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Introducing the Portage County Legends series

Introducing the Portage County Legends series

Boys Basketball Cross Country Featured Football Track and Field
Tom Nader June 12, 2023
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Portage Sports proudly presents the Portage County Legends series!
There have been many great athletes in Portage County, but there is no question that Ravenna football’s Marcus Sanders, Crestwood track’s Bridget Franek and Waterloo basketball’s Eric Schiele competed on an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT LEVEL.
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• The career of Ravenna running back Marcus Sanders spanned four years, but the talk of his games, stats and ability has lasted decades. From 1996-99, Sanders rushed for 6,793 yards, which ranked fourth all-time in Ohio history at the time of his graduation and still ranks 18th on the all-time Ohio rushing list. Sanders also holds school records for career touchdowns (81), career points (492) and single-season rushing (2,605).

• Before Bridget Franek won a Big Ten championship and an NCAA title and before she qualified for the 2012 London Olympics in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, she was the talk of Ohio. After emerging as one of the state’s premier runners during her first three years at Crestwood, she delivered a moment in history on June 3, 2006 at the OHSAA state championships.Under the scorching hot sun, Franek helped run the Red Devils to the Division II state championship by winning individual titles in unprecedented times and fashion in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 meters — all within just 1 hour and 15 minutes ‚ and setting new state-meet records in the 800 and 3,200 (after setting the state-meet record in the 1,600 in 2005). Sometimes you don’t realize you are watching history happen until years add perspective, but those who were inside Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus on June 3, 2006, knew they were watching history happen in real time.

 

• The 2005-06 Waterloo boys basketball season began as any other, but ended unlike anything Portage County had ever seen before. The whirlwind was created by the play of senior guard Eric Schiele, who averaged 39.6 points per game and was named the Division III Player of the Year in Ohio. He scored 69 points against Mogadore on Feb. 17, 2006, including 13 made 3-pointers and 60 points against Windham on Jan. 27, 2006, including 14 3-pointers. He scored 870 points during the 2005-06 season alone and 119 3-pointers, which ranks fifth all-time in Ohio history for a single season.

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