AKRON, Ohio (BVM) — Archbishop Hoban, the powerhouse private high school in northeast Ohio, has won three football state championships in the past four years. Much can change in football over the course of a year, but for Hoban, there has been a unique horsepower that has driven the team to much success. 

Not only has Hoban quarterback Shane Hamm been an exceptional leader for the past four years, but he also might know a thing or two about the actual strength and power of a horse.

For many high school athletes, returning home after a long day of practice and training ends in relaxing and recharging for the next day’s challenges. For Hamm, this is far from the case. Living on a horse farm in Warren, Ohio, Hamm is challenged with daily tasks that have allowed the quarterback to grow character from a young age. He developed a sense of leadership, as well as what it takes to be a caretaker. 

“I was about 7 years old since I started work on the farm, but I learned hard aspects of sports from farm life,” Shane said. “Living on the farm is a simple life and hard work was key from living on the farm.” 

The Hoban senior has about 40-50 horses on the farm, which he attributed to allowing him to transition his value of caring for the horses to caring for his teammates on the field. 

While living on the farm has been a big part of Hamm’s life, a passion for football has also been present for a very long time. The Hoban senior acknowledged he started football from an even younger age than working on the farm. 

“I started playing football at 5 years old,” Hamm said. “My love for football came from spending time with my dad, who was my coach until middle school football. I was allowed to play a game that I loved and I transitioned to traveling distances so I could play most of my pee-wee leagues in Cleveland.”

As Hamm continued to balance football and farm life, he quickly approached the time to make a decision on where he would continue his football career. Although life on the farm was simple living, transitioning to a high school to become the new quarterback would be a different story. In choosing Hoban, Hamm admitted he wanted to play at the top level. 

“It was a lot better competition,” Hamm said. “I seeked to be coached by other competitive athletes and I was looking for the school to push me to be a better player.” 

Ultimately, choosing Hoban seemed to fit Hamm’s personality not only on the field, but in the classroom. Although he was an outsider compared to many students, as his drive to school everyday consisted of at least 40 minutes, Hamm explained how the Hoban atmosphere quickly pulled him in and provided him the community feel. 

“Everyone wants everyone to be successful,” Hamm said. “That is why it was the best fit.” 

Hamm quickly equipped himself into the Hoban culture, and it was not long before he was gaining attention on the field. 

“The term ‘Hobanize’ is used for any freshman or transfer on the football team,” Hamm said. “It means once you get into Hoban, the expectation is you will go to the championship.”

The Hoban quarterback did not take that term lightly, as once he took over, he led the Knights to the school’s third state title. 

Even though Hamm was a leader on the field, he was still new to the program.

“I was the new kid on the block, but Hoban is such an open community that I felt as if I was taken in with open arms,” he said. “Freshman year was very focused and heavily senior oriented, but I was learning from them.” 

The legacy of Hoban football continued to grow as Hamm went through high school. He admits much of the success was due to the team’s dynamic. 

“What makes us so unique is we make sure every kid is accountable and we all hold each other to a high standard,” he said. “Everyone wants to be the strongest guy.” 

After an impactful freshman year, Hamm had to get back to work with a new team in 2018. As a sophomore, there was more attention and weight on his shoulders, as many high schools were looking at Hoban as the team to beat. Hamm commented on the dynamic of the team, acknowledging the team understood how to be focused, but also enjoyed the experience at hand.

“They knew when to be serious, but had that on-off switch once the game was over,” Hamm said. “It was more matured and relaxed, but in a good way.” 

After winning another state title in 2018, Hamm essentially was drawing recognition from schools everywhere. He had already won two state titles in just the two years as quarterback for Hoban. Although 2019 was a year Hoban did not secure a state title, there was much more to come that would bring more complicated challenges. 

Last year was a year that held many obstacles. For Hamm, attending high school during a pandemic while pursuing a third state title was not any exception. 

“As seniors, Covid made us ultra focused,” he said. “We had more of a business mentality, everyone would be super laser focused on the one goal we had.” 

During preparation for the state title last year, Hamm acknowledged his biggest inspiration and the person who pushed him through times of doubt.

“Coach Winkler, the director of strength and conditioning at Hoban, has had the biggest impact on my life,” he said. “We see him more than the head coach sometimes, but he has taught me how to train my body to be a better athlete, as well as how to create healthy meal plans. He really does push us to be the best us.” 

As Hamm and Coach Winkler developed a great relationship, it was ultimately up to the team to gather the inspiration and drive to win a state championship during a pandemic. After pushing through adversity, Hamm led the team to another state championship last November. For Hamm, this was his third title in four years. As for Hoban, this was the school’s fifth title. 

Being a senior can be bittersweet, but for Hamm, the best is yet to come. The Hoban quarterback committed to the University of Dayton on Dec. 21, 2020. 

“With Dayton, the staff had open arms and talked to me throughout the whole season,” Hamm said. “They made me feel like I was part of the team before I was committed anywhere. They have had a ton of success and I see the drive for them to become better.” 

Not only will Hamm leave behind his legacy after graduation from Hoban in May, but he will also step aside from the farm as he moves to Dayton to start his college career. As he attributed a lot of his growth and character to life on the farm, Hamm had one thing he wanted to give back before leaving home. 

“I’ve always wanted to play college football, but my main thing was not having my parents pay for my tuition for college,” Hamm said. 

The Dayton recruit will not only be able to pursue his passion, but also give back to the people who raised him and opened opportunities.  

Hamm already has tunnel vision when it comes to his success at Dayton. Because of his drive and courage, he sees himself accomplishing big things with the Flyers. 

“I want to keep pushing myself and bring my competitiveness to Dayton,” Hamm said. “I want to bring the titles from Hoban to Dayton, ultimately winning another four championships.”

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