Ed Stewart became the winningest head coach in Clermont County sports history last Thursday night (Oct. 11) when his Williamsburg Wildcat varsity volleyball team defeated Blanmchester’s Wildcats 25-21, 25-13, 25-13 on the winners’ court. The Southern Buckeye Conference National Division game was the 500th career victory for Stewart.
The victory brought Stewart’s overall 29-year record to 500 victories and 168 losses for a winning percentage of .749. All but three of those years (2002-2004) were at ‘Burg; those three were at Fayetteville. Stewart’s record at ‘Burg alone was 482-125 for a winning percentage of .794.
“The first volleyball game I coached was the first volleyball game I’d ever seen other than games we would play at picnics,” said Stewart, remembering his first season that began in September 1979. His first varsity contest was a victory over Bethel-Tate 15-1, 15-3.