Rewriting history: Shelby claims 4th straight outright MOAC title

SHELBY — The Whippets had themselves a night Friday.

Whoever is tasked with updating the program record books has a few updates to make. Highlighted by a 42-7 win over Marion Harding, Shelby claimed its fourth straight outright Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference championship in Week 10.

The Whippets (10-0) have earned seven MOAC titles in the past eight seasons under coach Rob Mahaney. But that’s not all.

The convincing win also gave Shelby its third consecutive undefeated regular season, also a new program best. The Whippets are currently riding a 33-regular season game winning streak and have gone 46-5 over the past four seasons.

Shelby’s seniors have only experienced two regular-season losses, coming in Weeks 3 and 7 of their freshman year.

Photos by Hayden Gray

Mahaney said the senior class has put in the work to earn what they’ve accomplished. It also includes a mix of three-year starters and seniors who have waited for their turn to make an impact at the varsity level, he said.

“I’m just so proud of these seniors and what they did,” he said. “It’s a full-circle moment for me in a lot of ways. Some of these (seniors), I started (coaching) with (their brothers).

“To get here eight years later and see what these kids did, I’m just really proud of these guys and I don’t want to take it for granted.

“To have three 10-0 seasons in a row, the amount of high school football players that can say that has got to be really small.”

A perfect regular season didn’t come without some adversity for the Whippets, who were without their starting senior quarterback Michael Shepherd for multiple weeks due to illness. Other starters have missed time this season. too.

Shepherd completed 10-of-15 passses for 228 yards and one TD. On the ground the senior ran for 52 yards and two more scores.

“Now we’re starting to gel. We’ve battled the conditions and ourselves,” Mahaney said. “We still can’t get (out of our own way) with penalties, but things continue to grow and I’m really proud of this and excited now to take the bye week and start a new journey coming up here.”

Shelby will learn what’s ahead in the postseason when playoff pairings are released Sunday.

Brady Bowman climbs all-time career receiving yards list

If those statistics weren’t staggering enough, senior Brady Bowman set some history of his own. Entering Week 10 only 37 yards shy of 4,000 career receiving yards, Bowman took care of business.

The record-setting standout caught 7 passes for 151 yards and one score Friday night, bumping his career receiving yards total to 4,114 yards — which now places Bowman in eighth place on the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s all-time career receiving yards list.

“It’s just an unreal feeling to be on the list of all-time great receivers,” Bowman said.

The majority of those 4,000-plus yards have come over the course of just three seasons. Bowman was not a starting varsity receiver his freshman year on a Shelby team loaded with talent at that position.

But those yards don’t just accumulate by coincedence.

“It’s more than what people see (on Friday nights), outside of here putting in the work when no one else is,” Bowman said.

Mahaney highlighted Bowman’s level of commitment. Beyond offense, he also plays every snap defensively at defensive back.

“You can see it. The flash, the explosiveness, even when he was in middle school and coming up his freshman year you could see it,” the coach said. “He’s just become so steady.

“Really, the last two years, (Bowman’s) done it a lot, production wise, without a No. 2 receiver really next to him. We know that he’s going to get the ball, he’s the guy that we’re going to try to scheme open, we’re going to try to do those things and he’s won.”

Bowman’s biggest growht area is his understanding of the offense. He said he can feel the trust his coaches place in him.

Older brother Blaine Bowman was another record-setting Shelby receiver.

“I always looked up to him and wanted to be like him,” Bowman said. “He’s always helped me and supported me throughout everything.”

Blaine Bowman caught passes from Marshall Shepherd, older brother of current Shelby quarterback Michael Shepherd.

The younger brothers have now solidified their own connection among Shelby’s greats.

“To get to catch passes from my best friend and my brother from his best friend too, it’s just truly awesome,” Brady Bowman said.

Below are stats from Friday’s game between Shelby and Marion Harding, courtesy of Marc Hartz.