HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL Boardman sets sights on bigger goals

By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
BOARDMAN -- When D.J. Ogilvie was hired as Boardman High's football coach before the 2004 season, he knew he was entering a tough situation. He just didn't know how tough.
The Spartans were coming off a 1-9 season -- their first losing season in seven years under Garry Smith -- and the prospects weren't good. There were few talented players returning and, after joining the Federal League, Boardman's always brutal schedule looked to be even tougher.
Ogilvie, a 1987 Boardman graduate, was coming off six successful years at United but he wasn't worried about taking a step back in the record column.
He was home.
"Everyone told me it was going to take time," Ogilvie said, "and I knew it would be a tough task. But being from Boardman, I had that pride factor. I still thought it was the greatest situation in the world."
Boardman's only win in 2003 came in overtime against Painesville Riverside, which went 2-8 that season. Ogilvie's first season was worse. The Spartans went 0-10 in 2004, losing by an average score of 33-8. Seven of those losses came against playoff teams. All of those losses were by double digits.
The Spartans were more competitive this season, but still started 0-5, extending their losing streak to 19 games.
Did he ever think it would be this tough?
"Honestly, no," Ogilvie said.
Turning point
Then came last Friday. The Boardman coaches knew their team had a chance to beat Uniontown Lake, which was decimated by graduation after losing to eventual state champion Columbus Brookhaven in last year's Division II regional final. The Spartans had to sweat out a tough second half after taking a 21-0 halftime lead, but they came away with a 28-14 win on the road.
"That was the happiest locker room I've ever seen -- as a coach or a player," said Ogilvie, who played four years at Bowling Green. "It felt like the weight of the world was off our shoulders.
"If you look around the state, most teams that are 1-5 are down in the dumps. But we have our heads up. I know it sounds silly to say that but it's true. Each week I've seen a huge improvement."
The Spartans aren't likely to get their second win this weekend -- Boardman travels to play unbeaten Canton McKinley Saturday at Fawcett Stadium -- but they're taking steps forward.
Boardman's biggest problem over the past three years has been a lack of talent. From 2002-2004, Boardman sent nine players to Division I or I-AA colleges, including five in the 2003 class (YSU's Tom Zetts, West Virginia's Mike Villagrana and Andy Good, Georgia Tech's Kevin Tuminello and Toledo's John Greco).
"We looked it up and over the past 20 years, there have been 47 Division I or I-AA players to come out of Boardman," Ogilvie said. "That's a huge number."
Offseason improvements
Ogilvie has placed an emphasis on getting his players in the weight room -- especially in the off-season -- while also trying to sustain confidence in his players during a down cycle. He's dealing with higher expectations -- few United fans expect to regularly see players land in Division I colleges -- but he's not afraid of them.
"We set our sights not just on winning but on getting players to that next level," Ogilvie said.
And there's one misconception he'd like to clear up: Boardman's talent drain hasn't been because of Cardinal Mooney, which is enjoying a ton of success at the moment.
"That's a question I get asked a lot," Ogilvie said of Mooney. "But if a kid goes to a parochial school since second grade, I'm not sure you can count that as someone we've lost. And the kids in our junior high schools aren't leaving to go to Mooney."
In fact, Boardman's most high profile transfer over the past few years has been center Levi George, who, along with his brother Luke, transferred to Warren Harding after last season.
Ogilvie knows the Spartans aren't going to be successful overnight but he's not making excuses for their struggles. He believes Boardman will be competitive again soon, although he doesn't have a set timetable.
"All we ask is for the kids to work hard every day and get better," he said. "We've made leaps and bounds in the weight room since last year and we've gone from hoping to compete to competing in every game.
"Our next step is to not just compete, but to win."
scalzo@vindy.com