Red Trautman Coached the Redmen and Buckeyes
August 25, 1996, article two

PIX#1 - This is a replica of the new scoreboard that the Fostoria Athletic Boosters purchased for

Memorial Stadium. The state-of-the-art scoreboard will have spots for local advertisments and a message board. The work on the scoreboard is complete and it should be in operation for Fostoria High School’s season opener against Tiffin Columbian August 30.

PIX#2 - Fostoria High School Football. Members of the 1996 football team include front row (l to r): Shaun Ponn, Ryan Freshour, Jason Lewis, Leo Frierson, Richard Newsome, Malcolm Robinson, Ted Jagucki, Chris Sutton, Mike Doogs and Jeremy Young. Second row (l to r): Chad Howard, Chris Hall, Anthony Sewell, Josh Leiter, Ryan Williams, Eli Haughawout, Wendell Young, Chuck Hutchen, Eric Howard and Jermond McBeth. Third row (l to r): Zeb Wedge, Mike Seel, Cory Echelberry, Mike Burke, Duane Stewart, Jason Rhubright, Orlando Barrientes, Augie Bernal, Cydell Smith, Tom Cunningham and Joe Kracher. Fourth row (l to r): Brian Steward, Tony Agapiou, Dan Beasley, Nate Podach, Cory Freshour, Greg Fleming, Ryan Gerritsen, and Lenny Frias. Fifth row (l to r): head coach Dick Kidwell, John Tinsman, Josh Goddard, Derek Kidwell, Jason Peters, Tom Grine, Dwayne Hairston, Jose Hernandez, Brad Burrows, and Bob Feisel.
(Note: This picture appeared on the box of wheaties,” the breakfast of champions”- winning the Ohio State Football Championship Division II in 1996.)

Red Trautman Coached the Redmen and Buckeyes

“Winning isn’t everything. It’s the only thing.” Attributed to Vince Lombardi, fabled football coach of the Green Bay Packers.

There was no coach more fiercely dedicated to winning than Vince Lombardi. But winning wasn’t the only thing Lombardi did. As successful as he was, his teams occasionally suffered “the agony of defeat.”

But Fostoria High School once had a coach whose brow was never furrowed in defeat. This coach never lost a game. In fact, he never failed to win a state title. And one season he even won the high school championship of two states (well, sort of).

On August 31, 1914 FHS Faculty Manager W. Ross Ash announced that Bucyrus native and Ohio State graduate George “Red” Trautman would guide the fortunes of the local gridiron crew.

Coach Trautman arrived in Fostoria on Sept. 1 to begin preparations for the Sept 26 opener against Bluffton. After two weeks of practice, the new pigskin professor held the team’s first scrimmage. Afterwards he pronounced himself pleased. He said that his boys would compensate for their lack of size with fast and aggressive play - and, boy, would they ever.

Red Trautman was proving popular with his players. He was dedicated to improving each player on the team and worked as hard with the second teamers and bench warmers as he did with the front line men.

That was heady coaching both in the morale department and in the win-loss column. Red would lose his starting quarterback and center briefly with injuries. The subs stepped in and the squad never missed a beat.

Shortly after noon on Saturday Sept. 26, Red and his boys boarded the Toledo, Fostoria & Findlay interurban for the first leg of the trip to Bluffton and the 3:15 kickoff. The new coach won the admiration of the Red and Black faithful right off the bat as FHS demolished Bluffton, 48-0. The Fostoria Daily-Review chalked up the decisive victory to “superior coaching and aggressive tactics.”

Not one to rest on his laurels, Red headed for the Sandusky-Port Clinton game later that weekend to scout Sandusky. When the Sandusky coach learned Red was in the stands, he pulled his first team for the entire second half. Sandusky still won, 114-0.

Before the home opener Red and Ross Ash came up with a 25 cent season ticket for pupils in grades 1-6 on the theory that this would reduce the incentive to sneak into the games. They felt that if you start kids off on the right track, they’ll be more apt to stay there.

Sandusky’s attempt to hide its talent availed them not in the FHS home opener. FHS 40,Sandusky 0. Trautman made liberal use of his bench in the fourth quarter, giving them a chance to showcase the skills he taught them in practice.

During practice for the Marion game, Red took over the QB spot personally during “signal practice” (practicing plays with no defense on the field). The coach noted that a touchdown was scored on every play. It was a good practice as Marion fell 67-0.

During pre-game warmups for Bucyrus, Red drop kicked a 25 year field goal. The Red and Black didn’t need Red’s boot, though. FHS plastered Bucyrus, 106-0, in a remarkable rout. Trautman received a note from the scorekeeper. “Call ‘em off! I’m running out of chalk!”

Tragedy struck in the next game. At 2:35 p.m. October 24, 1914. Bowling Green scored a TD, the first time the stone wall FHS defense had yielded a tally all season. Not too much of a tragedy, though as FHS rolled, 35-6.

Oct. 31 saw 1,000 fans turn out for “The Big Football Game” with powerhouse Ada for the championship of Northwest, Oho. After a scoreless first half, FHS romped, 41-0.

Prior to the Shelby game, Red and the team wrapped footballs for the Christmas ship that was delivering gifts to Americans serving in Europe now that World War I had begun even though the U.S. was not in the fighting yet.

Shelby fell, 35-0 and Akron was dispatch 39-7. Then Trautman played an old coaches’ game. The fans want FHS to run up a big score on Tiffin. Lorain had whomped Tiffin 69-7 and stood in the way of FHS being named state champs (no tournament back then). But Red said his center was injured and with an inexperienced sub, he could only bravely hope his squad might manage 30 points. Final tally, FHS 112, Tiffin 3. Old Red was a sly dog.

On Sunday Nov. 22, Red took the squad to First Presbyterian Church en masse where Rev. Pires gave the lads a sermon urging them to strive for the development and enlargement of character, self-reliance, bravery, vision and proper spirit.”

On Thanksgiving Day the best of Michigan, Ann Arbor HS, came to town. Fostoria was gracious and hospitable to the out-of-staters. The Ann Arbor coach said it was the “best treatment we’ve ever received” at an away game. The hospitality didn’t extend to the gridiron, though. FHS 25, Ann Arbor 0.

Red Trautman’s first season ended with a record of 10-0-0 and the championship of Ohio (and Michigan). He was roundly cheered for his “efficient work” and “companionship” with his players. His squad outscored the opposition 548-16.

Red got 1915 underway with wins over Lima 13-0, Bellevue 88-7 and Akron 33-7.

The fourth game was at Red’s home town of Bucyrus. Posters around Bucyrus billed the contest as a game between Bucyrus HS and “Red’s Team,” as he was still well-known and like there. Mighty FHS rolled again, 88-0.

On the drive to the game, Red’s car blew a tire. The coach was known for his “proper”language. It was widely reported, however, that Red’s propriety fell flat and that he spared no terminology, regardless of how colorful or descriptive to convey his deflated feelings.

Due to a scheduling snafu in Defiance, that game was canceled. Fostoria licked Mansfield, 26-0. Prior to the game fullback “Pudge” Johnson wrote a poem. Part of it went like this.

Coach Trautman is working hard these days
To better our defense and perfect our plays.

The only blemish on the Trautman transcript came as a determined Columbus bunch held Fostoria to a 0-0 tie even though FHS had the ball well over half the game.

Before the Sandusky game Red was walking around town with a swollen nose. He was swimming at the YMCA and came out the worse after going one on one with the side of the pool. Nonetheless, Sandusky fell 16-0 and the next week FHS bested Mt. Vernon 21-0.

FHS would play Wellston on Thanksgiving Day. Several days before the game Coach Trautman announced he was resigning to take up coaching duties at Ohio State University. As he led Fostoria onto the field for the final time, he received a rousing ovation. FHS nipped Wellston, 13-7, and gained another state title. The Fostoria Daily-Review looked back on the success of 1915 and said, “All this is in a great measure due to the influence and good instruction of Coach Trautman. He has been a great favorite with the boys under him and with the many friends he has made during his stay here.”

At a YMCA banquet in his honor, Red told his audience he was sad to be leaving Fostoria. He stressed the importance of team loyalty and determination.

He said, “The team or man that is down and can come back is the team or man that is worthwhile.”

Star halfback and future OSU All-American Pete Stichcomb, along with other speakers, credited the team’s success to the departing coach. On that note George Red Trautman left Fostoria after two undefeated state title campaigns.

But it wasn’t the end of his association with Fostoria’s sporting life. Twenty-one years later Red assumed the post of president of the American Association, one of the minor league baseball’s top leagues.

1936 was also the year that the Class D Fostoria Redbirds made their baseball debut i the Ohio State League. On Feb. 5, 1936 the Pontiac Club sponsored a banquet at St. Wendelin’s gym to drum up support for the new franchise and to honor Trautman, who would be the main speaker.

In his letter accepting the invitation to come to Fostoria, Red wrote, “I very much appreciate the content of your letter informing me that my good friends in Fostoria desire to pay tribute to one who has nothing but the kindest feelings toward the community that was very good to him a good many years ago.”

At the banquet Trautman said that Fostoria “was good to me and again it has done another fine thing by asking me back for this fine dinner and testimonial.”

Wielding his influence as American Assn. prexy, Red was instrumental in helping the Redbirds secure players until Fostoria became a St. Louis Cardinal farm club. Trautman presided over the A.A. through the 1945 season.

Lots of coaches say “winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” But when George Red Trautman coached Fostoria High School, winning really was the only thing and he did it on and off the football field.

FHS Football Highlights

The following are some little known facts about Fostoria High School football.

* The Redmen have captured nine state championships. Mythical titles in 1902, 1906, 1907, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1914, and 1915 and the Division II state playoff championship in 1991.

* FHS was named the National Champions by the Boston Transcript newspaper and opponents of the 1903 and 1912 teams never crossed the goal line.

* The most points scored in one game by the Redmen was 131 against Crestline in 1912.

* The National Champion 1912 Redmen squad outscored their opponents a whopping 596-0.

* Former University of Toledo running back Casey McBeth holds the FHS all-time career rushing record with 4,280 yards.

* McBeth played a key role for the Redmen from 1986 through 1989.