A member of their last state title team in 2006, Josh Werling guided St. Henry to the 2025 Division VII title in his second season as head coach. (Press Pros Feature Photos)
In two short years Josh Werling has brought winning football in St. Henry back to the state’s biggest stage. And his guiding the Redskins to their seventh state title garners him COTY honors from Press Pros.
In a year that begs comparison for Coach of The Year honors in area football, the candidates are plentiful.
In Tipp City Matt Burgbacher took the Red Devils another step closer to school history before losing to eventual Div. III champion Watterson in the state semi-final.
Anna’s Nick Marino took a youthful group of Rockets four rounds deep in the playoffs, amassing a surprising 10-4 record in Division VI.
Tri-Village coach Matt Hopkins guided the Patriots, known normally as a basketball school, to a new identity, an 11-1 record, and the #1 seed in Division VI, Region 24.
Lehman coach Dwane Rowley made a case for the Div. VII Cavaliers’ 10-2 record before falling to Marion Local in the regional round of the tournament.
Coldwater’s Chip Otten fought injuries and inexperience at key positions throughout the year to finish 10-5 and a berth in the state semi-final game.
And yes, Tim Goodwin, might have delivered his best coaching performance after fifteen state titles, guiding a young and completely revamped Marion Local team to a 12-1 record and a 76-game winning streak before ultimately losing to St. Henry in the regional final game.
But when it was all done last weekend in Canton…the name and the record that stood above the rest belonged to St. Henry’s Josh Werling, and his 14-1 Redskins…a group that ran the table after a Week 3 loss to Marion Local to capture the school’s seventh overall state champions in football with a commanding 37-3 win over Jeromesville Hillsdale.
“It’s a tribute to the players’ commitment, starting back last December. That’s all a coach can ask for.” – Josh Werling
“It’s really a tribute to our kids, our seniors, and our community,” said Werling. “This is about the players’ commitment, starting back last December when we got in the weight room and decided we were going to be different.
“I couldn’t be more proud. That kind of commitment is all a coach can ask for.”
And it’s all the community of St. Henry could have asked for, success-hungry and accustomed to a high level of achievement in football since 2006 when then coach Jeff Starkey had led the Redskins to their last title…nineteen seasons ago!
Prior to Starkey and his two titles in 2004 and ’06, Tim Boeckman had won four titles during the decade of the 90s, setting the stage for state-wide recognition of the program and a pedigree that included names like Jeff Hartings, Jim Lachey, Bob Hoying, and Todd Boeckman.
So it’s understandable that Werling’s greatest accomplishment in 2025 might have been that of meeting the expectations. The Redskins opened the year as a team with experience, talent, and an All-State candidate performer at quarterback in senior Charlie Werling. To whom much is given…much was required, the saying goes. Werling didn’t disappoint.
“I think the thing that stands out is his relationship with his players,” said the four-time-title coach Tim Boeckman. “His communication skills are so good and they enjoy playing for him.”
“Throughout the year we’ve always been who we are,” added quarterback Charlie Werling. “Credit to our coaches for drawing up schemes and executing them.”
“Commitment was never a problem for him,” adds Jeff Starkey. “He’s never been afraid to invest in himself, and how many times have you seen teams take on the characteristics of the head coach? If they’re like Josh they were going to be tough.”
It was an exciting weekend in St. Henry, and with a talented core returning and a growing feeder program in the wings, it bodes well for continued football excitement in the future for the Redskins. One might believe that it won’t be another nineteen years.
With our congratulations, and well-deserved recognition , St. Henry’s Josh Werling is our 2025 Area Coach of The Year in football.
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