Elder wins thriller, Moves on to St. X

Elder's 35-34 win in double overtime over GCL rival LaSalle on Saturday night showed those doubters of the team how much heart Elder has. "Someone had to make a play, and we did," said Coach Ramsey. Although the victory was sweet focus was immediately turned to beating reigning state champion St. Xavier.

Elder has been there before. The year after Elder won it's first state title, and went on the defense of the state title, the Panthers blew out the Bombers at Ballaban Field, 28-7. I'm hoping that doesn't happen this year.

No doubt Elder is the underdog in this game on Friday. But, will the Purple Nation, the best fans in the country according to reports, be louder than normal? Back when Elder was winning (In 2001-2004), the fans really were passionate about the game and the sport. Unfortunately, student support has fallen during games. More important things have sprung up in many students' lives. Maybe apathy has taken over many students ways of thinking during games. Anyway, as one Elder faculty member put it; "We're being out-'Elder-ed' by schools like X and LaSalle." Couldn't have said it better myself. I know St. X is thinking of "whiting out" the Pit, and one rallying cry posted is "Silence the Pit".

Hopefully those students and fans at Elder will get fired up for what once was the greatest rivalry in the state, if not the country. Just because last season was absolutely horrible in terms of on field play, and the fact that many fans are looking forward to the next few seasons, doesn't mean that they can't cheer for a team that, if I remember correctly is at the moment 4-1. So fans of Elder, if you're reading this, get excited for the game on Friday. You are our literal "X"-factor. Without you it's going to take one heck of an effort to beat St. X. I think the team can do it, but fan support can only help.

As I step off my soapbox I look forward to the game. Look for St. X to have a healthy diet of handoffs to Darius Ashley, who must have a huge night in a hostile environment in order for the Bombers to win. The Panther defense must be up to the task of stopping Ashley in order to give Elder a shot at the victory. The Panther offense will need to rely on a balance of passes and runs in order to keep the St. X defense on their toes. St. X kicker Danny Milligan could be a huge asset for the Bombers in this game. If it comes down to a late field goal, Elder could be in trouble. Likewise the home crowd should, should be able to give the Panthers an edge. This game should be another classic Elder-X matchup, and hopefully the sell-out crowd will be treated to just that; A classic.

Nothing But the Weather Stopped the Breds

Friday night’s mud bath ended after only one half as the Newcath played smash-mouth football and routed the Dayton Greendevils 28-0 at Davis Field in Dayton. The district contest was weather-delayed with 5:30 to go in the second quarter and then was called an official game at the half when plans to resume the game at a later time could not be finalized.

The Breds scored on their first possession behind a 1 yard run by Senior Quarterback Jared Harris. Senior running back Michael Vicars went on to score the next two touchdowns on runs of 72 and 44 yards and totaled 200 rushing yards for the game. Senior fullback Chip Burks scored on a 4 yard run to put the Breds up 28-0 before the half. Dayton would mount its only scoring threat after a NewCath fumble with less than a minute left in the first and only half. But the Breds defense stiffened and Senior defensive tackle Zach Kiernan recovered a Dayton fumble on the 20 yard line. For the game Dayton was held to under 100 yards in total offense and the Breds defense accounted for three fumble recoveries and two interceptions

The Thoroughbreds, using a shot-gun offense, have had trouble scoring in previous games and had not topped 20 points in a game yet this year. However, that offense was put aside for this game as the Breds went under center and only attempted two passes. The result was 28 points in just one half under adverse weather conditions.

Crazy Week for NKY Teams

We are now in week 6 of football in Northern Kentucky. This might be the craziest week we have seen in years. Mother Nature really hit hard on Friday night, casing almost every game played to be postponed. The Conner vs. Campbell County game had been pushed back to Sunday, the only game, to my knowledge, that has been pushed back so far. All the other games are to take place on Saturday, Sept. 23. From what I have heard, the game must begin rigth where the teams left playing. That includes the Cougar-Camel game, where the game was young, only 1 minute and thirty seconds into the 1st quarter. The Camels began with the ball on offense. They played a total of three plays and had gained a first down. After that third play, there was an illegal motion penalty, and then a huge bolt of lightning streaked across the sky. That was pretty much it, as both teams sat indoors to wait. I believe the official call was made about an hour and a half after the first bolt. Definately a crazy night for all involved. What makes it even more rough was the fact that it was the Camel's Homecoming Night, in which many fans turned out. Hopefully all fans will return to cheer on their respective teams Sunday at 2 p.m.

Elder looks to rebound after first loss of season

After Saturday night's 56-38 loss to national powerhouse Concord De La Salle, Coach Ramsey looked ahead to this week's GCL opener against LaSalle. He told the players in his post game speech, "We never said we wanted to go 10-0. We never said we wanted to be #1 in the nation. We never said any of that, and we can still accomplish the goals we set out to accomplish at the beginning of the year."
Looking ahead to this week, the first in a mammoth three-week schedule of GCL foes, the 3-1 Panthers will play host to the 3-1 LaSalle Lancers. The Lancers are lead by head Coach Tom Grippa, who left Elder in 1997. When he left Elder, one of his assistant coaches, Doug Ramsey, took the helm of the Elder football program. Grippa went to Fairfield, and then to LaSalle. Last season, Elder lost 40-20 at LaSalle. They are looking to avaenge that loss this year. The last time the Lancers visited The Pit, the y lost 38-35. Elder was down 21-7 at halftime, and mounted quite a comeback to defeat the Lancers.
Some controversy has been brewing amongst the Panther faithful about who should start at quarterback for Elder. On Saturday, junior backup John Groene played well against De La Salle. But, the question is will he start against LaSalle? It's a good one, but the decision has been made already. Panther fans who don't know the answer, or at least think they know the answer, will have to wait until Friday to find out. This game should be a sell-out, and a very entertaining matchup.

Elder rolls Oak Hills, Faces National Power Next

After Elder's trouncing of neighborhood rival Oak Hills, the Panthers look forward to playing one of the nation's finest schools. Concord De La Salle from California is ranked 5th nationally by USA Today. Elder is not ranked nationally, but in the state's first AP Poll, the Panthers found themselves ranked 6th.
The Kirk Herbstreit Ohio vs USA Challenge will take place over two days in two locales. The link above is to the Ohio vs USA page. Concord De La Salle won 151 games straight, a record that was snapped in the Spartan's 2004 opener. Many fans across the nation wonder what will happen. "What will Ohio's record be?" they ask. "Who wins? Who loses?" others ask. The popular Ohio website Yappi is chock full of threads about "The Herbie", as it's being called.
Herbstreit, a 1993 graduate of The Ohio State University hatched the plan to have Ohio's best play Texas's best the night before the Buckeyes' big matchup with the Longhorns last year. it has grown exponentially since then. A list of matchups, including times and locations is available on the website. Tickets are $13 presale and can also be bought online.
Hopefully all Ohio fans can actually pull for one another this weekend. No matter how much it pains me to root for Colerain, St. X, Moeller, and the others, I will because I love Ohio, and Ohio football. Plus, after the smackdown that Ohio State laid on Texas last week, I feel confident in the level of football played in Ohio. Well, that's a little bit of a stretch, but maybe I'm right. Let's hear it: OH-(You respond "IO")

Aviators Roll To 3-0

The highly anticipated battle between the Sycamore Aviators and the Harrison Wildcats did not come close to living up to its expectations. Sycamore scored early and often as they cruised to a victory in Harrison, by a score of 39-14.
Both teams entered the game at a perfect 2-0, but it was clear from the start that Sycamore would prevail in this one.
The Aviator defense was stunning, allowing just 28 first half yards. Harrison did not score in the first half.
On the other side of the ball, QB Mitch Allen had another fine game on the ground with 117 rushing yards, while throwing for 147 more. The first score of the game was a 2 yard TD run by Mike Latessa. He would finish the game with 78 rushing yards on 11 carries. He also added another touchdown. Allen rushed for 2 as well, including an incredible 55 yarder. He also threw a 40 yard strike that WR Mike Byrd caught for a touchdown.
"The team did a nice job against Harrison...There are still areas that need improvement as we enter the GMC, but I am obviously pleased with our early success," said first-year head coach Scott Dattilo.
The Aves will travel to Princeton next week to take on the Vikings, before opening their new stadium on September 22nd against Oak Hills.
Sycamore Athletic Director Jim Stoll said that it will be worth the long wait. "There is a viewing area which was built from excess dirt from the field which is called the Aviator Landing Zone, just inside the new main entrance. Locker rooms, press box, goal posts, ceremonial entrance, handicap seating and several other improvements were part of the renovation as well," Stoll explained.
As this may be the start of a new page in Aviator football tradition, it is only fitting that the fans and players will have a new and improved facility in which to enjoy football.

Sycamore Smokes Springboro

It was a rainy, chilly night in Springboro, but that didn't stop the Aviator offense from having another huge game. Sycamore won 48-12 to improve to 2-0.
The scoring included two touchdown runs by senior RB/LB Mike Latessa, from 42 and 21 yards out. The next two scores for Sycamore were two TD strikes from QB Mitch Allen to WR Kyle Battle. This included a beautiful 69 yarder that Battle reeled in. The Sycamore students could be heard all through Springboro Stadium chanting "Mitch For Heisman". After that, FB Trevor Lothrop carried it in from 7 yards out. On the ensuing possession, senior BJ Evans ran it in from 19 yards out. The final score of the night for the Aviators was a 71 yard TD run by Bud Golden.
Friday night, Sycamore will make the trek out to Harrison to take on the 2-0 Wildcats. Expect a close game, unlike the first two games Sycamore has played.
If Mitch Allen plays like his normal self, then Sycamore should be in good shape. While he can't win the Heisman award quite yet, he could still be the man to lead the Aves to the playoffs.

Elder beats Highlands, looks to neighborhood rival next

Elder's win over Highlands may have been ugly on Friday night, but Super Bowl champion coach Bill Cowher once said, "So what if we won ugly?" Precisely. Who cares how many yards Elder got on the ground, or in the air, or how the refs called the game. Elder fans should be happy with a win. Even if it was ugly.

Elder's 136 yards of total offense may seem like nothing for a 21 point output, but two of Elder's scoring drives were 19 yards and 5 yards. To be honest, I'll take 24 yards and 14 points any day of the year. It may be true that Elder's offense will need to start clicking here before the Herbstriet Classic and the rigorous GCL schedule, but this week may be the week it starts going.

Which brings us to this week's game against local rival Oak Hills. The Highlanders last beat Elder in 1986, yet every year they circle the date of the Elder game on the calendar. The Highlander's new coaching staff, led by head coach Kurry Commins, has breathed new life into the players and the program. This year's game against Elder is so big the Oak Hills weight room was adorned with a countdown clock, counting down the days, minutes, and seconds until the Elder game kicks off.

Last year one Oak Hills player guaranteed a 21 point victory in the paper. Elder's worst team in nearly 20 years beat the Highlanders 42-16. There is no doubt they will use that game, as well as the past 20 years as motivation. But will they pull off the win? It should be a good game, and its being played at the best place in America to watch a high school football game; Elder's famed stadium, nicknamed "The Pit". It sends chills down your spine just thinking about it, well at least it does for most Elder fans.

If you're interested in seeing two neighborhood rivals duke it out on the gridiron Friday night, get a ticket, come on out, and enjoy the show. It won't disappoint you, and that's a guarantee.

Cathedral vs St. X

23-3 Saint Xavier, now 2-0

The weather today was cold and wet. It was no question that the game was going to be decided by running, with # 28, Stubbs, for Cathedral, and #8, Ashley, for St. X. Stubbs gained 49 yrds for his team, and Ashley, 139. Cathedral had an interception in the endzone, but ended up punting it 30 or so yards when they were unable to advance against a solid X defense. The game was 10-0 at the end of the first, 16-3 the second, 23-3 the third and fourth. Coach Specht mentioned that his team can allways do better, and that they will continue to work at it.