By JIM WALKER

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

ATHENS — It may have been a huge milestone in Norm Persin’s coaching career, but to him it was just another day at the office.

After his South Webster Jeeps beat the Trimble Tomcats 51-34 to win the Division 4 district championship, Persin was more focused on his players’ accomplishment than getting a milestone 800th career win.

“It was almost like you didn’t know it was coming,” said Persin who is now 800-225 in 45 seasons.

“I’ve been coaching this many years so it sneaks back on you. You get it off your back. But I told people don’t worry about me. This is about our kids winning . It’s about our kids. It’s not about me. It’ll come.”

And it came.

After stints at Oak Hill, Wilmington, Chesapeake, Oak Hill again, and a brief stopover at Lucasville Valley, Persin was talked out of retirement to coach the Jeeps.

When the players first met Persin, he informed them that there was a new sheriff in town. They looked puzzled and then explained that there was not going to be a bunch of joking around and that discipline and hard work were going to be the new laws of the court.

“I told them when I came in that things are going to be different. If you work hard and do what you’re supposed to do and play defense and we did,” said Persin.

The hard work, discipline and defensive effort have the Jeeps sitting at 22-3 and in the regional for only the fifth time in school history.

Although Persin didn’t see racking up his 800th win, he was surprised by the response of his players who had just won the district title.

“It’s funny, but as soon as we had to go shake hands with Trimble, every single one of our players grabbed me and said congratulations on 800 wins coach,” said Persin.

“That’s what means something. That means something more than the number itself that they can congratulate you on (your milestone win) after they just won the district and accomplished one of their goals.”

Persin is just one of three Ohio high school coaches who have won 800 or more games.

Richard Kortokrax amassed 890 wins in his career while Joe Petrocelli finished with 831.