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Friday, June 29, 2001

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Arden joins list of elite at annual N/S Classic

By JIM WALKER

Tribune sports editor

COLUMBUS – Redgie Arden has two more games in his orange helmet before he trades it for scarlet and gray.

Arden will wear his Ironton Fighting Tigers helmet Saturday in the All-Ohio Classic as a member of the South team, and then use it one more time next month in the annual Big 33 Classic which pits the top 33 players in Ohio against the same number from Pennsylvania.

The All-Ohio Classic will be played at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Crew Stadium in Columbus.

The game originally was known as the North/South All-Star Game, but it’s move to Columbus and Crew Stadium from its previous site in Massillon also brought a change to the game’s name.

Arden is listed as a tight end for the South but made a bigger name for himself as a linebacker.

Arden was a four-year starter for the Fighting Tigers and was named the Division IV co-Defensive Player of the Year in the state by the Associated Press as well as the Southeast District Defensive Player of the Year.

Other Ohio State signees on the South team are Angelo Chattams of Dayton Chaminade-Julienne, Simon Fraser of Upper Arlington, Maurice Hall of Columbus Brookhaven, Mike Nugent of Centerville, and Adam Olds of Dublin Coffman.

Future Buckeyes on the north squad are Brandon Schnittker of Sandusky Perkins and Canton Glen Oak’s Dustin Fox, nephew of former Ohio State defensive back Tim Fox.

Also in the game on the South roster will be Upper Arlington’s Jeff Backes who led his team to the state championship and was named "Mr. Football" by the Associated Press. Backes has signed with Northwestern.

The North holds a 31-21-3 lead in the series.

Many former participants have been invited back. Research uncovered more than 3,000 players and coaches dating back to the inaugural game in 1946 and more than 800 were eventually contacted and asked to attend.

Four alumni of the game went on to win the Heisman Trophy: Vic Janowicz of Elyria (who won the Heisman in 1950 while playing for Ohio State), Roger Staubach of Cincinnati Purcell Marian (Navy, 1963), Archie Griffin of Columbus Eastmoor (Ohio State, 1974, 1975) and Desmond Howard of Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph (Michigan, 1991).

Tickets for the game are $5 in advance and $7 at the door. To purchase tickets, contact the Crew Stadium ticket off at 614-447-CREW (2739).