Hanging on the walls of Westerville North H.S.’s locker room are clocks counting down to two crucial dates: the day Westerville North Warriors play against Westerville Central, and the day they face Westerville South.
These clocks are a constant reminder of why the Warriors step in the locker room every day and are one of the many changes that Stanley Jackson implemented when he accepted the role of Head Football Coach at Westerville North in 2023.
However, Jackson will not take all of the credit – he learned this idea during his days as a football player at The Ohio State University, where each trip to the locker room was met with a similar countdown to the fateful Michigan game.
As a former Buckeye quarterback, Jackson and his team won the 1997 Rose Bowl. He knows what it takes to succeed in sports, however, when Jackson accepted his current coaching position, his goal was much deeper than winning games.
“It’s not just about football for us,” Jackson says. “It’s about raising men.”
Jackson grew up in New Jersey, but his skill and passion for football brought him to Columbus to play with the Buckeyes from 1994 to 1997.
He met his wife, Ronita Jackson, at Ohio State. The couple currently resides in Westerville with their four children. Jackson initially lived in Marion, Ohio, but relocated to Westerville when his kids grew older.
“When my kids started playing sports, I wanted to put them in an environment that was a little more competitive with more diversity,” Jackson says.
Jackson coached his kids as they tried their hand at playing sports growing up. Additionally, he connected with former teammates, and they started coaching the elementary schoolers together.
Jackson never intended to coach his kids past the 6th grade, but when Bryan Johnson, who coached for the Warriors for five seasons, retired in 2022, Jackson’s plans to take a backseat changed course.
Jackson’s time coaching elementary ball with fellow former collegiate athletes stuck with him, and he knew that with the right coaches behind him, he could put together a staff that would be unstoppable.
Jackson’s former co-captain at Ohio State, Winfield Garnet, and former defensive back at Ohio State, Ashanti Webb, joined on as defensive coordinators. The list of former Buckeyes grew with Reggie Germany, Paris Long, Eric Smith, Jamar Martin and Beanie Wells lending their expertise.
Of course, a star-studded staff wouldn’t be complete without a little rivalry. Marcus Ray, a former Michigan Wolverine, joined the staff as an offensive coordinator, as well as former Westerville North grads, keeping local talent to guide the team.
“I wanted to have practitioners,” Jackson says. “I wanted to have guys who practiced at the highest level.”
Jackson and his staff of veteran football players hold a deep wealth of expertise in the game of football, but in the first five minutes of his job interview, Jackson never spoke of football. Instead, he described his goals to transform his players from boys to young men.
Jackson credits Athletic Director, Wes Elifritz, and Principal Kurt Yancey, for taking a risk and offering him the head coach position, but for Wes, the decision was clear.
“We were getting a guy and his staff that were experts in the game of football,” Elifritz says. “But ultimately, they were going to make a connection with our kids that was going to lead them to success.”
And that they did.
When Jackson was coming out of a tough few seasons, there was pressure to produce.
He went to work immediately. From 6 a.m. field practices to rigorous speed training, he set a precedent in his early months as head coach.
He even implemented an incentive for players; earning their helmet decal, an ode to Urban Meyer, who established the practice of removing a player’s black stripe once they had proven themselves.
“Our philosophy is, there’s only one way to get diamonds,” Jackson says. “And that’s with pressure.”
After long months of off-season training, Westerville North kicked off its season with a historic 21-12 win against Westerville Central. The team came out of the season with a 9-3 record, a monumental shift from its previous record of 3-8.
The team also went on to win a playoff game, a feat that had not been accomplished since 1988.
Jackson’s first season was met with many successes, but the coaches were not just focused on victory on the field. Jackson’s goal is to have each player at a 3.5 GPA. Currently, there is a mandatory 3.0 GPA standard.
Jackson’s middle child will be a junior and starting quarterback this year, and his youngest will be a freshman. Other coaches such, as Beanie Wells, also have family on the team.
The coaches of Westerville North have an unparalleled football IQ, and they use this knowledge each practice to mold players that will win games. They are preparing their players for success after high school, no matter what their future holds.
“They love these boys as if they were their own,” Elifritz says. “That’s how you get kids to show up at 6 a.m. (for practice) … from relationships and genuine care.”
Megan Brokamp is a contributing writer at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at mbrokamp@cityscenemediagroup.com.
