By Wade Linville
Champion Media
When you talk of the Fayetteville-Perry High School girls basketball program, it’s nearly impossible to go without mention of long-time head coach Toby Sheets.Sheets is entering his 33rd season as a Fayetteville-Perry basketball coach and recently announced that he will be retiring after this season. Heading into the 2020-21 basketball season with a career coaching record of 493-254, Sheets is on track reach more than 500 career wins before retirement.
It’s a coaching career that has included 13 sectional championships, three district championships, three regional appearances, one trip to the Sweet 16 (regional semifinals), two Elite Eight appearances (regional runner-up), three Brown County Tournament championships, and 12 league championships, all accomplished while coaching at Fayetteville-Perry High School.
“I feel satisfied with my career as a coach,” said Sheets. “I am sure the passion will continue. There will always be basketball in my life…basketball isn’t retiring. I am a big follower of all sports in all seasons, from youth to high school, college and professional.”
“I will continue to live life with gusto and will still be around,” he added, pointing out that he and his wife Sharon plan to remain in the Fayetteville area. Sheets began his career as head coach of the Fayetteville-Perry High School girls’ basketball program in 1988-89, and right off the bat had a good season with the Lady Rockets, finishing with an overall record of 15-9 and claiming a sectional title. His 1989-90 Lady Rockets also finished as sectional champs. In eight of Sheets’ first nine seasons at the helm he coached teams to sectional titles. His first league title (Southern Hills League) came in 1994-95 with a team that finished 24-2 overall and 10-1 in league play. The 1995-96 Lady Rockets brought Sheets his first Brown County Tournament championship, a team that went on to finish as Southern Hills League champs (10-0), sectional champs, and district champs. Sheets’ 1995-96 team ended their post season tournament run with an Elite Eight appearance, finishing as a regional finalist.
The 2012-13 Lady Rockets made it to the Sweet 16, finishing as a regional semifinalist after bringing home a Southern Hills Athletic Conference title with a 13-0 conference record and an overall record of 24-2. His 2013-14 Lady Rocket team was ranked fifth in Ohio by the Associated Press, a team that made it to the Elite Eight as a Division IV regional tourney finalist. They also finished as SHAC champs with a 13-0 conference record, Brown County Holiday Tournament champs, sectional champs, and district champs.
During his coaching career, Toby Sheets had the pleasure of coaching his daughter, Shelby Sheets, who graduated in 2011. Shelby Sheets stands as Fayetteville-Perry High School’s third career leading scorer in girls’ basketball with 1,791 career points. She is the school’s all-time assist leader with 484 total and second in single season assists with 155. She’s also fourth in career steals at FPHS with 346, and is third all-time in shooting percentage from two-point range (50-percent). She’s also second all-time at FPHS for free throws made with 402 total.
Shelby Sheets still helps her father and former basketball coach as an assistant and statistician. “I have been blessed to teach and coach my entire career at the same school,” said Toby Sheets. “I have enough fond memories of Fayetteville schools, staff, and students to write a book. Thanks to former superintendent Jim Frazier and athletic director Bill Garrett for giving me a chance. Thanks to my wife, Sharon, and my children (Shelby and Sydney) for their constant support over the years. Thanks to current superintendent Tim Carlier for allowing me to coach my way.”
After such a successful, memorable coaching career that has lasted more than three decades, many local sports fans may ask why Toby Sheets has chosen to retire from teaching and coaching after the 2020-21 school year. The answer is simple. “People often ask me why. The reason why is (that) I am eligible to retire with full benefits from the State Teacher Retirement System. I have felt all along in my career that when I retire from teaching I would retire from coaching,” he explained.
Over more than 30 years of coaching, Toby Sheets has coached the children of parents who were once players on his basketball teams. While his career will provide him with priceless memories of those he came to know through coaching basketball at Fayetteville-Perry, basketball, fans of the Fayetteville-Perry community will also have many fond memories of Toby Sheets to reflect on, such as his silent sideline stare with his arms crossed as he watches his Lady Rockets compete on the court, and the players standing in line with their hands out while Coach Sheets sprinkles them with his bottle of powder to prevent sweaty hands. Most of all, those who know him will always remember him for the way he respects the game, cares about his players past and present, and brings a high level of professionalism to coaching.
