CANTON – North Canton Hoover is one of the premier high schools in Ohio.

Academically, it gets an “A” on its state report card. Athletically, it boasts a host of state championship teams and legendary performers.

The Vikings’ Division I athletic success is being driven by a man with Ohio Valley roots.

Don Shimek Jr. is Hoover’s athletic director. He has held that post for the past 13 years.

He is a graduate of Ohio University with a bachelor’s degree in English Language Arts and a master’s degree in Educational Administration. He has been employed by North Canton City Schools since 1990.

Shimek’s dad, Don Shimek Sr., is a Bishop Donahue High graduate, where he was a standout athlete. His football success drew interest from several colleges, including Notre Dame.

“My dad never talked about himself. He never boasted. My grandparents and his friends would tell me how good he was and that Notre Dame was interested in him for football,” Shimek said.

The family moved to the Canton in the late 1960s. Don. Jr was born in Martins Ferry Hospital, where his mom was a nurse.

Don Jr., now age 49, was a football star at East Canton High, earning a football scholarship to Ohio University. He was a star offensive lineman for Cleve Bryant.

“I was very fortunate. As soon as I graduated OU I interviewed at Hoover and they offered me a job,” Shimek Jr. said. “The first few years was such a neat experience. I got to work with some tremendous folks like Don Hertler Sr. and Walt Tolarczyk.

“They groomed me very well as I coached some football, wrestling and track early on. It was a neat experience being around them,” he added. “I have been fortunate to be around great people at Hoover who helped to shape me.”

Hertler Sr. is a football coaching legend at Hoover while Tolarczyk is a an icon with the Vikings mat program. Both are Ohio Valley natives and former Bridgeport Bulldogs. Tolarczyk was a state wrestling champion for George Kovalick during his prep days.

Ironically, Shimek’s good fortune at Hoover came out of family crisis. His dad was laid off from his job at Wheeling Steel in 1968 when young Don was just 2 years of age. His dad found gainful employment in Stark County.

“My parents were great role models to me and and my two brothers. They stressed the value of education and hard work,” he said.

Both of his brothers still reside in the Canton area. Shimek says he makes it back to the Ohio Valley about once a year.

Hoover boasts an enrollment of some 400 students in each class, comparable to the size of Wheeling Park. Being an athletic director at such a large school can be a cumbersome task, especially when you have no assistants.

“We have 26 sports at Hoover. We offer all the traditional ones as well as others such as lacrosse, ice hockey, bowling and gymnastics for girls. Not many schools in Stark County offer some of those sports,” Shimek said. “It’s nice to offer that many sports. It gets more kids involved. We offer some sports that many colleges don’t have. But it does stretch the budget and talent pool,” he continued. “It is time consuming. I have no high school assistants and one in the middle school. I do have some people who help with coverage of events.”

Hoover is solid across the athletic board. Girls softball has a host of state championships to its credit and Vikings’ boys’ basketball is always strong. Football-wise, Hoover is competitive in the powerful Federal League which includes heavyweights Canton McKinley, Uniontown Lake and Jackson among others.

“This job has me running around at times like a chicken with his head cut off. But it is also very rewarding and a job I take a lot of pride in,” Shimek said. “I hope to keep doing this as long as they will have me. I want to be a Hoover lifer. It is a great school with great people.”

PREP TENNIS

I HAVE been in this business for 37-plus years. Tuesday proved a landmark day for me as a sports scribe – I covered my first tennis match that day.

Prep tennis gets the short end of the sports coverage stick in the spring with the glut of track, baseball and softball. But tennis players are committed to their sport as much as other spring athletes.

It was a neat experience at Linsly School, where the Cadets hosted Oak Glen in both boys’ and girls’ competition. Being a neophyte to tennis coverage, I was cast in the learning mode quite quickly.

The camaraderie between teams is tremendous. Opposing players and teams bond and interact well. It is a similar atmosphere that is generated at cross country meets.

There are no line judges. Players are on the honors policy, calling their own games. Not once was there a dispute.

There are no ball boys or girls. Players shag their own stray shots.

At Linsly, four matches are contested simultaneously. Boys and girls matches intermixed. No problems occurred with shots coming from adjoining courts.

What was real pleasing to see what that everyone on both teams got to play. The actual match consists of four singles and three doubles. But the Linsly and Oak Glen coaches agreed to let all those in uniform get some court time.

BUBBA’S BITS

KUDOS TO Magnolia High product Mallory Chapman. She is enjoying a superb season hurling for the Wheeling Jesuit University softball team. So much so, she was recently named Mountain East Conference Softball Pitcher of the Week. The talented sophomore posted a 3-0 record with a four-hitter and a three-hitter over 22 innings of work and recorded a 0.64 ERA. Chapman struck out 18 hitters and walked only two.

THE GOLF world will focus on Augusta, Ga. this week as The Masters unfolds Thursday. Jason Day is on fire and Jordan Spieth is the defending champion. My pick, however, is Rory McIlroy. He was golf’s golden boy until ripping up his ankle playing soccer last summer. He has the game and mental makeup to regain golf’s No. 1 ranking.

PLAY BALL! A new Major League Baseball season is upon us. Last year, I picked the Washington Nationals to win it all. I struck out on that pick. My predictions for this year: The Kansas City Royals will not repeat as world champions and the National League Central will send the Pirates, Cubs and Cardinals to the playoffs.

OUR PRAYERS and condolences go out to the family of Joe Allen. The former St. John Grade School teacher, athletic director and coach died suddenly this past week. The former Wheeling Central and Bethany College gridder was a people person and liked by all.

Kapral may be reached at bkapral@timesleaderonline.com