Saturday, December 02, 2000
NewCath fans make best of loss
By Jim Hannah
The Cincinnati Enquirer
LOUISVILLE — Call it Little Newport. That's what the bleachers at the old Cardinal Stadium were transformed into here on Friday as Newport Central Catholic High School fell 23-9 to Danville High School in the Class A division football championship game.
NewCath called off school for the day. Parents and graduates took the day off from work. And Campbell County elementary schools reported low attendance.
“Today, all the elementary schoolkids have the blue and gold flu,” said Julie John son, referring to the high school's colors. Her son, Ben, is backup quarterback for NewCath.
Mrs. Johnson's other son, Brian, 13, who was also at the game, said only six of his 16 classmates at St. Michael's in Bellevue attended class Friday.
A crowd of 7,714 showed up for the game, a record for the state Class A football championship.
A caravan of 100 vehicles rolled out of the Northern Kentucky community about 9 a.m. to make the nearly 100-mile trip down Interstate 71 to Louisville.
School officials estimated that 3,000 NewCath fans endured 40-degree temperatures to watch their beloved Thoroughbreds.
“We had a caravan stretching from here to Newport,” said Nick Daniele of Bellevue, whose son, Bri an, plays defensive end for the team. The junior dislocated his shoulder during last weekend's game against Pikeville, but was ready to play Friday.
Mrs. Johnson's husband, Kenny, wore his lucky blue-and-gold Louisiana State Tigers hat to the game. But it didn't bring the same good fortune Friday as it did during the first game he wore it to. That was earlier in the season when the Thoroughbreds handed Fort Mitchell powerhouse Beechwood its first loss at home in 48 games.
“This is a dream come true for me,” Mr. Johnson said. “I never had a chance to get here (a state championship).” He played football at Dayton High School in Kentucky.
Lynn Berling's good-luck charm is an old cowbell. “It goes to all the games,” said the mother of Josh, who plays tackle for the Thoroughbreds. “My father got it at a flea market when I was in high school.” Mrs. Berling is a 1980 Highlands grad.
Kathy Smith was one of the loudest NewCath fans in the stands. Her son Jeff is quarterback for the Thoroughbreds.
“He (Jeff) learned everything from his dad, but he got my height,” said the 6-foot Mrs. Smith. Her son stands 6-feet-5.
There were all kinds of stories circulating through the stands about elaborate travel plans NewCath fans and graduates made to get to the game.
One such story had the wife of a '70s NewCath grad leaving a car parked at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport for her husband. Waiting inside the car for her husband — whose flight was scheduled to arrive just two hours before the start of the game — were the car keys and tickets to the football championship.
No word yet on if he made it to the game on time.
NewCath runs out of miracles
Complete prep football coverage at Enquirer.com/prepfootball
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NewCath fans make best of loss
