COLUMBUS — Even though it was only minutes after their loss in Saturday’s state championship game,
Perrysburg’s coaches and players already were recalling fond memories of their dream season.
The pain of the Yellow Jackets’ 6-2 loss to Liberty Township Lakota East still was in the front of their
minds. PHOTO
GALLERY
Even more prominent in their minds was the team’s run to the title game, their 26-4 record and the fun
and camaraderie they shared along the way.
“The team, the team members, hotels, team bonding, everything,” senior Alec Schmenk said when asked what
he’d remember the most. “I loved it. It’s the best team I’ve ever been a part of.”
The Yellow Jackets finished one win shy of the state title and matching the school record for wins set in
1999 when they were 27-3. They played in the state tournament for the first time since 2003 when they
lost in the semifinals.
“I’ve been here before and you just treasure it,” said Perrysburg coach Dave Hall, who finished his 26th
season. “There’s a great group of kids who will rebound and they’ll be successful people in life.
“You get to this stage, it’s special and you have to enjoy it. They’ll go down as the best team in school
history.”
The Yellow Jackets played consistently well all season, taking advantage of excellent pitching and
defense, and timely hitting. They won the Northern Lakes League title and sectional, district and
regional championships.
But Perrysburg’s run to Columbus actually started in its final game of last season when it lost a 7-6
decision to Olmsted Falls in a regional final.
Eight seniors and nine lettermen in all returned from that team. From the start of this season, the
Yellow Jackets said they had unfinished business —meaning their goal was to win the regional and maybe
even a state title.
“They gave you everything they had every day, practices and games,” Hall said. “They love baseball and
they bought in to what we tried to do When they buy in to what you’re trying to do, it’s easy to coach
them. They don’t give up. You can’t ask for anything more out of your kids.”
Perrysburg’s tournament run to prep baseball’s showcase event included a 1-0 win over Ashland in a
district semifinal; a 4-2 come-from-behind win over arch-rival Anthony Wayne in a district final; a 1-0,
12-inning victory over St. John’s in a regional semifinal; and a 9-2 triumph over Strongsville in a
regional final.
That’s all before the Yellow Jackets’ unforgettable come-from-behind 4-3 victory over Willoughby South in
the state semifinals.
Perrysburg’s magic, however, fell one game short of the ultimate goal.
“Every game coming into this one has been tough. It’s all been great,” Schmenk said.
On and off the field, the coaches and players shared a close bond.
“We had a ton of fun,” Hall said. “The kids love to kid around. They understand stuff. They can take
kidding and gave it right back to you. They’re mature kids who are going to be successful in life and
that ultimately is the most important thing.”
Extra thick skin and a sharp wit were musts to hang around the Yellow Jackets on and off the field. Even
before the most important games of the season, the coaches and players were always enjoying themselves.

The core of the team was formed by the seniors, many of whom first became acquainted during travel
baseball as 9-year-olds. They hung out on and off the field, sharing the season with their best friends.

But the juniors, sophomores and freshmen fit in, too, creating a tight-knit team.
“This was a great team with a great bunch of guys,” senior Zach Kolvey said. “It’s been a fun season. The
seniors, the underclassmen, we all came together for a once in a lifetime opportunity. It’s something
we’ll always remember.”
“You want to win the last one, but a lot of other teams would trade places with us,” Hall said. “I’ve
waited my whole life to get to this game and I know how hard it is to get there. For these kids, it’s an
experience they’ll always remember.”