Football: Ben Schall excited to guide Grove City Christian Eagles
Longtime assistant football coach Ben Schall knew the timing was right when he applied for the vacant Grove City Christian head-coaching position.
Schall was introduced as the new coach of the Eagles on Jan. 20 during a meeting with players and parents. He accepted the position on his 54th birthday Jan. 12.
After serving as an assistant at Dublin Scioto, Grove City and Hamilton Township, Schall is looking forward to his first opportunity as a head coach.
“I had never applied for a head-coaching (football) position,” Schall said. “I knew this was the place. It was one of those things that was in the back of my mind. I always had this dream. ... If I was ever a head coach, I wanted to be a head coach of a small school where you could really influence the culture and you could influence the whole school.”
Athletics director Brian Leland said the school received interest from several applicants.
“We had a lot of good candidates and I was excited because I knew we were going to get somebody good,” Leland said. “With interviewing Ben, it’s his passion that really stood out – his passion for football and passion for his players.”
Junior Jimmy Suhayda, who missed most of last season with a left knee injury, is looking forward to playing for Schall.
“It’s going to be a really good opportunity,” said Suhayda, who plays tight end, fullback and linebacker. “It seems like he’s going to be a great coach and I’m excited to play for him. He has a lot of energy and enthusiasm.
“It seems like he’s starting to make good relationships with the team. ... We both agree that if you do things the right way then (success) will take care of itself. We’re thinking that we’ll see some turnaround.”
Schall replaces Hank Patterson, who went 15-30 in five seasons.
“I’m very high energy and I try to be really positive,” Schall said. “I’m very enthusiastic. I’m hoping that is contagious and that enthusiasm rubs off on them a little bit.”
Schall is a drawing, painting and AP art teacher at Scioto. He graduated from Logan Elm in 1986 and attended Capital University, where he played football and majored in art education. He is a resident of Grove City and is a former coach in Grove City Christian’s youth football program.
“He’s somebody who understands the community,” Leland said. “He’s familiar with the program and the school. That’s definitely a benefit for him.”
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@ThisWeekFrank
This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Football: Ben Schall named coach at Grove City Christian
