Nominees have been submitted for the 39th annual Vince Lombardi Outstanding Down Lineman of the Year Award 6:30 p.m. Dec. 12 at the Expo Center on the Clinton County Fairgrounds.
Nominees are Michael Schmitz and Evan Ostermeier from Blanchester High School; Matt Ison and Ricky Habermehl from East Clinton High School; Jared Salisbury and Trent Smart from Clinton-Massie High School; and Jesse McCann and Alex Begg from Wilmington High School.
McCoy’s Catering will provide a buffet, which will include drinks, salad, entree and desert.
Cost for tickets are $15. All proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society.
Each of the four Clinton County high schools will nominate two down linemen who will be recognized, and the winner receives the coveted block of granite symbolic of the award.
The annual event was originated following the death of the legendary Green Bay Packers Coach who lost his battle with cancer in 1970 at the age of 58. It is supported by the American Cancer Society, and Clinton County is one of the few communities which hold the banquet, maintaining the legacy of coach Lombardi.
McCann, who was given special mention All-Ohio Division II, started 32 games for the Hurricane and earned All-Fort Ancient Valley Conference honors twice. He played on both the offensive and defensive lines.
Begg started 41 games in four years for the Hurricane. He played offensive line for Wilmington High School.
Schmitz played defensive tackle for the Wildcats, recording 25 tackles, four sacks and three fumble recoveries. This was his first full year of football and he earned All-Southern Buckeye Conference honors.
Ostermeier played nose guard and defensive end as well as offensive tackle. On defense, he had 22 tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles.
Salisbury was third-team All-Ohio last season for the Falcons. He played primarily on the offensive line but saw extensive action on the defensive line this season for Massie.
Smart played on both offensive and defensive lines for Clinton-Massie.
Ison is a three-year letterwinner for the Astros. His blocking graded out at 91 percent this season.
Habermehl played center and defensive end for East Clinton. He is a two-year starter.
Bill Ramseyer, the highly successful football coach at Wilmington College throughout the 1970s and 1980s, will be the featured speaker.
While coaching the Quakers, Ramseyer delivered the keynote addresses in 1975 and 1982. Ramseyer compiled an overall record of 114-58-4 (66 percent). Three times, 1980-1982 and 83, the Quakers reached the NAIA playoffs. He guided the Quakers through the 1990 season.
In 1991, Ramseyer accepted the challenge of starting the football program at Clinch Valley College, now known as the University of Virginia at Wise. He guided the Highland Cavaliers for 11 seasons, compiling an overall record of 62-46, before retiring after the 2001 season.
Despite retiring from active coaching in early 2001, Ramseyer never let go of his passion for the game of football, as he wrote the book, “Winning Football,” and just recently he published a second book, titled “Are You Ready for the Coin Toss??”
Moreover, his desire to return to the coaching sidelines surfaced in 2009, as he accepted an offer to coach a team in Europe. The team was based in Winterhun, Switzerland, located 20 miles north of Zurich.
Ramseyer has been inducted into numerous Halls of Fame, including the Clinton County Sports Hall of Fame in 2002, the University of Virginia at Wise in 2004, the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1998, the Wilmington College Hall in 1999, and Bluffton College in 1988.
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