There is a sense we may never see anything quite like Mount Union football again, partly because it's hard to imagine a coach like Larry Kehres staying at the same school long enough to win 302 games.
View full sizeMount Union's defense forced four turnovers in a 37-7 win over Alfred in the quarterfinals of the Division III playoffs last weekend.Larry Kehres has his Mount Union football team in the Final Four of the Division III playoffs . . . again.
Make it AGAIN, as in the 16th year in a row, as the Purple Raiders host Bethel at noon on Saturday.
You can say that Kehres is a great coach, and you would be right. Not only is he one of 11 coaches with 300 career victories, but he also has only 22 losses in 25 years.
There is a sense that we may never see anything quite like Mount Union football again, partly because it's hard to imagine a coach staying at the same school long enough to win 302 games. Or that a coach with such a sparkling record would be content to remain in Division III for 36 years, as is the case with Kehres.
"The players have made it easy for me," said Kehres.
He meant more than the talent, but the culture that is a part of Mount Union football.
"I'm too old to baby-sit kids," said the 61-year-old Kehres. "At some point, nearly every kid has some type of problem, maybe two. But if you have problem after problem, if you want someone to hold your hand, you can go somewhere else."
Kehres doesn't claim that every Mount Union player is on the honor roll and belongs on a church window. But he mentions how some of his best players are strong students.
View full sizeCoach Larry Kehres, right, has lost only 22 games in 25 years at Mount Union.Alex Ferrara (3.82 GPA) made the ESPN college Academic All-American team, along with teammates Kyle Miller (3.48 GPA) and Sam Kershaw (3.45 GPA).
Center Brett Ekkens joined those three on the Ohio Athletic Conference All-Academic team. Mount Union had the most selections of any OAC school.
"If you want to have a team with good academics, recruit decent students who will work hard," said Kehres. "Most of the time, when you recruit a good student, he stays a good student. And the coaches have less headaches."
The Purple Raiders' defensive coordinator is Vince (son of Larry) Kehres, who raves about Ferrara.
"When he came to us from Walsh, we had no idea that he'd be this good," said Vince Kehres. "He weighed maybe 160, really thin. But he just knew how to play, and he worked in the weight room. He's great in the classroom. He's what we want our team to be about."
A 6-foot junior defensive back listed at 190 pounds, Ferrara plays a major role in making sure the secondary is in proper position with the various defenses used by the Purple Raiders. Mount's defense is ranked No. 2 in Division III, despite returning only four players who started a year ago.
Vince Kehres praised Massillon Jackson product Lambert Budzinski, a 3.0 student who is a team captain and has 17 sacks. Medina Buckeye product Chaz Jordan, another 3.0 student, starts at cornerback.
"It's just easier to coach smart guys," said Vince Kehres. "They're accountable and reliable. They want to do the right things."
Larry Kehres said it's more than simply being smart in the classroom. Character and leadership are critical to Mount Union's incredible success -- which includes 10 Division III titles.
Star receiver Cecil Shorts is the son of a coach, a disciplined athlete and a charismatic personality who preaches the Purple Raider football gospel of discipline and waiting your turn to play.
"NFL teams have been coming to our practices and checking on Cecil," said Kehres. "I've been telling them that they'll get a young man from a great family who has never been a problem."
The Collinwood product has scored 13 touchdowns in the last four games -- an 80-yard kickoff return, a 54-yard punt return, a rushing touchdown and 10 touchdown receptions. The senior owns nearly every school receiving record. Kehres believes Shorts can be like Pierre Garcon, the Purple Raider product who plays for the Indianapolis Colts.
"I wouldn't be surprised if Cecil is drafted," said Kehres.
The coach then talked about Garcon, who came back to Mount Union in the last two summers to finish his degree.
"The last course he needed was geology," said Kehres. "He'll never be a geologist and he didn't exactly ace the course, but he passed it and got his degree. I tell people that if Pierre can play in the NFL and come back two summers to make sure he graduates, you'd better do your work, too."
To reach this Plain Dealer columnist: terrypluto2003@yahoo.com, 216-999-4674