Watton admired by his athletes

Former Shawnee High School head wrestling coach Shawn Watton, who died suddenly Oct. 8 at the age of 45, was among the few in the latter category.

Watton, who coached with longtime Shawnee coaching legend Ken Moore seven years during the heyday of Braves wrestling in the mid- to late-1990s, was your prototypical players’ coach.

“He was really admired by his athletes,” said Moore, who is currently assisting two other Shawnee grads, Rick Allen and John Hart, with the Braves’ program. “Several of his past wrestlers spoke at the funeral (Wednesday, Oct. 14, in Coshocton). He touched a lot of lives and left an indelible impression on the young men he coached.

“He was a ‘my way or the highway’ type, but kids knew it was always for their best and they really bought into that.”

Allen was one of those kids.

“He was always there for you, no matter what,” said Allen, a former state champion for the Braves. “He was a good honest man and a very positive influence on myself and many young men in the area.

“I got a hard-nosed work ethic from him. He always pushed you to do your best.”

Watton’s lessons have carried over into Allen’s coaching style.

Hart was forever impacted by Watton the man, not just Watton the coach.

“He always let you know how much you meant to him,” said Hart, Allen’s assistant at Shawnee. “His knowledge of the sport was always there, but that’s what made him stand out. His character was second to none.”

Another of Watton’s disciples is Kenton Ridge head wrestling coach Landon Pierce.

“I remember one time being upset at school and he talked to me about the importance of controlling yourself,” said Pierce. “He guided me through my last two years at Shawnee. Then I got to know him as a coach and as a friend.

“I still went to him and confided in him about the profession, and got reassurances I needed about the decisions I’d been making,” he continued. “It’s definitely a big hole.

“He meant a lot to a lot of people.”

An open house to celebrate Watton’s life will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. today at the Allen farm, 707 Old Columbus Road, in Springfield.