VIENNA, Ohio — “It’s the greatest thing in the world to have something to do on Friday nights like High School football,” said Mathews High School Head Football Coach Bill Bohren.
Bohren knows a thing or two about leading a team on the field for under the Friday Night Lights.
The Mahoning Valley legend is in his 56th season as a coach and five wins away from 300, but that’s not why the 87 year old took the job at Mathews this past winter.
“I’ve had people ask me, ‘Are you looking for five more wins?’ The answer’s no. I want to enjoy five wins for our kids more than five wins for me. And another thing: It’s just as enjoyable to win now as it was when I won 200,” said Bohren.
Bohren has 30 on the roster this year, and 15 are freshmen.
He said the ground game will be key to the Mustangs’ success.
He credits his staff and many long-time assistants who’ve followed him across the Mahoning Valley over the years. Coaches echo that sentiment.
“He runs the show, and what Bill is great at is communicating what he knows — not only to the kids but to coaches as well. But he’s still a guy that you’ll see him at the end of the game talking to the opposing coach and I’ve always asked him over the years, ‘What were you guys talking about?’ Well, I was asking him how he ran this certain play because it was so good and I just wanted to know how he ran it. So he’s always looking to learn something new as well,” said Assistant Coach Tom Mikesell
Bohren said while times have changed over the years, his message remains the same.
And he’s made a promise to his 15 freshmen this season.
“We have a really good ninth grade class so I’ll be here when they’re seniors. I don’t care if we lose a game if we played hard, and I wouldn’t like to win a game if we played soft. I think like anything else in life you have to play hard,” said Bohren.
Bohren is thought to be the oldest coach in Ohio and one of the oldest across the country.
He is just five wins shy of 300 for his career, a feat only 15 others have accomplished in OHSAA history.
Mathews High School takes on Steubenville Catholic this Friday at home to kick off the 2021 season.
