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Shepas brings Valley to Waynesburg
By ryan buck
Recruiting is often called the “life blood” of college football programs.
When Waynesburg (Pa.) head football coach Rick Shepas took over the Yellow Jackets’ program in the winter of 2005, he did not have to look far for talent.
Waynesburg is a mere hour’s drive from Pittsburgh, so that is immediately convenient. But two hours north-northwest, however, he had another place circled.
“It’s a very fertile area,” Shepas said of his hometown of Youngstown. “The talent there is important to me and the type of kids are important to me.”
Shepas, 48, has returned Waynesburg, an NCAA Division III school, to its winning ways on the strength of his Mahoning Valley ties.
“We have 35 guys from Youngstown and the surrounding area,” he said this week by phone. “It’s as far south as East Liverpool and all the way to Trumbull County
“It’s very significant in us turning our program into a success.”
There has not been a person more equipped to sell football to northeastern Ohio kids than Shepas.
He grew up in Struthers, played little league sports at Nebo Field and attended St. Nicholas School. From there, he moved on to Cardinal Mooney and earned a scholarship to play football at Youngstown State.
He bounced around NFL training camps and played for the former Pittsburgh Gladiators of the Arena League.
A job in sales followed by work as a bank loan officer motivated him to earn a teaching certificate, which came by way of Hiram College.
Shepas served as wide receivers and defensive backs coach at Alliance, then worked his way to the head coaching job at Poland. In 1995, he led the Bulldogs to the Division III state semifinals.
He then took a job at Seneca Valley High (Pa.) before he landed the head coaching job at perhaps the most storied high school football program in Ohio at Massillon Washington.
“You think about Massillon and think you have all of the resources and athletes, maybe more so than any other place,” Shepas said. “But Massillon and the athletes had a culture and character unique to themselves. I had to reach out to some former coaches to get their views on how to run the program and get their views on just how to relate.”
The environment in the Stark County institution is high school football’s version of a soap opera.
“The media coverage that you receive is daily, 365 says a year,” Shepas said. “The intensity levels and expectations are everything you can expect. Gate receipts are a big issue as well as the schedule.”
In 1999, film crews descended on Massillon to film the documentary “Go Tigers!” which showcased three players in the football-crazed town’s struggles to pass a school levy as the team embarked on its ill-fated quest for a state title.
Shepas, who was shown in a secondary role, had a say at the beginning of filming.
“When I was approached by the film crew, I knew that I was in a no-win situation,” he said. “If I said ‘no,’ the community and the supporters would look at it as though I denied Massillon an opportunity to receive national recognition. On the other hand, I knew I wasn’t used to having cameras and microphones at practice and in the locker room. It ended up being a great experience.”
The film earned rave reviews and introduced millions to the incredibly interwoven fabric of football and community in Massillon.
“It could have gone a lot of different ways,” Shepas said. “I think they did a very fair job of what went on that season.”
That season, the Tigers routed arch rival Canton McKinley to cap a 10-0 regular season.
“I don’t think there’s anything like it,” Shepas said of the rivalry, which has been played 124 times. “It’s 365 days of hatred.”
Shepas was a part of several at Mooney, especially the “Holy War” with Ursuline, and YSU’s then-nemesis in Akron.
Did he know what he was in for at the time?
“I thought I did. I played for some great ones in high school and college,” Shepas said. “The difference is that it’s 24/7. The winner has bragging rights for that entire year. I don’t wear red to this day because of that.”
After the 2004 season, Shepas moved on to Waynesburg.
“I’ve always wanted to work at this level,” he said. “Guys are playing for the love of the game.”
The situation was a stark difference from the spotlight of Massillon, but he found some of the hard-care, blue collar fans both institutions shared made the transition easier. Still, the college game took some getting used to.
“The amount of time that you have with players is the biggest difference,” he said. “There’s much more opportunity to bond. The offseason work is followed by the summer conditioning. Between high school and college, you have the opportunity in high school to be with guys in the offseason. That’s where you build your team.”
The Yellow Jackets sit at 7-2 and will meet rival Washington & Jefferson on Nov. 16 with a share of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference title potentially on the line.
Shepas used a recent open week to visit 15 Youngstown-area schools in two-and-a-half days. He says his home is where he was called to coach.
“I love it,” he said. “I’m very passionate about it. It’s an opportunity to play a role in young people’s lives. I would not be who I am without the influence of the young guys in my neighborhood and the coaches I had growing up. It’s a driving force in my life.
“Competing, driving and not being afraid of what you’re going after, I learned all those things on the fields at Cardinal Mooney. I’m grateful for it every day. I make sure those folks know it when I see them.”