St. Bernard-Elmwood Place opens football camp tonight

July 19 2011 by Taylah Cosgrove in Education Sport Tips |No Comments

For the first time in 50 years, there will be a St. Bernard-Elmwood Place football program this August.

The Titans open camp tonight and head coach Joe Olding said it will give a better indication of where the team is this summer.

Olding said the program has averaged 24-25 players for summer workouts. There were will be high school and junior high school programs at the school district.

“Our goal is to get consistency and build a program from the seventh grade up,” said Olding, a former University of Cincinnati defensive lineman.

The Titans will play six varsity and four junior varsity games this season. Olding is one of three varsity-level coaches; there are two coaches at the junior high level.

Olding said his offensive coordinator is Marty Burke, a former Stanford graduate assistant, and the defensive coordinator is Jim Mackey, who is an Elder graduate and former Thomas More player.

Olding said one of our major goals is to increase enrollment within the school district and football is one avenue for helping that. The other fall sports at the school include soccer and cross country.

St. Bernard-Elmwood Place athletic director Kris Niehaus said the football program helped motivate students meet academic eligibility standards this past spring. He expects up to 35 players will join the team when games are ready to be played in August.

“Kids worked their tails off to get eligible,” Niehaus said.

Niehaus, who is starting his fourth year as athletic director at St. Bernard-Elmwood Place, said the district approved football in 2010 and hopes the investment will help keep students in the school system. It can also be a significant attraction for students who want to take advantage of the district’s open enrollment policy.

The Titans’ varsity squad will play their home games at Roger Bacon this season.

St. Bernard-Elmwood Place has a scrimmage at Manchester at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 19 before it opens the regular season in a varsity game against Riverview East Aug. 27 at 1:30 p.m. at Stargel Stadium.

“It’s pretty exciting, everyone is really pumped,” said Niehaus.

Olding, a science teacher at Elmwood Place Elementary, just finished his 28th year of teaching. Olding previously coached at St. Xavier High School and Our Lady of Lourdes grade school.

Olding, a 1979 Mount Healthy graduate, played defensive line at UC from 1979-82 after being recruited as a linebacker. Olding said he was in preseason camp with the Houston Oilers in 1983.

2011 schedule

Aug. 27 vs. Riverview East at Stargel Stadium, 1:30 p.m. (varsity game)

Sept. 10 at Cincinnati Country Day (junior varsity game), 10 a.m.

Sept. 17 at New Miami (junior varsity game), 10 a.m.

Sept. 24 at Dayton Christian (junior varsity game), noon

Oct. 1 - vs. Miami Valley Christian Academy at Roger Bacon (varsity game), 7 p.m.

Oct. 7 vs. James Gamble Montessori at Western Hills (varsity game), 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 14 vs. Oyler at Roger Bacon (varsity game), 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 22 vs. Cincinnati Christian (junior varsity), 10 a.m. (site TBA)

Oct. 28 vs. Cincinnati College Prep Academy at Western Hills (varsity game), 7:30 p.m.

Learning Centre

Navigate Through Locations to Find Source of Education