Redmen football ring of honor planned

FOSTORIA — Fostoria City Schools plan to give past luminaries their props with hopes of inspiring present and future players with the creation of a high school football ring of honor.Displays honoring players, coaches and contributors to a Fostoria High School tradition that will reach 130 years in the fall will be hung on the back of the home side of Memorial Stadium "so that everyone who comes to support the team and pulls into that parking lot can look up, see those names and feel proud of those individuals, the legacy they left and the history they helped build," said Redmen coach Derek Angelone, who last season completed his second season at the helm of the program.Community members may submit nominations through website www.fostoriaschools.org. Even if nominations are not included in the coming season's first class of about 10 inductees, they will be kept on file for future consideration.Honorees will be selected by a committee consisting of past and present Fostoria coaches, former players, school representatives and community members based on how their "performance, leadership and long-term impact elevated Fostoria football and influenced future generations of student-athletes," according to a news release from the school district.Courtney Fleming, the district's human relations and public relations director, said families of the first class of selectees will be notified in June, with both an induction dinner and recognition at a home game planned for August.Indeed, while recent teams have struggled,130 seasons have brought Fostoria a rich football history that includes a mythical national championship in 1912, 10 state titles, and 21 conference crowns.In modern times, the most memorable stretch for Redmen football was the 20-year period during which Coach Dick Kidwell led his squads to an overall record of 174-50-3 with 12 postseason qualifications, state titles in 1991 and 1996 and state runner-up finishes in 1989 and 1992."Coach Angelone created the idea of the ring of honor," Fleming said. "This is a great way to honor the legacy of those who played the game at Fostoria and remind our community and current players of the rich tradition of Fostoria football."Angelone, who also teaches biology and assists with the school baseball team, was a football and baseball standout at Gibsonburg High School before going on to compete in both sports at Defiance College."I'm aware of the storied history of Fostoria football and have been privileged to learn more about it during my time here," Angelone said. "While we are not the same Fostoria community that we once were, that doesn't mean we lack the ability to return to an elite level of competition."I wanted to pay respect to all the individuals who laid the foundation for Fostoria football and show my current athletes that they should be proud every day to call themselves members of the Fostoria Redmen football team. I see this as a way to engage the community — showing that we haven't forgotten where we came from, while also presenting a new direction and a group of young men the community can be proud to support once again."Nominees for inclusion in the ring of honor may be considered based on a number of factors, including their achievements during their high school careers and beyond. To be eligible, nominees must be at least 10 years removed from Fostoria High School. Posthumous nominations may be made.More information is available by searching "ring of honor" on website www.fostoriaschools.org.