Fort Loramie’s seniors leave lasting impression
A flag pole. New bleachers. A painting. Maybe a life-size statue of the mascot. These are some things graduating classes get their high school as a parting gift. The 2010 graduating class at Fort Loramie is giving its institution something entirely different – diversity.
For as long as I’ve known Fort Loramie and visited family there, it’s always been a basketball town.
I remember going to a basketball game there in high school and watching neighboring rival Minster beat the boys team. The Wildcat faithful chanted “We beat the basketball gods!” as they exited the building, got in their cars and drove the two miles home north on State Route 66.
Winning boys basketball state titles in three consecutive decades cements a school with that reputation and tag. And that’s what Fort Loramie did – and was.
Suddenly, though, there are a couple additional attention getters trying to belly up to those bar stools at Al’s Place and Scudzy’s.
On Saturday at Huntington Park in downtown Columbus, Fort Loramie knocked out Newark Catholic 3-0 to win its second Division IV baseball state championship in the last four years. The Redskins, who set a school record for wins in a season (30-3), also beat the Green Wave for the 2007 title and were state semifinalists in 2008.
Baseball in Fort Loramie is on the upswing. Has been for a while.
Football, however, is headed north too.
This past season, the program’s fourth playing a varsity football schedule, Fort Loramie made its first playoff appearance, won its first playoff game and advanced all the way to the D-VI regional finals before losing to Marion Local.
Basketball now has buddies.
Diversity.
“Basketball has always been real big, but now it’s almost like all the sports are big,” senior Brad Frilling said. “It’s an exciting time in Fort Loramie. All the sports are starting to catch up to basketball. They’re getting closer.”
Echoed senior Mitch Raterman: “I don’t know if they’re as popular yet. But they’re getting there.”
With graduating classes around 40-50, Fort Loramie’s football, basketball and baseball rosters have a lot of the same names.
Frilling is one you’ll find on all three.
The 6-2, 215 pound linebacker was first team All-Ohio in football (headed to Wittenberg) and played a pivotal role on the basketball team. He performed as the DH in baseball.
Raterman is another who plays all three.
The Redskins lead-off hitter in baseball (he had a fifth inning solo HR in the state final), Raterman was the Metro Buckeye Conference Tri-Player of the Year in football after rushing for 1,542 yards and 26 TDs. Raterman holds numerous school records including career and single-season rushing yards. He’s a three-year letterwinner in basketball and is mulling an attempt to walk-on the Ohio State baseball team.
“Almost everyone plays two sports and a lot of us play all three,” Frilling said. “We have to play that many with the small amount of athletes we’ve got.”
In regards to athletes, this collection of seniors at Fort Loramie will be remembered as one of the school’s best collections ever. Their resume says so.
In addition to Frilling and Raterman, winning pitcher Justin Hoying put his stamp on this class’s legacy by finishing his senior season 14-0 with a sub-0.70 ERA. He allowed one hit against NC. Hoying plays basketball too.
And speaking of basketball, the Redskins, led by 6-6 University of Findlay signee Mark Frilling, won another D-IV district title in March. Fort Loramie lost to eventual state champion Dayton Jefferson by five in the regional semis.
“We knew growing up that we always played well together,” Raterman said. “We knew our senior year we’d make something special happen.”
Said Frilling: “We have a great group of guys who have been working real hard. We’re getting results.”
They’ve also gotten football and baseball a place at the table.
“Growing up in Fort Loramie basketball is always ingrained into your brain, but we’ve always wanted football and now everyone is excited about that,” Raterman said. “I think baseball has always been pretty popular too, but I don’t think either are quite up there with basketball yet.
“This is a nice crowd and a lot of Fort Loramie is here. But you make it to state in basketball and the whole town comes. I mean everyone.”
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FORT LORAMIE BLANKS NEWARK CATHOLIC IN DELAYED D-IV FINAL
By Tim Langevin
Fort Loramie baseball coach Bill Sturwold planted the seed two years ago in a team meeting by telling his players, “We have the talent and we have a two-year window to take advantage and win a state championship. We don’t want to go through this window of opportunity without a state championship. Anything less would be disappointing.”
And on Saturday, June 5, 2010, his team blossomed into D-IV State Champions when Fort Loramie defeated Newark Catholic 3-0 at Huntington Park in Columbus.
And in the grand scheme of it all, two seniors, Mitch Raterman and Justin Hoying, capped off brilliant careers full circle in distinct fashion.
Raterman earned a championship ring in 2007 as a freshman pinch runner. Four years later, he earned another title as a starter and key player. Raterman is the only athlete in Loramie history to win two state championships. And it was only fitting when he blasted a home run over the left field fence in the fifth inning in his final at bat in a Redskins uniform.
“This one feels twice as great. The first one I didn’t play much. Only used as a pinch runner, ” Raterman said. “But this one I was a starter. It has been an amazing four years playing three sports. It seemed I was burnt out most of the time, especially during the summer practicing three sports. I guess it all paid off. I am ready to live it up.”
And then there is Justin Hoying. As a freshman, he watched his big brother Jared win the 2007 state title from the grandstands. Four years later, the kid pitches a one-hit shut-out on the biggest stage in high school baseball while big brother watched from the grandstands.
“When my dad played baseball for Loramie, he never made it to Columbus,” Hoying said. “Jared made it in 2007 and I made it in 2008 and 2010. I remember as a fourth and fifth-grader watching Loramie baseball. I wanted that to be me. That’s what dreams are all about.”
Not to take away Justin’s moment in the sun, it has been a huge weekend for the Hoying family. Jared anxiously awaits the MLB draft starting Monday through Wednesday.
Talk about sibling rivalry, the Hoying brothers get after it in the batting cage on their property. Jared says, “Justin makes it challenging with his off-speed stuff.” Justin confesses, “I have a slight advantage because the mound is closer to home plate than the regulation distance, but he still gets the better end of me.”
Both Raterman and Hoying performed big time their senior seasons. Raterman batted .434 with six home runs, 37 RBIs, and 31 stolen bases as the lead-off hitter. Hoying finished a perfect 14-0 on the mound with a .71 ERA on 80 innings pitched.
The only hit of the game for Newark Catholic was a single to center field by Xavier Cook, the second batter of the game. Hoying retired the next 20-of-22 batters his faced, relying heavily on his “nasty” slider. The ace hurler finished with four strikeouts and two walks.
The Redskins jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Jake Boerger led off with a walk. Hoying struck out. Then Boerger stole second base. Zach Eilerman advanced Boerger to third with a ground out to second base. With two outs and a runner at third, Jake Bowles slapped an RBI single to right field, scoring Boerger. Still with two outs, Bowles stole second base. Alex Wolf hit a line shot bobbled by the shortstop, scoring Bowles with Wolf safe at first. Michael Lewis struck out DH Brad Frilling to get out of the jam without further damage.
Bowles, the number seven hitter, who had a field day with his glove in left field all season, did it with his bat this game. The senior hit 2-of-3, including a double in the fourth inning, scoring a run and driving in a run.
Bowles said, “Awesome feeling. The whole team worked hard to get to this point and it was nice to execute when it counted most in the final game.”
With Hoying in total command all afternoon, the icing on the cake was Raterman’s shot off the left field foul pole, over the fence, nothing but home run. That was it for starter Lewis. He allowed three runs on four hits in four innings with four strikeouts and two walks.
Jimmy Lough, who pitched a scoreless gem Thursday, pitched the final two innings. The sophomore allowed two hits and struck out three batters.
Newark coach John Cannizzaro was proud of his team, “We could of tanked it during our nine-game losing streak, but the kids stepped up and made it all the way to the state final. That shows tremendous character.”
The Green Wave concluded the season 15-20.
Fort Loramie finished 30-3 with the most wins in school history, including three state appearances and two state titles in four years.
Coach Sturwold said, “I knew Newark Catholic would make us play, despite their record. I am just so happy for this group of seniors. They responded to my challenge two years ago. Very rewarding. These kids played above their level when it counted most. That’s what separates us from the rest of the D-IV schools.”
And when the top of the seventh inning arrived, the Redskin Nation stood on their feet in unison, clapping their hands. Four batters later, the volume was at a feverish pitch when Judah Wollenberg chased a “nasty” Hoying slider for the big “K” and the final out.
Game. Set. State.
Take heed, upcoming opponents. Sturwold said, “We still have a lot of talent coming back. I think we will battle and scratch and make another run next year.”
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