To commemorate the fairy-tale ending of Norwayne High School’s 2011 football season, which saw the team take the Division IV State Championship, the Wayne County commissioners honored the players and coaches with a Proclamation of Congratulations during their Jan. 11 session.

“The Norwayne High School football team finished this triumphant season with a record-breaking 48-42 win in front of 10,329 fans at the Paul Brown Tiger Stadium for the Division IV State Championship on Saturday, Dec. 4, 2011,” read Commissioner Scott Wiggam.

“During this gut-wrenching, awe-inspiring and thrilling game, fans were able to witness six touchdowns in the last quarter of the game, four of the touchdowns being in the final four minutes and 21 seconds of the game, and the last touchdown being in the very last seconds of the game,” Wiggam added, before extending the commissioners’ “congratulations to a most worthy football team, including both coaching staff and players, for the success that they have attained during the 2011 football season.”

In addition to recognizing head coach Joe Harbour and coaching staff members Jude LaChance, Adam Indorf, Vince Sette, Bob Young and Jeff Daso “for an exemplary job in leading a fine group of talented athletes to this great success in their lives,” the commissioner also commended the members of the team “for the dedication, hard work, athleticism and character that they displayed throughout this past football season.”

On hand to accept the proclamation on behalf of the team were Harbour, Norwayne Local Schools Superintendent Larry Acker and Doug Zimmerly, Norwayne High School principal.

When asked by Commissioner Jim Carmichael whether Norwayne’s state championship was one of the highlights of his long career, Acker responded “without question,” adding that a state championship football season “is special in any community in any county.”

For the staff of the Norwayne Local School District, it’s important to emphasize the word “student” in the phrase “student athlete.”

According to Acker, throughout the entire process the district’s goal was to maintain focus on the fact that “our school district, at the core of its operations, is education based programs” and noted that the district has received an Excellent rating for eight consecutive years on the state report card.

Acker presented the commissioners with a package of materials prepared by the district the week after the championship game, which included an open letter to the community from Acker and Zimmerly expressing the district’s appreciation for the support the team received during its playoff run.

In the letter Acker and Zimmerly noted that “at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium in Massillon, the whole state of Ohio and beyond had the opportunity to witness the unique and special qualities of a special group of young men, student-athletes, in action.

“We continually remind our coaches/staff and students that the lessons taught in the classroom never end but rather extend onto the field of play and the game of life,” the letter continued.

“The game plan to be followed, if you will, is Academics (play by the rules, know and outthink your opponent), Citizenship (courtesy with respect and mental/physical toughness), Leadership (prepare-step up to the challenge with confidence), Sportsmanship (fair play-be tough and be respectful) and Ethics and Integrity (always practice dignity and forever be humble in victory).”

The letter went on to thank the Norwayne community and all of Wayne County for “making Norwayne’s state football playoff run a quality educational championship experience.”

“It is just great to honor a team with such character and such a good example to uphold for all of Wayne County,” said Commissioner Ann Obrecht, adding, “we appreciate all that you have done for your students.”