Shelby’s 12th man: Red and gray faithful helping fuel Whippets’ playoff run

SHELBY — Dozens of Shelby High School alumni decided to forego watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday.

Instead, about 100 or so former Whippet football players bundled up in layers, grabbed a cup of hot coffee and drove to the Whippet Athletic Complex to watch Shelby practice in the bitter cold and snow for 90 minutes.

Memories were shared along the sidelines among alumni and a few new relationships were made.

It was a perfect example of the passion which exists within Shelby’s program, one that dates to 1894. The next day the Whippets (14-0) clobbered Cincinnati Indian Hill 42-7 in the program’s second-ever Final Four appearence.

Shelby last played in the Final Four in 2017, but fell to Steubenville. This is the first-ever state title bid in program history.

Rob Mahaney, who has coached the Whippets to 67 wins since taking the helm in 2019, said the support of the Shelby community has been outstanding this season.

Despite a 120-mile trip from Shelby to Sidney Memorial Stadium for last week’s state semifinal, the stands were packed with red and gray.

“That is what is special about this community,” Mahaney said after last Friday’s win. “It’s awesome. I could not be more excited for these guys.

“We are very blessed to play in Shelby and to represent this community and its alumni. For us to come out (on Thanksgiving) and have all those guys watching was awesome. Our kids were still talking about it the next day,” he said.

Community is ‘part of the team,’ says Shelby senior

Shelby senior Carter Kessler, a West Virginia commit, described the community as “part of the team.”

“They travel and every single game they have our backs. Even on the bad plays they are cheering and it is just great to have another family behind our backs to support us,” Kessler said. “It’s a great feeling to have supporters like ours.”

Fellow senior Brayden DeVito, a finalist for Ohio’s Mr. Football Award, said the program’s tradition is on full display in the stands each time the Whippets take the field.

“The way Shelby rallies behind us, how can you not play hard for these guys?” DeVito said.

Shelby City Schools organized a districtwide pep rally ahead of the Whippets’ Final Four game against Indian Hill — another is planned for Thursday morning.

District staff and students will then line Championship Drive to send the team on its way to Canton. Shelby is traveling Thursday since the Whippets play in the morning slot Friday.

“It’s going to be an awesome experience for our kids. It’s something you dream about,” Mahaney said last week. “Our guys get to live that dream out. It’s pretty exciting.”

Top-seeded Shelby will play Glenville (11-3) in the Division IV state championship on Friday at 10:30 a.m. in Canton’s Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.