Coaching is in his blood

MAPLE HEIGHTS - Todd Filtz grew up around the sport of football and it has become obvious that what he was hearing wasn't going in one ear and out the other.

Residing on Deep Run, which is near Martins Ferry, Filtz attended Steubenville and a was four-year mainstay for Big Red, graduating in 2001.

However, his football knowledge and philosophies were being shaped long before he got to wear the Big Red uniform. His dad, Paul, was a four-year standout at St. John Central along the offensive line and served on the Big Red staff for more than 25 years.

"Without coach Sac (Big Red head coach Reno Saccoccia) and the rest of the coaches I had at Big Red, I wouldn't be where I am today," Filtz said.

Where Filtz is today is on the practice field preparing Maple Heights' Mustangs for the Division II state semifinals against Mentor Lake Catholic after the school claimed the Region 6 title last week.

Getting to this point has seemed to always be a given seeing the upbringing he's received.

After his all-star career at Big Red, Filtz went to Muskingum and continued to make plays.

Filtz was a starter from the moment he set foot on the New Concord campus and never looked back. He was a four-year starter for the Muskies, earning all-conference accolades, while earning his degree in education after graduating in 2005.

"I went to Muskingum and continued to hold myself to a high standard," Filtz explained. "The competition was great for jobs and I just worked hard to get onto the field.

"I was just looking to keep playing and keep learning."

He then landed a position at Maple Heights.

Filtz served as an assistant for three years, including acting as the Mustangs' defensive coordinator during that fifth season, which was under current Brooke head coach Tom Bruney.

Bruney stepped down both as a teacher and coach and Maple Heights' revolving coaching door was in motion again.

There was little hesitation or doubt to apply for the opening when it came to fruition a couple of seasons ago.

"I was ready to take on a challenge," Filtz said. "I didn't want the kids to continue to grow through a bunch of coaching changes, when the time arose, I took advantage of it."

Another former Steubenville legend Charlie Keenan - who is the Maple Heights Superintendent of Schools - opted to go with a youth movement.

Despite being just 25 years old at the time, Keenan and the Maple Heights Board of Education hired Filtz as their head football coach in January of 2008 in a move that no one's second guessing now as the Mustangs prepare for the Division II state semifinals against Mentor Lake Catholic Friday night at Bedford's Bearcat Stadium.

With Filtz came the attitude he grew up around and had shaped by Saccoccia and the rest of the Big Red football family.

"Basically, what I try to instill into these kids up here is what I had instilled at me at Steubenville," said Filtz. "What we do up here is what we did at Steubenville."

Saccoccia had no doubts about the kind of coach that Filtz would make.

"Todd's done a fantastic job," Saccoccia said in between practices for his own state semifinal date Friday against Youngstown Cardinal Mooney. "Football's in his blood, and I am proud that Charlie had enough foresight and guts to hire a young guy."

During his first season at the helm, the Mustangs finished 6-4 and ninth in Division II, Region 5.

However, being a Steubenville alumnus, the early basketball and wrestling practices for the athletes just didn' sit well, so Filtz went to work in the off-season quite dilligently.

"We preached from day one that our goal was to win the state title," Filtz said. "We knew we were going to have a tough schedule."

The Mustangs made an even bigger believer out of Filtz during the opening week when they went on the road and posted a 28-16 victory over Avon Lake. Late-season losses to Division I schools Mentor and Euclid left Maple Heights with the sixth seed and a trip to Toledo to meet Rogers.

After dispatching Rogers 36-26, Maple Heights took out Toledo Central Catholic by a 27-13 score and that led to last week's regional final against Toledo St. Francis DeSales, which equaled a 34-21 victory.

The Mustangs are an extremely balanced club. Their quarterback Shaq Washington has passed for more than 2,100 yards and ran for more than 1,400 yards, while accounting for 41 touchdowns.

"We take whatever the defense gives us," Filtz said. "We can adjust to different looks. We've got a lot of speed and a lot of weapons, so if teams want to stack the box we'll throw, but we'll definitely run if you don't."

As for this week, Filtz definitely knows his team's in for a challenge, but that's the way it's been all season.

"We're going to have to play smart, aggressive football in order to come out on top," Filtz said.

This marks the first season Maple Heights has competed in Region 6 and when the OHSAA released those last spring, Filtz was a bit leery when he looked at the map and saw some of the road trips that his team might be facing.

However, he's certainly got no issues with the folks in Columbus at this point.

"We're definitely happy to be in the region," Filtz said.

Maple Heights' support has grown each and every week as the Mustangs have reeled off win after win in sweeping the Glass City trio.

However, it's still not where Filtz would like to see it.

"I know it's not like what we had in Steubenville," Filtz said in terms of the support. "But then again, there's probably no where in the state of Ohio like that, but it's growing each and every week and we're getting great support from the community and the administration."

Supporters that Filtz knows are there each and every week are his parents. Paul and Linda attend every Maple Heights game.

"My parents have always been there for me," Filtz said. "My dad coached for 25 or 30 years, so I know if I've got any questions on how to handle different things I know I can go to him."

Todd is the Play It Smart coordinator at Maple Heights, which is where he met his wife, Adele. With that job, he is like an athletic counselor. He holds study tables for athletes and checks on eligibility.