On Friday, Jan. 26 Coach John Vargo, Ryan Clay Class of '13, and Marisa Ery (Everitt) Class of '07 were all inducted to the Rossford Athletic Hall of Fame.
Ryan Clay
Class of 2013
Ryan is the son of James and Julie Clay and the brother of Rachael (class of 2008) and Regan (class of 2017). He graduated from Rossford High School in 2013.
Ryan was on the honor roll all four years and graduated 2nd in the class of 2013. He was twice on the Academic All-Ohio team and was a member of the National Honor Society.
During his athletic career, Ryan lettered four times in football and track & field. On the football field at quarterback, as a junior he led the team to the program’s first win in four seasons. As a senior, he passed for 1,290 yards, rushed for 740 yards, and was responsible for a combined 23 touchdowns. He received all league accolades in football.
Ryan also excelled on the track in the middle distances. In the 800 meters, he was a two-time NBC champion; district champion; second team All-Ohio as a junior; and first team All-Ohio as a senior, finishing third in the state final. He holds the Rossford High School record in the 800 meters.
Ryan went on to run at Purdue University and competed in two Big Ten Championships. He graduated with a degree in Aerospace Engineering. He currently lives in Houston, TX and gets to work in mission control at Johnson Space Center supporting the International Space Station program. Ryan enjoys serving at his church, playing music, and traveling.
Marisa Ery (Everitt)
Class of 2007
Marisa is the daughter of Hank Everitt and Kris Everitt and the sister of Miranda Everitt (Class of 2004) and Steven Everitt (Class of 2012). She graduated from Rossford High School fourth in her class in 2007.
During her high school years, Marisa was a National Honor Society member and participated in various extracurricular activities such as the Academic Team, Marching Band, Pep Band, and Jazz Bands. She lettered in volleyball for three years, bowling for one year, and varsity softball for four years. In 2007, she led the softball team to a 23-8 record and regional finals with her pitching. She also batted .437 and had 18 RBIs. Her dedication and hard work paid off, earning her the distinction of being named 1st Team All-State. At Rossford, she holds records for strikeouts in a game (15), season (254), and career (654), as well as wins in a season (18) and career (42). Marisa holds the season and career ERA records at 0.52 and 0.57 respectively.
Marisa continued her softball journey in college, playing four years as a pitcher, outfielder, and first baseman at Division I Oakland University. While at Oakland, Marisa was recognized as Summit League Pitcher of the Week, NFCA Scholar Athlete, and 2011 All-Summit League Utility Player. She holds the record for Average Strikeouts in 7 Innings-Career with 6.50. During her final year, she became a student assistant coach. Marisa's devotion and passion for the sport led her to play professionally for the Zurich Barracudas in Switzerland.
Marisa graduated from Oakland University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education. She continued her post-graduate studies at Western Governors University and earned her Master’s Degree in K-6 Mathematics Education. Marisa is a teacher and resides in Perrysburg with her husband, Troy Ery, and children, Jordan and William.
Coach John Vargo
John Vargo was the Rossford Boys Varsity Soccer Coach from 1991 through 1999, which makes him the longest-tenured coach in the program’s history. During this time, Rossford was the only Division 2 school playing in the Northern Lakes League, which was comprised of all Division 1 schools.
He had a winning percentage of .76 outside of the NLL. Rossford had a winning record in all nine seasons during this time and outscored these opponents 262 to 117 goals. He won four sectional championships, was district champion in 1997 and Division 2 Coach of the Year in 1997.
He also helped establish the junior varsity soccer program, helped get a new scoreboard and press box at the Glenwood Road Soccer Complex and coached soccer for the Rec Department and CYO Soccer Program at All Saints.
Coach Vargo worked for 48 years at the Toledo Jeep Assembly Complex. After two years working on the Assembly line, he accepted a management position and later joined the Corporate Ranks. There he held various positions, including Supplier Quality Manager, Interior Engineering Lead and Customer Satisfaction Audit Coordinator.
John and his wife Cyndi celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this past June. Coach Vargo and his family have been living in Rossford for over 35 years. They have 4 sons, 9 grandsons and a granddaughter.
All four of his sons Derek, David, Ian and Brent played Varsity Soccer and graduated from Rossford High School. Two of his grandsons, Austin and Logan played Varsity Soccer and graduated from Rossford High School.
His grandson, Alex, is currently playing Varsity Soccer and Varsity Football at Rossford. His grandson, Tyler, is currently on the Football, Basketball and Track Teams at Rossford High School.
John and Cyndi enjoy attending their grandchildren’s activities and traveling.