Mr. Michael Baxter has taken over as the head varsity wrestling coach at St. Mary Central Catholic High School and will lead the Panthers’ storied program in preparation for and during the upcoming 2024-25 season. Baxter served as an SMCC assistant coach the past two seasons under Jared Opfer, who will remain on the coaching staff as a volunteer assistant.
“I think Sandusky Central Catholic was in a perfect position, for dramatic and incredible growth, two years ago when I began coaching as an assistant,” Baxter said. “It starts and ends with surrounding yourself with great people, and Jared Opfer and Rick Bellamy are high-character guys who first and foremost want to make an impact on young athletes. After people is the environment. In an uncertain and polarizing world, faith-based education has tremendous value that is very attractive to many families. Last but not least is tradition. St. Mary had success in the early 1990s and 2000s unlike any area athletic program had before or has had since. Coach Jude Roth and Coach Mark Hiemstra led the program to seven state titles, including five in a row, and many other top-10 finishes. St. Mary is a wrestling school and we are working tirelessly to return this program to its standard.”
The Panthers’ rich wrestling history includes state championships in 1994, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006. Individually, SMCC has 29 state crowns by 17 wrestlers. Opfer, who was inducted into the Ohio High School Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2019, earned four state crowns in the late 1990s in finishing with a 211-4 career record.
Besides Opfer, other assistant coaches making up Baxter’s first staff are 1986 state champion Rick Bellamy and Gary Howell, who are both SMCC graduates.
“In terms of goals, I think it starts with knowing where your feet are and staying grounded. Our goal is to get better each and every day,” Baxter said. “I’m most concerned with these young athletes knowing how to compete hard, outwork everyone they can, stay humble in victory, gracious in defeat, and attack every day with gratitude. When we learn how to do that, everything else will take care of itself.”
Before coming to SMCC in 2022, Baxter coached wrestling at the collegiate level. He was an assistant coach at his alma mater, Mercyhurst University, for four seasons (2018-22) after serving as the head coach at Coker College for two years (2016-18).
At Mercyhurst, Baxter wrestled for two seasons before injuries derailed his career. Over his freshman and sophomore campaigns (2008-09 and 2009-10) on the mat for the Lakers, he posted a 41-23 overall record. When he could no longer compete, Baxter turned to coaching and helped the program as an assistant while an undergraduate and graduate student.
“We are extremely fortunate to have Michael Baxter take over leadership of our wrestling program,” SCCS athletic director Steve Ruthsatz said. “With Michael’s two years of experience here and Jared remaining a part of the program, this will be a seamless transition.
“Since Michael arrived here a couple of years ago, he has made an impact on the program with our number of wrestlers increasing at all levels, including high school, junior high and in our PAW (Panther Amateur Wrestling) organization. I truly believe that Michael will be a great leader, do a fantastic job developing our wrestlers and continue to grow the program.”
The Director of Development for the Ohio Athletic Committee, Baxter is originally from Sandusky and graduated from Perkins High School in 2008. While wrestling in Division II at 125 pounds, he finished third in the state as a senior after placing seventh the year before.
Baxter earned his bachelor’s degree in sports medicine (2013) and master’s in exercise science (2014), both from Mercyhurst.
