Skill level increases as sport expands:
27 area teams play at high-school level

As seen in Columbus Dispatch
Saturday, February 04, 2006

Craig Merz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

By Mike Munden | Columbus Dispatch Worthington Kilbourne’s Cannon Caswell tracks Cincinnati Moeller’s Vincent Cantino during a recent high-school ice hockey game at the Chiller North.

There was a time when a student could not only play for a high-school hockey team in the area without previous experience but be a major contributor.

Those examples are dwindling as the number of youth programs and hockey rinks increases, resulting in a rise in talent.

"There’s always an opportunity for a kid to come in, play (junior varsity) for a year or two and, if he works hard enough, absolutely make it," Dublin Scioto coach Joe Tonello said.

The chances of a novice stepping directly onto the varsity are diminishing as the quantity and quality of players improves.

"The talent in the area is definitely growing," St. Charles goalie Kyle Ray said.

As are the number of highschool teams in central Ohio. At the turn of the century, Thomas Worthington and Worthington Kilbourne joined Upper Arlington (established 1972) as the only local Ohio High School Athletic Association-sanctioned varsity hockey programs.

Now they are among eight members of the 3-year-old Capital Hockey Conference. There are also 12 teams in the league’s junior-varsity division. Add the seven teams in the Greater Columbus High School Club Hockey League (not eligible for the OHSAA championship) and there are 27 area squads playing at the highschool level.

Ohio has 78 varsity hockey programs.

"The opportunities here for kids is unbelievable with all new facilities," Upper Arlington coach Jay Graham said.

The former Ohio State defenseman (1990-93) developed in the Capital Amateur Hockey Association at a time when the OSU Ice Rink was the only sheet of ice in town. There are 10 today.

The since-departed Columbus Chill of the East Coast Hockey League contributed to the hockey boom when it opened the Dublin Chiller in 1993. Hockey really started to grow when Columbus was awarded an NHL franchise, playing its first game in October 2000.

"Since the Blue Jackets, youth hockey has become really big. It will show in the next couple of years," St. Charles forward James Bush said.

There is still a gap between the Columbus schools and the hockey strongholds in northwest and northeast Ohio.

St. Charles coach J.D. Kershaw said the top Cleveland teams have six or seven quality players while local teams may have only two. Cleveland-area teams have played for the state championship the past six years.

Most of the top high-school age players in Columbus will join junior teams such the Ohio Blue Jackets because of better competition.

"The team is the best in the state," Ray said. "Columbus has some of the best talent but not in the high-school league. That can change in the future."

Also working against the addition of more varsity teams is the very factor that has made hockey develop: growth. As the suburbs get larger, the talent pool for each school gets smaller.

"Olentangy was close (to being varsity) until they built a second high school," Kershaw said.

Olentangy has a junior varsity team in the Capital Hockey Conference and a team in the Greater Columbus High School Club Hockey League.

The three Westerville high schools combine to form the Westerville Warcats club team. Meanwhile, Dublin fields varsity squads for all three of its high schools.

"Each has one or two good lines," Tonello said. "If you had one team from Dublin it would be a helluva team."