The Marietta boys and Shenandoah ladies basketball groups got here collectively to honor assistant coach Ron Warner between video games at Sutton Gym on Jan. 17. Warner acquired the Legacy of Leadership Award after retiring from a 37-year educating profession. (Photo Provided)
MARIETTA — On the night time of March 4, because the Marietta High boys basketball crew was slicing down nets following a district remaining win over New Philadelphia, Ron Warner acquired a textual content.
“It was from my sister,” the Tigers assistant coach recalled.
When Warner learn the textual content, he discovered that the Shenandoah ladies basketball crew had defeated Federal Hocking to advance to the regional finals for the primary time in program historical past.
Why is that related? Well, as a result of Warner was additionally an assistant for the Zeps.
That’s proper — Warner was on the teaching workers for 2 applications who had historic seasons.
“It was a magical winter,” Warner mentioned. “Both of those teams jelled and worked together in such a great way. They gained confidence, they practiced hard, they were selfless — that’s the reason they were both so successful.”
The Marietta boys and Shenandoah ladies mixed for 45 wins this season, and Warner didn’t miss a sport for both crew till March 4, when each performed on the identical time.
“He did not miss anything for us,” mentioned Marietta head coach Austin Gardner. “Sometimes, once in a while, he’d have to dip out early from a shootaround or something like that. If he had a girls game to get to, he would ask me and I’d say ‘Go help the kids.’ He made the time. He made the commitment. It’s amazing how he was able to prioritize and manage everything.”
Warner, who coached at Marietta as an assistant from 1992 to 2000 after which turned head coach from 2000 to 2006, got here again to MHS when Gardner was employed in 2022. A shared imaginative and prescient for the game, and for all times, drew Warner to the workers.
“I hadn’t planned on coming back, but when I heard Austin speak in his interview, I remember getting in my vehicle,” Warner mentioned. “I said if he got the job, I would be willing to help. I felt his philosophies were very similar to mine. When he asked me to be an assistant, I said ‘I’m going to do it.’”
For Gardner, it was a no brainer.
“Coach (Ben) Howlett, coach (Jon) VanderWal and (former Marietta athletic director) Cody Venderlic all said I needed coach Warner on my staff,” Gardner mentioned. “That informed me all I wanted to know. I wanted somebody acquainted with the varsity, the world and somebody who had head teaching expertise — he checked all these packing containers.
“He knows the kids, knows the families. He has background knowledge about the community and the community members — all those things play a huge role in having a successful basketball program. Ron’s been around for a long time and his expertise is exactly what I needed. He is my right-hand man.”
Behind a battle-tested eight-man senior class, Marietta put collectively a powerful, 18-win common season earlier than grinding out a pair of event wins to get to the district finals, the place the Tigers put collectively one in all their finest all-around performances of the season towards the Quakers. The outcome was this system’s first district championship since 1977.
“This was an established team with a lot of seniors,” Warner mentioned.
Things had been somewhat completely different at Shenandoah. The Zeps had only one senior on this 12 months’s crew — second crew All-Ohioan Brenna Leach.
“When your lone senior takes in the younger players with open arms and everyone buys in, that’s what leads to a special year,” mentioned Warner, a Shenandoah High alum.
“Shenandoah has always supported me well and I really wanted to give back to them. (SHS head coach) Roman (Thompson) and (assistant coach) Lauren (Thompson) are my second cousins. It’s such a good community. There were times I caught myself looking up in the stands and seeing some of the same people that were up there when I played.”
For Warner, household elements into all the things. His mom taught within the Noble Local School District for 40 years. His first cousin, Don Johnson, is a Shenandoah superfan. Johnson and Leach would pose for photos after each sport this 12 months.
“It’s hard to put in words what that really meant,” Warner mentioned. “I feel like I definitely gained more than what I gave at Shenandoah.”
Roman Thompson may argue towards that. The Zeps boss, who grew up selecting Warner’s mind at household reunions, felt Warner was a serious contributor to Shenandoah’s success.
“He’s been there and he’s done it,” mentioned Thompson, who was a first-year head coach this winter.
“He’s so invaluable. What Ronnie does so well is defining what we’re not doing well and putting a plan in action to improve that area. He has a way of getting his point across and getting kids to understand. And more important than basketball, he’s just a man of great character.”
Warner retired from a 37-year educating profession in May. On Jan. 17, he acquired the Legacy of Leadership Award between the Marietta-Shenandoah ladies sport and the Marietta-Athens boys sport at Sutton Gym.
“I was very humbled,” Warner mentioned. “That meant a lot to me. My emotions were pretty extreme that day.”
What folks might not find out about Warner is that, along with his basketball duties at two completely different faculties, he additionally had a serious duty in his private life.
“My dad has dementia,” mentioned Warner, whose grandmother lately handed away at 103 years outdated. “I needed to coordinate once I was going to work three completely different schedules — when would I be with my dad in addition to what practices I may do. There had been instances the place I may do each practices between Marietta and Shenandoah, and there have been instances I may do elements of every body of one other. It was a whirlwind, however there have been so many blessings. Knowing my function and impression, my spouse, Suzan, made many sacrifices. My sister, Rhonda, and brother-in-law, John, added duties throughout the season. Austin supplied flexibility throughout practices.
“There was so much joy in seeing such a high level of development with both the players and coaching staffs. Both groups were selfless. It was truly a special year.”
Contact Jordan Holland at [email protected].