GETTING TO KNOW YOU Stark County schools in MAC and Federal League

METRO ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
ALLIANCE AVIATORS
Division: III (football); II (most other sports)
Enrollment: Boys--338; Girls--348
Boys sports (10): Cross country, football, golf, soccer, basketball, swimming/diving, wrestling, baseball, tennis, track/field
Girls sports (8): Cross country, soccer, tennis, volleyball, basketball, swimming/diving, softball, track/field
Football playoff appearances (2): 1983, 96
Directions to high school: Take Rt. 224 west to Rt. 225 south (which merges with Rt. 183) into Alliance, turn right on Glamorgan Street. School is on the left. All sports except football and soccer are played on campus.
Directions to football stadium: Take Rt. 183 to State Street (Rt. 62) and turn right, then make a right on Clark Street.
Directions to soccer complex: Turn right on State Street (Rt. 62), then make a left on Rock Hill Avenue and a quick right on 24th Street. The complex is on the left.
Notebook: Left Federal League after 2002-03 season and will join the Northeastern Buckeye Conference after the 2004-05 season. Generally strong in cross country, boys soccer, track and wrestling. Famous alumni include former Kansas City Chiefs and Purdue quarterback Len Dawson, who was inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame; Brothers Tony and Charlie King, who both played for the New York Giants.
FEDERAL LEAGUE
CANTON GLENOAK GOLDEN EAGLES
Division: I (all sports)
Enrollment: Boys--746; Girls--708
Boys sports (10): Cross country, football, golf, soccer, basketball, swimming/diving, wrestling, baseball, tennis, track/field
Girls sports (10): Cross country, soccer, golf, tennis, volleyball, basketball, swimming/diving, gymnastics, softball, track/field
Football playoff appearances (2): 1985, 2000
Directions to high school: Take Rt. 224 west to Rt. 225 south to I-62 west. Exit at Market Street and turn right, make a left on 44th street, school is on the right.
Directions to football stadium: Take I-76 west to I-77 south, exit at Fulton Road. Drive straight through stoplight. Fawcett Stadium is on the left.
Notebook: Generally strong in track, cross country and baseball. Famous alumni include former Michigan and St. Louis Cardinals standout Dan Dierdorf, who is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame; Youngstown native and former Iowa standout Bob Commings, who coached at Struthers, Massillon Washington and GlenOak.
CANTON MCKINLEY BULLDOGS
Division: I (all sports)
Enrollment: Boys--779; Girls--817
Boys sports (10): Cross country, football, golf, soccer, basketball, swimming/diving, wrestling, baseball, tennis, track/field
Girls sports (10): Cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, volleyball, basketball, swimming/diving, gymnastics, softball, track/field
Football playoff appearances (13): 1977, 80, 81, 85, 86, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 2001. Won Division I state championships in 1981, 97, 98.
Directions to high school: Take I-76 west to I-77 south, exit at Fulton Road. Drive straight through stoplight. School and stadium are on the left. All sports except softball are played on campus. On rare occasions, baseball team will play at Thurmon Munson Stadium.
Directions to softball field: Take Fulton Road exit and turn left, make left on 25th street. Softball field is at Mason Elementary, across from Malone College.
Notebook: Warren Harding football coach Thom McDaniels coached McKinley to state and national titles in 1997. Plays home football games at Fawcett Stadium next to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and also holds the state swimming tournament. Famous alumni include former Browns standout and NFL Hall of Famer Marion Motley and former Ohio State Buckeyes and current NFL players Mike Doss and Jamar Martin. McKinley has placed 41 players in the NFL and five in the NBA, including Nick Weatherspoon, Phil Hubbard and current 76ers point guard Eric Snow.
MASSILLON JACKSON POLAR BEARS
Division: I (all sports)
Enrollment: Boys--637; Girls--657
Boys sports (10): Cross country, football, golf, soccer, basketball, swimming/diving, wrestling, baseball, tennis, track/field
Girls sports (9): Cross country, soccer, tennis, golf, volleyball, basketball, swimming/diving, softball, track/field
Football playoff appearances (4): 1990, 98, 2000, 01
Directions to high school: Take I-76 west to I-77 south, exit at Portage Street and turn right (west). Turn left on Rt. 241 (Wales) and turn right on Fulton Drive. The school is on your left. All sports except football are played at the high school.
Directions to football stadium: Turn right on Mudbrook Street (off 241) before you get to Fulton Drive. Stadium is located at the middle school.
Notebook: Strong overall athletic program, especially in girls track, boys and girls soccer, girls tennis and boys basketball. Has never won a state team title in any sport. Has arguably the best facilities of any school in the league. Usually competes with Hoover for league's all-sports trophy.
MASSILLON PERRY PANTHERS
Division: I (all sports)
Enrollment: Boys--618; Girls--589
Boys sports (10): Cross country, football, golf, soccer, basketball, swimming/diving, wrestling, baseball, tennis, track/field
Girls sports (11): Cross country, soccer, tennis, golf, volleyball, basketball, swimming/diving, gymnastics, softball, track/field
Football playoff appearances (4): 1992, 99, 2000, 02. Advanced to Division I state semifinals in 2000.
Directions to high school: Take I-76 west to I-77 south, exit at Tuscawaras Street and drive five miles. Turn left on Perry Drive, then right on 13th Street. School and stadium are on the left. All sports on campus.
Notebook: Strong in football and wrestling; solid in softball, baseball and track. Famous alumni include former YSU standout Archie Herring, who earned a tryout with the Browns and former basketball standout Chip Hare. Head football coach Keith Wakefield was head coach at Fitch from 1980-81. Wakefield has won 11 Federal League titles since he was hired in 1982.
NORTH CANTON HOOVER VIKINGS
Division: I (all sports)
Enrollment: Boys--631; Girls--604
Boys sports (10): Cross country, football, golf, soccer, basketball, swimming/diving, wrestling, baseball, tennis, track/field
Girls sports (10): Cross country, soccer, tennis, volleyball, golf, basketball, swimming/diving, softball, track/field
Football playoff appearances (12): 1984, 86, 87, 88, 89, 95, 97, 98, 99, 2000, 01, 02. Finished as Division I state runners-up in 1984.
If you go: Take I-76 west to I-77 south. Exit at Akron/Canton airport exit, turn left on Mt. Pleasant, at next traffic light Pittsburg Avenue, next light left on Applegrove to Main Square. Turn right on Cleveland Avenue to Seventh Street. Stadium on right, school on the left.
Notebook: Hoover has won two state softball titles and a state title in both girls and boys basketball. Generally strong in football, boys and girls basketball, swimming, cross country, track and wrestling. Famous almuni include former Cleveland Cavaliers player Dick Snyder, former Penn State/Pittsburgh Steelers/Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Todd Blackledge; former Ohio State running back Jeff Logan; and former Warren Harding coach Ed Glass. Glass led Harding to a state title in 1974 and coached Hoover's state runner-up team in 1984.
UNIONTOWN LAKE BLUE STREAKS
Division: II (football); I (most other sports)
Enrollment: Boys--426; Girls--405
Boys sports (10): Cross country, football, golf, soccer, basketball, wrestling, baseball, tennis, track/field
Girls sports (10): Cross country, soccer, tennis, golf, volleyball, basketball, gymnastics, swimming/diving, softball, track/field
Football playoff appearances (11): 1972, 88, 90, 91, 93, 94, 96, 97, 98, 99, 2002. Finished as Division II state runners-up in 1991, 93, 97.
Directions to high school: Take I-76 west to Kent State exit (Rt. 43). Turn left and take Rt. 43 for 15 minutes, turn right at Rt. 619, then left on Market Street. School is on the right, stadium on the left. All sports except baseball played on campus.
Directions to baseball complex: At intersection of Rt. 43 and Andrews Street (before you get to Rt. 619).
Notebook: Head football coach Jeff Durbin has made playoffs in nine of his 13 years. Lake had three alumni win national football titles last year: Steve Graef (Ohio State), Jesse Burghardt (Mount Union) and Dan Goodspeed (Tampa Bay Buccaneers). Lake is the smallest school in the league and may look to leave in a year or two. Generally strong in football, baseball, wrestling, boys golf and softball.
Enrollment note: Ohio High School Athletic Association bases enrollment figures on top three grades.
-- Joe Scalzo
XHelmets from Ohio High School Helmet Project.