Don Drebus
Do Drebus was a tremendous athlete at both Ashland High School and Ashland College. He won All-Ohio laurels in both basketball and football with the Arrows and established the Ashland High School jump record in 1947.
Drebus went on to Ashland College where he again copped many athletic honors. He was selected All Mid-Ohio League in both football and basketball and was named to the All-Ohio squad in basketball. He was the most valuable Eagle in basketball in 1948 and 1950. Also the AC captain, Drebus scored 32 points in one basketball contest, 424 points in one season, and had a three year varsity total of 837 points.
All-Ohio honors were bestowed upon him in football in 1950 when he again was voted the purple and gold captain and most valuable.
In Track, Drebus was again the Eagle captain and set the AC record in the high jump at 6’3”.
Drebus went on to play basketball with Myers Pump and the Goodyear Wingfoots of the National Industrial Basketball League. While in the military, Drebus played basketball for the Brook Army Medical Center team and competed in the National AAU tournament.
As a thinclad, Drebus won the triple jump, long jump, and high jump in the All-Army meet.
In the coaching profession, Drebus was again highly successful. At Shaw High School in East Cleveland, Drebus racked up a 22-12 mark as basketball coach between 1957 and 1959. Included was a Lake Erie League championship. In football, he notched five Lake Erie League championships as his teams recorded 63 wins, 17 losses, and six ties. In 1964, he was voted the Cleveland Coach of the Year.
Do then spent twenty years as a principal at Willoughby High School. “I would never gone to college without athletics,” Drebus said. “It was what helped me maintain an interest in college.”
The lessons he learned in athletics have applied to his career. “Athletics helped me to work with other people.” Rebus pointed out. “It also showed me how to win and to lose.”
Drebus is still active with Ashland College alumni serving as president of the group in 1980. He was elected to the Ashland College Sports Hall of Fame in 1971.
Nominator: Don Richey
Presenter: Dave Gray