BUCYRUS — The Crawford County Sports Hall of Fame will induct its Class of 2024 on Saturday evening at the Trillium Events Center.
Six individuals and one team will make up the 15th class to enter the CCSHOF. They are Colin McCullough, Mike Schifer, John Supon, Lance Kimmel, Phil Joseph, Mike Cauley, and the 1995 Buckeye Central football team.
The ceremony begins at 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 19 with a social hour. Dinner is at 5 p.m. and the inductions begin at approximately 6 p.m.
Colin McCullough
In middle school, Colin was told he wasn’t big enough, strong enough or fast enough to run hurdles.
In 2017, at the Jesse Owen Stadium, Colin became the State Division 2 Champion in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 37.77, while also earning a 3rd-place finish in the 110-meter hurdles and 6th place in the 4×400-meter relay. The previous year, he was a state runner-up in the 4×100-meter relay and placed 4th in the 4×200-meter relay. Colin’s high school coach, Todd Roston says this about Colin, “He’s so driven and determined, that he knows in his mind he can do it, and he’s going to do everything in his power to make it happen.”
While in high school, Colin gave back to his community by helping with the Galion YMCA youth track program. As a freshman, Colin never thought he’d be going to college for hurdles-he thought it would be soccer.
Colin was selected to represent Team Ohio in the Midwest Meet of Champions, where he placed 5th in the 300 Meter Hurdles.
Colin, a fierce competitor, was a five-time All-Ohioan, Colin set school and MOAC records in the 110-meter and 300-meter hurdles, cementing his legacy in Galion High School athletics. He left Galion High School, with school records in the 4×100,4×200,4×400, 110 Hurdles, and 300 Hurdles outdoors, and the 60 Hurdles, and 400 Meter Dash indoors. He continued his athletic and academic career at Ohio Northern University, where he competed at the collegiate level and earned his bachelor’s degree in biology with minors in
chemistry and psychology. Colin earned his master’s in physician assistant studies from West Liberty University.
Mike Schifer
Mike Schifer, a 1965 Wynford High School honors graduate and senior class president, excelled in the areas of both basketball and baseball.
He first began his athletic career at Mt. Zion High School as a Bulldog for two years. During all four years in high school, he earned eight varsity letters, while competing in basketball and baseball.
As the point guard for the newly formed Wynford Royals, Mike was recognized as an All-Ohio First Team selection during his senior season on a team that won the North Central Conference title and the sectional championship.
Also, that winter, he earned a spot on the First Team All-District team and was awarded the Fred Taylor “Player of the Week” honor sponsored by Channel 10 in Columbus. During Mike’s junior year he achieved First Team North Central Conference and First Team All-
District honors. As a sophomore in the last year at Mt. Zion, he garnered Honorable Mention All-Ohio, First Team Toledo All-Area, and first Team All-County. To date, he still holds the record for most field goals in one game with 18 at Mohawk. Mike scored 1281 points in his career.
During his high school baseball and basketball careers, his teammates voted him Most Valuable Player for his sophomore, junior and senior years.
Upon graduation, Mike played basketball for four years at Capital University and graduated in 1969. After receiving his Master’s Degree in Pupil Personnel at The Ohio State University, he taught and coached at Grandview Heights High School, was a Guidance Counselor and Head Basketball coach at Edison High School, was a Guidance Counselor, administrator and coach at the South Central School District in Greenwich, and ended his career as the principal at Port Clinton High School.
Mike has been married to Wendy for thirty-eight years and has a daughter Megan who lives in Felton, California, and a son Lee, who lives in Aiken, South Carolina, with his wife Susan. Wendy and Mike have five grandchildren:
Christopher, Mikaela, Jessica, Pete, and Zoe. Chris, along with twins “Mik” and “Jess”, attend Clemson University.
John Supon
John Supon is a 1972 graduate of Crestline High School and has had an extraordinary career in sports, dedicating over four decades to officiating, coaching, and inspiring athletes. As an OHSAA Basketball Official for 44 years, he officiated four state tournaments, including the Division 1 State Finals in both boys and girls basketball and officiated in 33 boys and girls regional assignments. The Division I Girls State Championship game in 1998 was especially meaningful for John with the rarity of all three officials being from the Mansfield Association and with the honor of working that game with two fellow referees that he highly respected: Russell Pitts and Bob Boebel. That game was the last Girls’ State Championship game played in the legendary St. John’s Arena.
On March 17, 2005, John refereed the Division II state semi-finals where Upper Sandusky (led by Jon Diebler) beat Dayton Dunbar (led by Daequan Cook) in one of the highest scoring games (95-90) in tournament history. Jon Diebler and his older brother Jacob scored 29 points and 15 points respectively, and Cook scored 26 points for Dunbar. With an attendance of 15,582 fans inside Value City Arena at Ohio State’s Jerome Schottenstein Center John said the atmosphere was electric and it was an outstanding game.
In addition to his Regional and State Tournament games, several others are memorable for John. He did several Wynford-Ontario games back in the Rob Sheldon-Joe Balogh days. John loved the competition those games provided and knew he would be working with good teams and good coaches. Another regular-season game that John remembers well is the night he refereed an Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary’s game with the famous high school standout, LeBron James.
John’s contributions to the sport of basketball were recognized through numerous honors, including the Goebel Hall Award from the Mansfield Officials Association and the Northern 10 Conference John Gurney Award. In addition, he was named North-South News Journal Official of the Year four times.
John’s impact extended beyond officiating into coaching. He served as an assistant football coach at Crestline (under John DiPietro’s staff) for 25 years, at Buckeye Central for 1 year, and at Bucyrus for 1 year. In addition, he coached the Bucyrus Girls Tennis Team for 10 years and the Boys Tennis Team for 12 years, which included coaching six district qualifiers and receiving the Crawford County
“Tennis Coach of the Year Award” 7 times. He also contributed as an assistant track coach at Crestline for several years as well as being the head Crestline golf coach for 4 years.
In recognition of his contributions to sports and his community, John was inducted into the Crestline Sports Hall of Fame in 2009. His lifelong dedication to athletics has left a lasting legacy, enriching the lives of countless athletes and sports programs. John is married to life-time educator Pat Reidenbach Supon, and they have one adult son, Aaron.
1995 Buckeye Central Football
One year after going to the regional finals, the Bucks brought back many fine players for another season. The season started with two solid wins and a tough win, before the Bucks went into league play. The first NCC contest was a difficult, hard fought win at Riverdale 9-0, and the following week was another tough game, where the Bucks defeated a determined Wynford team, 32-22. Two shutouts followed and another win with the defense only giving up three points, bringing the Bucks to an 8-0 record. In the final two league contests, the Bucks flexed their offensive muscle, scoring 41, and 52 points to finish the regular season with a perfect 10-0. In the playoffs, a strong offensive Lowellville was defeated by the Bucks, 35-21, with a lightning delay in the middle of the game. The next opponent, Newark Catholic, had one of the richest histories of football tradition in the state, but the Bucks won a double overtime game 12-6 in muddy, wintery conditions at Marion. The next week at Berea, the Bucks soundly defeated Independence to make the state finals at Massillon. In the state finals, another tradition-rich school, St. Henry, was their opponent. In a hard- fought contest, settled by a field goal, the Bucks were defeated 10-7, ending their season as State Runner ups and 13-1.
The 1995 Bucks roster included:
Ryan Burger, Marshall Daniel, Mike Sipe, Derek Kaple, Mark Kirgis, Eric Clady, Josh Karl, Tim Rohrbach, Kevin Eckstein, Mike Stahl, Nick Siesel, Oak McKean, Ryan Norris, Robby Manley, Brian Heydinger, David Teynor, Mike Rohrbach, Aaron Clady, Jason Downard, Nathan Leuthold, Danny Chapman, Eric Frazee, Eric Rietschlin, Nick Rowland, Kenny Stacklin, Jeremy Clay, Robert Stewart, Mike Teynor, Jason Kimmel, Justin Tuttle, Andy McKean, Tom Vanderpool, Steve Shell, Jeremy Utz, Todd McDougal, Rocky White, Gene Luidhart, Chris Nye, David Kirgis and Jason Fox.
The Bucks were coached by:
Head Coach-Mike Tracey
Assistant Coaches:
Jeff Dawson, Kevin Kimmel, Dave Awbrey, Bob Dille, and Olen Dials.
Lance Kimmel
Lance Kimmel is a celebrated basketball player, whose high school and collegiate careers are marked by exceptional achievements. At Buckeye Central, Lance had an impressive three-year varsity record of 70-7, scoring 1,120 career points with an average of 14.5 points.
per game. As a three- year varsity starter, he played a pivotal role in leading his team to three- consecutive North Central Conference championships (1982-84), three sectional championships (1982-84), two district championships (1982, 83), and a regional championship in 1983, culminating in a state finalist appearance that same year.
Lance’s senior year was particularly remarkable, earning him numerous accolades, including 1st team North Central Conference, District 6 Player of the Year, Northwest Region Player of the Year, 1st Team All-Ohio (AP and UPI), and the distinction of scoring 25 points in the News Journal All-Star Classic.
Lance continued his basketball career at Ashland University on a full athletic scholarship. Lance scored 1,180 points, averaging 10.5 points per game. In 1988, he was recognized as a Division Two Academic All-American and earned second team All-Great Lakes Valley Conference honors. His combination of athletic and academic excellence has made him a standout figure in Ohio basketball history.
Phil Joseph
Phil grew up in Zanesville, Ohio and was part of a large, loving Lebanese family, with 30 first cousins who were like brothers and sisters. The bond they shared growing up helped shape Phil into the one-of-a-kind man, who was loved by all who knew him.
Phil was passionate about playing basketball and spent countless hours on the outdoor court next to his home. This love of the game laid the foundation for his athletic success, as he became a standout player at Bishop Rosecrans High School and later played at the
University of Rio Grande where he earned a degree in education in 1969. He earned his master’s degree from Union College in Kentucky in 1972.
After his playing days, Phil transitioned into coaching. He mentored generations of players, emphasizing fundamentals of basketball and life lessons of teamwork, discipline, and perseverance. Phil coached at Marysville, Galion, and Utica high schools before landing a position of head coach at Newark Catholic High School Under his leadership, the Green Waze won six league titles and was named Licking County Coach of the Year in 1978. His 1976 team made it to the Sweet 16 Regional Basketball Tournament. Coach Joseph took the head coaching job at Bucyrus in 1980-1986.
Phil had an outstanding career at Bucyrus High School, dedicating over four decades to teaching, coaching, and supporting students. With 32 years as a teacher, and 37 years of basketball coaching, his passion for sports and education is undeniable. He also contributed in various coaching capabilities, including football and softball. Additionally, his commitment extended to running the clock for football games for the past 15 years.
Phil’s exceptional contributions have been recognized through several prestigious awards, such as the Bob Arzen Award for long-term coaching at a single school and the Ohio High School Athletic Associations “Respect the Game” Award. He also earned the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame award. He was inducted into the Bucyrus City Schools Hall of Fame in 2019. His influence as a teacher is evident through his five-time recognition as an inspiring teacher. Phil wasn’t just a teacher and coach. He was a mentor, a storyteller, a quick-witted giant, who left a mark on every student, athlete, and colleague who crossed his path.
In honor of his remarkable legacy, the basketball court at Bucyrus High School was named after him, with a dedication ceremony, held on January 20, 2024. Phil’s enduring impact on the school and community exemplified his commitment to excellence and mentorship. A day prior to his passing, Coach J was awarded membership to the Crawford County Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024. The ceremony will be held April 19, 2025. Phil was most humbled by this gesture. Phil passed away on January 26, 2025. Phil was married to Pat and had two children: Phil and Melissa.
Michael Cauley
Mike grew up in Woodstock, Ohio on the 1000-acre family farm. Mike had a passion for playing sports and excelled on the football field. He was quite a force on the defensive side of the ball. He was the only senior playing football. Mike also played baseball, track, and basketball. Mike graduated from Triad High School and then enrolled at Ohio Northern University. At ONU, he studied Industrial Arts Education and played on the football and track and field teams. Mike played Polar Bear football for four years and was a three-year letterman, and was a two-year letterman in track and field, as a discus thrower. Mike graduated in 1977 and after learning there was an opening in his field by Coach Wally Hood, principal “Mac” Morrison hired him, to teach Industrial Arts at Colonel Crawford. Mike’s career at Colonel Crawford lasted from 1977 until retirement in 2022.
In the beginning of his career, he coached junior high football, basketball and refereed. Mike was mentored in coaching by Ron Reinking, assistant coaches Gary Dvorak, Ted Bruner, Glen Diebler, Chuck Neil, and Rick Thorpe on the football staff. These coaches taught Mike a lot about football and how they managed kids, keeping the players best interests at heart. His greatest impact in sports came with coaching high school football at Colonel Crawford, Bucyrus, and Willard high schools. He also served as a track and field coach for the Eagles. Mike married Melinda Crall in 1999, and helped her to raise her two daughters, Amanda and Brittany. Mike passed away in 2023.