'It is just something special': Ashland football kicks off the season with annual dinner
ASHLAND — Each year, every guest speaker at the event arrives at the same conclusion.
This evening banquet is about as special as they come.
In what has become a source of pride for both the program and the community, the Dr. Bill Ihrig Memorial Ashland High School Football Sponsor Program dinner was held Sunday evening at the Ashland University Convocation Center.
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The guest speaker for the occasion was retired NFL player Brian Milne, an All-America fullback on the 1994 Penn State undefeated national championship team who went on to play for the Cincinnati Bengals.
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“This is one of those unique events where we get the community and the alumni involved,” said Ashland coach Sean Seder. “Anytime you can get sponsors and leaders in here and help the kids out and mentor them throughout the season, it is a great thing.
“Obviously, this got started back in the '60s and is something of an Ashland tradition. It is just something special that we have done for a long, long time.”
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The emcee for the evening was Steve Paramore, who welcomed everyone and introduced the head table as well as every sponsor and athlete in attendance. Following Paramore was Steve Burns, who recounted his days as an Arrows football player before giving the invocation.
After the dinner, Ashland athletic director Jason Goings introduced Seder, who talked about the upcoming season.
“Coming to this sponsor dinner every year, what makes it special is to see the community engagement,” said Goings. “It is another piece of support the players have, and there is a ton of community support.”
‘Burn the boats’
A history teacher at AHS, Seder talked about using a phrase from Alexander the Great, who told his troops to burn the boats and ships after landing in Persia.
“We all know this is not a life and death situation,” he said. “We want the kids to have fun, but you can’t be afraid of failure.”
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Seder introduced his coaching staff and mentioned how much fun they are having working with the kids. He also spoke about the new senior leadership group they started this summer and the positive impact those athletes are making on the current team.
Lynn Livelsberger introduced Milne, who talked about the adversity he has overcome since high school.
After a spectacular junior season in football, Milne was recruited by most football programs in the United States, but he was diagnosed with cancer before his senior season. A phone call by Penn State coach Joe Paterno changed his life.
“Adversity is something you will always face,” said Milne. “How you deal with it tells people what kind of man you are.”
Milne also suffered a stroke in the past few years and is battling back from that as well.
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“Don’t take (football) for granted,” he said. “It is a wonderful sport.
“As a team, we took care of each other,” he said about the ‘94 team. “All your coaches want is the best for you. You can only control what you do.”
Milne spoke glowingly about the banquet after it had finished.
“This experience tonight is one of a kind,” he said. “I’m going to go back and talk to some of the older coaches down in Cincinnati and see if we can get something like this started. It is really unique.
“It is great for the kids and great for the community.”
This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Ashland football begins season with annual sponsor dinner
