Print |
E-mail to a friend
SPORTS
Lutz sets Ohio win record
Coach Bob Lutz watches on as Ironton takes on Nelsonville-York during the high school football game on Friday, Oct. 23, 2009, at Tanks Memorial Stadium.
Purchase this photo
Related:
IRONTON -- Ironton football coach Bob Lutz didn't want to say too much about moving into sole possession of the Ohio all-time coaching wins record with victory No. 361 on Friday night.
Lutz' excitement stemmed from his team all but locking down a future home playoff game with a 32-12 win over Nelsonville-York at Tanks Memorial Stadium.
"I have not mentioned it to my team. My team -- being a great bunch that they are -- have not mentioned it to me," Lutz said. "I guess it's a nice record, but the main thing is that we are 7-2 now and we want to move on and play well next week."
Following the win, Ironton athletic director Mark LaFon commemorated the achievement with a major announcement to the capacity crowd that stuck around for the reception following the game.
"From now on, when you come to Tanks Memorial Stadium, this field that you are looking at will be called Bob Lutz Field at Tanks Memorial Stadium," LaFon said.
The normally-stoic coach had tears streaming down his face as fans chanted "361" and his players presented him a signed ball and his family met with him at the 40-yard line prior to the reception.
He continued to focus on his team, offering only a simple comment when asked how the night felt.
"I'm glad it's over," Lutz said.
While Lutz did not want to talk too much about the historic night, there were plenty of fans that chimed in on what it was like to witness history and be a part of Lutz' historic night.
Fans lined the fences of the field during pre-game to snap pictures of the coach while others recounted memories of the last 37 years and spoke of what Lutz has meant not only to Fighting Tigers' football, but also to the town of Ironton.
"As an Ironton High School graduate and former football player, I think it's the best thing that's ever happened," long-time Ironton fan Tom Phillips said. "We've always had the tradition and Bob fulfilled it. He takes no glory for himself and he does it humbly. Everyone is very proud of him and the players that have played here."
Phillips said that he has missed maybe 10 games in his 60 years of being associated with Ironton High School, and Lutz has embodied everything that the town is about.
Lutz possibly saw one of the greatest runs of his career during the historic night. Early in the second quarter, Tres Wilks took an end-around and once around the edge, fully jumped a Nelsonville-York defender and kept his speed up before outracing defenders for a 71-yard touchdown run.
Later, Wilks added another highlight for Lutz' scrapbook of the evening.
He scooped up a fumble by quarterback Ethan Preston over near the Nelsonville-York sideline and immediately outraced all the Buckeye defenders back across the field before following a wall of blockers into the end zone for a 36-yard fumble recovery for a score to push the lead to 26-6 on the first play of the fourth quarter.
The historic win did not come easy for the Fighting Tigers, who led just 13-7 at halftime and went three-and-out on the first series of the second half.
But in true Fighting Tigers fashion, the defense made its stand, allowing Nelsonville-York just eight yards in the third quarter as Ironton started to take control.
It was at that point on a fall Friday night that Ironton's football team almost managed to turn history into normalcy.
They simply won the football game with Lutz on the sidelines leading the charge.
Just as they have done 361 times before
NELSONVILLE-YORK 0 6 0 6 - 12
IRONTON 7 6 7 12 - 32
I - Taylor 6 run (Wetzel kick)
I - Wilks 71 run (kick failed)
NY - Arnold 4 run (kick failed)
I - Preston 14 run (Wetzel kick)
I - Wilks 36 fum recovery (run failed)
NY - Stump 37 pass from Dean (pass failed)
I - Wetzel 1 run (run failed)
NY I
Total yards 240 250
First downs 11 13
Rushes-Yards 37-135 38-249
Comp-Att-Int 10-14-1 1-4-0
Passing Yards 105 1
Penalties-Yards 5-50 1-15
Fumbles-Lost 0-0 1-0
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: Nelsonville-York - Arnold 25-108, TD; Cunningham 10-36; Andrews 2-4; Dean 5-(-13); Ironton - Wilks 2-74, TD; Wetzel 15-69, TD; Warner 6-37; Preston 4-35, TD; Taylor 11-34, TD.
PASSING: Nelsonville-York - Nathan Dean 10-of-14, 105 yards, TD, INT. Ironton - Ethan Preston 1-4-0, 1 yard.
RECEIVING: Nelsonville-York - Stump 3-69, TD; Dexter 3-17; Cunningham 3-11; Andrews 1-6. Ironton - Taylor 1-1.
Ironton Fighting Tigers head coach Bob Lutz has more wins than any Ohio high football coach ever.
Lutz recorded his 361st victory Friday night, breaking a tie with former Hamilton Badin coach Terry Malone, who retired in 2003 with a 360-117-8 record.
The report card for Lutz shows a 361-82-5 record in a 40-year career. Lutz has 341 wins at Ironton in 37 seasons and won 20 games in three seasons at Ironton St. Joe. He took the 2006 season off.
Teams coached by Lutz and Malone met twice on the field with Ironton posting playoff victories in 1979 and 1989 on its way to winning state championships.
