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Ties that bind
Deep roots in community form the foundation of St. Henry's athletics utopia
Wednesday, July 25, 2007 3:41 AM
By Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
The Columbus Dispatch : Ties that bind
Deep roots in community form the foundation of St. Henry's athletics utopia
Wednesday, July 25, 2007 3:41 AM
By Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
This is the hometown of Todd Boeckman, the front-runner to start at quarterback for Ohio State this fall. His boyhood idol was Bobby Hoying, another former Redskin who was the Buckeyes quarterback from 1993 to 1995.
Before Hoying came Jim Lachey, an All-American at OSU and later an NFL All-Pro offensive lineman credited with starting the St. Henry football pipeline.
And that's not counting lineman Jeff Hartings, who played for Penn State and recently retired from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Or Hoying's brother, Tom, a former Buckeye. Or Kevin Niekamp and Matt Zahn, two other Ohio State recruits who didn't pan out.
There's quite a legacy of talent in St. Henry (population 2,271). But it makes more sense after visiting the town and talking with those who live there. Through a combination of geography and heritage, this place is like the Big Rock Candy Mountain of athletics.
The Columbus Dispatch : Ties that bind