Before its current run of titles, Central Catholic had never in its long history in the City League had an on-campus football field for home games, or won back-to-back league championships.
Times have changed.
The tenure of ninth-year coach Greg Dempsey (69-24 record) has seen the construction of Gallagher Stadium at Central, the end of a 21-year CL title drought, a Division II state championship in 2005, and the installation of artificial turf last year along with a third consecutive league crown.
And, according to a preseason poll of the CL s 12 head coaches, the Irish are favored to make it four straight titles this season.
Central (8-3 overall, 6-1 CL) which nosed out Whitmer 24-23 in a classic overtime thriller last year in the game that ultimately decided the City championship received eight of the 12 first-place votes and 138 out of a possible 144 voting points.
St. John s Jesuit (6-5, 4-3) collected three first-place nods and 134 points for second in the poll, Whitmer (9-3, 6-1) picked up the other first-place vote and 121 points for third, and Rogers (5-5, 4-3) was tabbed for fourth at 98 points.
I d rather be picked first than last, said Dempsey, shrugging off the poll results.
Much of the respect accorded to Central entering this season can be attributed to the expected senior leadership and 1-2, offensive-defensive punch of third-year starter Brad Rogers and new arrival Mike Marrow, a transfer from New Albany near Columbus.
Rogers, a running back/linebacker, has already committed to Iowa, while Marrow, also a running back/linebacker, has committed to Alabama and coach Nick Saban.
Marrow s father, Vince, who played for Saban at the University of Toledo in 1990 before playing for five NFL teams, has returned to UT as tight ends coach on the Rocket football staff.
There has yet to be a nickname assigned to this formidable pair but, with Rogers listed at 5-foot-10 and 220 pounds and Marrow at 6-2 and 240, perhaps Mr. Inside and Mr. Inside may suffice.
There s a big thing I want to find out about our program, Dempsey said. We ve won three in a row and we ve been ranked second, third and fourth [in preseason poll], and we ve kind of played that laying-in-the-weeds type role. Now, do we have what it takes to handle some expectations? Can we handle some preseason pressure? I want to see how we, as coaches and the players, respond to that.
The most notable player in the St. John s camp is third-year line starter Jack Mewhort, a 6-5, 294-pound guard and defensive end who has committed to Ohio State as an offensive lineman.
Whitmer s top returning starter is one of the Panthers few incumbents, senior running back Julian Nash, a fast and bruising 5-11, 200-pound running back who rushed for 1,173 yards and scored 10 TDs while at Start as a sophomore, and added 771 yards and 12 scores for Whitmer last year.
Rogers hopes start with promising 6-3, 207-pound junior quarterback E.J. Tucker, who has seen time for the varsity since his freshman year.
Here is a look the teams in predicted order of finish:
Central Catholic
Coach: Greg Dempsey, ninth year
Last season: 8-3 overall, 6-1 CL
Last 10 years: 76-37, 46-19
Returning letter winners: 16
Returning starters: offense 4, defense 5
Schemes: Multiple pro sets/4-3
Top players: Seniors Brad Rogers, 5-10, 220, TB-LB; Mike Marrow, 6-2, 240, TB-LB; Nate Hobbs, 6-0, 180, CB-SB; Doug Williams, 6-2, 255, OT-DT; Dave Pickerel, 6-1, 220, LB-FB; Eric Bates, 6-2, 175, QB-FS. Junior Jamaal Tarrent, 6-2, 240, DE-FB.
Outlook: The numbers look good with 89 varsity players and 25 seniors and, with Rogers and Marrow, the Irish have a potentially lethal power combo in their ground attack. Also, Rogers, Marrow and third-year starter Pickerel compose the area s top linebacking corps. The kicking game is also solid with returning junior Kyle Burkhardt. Inexperience on both lines may slow Central s progress, however, and Dempsey may need to guard against complacency after winning three straight titles.
We re a team that has a lot of potential because we have a lot of talented individuals, Dempsey said. But we need to come together as a team to be able to reach that potential.
St. John s
Coach: Doug Pearson, seventh year
Last season: 6-5, 4-3
Last 10 years: 71-42, 49-16
Returning letter winners: 14
Returning starters: offense 4, defense 3
Schemes: Spread option/4-3
Top players: Seniors JackMewhort, 6-5, 294, G-DE; WaltAnderson, 6-1, 195, QB; Tim Kynard, 6-3, 238, TE-DE; Hunter Lent, 5-10, 190, TB-LB; Ian Gaston, 5-9, 192, TB-DB; Mike White, 6-2, 180, WR-DB; Ben Fudge, 5-10, 175, CB-WR.
Outlook: Thirty of the Titans 81 varsity players are seniors, so Pearson is counting on good leadership. He also likes the team s chemistry, its size on the lines, and the overall team speed. Possible trouble spots are a lack of depth and game experience, especially on the defensive line and at linebacker.
Mewhort, who switches from prior starting spots at center and defensive tackles, anchors both lines. Kynard is another third-year veteran. The play of Anderson (778 passing yards in regular season) will be crucial to the offense.
They re a great group of kids, they work extremely hard and this the biggest group of seniors since I ve been here, said Pearson, who is 52-28 at St. John s. Our goal every year is to win the City championship and make the playoffs, and hopefully we can do both of those things this year. But we need to come out of the chute early because our nonleague schedule is tough, and then we start out with Central in the league.
Whitmer
Coach: Joe Palka, third year
Last season: 9-3, 6-1
Last 10 years: 64-46, 26-9
Returning letter winners: 12
Returning starters: offense 3, defense 2
Schemes: Spread/multiple 4-3
Top players: Seniors Julian Nash, 5-11, 200, RB-LB; Zak Teel, 6-2, 215, C-DE; T.J. Meridieth, 6-0, 273, OT; Jordan Brown, 6-1, 185, WR-S. Juniors Jacob Noon, 5-8, 160, FS; Corey Compton, 6-1, 200, DT. Sophomore Kenny Hayes, 6-5, 220, TE-DE.
Outlook: The bad news for Palka is he graduated seven first-team All-CL players, including QB Donnie Dottei, who was the CL co-player of the year, and Kevin Koger, who is at the University of Michigan. The good news is the Panthers back-to-back playoff runs have generated interest in the program. There are 105 players out for the varsity plus 67 freshmen and 90 junior high players, necessitating an order for 40 new helmets and 30 new sets of pads.
But Nash, Teel and Meridieth are the only returning starters on offense, and Noon and Compton are the only incumbents in the defensive lineup, so inexperience will be a big hurdle. Palka is counting on the offensive line and Nash to lead the way early.
I know we re going to start slow with a tough schedule, Palka said. Julian Nash will have to help carry the load until we gain some experience at the other positions. But we hope to get better as the season goes and compete for the City title at the end. We re going to need to be a very good defensive team. Rogers
Coach: Rick Rios, ninth year
Last season: 5-5, 4-3
Last 10 years: 49-54, 34-31
Returning letter winners: 14
Returning starters: offense 7, defense 5
Schemes: Spread/multiple 3-4
Top players: Seniors Dalante Heard, 6-8, 284, OT-DE; Brad White, 6-4, 265, G; Aaron Scott, 5-11, 215, LB-PU-PK. Junior E.J. Tucker, 6-3, 207, QB-SS; Limon Sanders, 5-11, 185, WR-LB; Ray Bush, 6-3, 202, SE-LB.
Outlook: With talented junior and sophomore groups mixed in, the buzz word at Rogers this season is potential. The main question is, will it be realized this year? Some areas for optimism are the offensive skill-position personnel, the line in front of them and good team speed. Trouble spots may arise because of a lack of depth with just 48 varsity players. Tucker may be a Big-Ten-caliber prospect, and Heard is drawing attention from many Mid-American Conference schools along with some Big Ten teams.
We re cautiously optimistic about this group, Rios said. Honestly, it s the most talented group I ve had, but they re still young, so you hope they re going to perform up to their ability on Fridays. Our defense is a question mark. We ve had some changes in our staff and our schemes, so it s an unknown. We have to get better there.
St. Francis
Coach: Dick Cromwell, 25th year
Last season: 5-5, 4-3
Last 10 years: 79-35, 52-13
Returning letter winners: 11
Returning starters: offense 1, defense 1
Schemes: Pro-I and spread/5-2
Top players: Seniors Brody Henry, 6-2, 195, FB-LB; Tyler Miller, 5-10, 225, G-DE; Brendan McHugh, 6-2, 185, SE; Jarrod Horton, 6-0, 185, FL-DB. Juniors Tyler Johnston, 6-2, 195, FS-QB; R.J. Rios, 6-1, 210, LB; Scott Loy, 6-1, 170, DB.
Outlook: The Knights are just three years removed from a run of four straight CL titles and eight crowns in 10 years. But, with just one starter back on each side of the ball, the prospects of challenging for a league title this year are not promising. In fact, Cromwell acknowledged that, for once, St. Francis might be able to fly under the radar in the league.
On the plus side, he likes his quarterback candidates and his receiving corps. He hopes they can help offset a lack of depth on both lines and a lack of team speed that could be more evident on defense.
We were better than what we showed last year, Cromwell said, so that was a disappointment, and we ve lost a lot of good seniors. It s going to be a rough start if we re not ready to play. We ll have to throw the ball well and stay healthy up front.
Start
Coach: Pat Gucciardo, seventh year
Last season: 7-4, 5-2
Last 10 years: 54-49, 35-30
Returning letter winners: 14
Returning starters: offense 5, defense 5
Schemes: Fun-and-gun/multiple 4-4
Top players: Seniors Troy Bell, 5-9, 160, TB-CB; Danny Wood, 6-1, 215, FB-DE; Demetrius Washington, 6-6, 285, OT-DT; Terry Mitchell, 5-10, 185, LB. Juniors Tyreen Crate, 5-11, 165, DB-WR; Steven Berning, 6-3, 270, OT-DT.
Outlook: First and foremost, the Spartans have to adjust to the graduation of record-setting quarterback Brad Leestma, who passed for over 2,000 yards and 20 TDs last year. But Gucciardo has 16 seniors among his 74 varsity players, and has Bell (1,409 rushing yards, 12 TDs) as a reliable go-to guy on the ground. The coach likes his team s defensive personnel as a whole, and the receiving corps is deep. Overall inexperience may be a trouble area early on.
We have to be very consistent, Gucciardo said. We re young and inexperienced, so we ll have to tone it down a little offensively, not try to do too much and be satisfied kicking the ball once in a while. We re trying to build some pride and tradition here, and the potential on this team is very good.
Clay
Coach: Mike Donnelly, second year
Last season: 6-5, 5-2
Last 10 years: 49-53, 22-13
Returning letter winners: 23
Returning starters: offense 7, defense 5
Schemes: Multiple pro sets/4-2
Top players: Seniors Mike Toth, 5-10, 170, TB-SS; Drew Kuns, 6-3, 185, QB; Josh Hornyak, 5-10, 210, C-LB; Tyler TenEyck, 5-10, 150, WR-FS; Frankie Kouts, 6-0, 170, WR-CB; Matt Row, 5-11, 155, CB-WR.
Outlook: On paper, it seems that the Eagles have the personnel to match or surpass last year s record 26 of the 74 players are seniors, and coach Donnelly likes the offensive skill personnel as well as the overall team chemistry. A couple concerns are a general lack of size, and a lack of depth on both lines. Kuns threw for over 1,200 yards last season, but Clay graduated one of the CL s top backs in Nick Tammerine, who surpassed 1,000 yards and 100 points.
We ve go the potential to be pretty good, Donnelly said. We ve got a lot of experience, and it s the second year in the new system. We ve also got a good group of sophomores who are pushing these guys, and the work ethic in the off-season was very good.
Bowsher
Coach: Robert Garber, third year
Last season: 2-8, 2-5
Last 10 years: 33-68, 25-40
Returning letter winners: 12
Returning starters: offense 2, defense 1
Schemes: Triple shoot/4-3
Top players: Seniors GregHannibal, 5-5, 178, SB-S; Kyle Shuster, 6-2, 215, OT-DE. Juniors Jaylen Jones, 6-2, 280, DT-G; Brian Shelton, 5-11, 145, QB. Sophomores Luc Meachum, 6-0, 170, WR-S; Tony Whitaker, 6-0, 225, LB.
Outlook: The Rebels look to improve but it may be an uphill battle with an inexperience group. Garber likes his team s quickness, unity and chemistry, and is counting on one of the area s top placekickers and punters in senior Jeff Chesser as a weapon. But the running game will be a by-committee operation until someone emerges as the frontrunner, the offensive line needs some seasoning, and a lack of depth and experience may prove to slow the team s progress.
We re going to be the underdog every night, Garber said. With just three kids back who were starters, we re trying to put it all together. Once we get it going, we have a chance to do some nice things. The key will be consistency.
Libbey
Coach: Eric Henderson, sixth year
Last season: 4-6, 3-4
Last 10 years: 14-84, 8-57
Returning letter winners: 12
Returning starters: offense 5, defense 6
Schemes: Offset pro-I/4-3
Top players: Seniors Troy Lampkin, 5-10, 205, G-DT; Stefan Anderson, 5-11, 255, G-DT; Garron Griggs, 5-10, 165, QB-CB; James Douglas III, 5-11, 175, WR-CB; Julius Mosley, 5-7, 155, RB; Brown Myers, 5-10, 185, LB. Junior Devin Arnold, 5-11, 225, OT-LB.
Outlook: Last year the Cowboys had their most wins in a season since 1984, and Henderson was named CL coach of the year. They hope to continue their upward momentum this season with a substantial corps of returnees. Five players are two-way starters, however, so fatigue may be a trouble area. A lack of depth and experience along with a suspect passing offense are other concerns, but Henderson likes his senior leadership and thinks his run defense will be a strong point.
As a staff, our expectations continue to grow, Henderson said. This year we re still growing, but that growth hasn t been where we thought it would be. We thought we d have at least 40 players out. But we re still optimistic, and the kids here are working hard.
Scott
Coach: Gardner Howard, first year
Last season: 1-9, 0-7
Last 10 years: 32-68, 21-44
Returning letter winners: 8
Returning starters: offense 3, defense 4
Schemes: Spread option/4-4
Top players: Seniors Daniel Carouthers, 5-10, 185, RB-LB; Armon Richardson, 5-10, 165, RB-DB; Keith Campbell, 5-10, 285, C-DT; Naturally Tisdale, 6-2, 215, OT-DE. Junior Malcolm Daniels, 5-10, 152, WR-DB. Sophomore Ray Mays, 5-9, 155, RB-LB.
Outlook: Howard inherits a team that one just one game last year, and a program that has not fielded a freshman team the last three years. Preseason numbers have been lower than expected in the 30s, and other trouble areas include a lack of size, depth and experience, and the learning curve that goes with installing a new system.
But the Bulldogs have displayed decent team speed, athleticism and versatility, and Howard remains optimistic.
I think people will be surprised, Howard said. Our kids have been working hard and they ve been positive. We should definitely compete and we have a good opportunity at having a winning season. Our goal is to improve each game and eventually try to win a City title.
Waite
Coach: John Johnson, fifth year
Last season: 0-10, 0-7
Last 10 years: 32-67, 24-41
Returning letter winners: 20
Returning starters: offense 5, defense 6
Schemes: Short shotgun/3-5
Top players: Seniors Tyler Benton, 6-2, 195, RB-DE; Jim Cosgrove, 6-0, 195, TE-LB; Joey Imm, 6-0, 165, QB-FS; Christian Griffth, 5-11, 175, DB. Junior Jake Ryan, 6-1, 210, RB-LB; Miguel Garcia, 6-0, 200, LB.
Outlook: There is literally no place for the Indians to go but up this season after posting the first 0-10 record in the school s 94-year football history in 2007, competing with less than 40 players and just eight seniors.
But veteran coach Johnson has 12 seniors on his 49-player roster, and much of the squad gained hard-won experience last year. Offseason weight-room participation was good, and has netted a stronger and better conditioned squad. But the overall size is lacking, and the installation of a new offense may hinder progress early on.
Everybody wants to be at least .500, and I think we can do that this year, Johnson said. Avoiding injuries will be a key, and finishing 0-10 last year is something we talked about not letting happen again. In fairness, though, most of those kids should have been playing JV.
Woodward
Coach: Robert Costigan, first year
Last season: 3-7, 3-4
Last 10 years: 24-74, 18-47
Returning letter winners: 5
Returning starters: offense 3, defense 2
Schemes: Power-I/4-3
Top players: Seniors Quran Fane, 5-9, 170, TB-C; Sheajuan Wells, 5-9, 160, QB; Charles White, 5-11, 180, TE-DE. Sophomore Mark Simmons, 5-10, 180, FB.
Outlook: Talk about a tall order, Costigan begins his first season as a head coach with just eight players who have played any prep football previously, and just over 30 players have turned out. But the new Polar Bear coach was pleased with the off-season weight training attendance, he likes what he s seen from his skill personnel on offense, and has some decent size on the offensive line, albeit none on them come with experience.
Woodward will start with smaller steps teaching fundamentals, and trying to establish a complete program with JV and freshman teams.
A year or two down the line we should be OK, Costigan said. Our juniors have shown promise, and all of these kids have been really open to coaching and working hard. They re learning quickly. I think we ve got some talent in the bank if we can keep them learning, keep them eligible and keep them together.
First Published August 20, 2008, 6:27 a.m.
