SHELBY — Nathan Bernhard didn’t need to be there. But Ashland’s All-Ohio quarterback couldn’t resist the urge to compete.

Bernhard, who verbally committed to Appalachian State late last month, was one of 117 high school football players at Shelby High School on Sunday for the first North Central Ohio Football Coaches Association spring combine.

The event attracted coaches and recruiters from about 20 colleges across Ohio and nearby states.

(Below are photos from the first North Central Ohio Football Coaches Association spring combine at Shelby High School.)

“You get to come out and compete with guys in the area. We all know each other and we get to play the game we love,” Bernhard said at the end of the two-hour showcase.

“These are guys we will play against during the season.”

The combine was free for rising junior and senior athletes from 25 area high schools. Players were put through traditional combine drills like the 40-yard dash, the pro-shuttle drill and the L drill before breaking into position groups.

Bernhard and Shelby quarterback Brayden DeVito, another Division I college recruit, drew a crowd as the quarterbacks threw routes to receivers and tight ends.

“I had a great time out here,” said DeVito, who is mulling offers from several Division I schools. “I got to throw with my guys for the first time going into the summer and we got to perform in front of some college coaches.

“It was just a great opportunity.”

Shelby coach and NCOFCA president Rob Mahaney was one of the driving forces behind the combine. He recruited coaches from several area schools to assist him.

“We wanted to give kids from north central Ohio a chance to come out and compete and show what they got,” Mahaney said. “When you look at Cleveland or Columbus, you see these kinds of events popping up. We wanted to have something for our kids. 

“The motivation behind it was to give our kids an opportunity they have never had in the past.”

Ashland coach Scott Valentine was among the area coaches there to help..

“Rob and the guys in charge of the NCOFCA have talked about doing something like this for a few years,” Valentine said. “For Rob to organize it and and provide the venue, it’s a great thing for all the kids in our area.”

Players are normally charged a fee to participate in events like the one in Shelby. 

“Some of the combines can be pricey and if you go to more than one, it can be expensive,” Valentine said. “To be able to offer this free of charge is big for area kids.”

This combine was what Mahaney hopes was the first of many.

“We’d like to continue to do it,” Mahaney said. “This was our first time we we’ll learn from it and hopefully find ways to tweak it and make it better.

“We had great coaches from our area help out and great kids. At the end of the day, those two things make for a successful event.”