McKinley High School (Canton, Ohio)

History

The original McKinley building on Market Avenue North was opened on March 27, 1918. The students of Central High School and North High School were moved to the new building. The school was named for President William McKinley (whose home was across the street from McKinley High School) and his sister, Anna McKinley, who taught in the Canton Public Schools for 30 years. When it opened, it was the only high school in Canton. By 1943, it was one of four high schools, as enrollment in the city schools dictated Lehman High School, Lincoln High School, and Timken Vocational High School be opened.

McKinley High School's enrollment peaked in the 1935–36 school year with 4,000 students attending. As the city of Canton's population declined, so did city school enrollment. In the spring of 1976, the Canton City Schools closed all four high schools in the city. Lehman and Lincoln reverted to junior high schools, and Timken Senior High School and McKinley Senior High School were their replacements. McKinley Senior opened in a new building on the site of Fawcett Stadium.

On February 25, 2015, Canton City Schools approved the "one community, one school" initiative by merging Timken High School into McKinley High School (also known as the pre-mentioned Early College High School), giving Canton a single high school for the first time since 1937. Freshmen of the merged schools will attend the Freshmen Academy located at the current Timken High School, while grades 10–12 attend the senior high school located at the current McKinley building. The remaining high school will retain the McKinley name, mascot, colors, and Athletic records.

On May 24, 2021, head football coach Marcus Wattley allegedly forced an unnamed 17-year-old football team member to eat a pizza made with pork, although the student's religious beliefs prohibited him from consuming pork or pork residue. The Canton City School District announced that the head coach had been suspended, and later that he had been fired. Wattley's Twitter account was then deleted soon after.

Athletics

McKinley competes in the Federal League, one of the oldest athletic conferences in Ohio founded in 1964.

State Championships

• Football – 1981, 1997, 1998 (National Champions – 1934, 1997)
• Boys' Swimming – 1937, 1939, 1940, 1945, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961
• Boys' Basketball – 1984, 2005, 2006
• Boys' Golf – 1943
• Boys' Track and Field – 1997
• Boys' Baseball – 1937, 1939
• Girls' Volleyball – 1983, 1987, 1991
• Girls Basketball – 2010

Football

Canton McKinley is 10th in the nation in football wins all-time, with 873 as of December 2023. McKinley is also second in Ohio in win totals. McKinley has won 12 State Titles and 2 National Titles. Since the playoff format began, McKinley has won three State Titles, in 1981, 1997, and 1998. They have been State Runner-Up three times in 1977, 1985, and 2004.

McKinley plays at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium (formerly Fawcett Stadium), which seats over 22,500 fans. The stadium, part of Hall of Fame Village, is also home to the NFL's annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game.

McKinley–Massillon rivalry

The Canton McKinley vs. Massillon Washington rivalry is the 13th most played rivalry in the nation, with 129 meetings between the schools. The rivalry is also tied for the nation's 14th oldest, dating back to 1894 and was profiled in the November 14, 1994 issue of Sports Illustrated. The Great American Rivalry Series which features the nation's top high school football rivalries has highlighted the rivalry 11 times since 2006.

Notable football alumni

Famous Bulldogs include Percy Snow, Kenny Peterson, Marion Motley, Wayne Fontes, Ray Ellis, Jamar Martin, the late Pro Bowl linebacker John Grimsley, Mike Doss, Reggie Corner and Josh McDaniels (Former Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach, former New England Patriots Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks coach, former Denver Broncos Head Coach). Famous former coaches include Don Nehlen (West Virginia) and Ben Schwartzwalder (Syracuse).

Basketball

McKinley has won three State Championships in 1983–84, 2004–05, and 2005–2006. They have been State Runners-Up eight times, and hold Ohio records for most appearances in the Championship game (11), Final Four appearances (23), and Sweet Sixteen appearances (48). McKinley has had several players move on to the NBA, including Nick Weatherspoon, Phil Hubbard, Gary Grant, Eric Snow, Michael Hawkins, and Keith McLeod.

Notable alumni

• James B. Allardice – Emmy award-winning writer
• Mother Angelica – television personality and founder of the Eternal Word Television Network
• Kierstan Bell – basketball player for the Las Vegas Aces
• Matt Bors – editorial cartoonist and editor of online comics publication The Nib
• Brannon Braga – creator, writer, and producer of several Star Trek films and television series
• Hal Broda – All-American football player; NFL player for the 1927 Cleveland Bulldogs
• Dwayne Broyles – former professional basketball player (EuroLeague)
• Kimberlé Crenshaw – legal theorist, Fulbright Scholar, and professor
• Frank DeVol – musician, composer, and actor; five-time Academy Award and Emmy Award nominee
• Mike Doss – All-American football player; NFL player for the Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings, and Cincinnati Bengals
• Jack Dugger – All-American football player
• Kerwin Ray Ellis – former NFL player for the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles
• Tyler Everett – American football player for the Chicago Bears
• Harold Fannin Jr. – consensus All-American college football tight end at Bowling Green State University
• Ralph Fife – All-American football player for the Chicago Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers
• Randall Craig Fleischer – philharmonic conductor
• Wayne Fontes – Detroit Lions head coach (1988–1996)
• Cassietta George – Grammy-nominated gospel vocalist
• Wayne Gift – American football player
• Gary Grant – former NBA player for the Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, and Portland Trail Blazers; University of Michigan all-time assists leader
• John Grimsley – American football player for the Miami Dolphins and Houston Oilers
• Antonio Hall – CFL player for the Edmonton Eskimos
• Ralph Hay – former owner of the Canton Bulldogs; helped form the American Professional Football Association (now the NFL)
• William J. Healy II – former mayor of Canton, Ohio; member of the Ohio House of Representatives for the 52nd district
• Matt Hoopes – guitarist for the band Relient K
• Phil Hubbard – former NBA player for the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers (1979–1989); current assistant coach for the Washington Wizards
• Dick Kempthorn – University of Michigan football MVP and three-time college All-Star; USAF pilot awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
• Reuben Klamer – inventor of The Game of Life; inductee of the National Toy Hall of Fame
• Jamar Martin – former NFL fullback for the Dallas Cowboys
• Ben McDaniels – offensive quality control coach for the Chicago Bears
• Josh McDaniels – former head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos
• Keith McLeod – professional basketball player
• Rip Miller – member of Notre Dame's "Seven Mules"; Navy Midshipmen football head coach; College Football Hall of Fame inductee
• Raymar Morgan – professional basketball player for Barak Netanya in Israel
• Marion Motley – Pro Football Hall of Fame player for the Cleveland Browns
• The O'Jays – R&B group; inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005
• Kenny Peterson – American football player for the Denver Broncos
• Garland Rivers – All-American football player for Michigan Wolverines football; NFL player for the Chicago Bears
• Nick Roman – American football player
• John Alfred Scali – ABC News correspondent; U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
• Don Scott – two-time All-American football player at Ohio State University; ninth overall selection in the 1941 NFL draft
• Robert Sedlock – American football player for the Buffalo Bills
• George Sharrock – mayor of Anchorage, Alaska (1961–1964)
• Eric Snow – basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers
• Percy Snow – former NFL linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Chicago Bears
• Harry Steel – Olympic Gold Medal-winning heavyweight wrestler at the 1924 Paris games
• Blanche Thebom – operatic mezzo-soprano with the New York Metropolitan Opera
• Nick Weatherspoon – All-American basketball player at the University of Illinois; nine-year NBA player
• Frank A. Zazula – head football coach at the University of North Dakota

Notable staff

• Jim Aiken – Coach: Head football and basketball; would go on to coach at the University of Akron, University of Nevada, Reno, and University of Oregon
• Paul Bixler – Coach: Head basketball, assistant football; would go on to coach at Ohio State and Colgate; Director of Player Personnel for the NFL Cleveland Browns
• Ron Chismar – Coach: Head football; would go on to coach at Wichita State University
• Len Fontes – Coach: Asst. football; would go on to coach NFL defensive backs.
• Harry Hazlett – Coach: Head football and basketball; Head coach of the Pro Canton Bulldogs; during World War II was a Major General and commanded the 86th Infantry Division
• Dewey King – Coach: Asst. football; became head football coach at San Jose State, Wheaton College (Illinois), and AD at Carroll University (Wisconsin)
• Harry March – Coach: Head football; involved in Pro Football, President of American Football League (1936), co-founder and administrator for the NFL New York Giants
• Thom McDaniels – Coach: Head football; USA Today 1997 High School Coach of the Year
• Don Nehlen – Coach: Head football; became head football coach at West Virginia University, College Football Hall of Fame inductee
• Dwight Peabody – Coach: Head football; early NFL player with the Columbus Panhandles and Toledo Maroons
• Bob Rupert – Coach: Head basketball; became head basketball coach at the University of Akron
• Ben Schwartzwalder – Coach: Head football; became head football coach at Syracuse University, College Football Hall of Fame inductee

Gallery

Image:Sarah Palin McKinley High.JPG|Sarah Palin speaks at McKinley High School Image:Gwil3.jpg|Gretchen Wilson performs at McKinley High School

References

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