I’ve been around for 29 years. I’ve been to quite a few high school basketball games during that time span and seen some outstanding coaches guide their teams during the course of a long season. Guys like Doug Hughes, former Botkins Basketball coach who guided the Trojan’s to the 1999 Regional Finals and the 2001 Regional Semis. Paul Bremigan , Russia Willoughby lead Houston Ft. Loramie to the 2003 Regional Finals, and a #1 ranking in Ohio
My Dad, Ken Schlater is the CEO of Area Energy and Electric. He is the founder of one of the finest Electrical Contracting business’s in the Midwest . He may be one of the most successful business men in this area; however his passion for basketball and love for the sport is amazing in itself. He loves going to watch the University of Dayton
In the 1970’s, my Dad was on Jerry Delong’s staff at Lehman. He was the Freshman Head Coach of the 1970-71 team that went 15-1. His best team would come a few years later in 1974-75. He coached the Junior Varsity Squad to an undefeated record of 16-0. That team had some outstanding players on that squad: Craig Reier, Fred Drapp, Bob Cianciolo, and Mark Geise, to name a few. My Dad one time told me that Craig Reier was one of the best players he ever coached. Fast forward to the 1990’s. Then Lehman Coach, Ron Burgel, brought my Dad aboard for the 1991-92 season as Varsity Assistant Coach. Even though that Lehman’s Record was not all that great during the two years my Dad was helping out, he still enjoying what he was doing. It was during the 1992-93 season when Lehman played Kenton Ridge in the tournament at Vandalia High School
My Dad took a few years off of coaching then returned to the sideline to coach the eighth grade Holy Angels boys’ team in the 1995-96 season. That was a fun group to be around. The team featured the likes of Tony Henning, Jamie Westerheide, Justin Frantz, Dave Hodapp, Ryan Ratermann, Matt Zimmerman, Anthony Amiewalen, Todd Barhorst, Matt Bowman, Brad Graver, Myself, Kyle Henson, Joe Schmeising, Jake Sinclair and Beau Sweigart. The team went 5-10, but Dad, along with Mike and Kevin Behr made the season fun. Whether it was his diamond press, black line drill, figure 8’s, motion, flex, open post offenses, Dad made the 1995-96 season a fun filled time. Practices were fun; he rarely ever yelled at any of us, he made us believe that we could achieve our potential. He prepared us for the High School level. “Dad was a basketball coach who cared so much about his players safety, during one practice, I believe it was on a Saturday Morning, Ryan Ratermann sprained his ankle pretty good and he asked Matt Bowman and I to go to the nearest grocery store (Liberty Cardinal), to get a bag of ice and a ankle brace, because we did not have that stuff at the time” Luke Schlater, “That’s the kind of person he was when he was a basketball coach”.
Two years after the 1995-96 season, my Dad took the assistant varsity coaching position at Lehman. Henry Stolly was at the helm for the Cavaliers in his fourth and final season. It was a young team during the 1997-98 campaign. The team featured Doug DeMange, Joe Arnold, Matt Graver, Tommy Middleton, Kyle Goubeaux, Bryan Tobe, Eric Hewitt, Ben Kohlhorst, Tony Cianciolo and Ryan Ratermann. The team struggled to a 4-17 record. The high light of the season came at New Knoxville when Dad argued with the referee over a bad call and got T’ed up. A few months after the 1998 season, Henry Stolly resigned. It was a tough moment for Lehman’s basketball team, with three returning starters coming back; Lehman needed a coach for the following season. By the time the Findlay Summer Camp approached, Dad decided to coach the team at Findlay Shelby County Findlay Varsity High School
Weeks after turning down the Varsity Head Coaching position, Lehman Welcomed Lima Native Jerry Fries as there next Basketball Coach. Dad stayed aboard and was the Junior Varsity. Along with Jerry Fries and my Dad, the Coaching Staff included 1991 Lehman Grad, Brad Barhorst and Tom Middleton, who was a successful freshmen coach. The 1998-99 Junior Varsity Squad included the likes of Jimmy Dembski, Mitch Geise, Matt Hare, Matt Wyan, Brad Hampshire, Matt Gibbs, Matt Sargeant, Jason Hoying, Bill Mertz, Joe Schmeising, Jake Sinclair, and Derrick Orlik. The JV squad captured the Southwestern Rivers Conference crown that year. The Varsity Squad went 10-11, losing a heartbreaker to Greenview, 42-39 in the first game of the tournament. The varsity team featured: Eric Hewitt, Bryan Tobe, Tommy Middleton, Kyle Goubeaux, Ben Kohlhorst, Sam Mikolajewski, Ryan Ratermann, Tony Cianciolo, Tony Staley, Jake Sinclair, Matt Hare and Derrick Orlik. “He always had a way to motivate me and push me to be better. I came to the bench during a timeout and sat down with my head down. He use to wear the area energy and electric ring with the initials AEE that must have been a little too big. It had flipped around on his finger with the AEE facing down. He came over to me told me to get my head out of my ass and smacked the back of my head. When I felt the back of my head I had some blood and hair on my hand. His ring had put a small cut in my head. I couldn't have cared less at the time about the cut as he was right. Coach Schlater is one of my favorite coaches I have ever played for; you always knew where you stood and how much he cared for the players and team. I think he is one of those rare coaches the players want to play hard and win for him as much as themselves. I feel very fortunate he was an assistant coach my junior and senior year. It wouldn't have been the same without him”. (Tommy Middleton; LCHS Class of 1999)To tell you the truth, we were better than a 10 win team in the 1998-99 season. If my Dad was coaching the varsity team that year, we would have won the District Championship that year. The next year, my Dad coached the JV team to a successful season and was a part of an outstanding Varsity team that won 11 games and advanced the Sectional Championship game, bowing out to eventual Regional Semi-Finalist Ft. Loramie 58-37. The Varsity team included Ryan Ratermann, Sam Mikolawjewski, Dave Hodapp, Jake Sinclair, Tony Cianciolo, Tony Staley, Luke Schlater, Matt Sargeant, Derrick Orlik, Bill Mertz, Brad Hampshire, Jimmy Dembski, Tom Hartings. The JV team featured: Jimmy Dembski, Nick Caulfield, Nick Johnston, Patrick Urbanc, Tom Hartings, Peter Henne, Matt Sargeant and Matt Gibbs and AJ Jutte. “He gave me the nickname Hondo for Havlicek, because I could play all five positions, Great coach, I enjoyed playing for Coach Schlater”, Brad Hampshire; LCHS Class of 2001. “He was a great coach who helped us get better”, Tony Cianciolo, LCHS Class of 2000, “He was the best coach I have ever been around” Matt Sargeant; LCHS Class of 2001
The next year, 2000-01, would be the final year My Dad would coach High School basketball. He was the coach of a young Junior Varsity team at Lehman. The team included Ryan Shaffer, Matt Zimmerman, Adam Cisco, Chip Thompson, Nic Staley, JP Sustrich, Tony Thoma, Kevin Davey, Brian Drapp, Tony Reier, Andy Ratermann, Sean Rank. The team struggled that year, and lost three of its final four games. It was during that season that one of the games featured a moment when my Dad whistled out instructions to his team and play stopped, no one knew what was going on. I remember being at My Dad’s last JV game, on Saturday February 17, 2001, I was the only one of my immediate family there that night. I am still disappointed in my Mom that she did not come that night. I even tried to get my uncle Bill to come along with my cousin Peter, but both declined. I guess the “last game” did not mean anything to anyone other than me. Ryan Shaffer cried in the locker room after the game, hugged and thanked him for a wonderful season. “Ken had the respect of his players and he always wanted them to play hard, regardless of the result”, Jim Schlater; Ken’s brother. “My brother was a outstanding coach, the kids enjoyed playing for him and it was fun watching him coach the JV team while I was the JV cheerleader”, Sharon Rittenhouse; Ken’s Sister.
Just a year later, Jerry Fries resigned. Lehman was looking for a basketball coach and my Dad considered applying for the job. It would have been a one year process for him. Being the senior year for guys like Justin Seger, Andy Ratermann, Andy Malarkey, Nic Staley, I told Dad, that this would be the best chance to do something fun and that you would remember for the remainder of your life. Dad told me, “this isn’t the last”. Mike Piatt took the reigns of the Lehman job; the team went 10-11, just like it did in Jerry Fries first year. Who knows what would have happened if My Dad took the job that year. I was the administrative assistant and Freshmen Assistant that year.
Being 62 years old, it’s pretty set in stone that my Dad will most likely never stroll the sidelines on a basketball court again. In the last 10 years that I have gone to basketball games with him, I think he enjoys being a fan. However, in the first few years after he resigned as a coach, I had the sense that My Dad wanted to get back on the sideline and coach again. I had the sense that he missed teaching younger kids the fundamentals and how to play the right way and missed coaching the sport that he loved. From time to time, he has wanted to try to give the University of Dayton Coaches
No comments:
Post a Comment