanfield Wells, college and NFL football head coach Bill Edwards (College Football Hall of Fame), college football head coach Don James (College Football Hall of Fame), college and NFL head coach Alex Wood, Mayor of Chicago Lori Lightfoot, geophysicist who proved plate tectonics, Jack Oliver, rapper Stalley, member of 98 Degrees Jeff Timmons, Ohio State's Lin Houston and Tommy James, Ohio State head coaches and Earl Bruce and Paul Brown.
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.
2,824 days since Ohio State has not defeated That Team.
102 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.
If you like Ohio high school football, or want to read about the best teams of the '50s and '60s, you should check out Tim Raab's book: Powerhouses of Ohio High School Football.
