Ironton Fighting Tigers head coach Bob Lutz always seemed to be in a class by himself.

Now, the numbers back it up.

Lutz became the winningest coach in Ohio high school football history Friday night, a tremendous accomplishment and one for which the coach deserves tremendous praise.

Win number 361 may have meant as much or more to the community as it did to Lutz. Ironton fans are as passionate as any about their sports, and ultimately, their town.

And, as Lutz pointed out, this milestone victory is one that can be shared by everyone involved over the 40 year career he has enjoyed. That includes all the players, parents, coaches, cheerleaders, band members, boosters and fans.

Each and every person who falls in these categories can celebrate their part of this historic achievement.

It doesn’t matter if you are an Ironton fan, a football fan or even a sports fan at all. This type of achievement transcends the playing field.

While Lutz would likely just point out that this record just means that he has been doing something for a really long time, it certainly means more than that.

Setting the mark for wins in Ohio high school football — a state that has 715 schools that field football teams — is about longevity but also about coaching at a very high level of success.

That is something of which to be extremely proud.

Perhaps the most compelling part of high school athletics is that it brings the community together, bridging social and economic backgrounds like virtually nothing else.

Bob Lutz may hold the record but all of Ironton holds the distinction of making it possible.