[BlackcatAlum]

With the hire of their 7th head coach in school history, what are the expectations at CovCath this upcoming season?

[Stardust]

Rebuilding. They lose some key positions players plus both the offense and defense will be completely changed.

[BlackcatAlum]

What kind of offense will their new coach be bringing in SD?

[tradition]

Don't know much , but I will say Cov. Cath is fired up. Lynn Ray, their long beloved coach is back, helping with lifting. It is a whole new attitude at Cov. Cath. so look for them to be on the road back. They may just surprise a few this year.

[jbwill2]

Don't know much , but I will say Cov. Cath is fired up. Lynn Ray, their long beloved coach is back, helping with lifting. It is a whole new attitude at Cov. Cath. so look for them to be on the road back. They may just surprise a few this year.

They will have a very tough district schedule for Wirth's first year as head coach at CCH. Highlands will be very, very good and Dixie Heights will be solid as well. I predict the district to finish: 1. Highlands, 2. Dixie Heights, 3. Covington Catholic, 4. Scott at the end of the 2009 season.

[cougarpride08]

I was wondering what ever happen to them, and there program.Good to see they are getting back to what they love to do. Hopefully they will knock off Highlands.

[Strikeout King]

thoughts about the upcoming season for the Colonels? who did they lose and who do they have returning? Colonels went 5-7, lost 2nd RD State Playoffs Johnson Central 49-14.

Aug 21, 09	Ryle	away				7:30 PM
Aug 29, 09	Lexington Catholic	away				8:00 PM	Bluegrass Bowl
Sep 5, 09	Lasalle, OH	home				1:00 PM
Sep 11, 09	Campbell County	away				7:30 PM
Sep 19, 09	Beechwood	home				1:00 PM
Sep 26, 09	Newport Central Catholic	home				1:00 PM
Oct 2, 09	Open	home
Oct 10, 09	Scott	home				1:00 PM
Oct 17, 09	Highlands	home				1:00 PM
Oct 23, 09	Dixie Heights	away				7:00 PM
Oct 30, 09	St. Xavier	away				7:30 PM

[cuppett777]

can they rebound this year? tuff teams

[tradition]

Not a Cov. Cath. fan but know they have a new coach with a new attitude. Old faithful coach Lynn Ray is now an assistant coach and has been working with the team all winter during lifting. They are psyched and ready to go. Question is do they have the talent or can they win it all with heart and hard work?

[Can you dig it?]

Not a Cov. Cath. fan but know they have a new coach with a new attitude. Old faithful coach Lynn Ray is now an assistant coach and has been working with the team all winter during lifting. They are psyched and ready to go. Question is do they have the talent or can they win it all with heart and hard work?

They have before. I learned not to count them out back in 1997.:biggrin:

[charlie22]

They have before. I learned not to count them out back in 1997.:biggrin:

CovCath actually had a very talented football team in 97. If I remember properly, the regular season contest was a pretty close one.

[Stardust]

Cov Cath has began losing athletes to other schools, Beechwood most notably. I do expect Cov Cath to bounce back. They will get back to fundamentals, which I felt they got away from over the last two seasons. As HHS fans mentioned, never count out CCH.

[wildcatfanatic]

i think the team can rebound this yr.

[Can you dig it?]

CovCath actually had a very talented football team in 97. If I remember properly, the regular season contest was a pretty close one.

Yeah, but that Mud Bowl game should have been in the bag by halftime. I was down in the north end zone watching that game for a change and kept waiting for J-Load to make a break for the end zone, but he kept looking for a receiver. If he runs, no one on that defense is going to stop him, but he kept looking. When CovCath held them on that series, I turned to my buddy and said "Bad feeling about this one." I had friends with kids on that CC team, so as much as I hated seeing the Birds lose, I was happy for them. Add that to the fact that I had to leave town on business for two weeks the following Sunday and I don't get to see the 3A championship game anyway. I think the term is "bittersweet". :biggrin:

[Stardust]

According to first-year Covington Catholic football coach Dave Wirth, CovCath senior offensive lineman Kevin Connaughton has picked up his first Division I offer. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound left tackle recently received an offer from Air Force.

Service academies do not give athletic scholarships.

Connaughton is the third offensive lineman in Northern Kentucky's 2010 with a Division I offer, joining Jordan Hansel of Simon Kenton and Tyler Grubbs of Highlands. Hansel has an offer from Ball State. Grubbs has committed to Miami University.

[charlie22]

Yeah, but that Mud Bowl game should have been in the bag by halftime. I was down in the north end zone watching that game for a change and kept waiting for J-Load to make a break for the end zone, but he kept looking for a receiver. If he runs, no one on that defense is going to stop him, but he kept looking. When CovCath held them on that series, I turned to my buddy and said "Bad feeling about this one." I had friends with kids on that CC team, so as much as I hated seeing the Birds lose, I was happy for them. Add that to the fact that I had to leave town on business for two weeks the following Sunday and I don't get to see the 3A championship game anyway. I think the term is "bittersweet". :biggrin:

Perhaps, but perhaps not. I was there also watching the game (and have watched it many times since then). We started a lot of juniors in that game (including Jared) whereas CovCath had a bunch of talented seniors on that team. I was worried about a comeback by them way before the play you are referring to. Teams like CovCath don't generally give up.

[sstack]

can they rebound this year? tuff teams

Tough schedule to rebound with, I see them going 5-5 or maybe even 4-6.

[tradition]

Tough schedule to rebound with, I see them going 5-5 or maybe even 4-6.

Much better schedule than they have had in the past few years. Now those were some tough schedules. Who they play this year is much more condusive to they level of team they should have this year. They should have a pretty fair year. I think better than 5-5.

[Stardust]

Much better schedule than they have had in the past few years. Now those were some tough schedules. Who they play this year is much more condusive to they level of team they should have this year. They should have a pretty fair year. I think better than 5-5.

If they have success with filling the QB position, I think the CCH squad can have success in the air. They have a decent set of receivers coming in, all with size and speed. Defense is what I see as the major weakness for this team

[richardhead]

They will be a much improved team. I see them finishing with an overall possible 500 final record before the playoffs begin. Very strong nondistrict schedule will have them ready to compete in the playoffs even if they do finish at the 500 mark regular season. St.X, Fort Thomas Highlands, Lexington Catholic, Dixie Heights, NewCath, Beechwood, Lasalle. CovCath very well could play the toughest overall schedule in the state.

[barrel]

What kind of offense will their new coach be bringing in SD?

Gun with a ton of bubble and other screens along with your typical 4 wide type passing game. The guy was one of the clinic speakers over at UC this year. He was at Cov Cath before as a DC.

[Stardust]

New Covington Catholic High School football coach Dave Wirth has made numerous changes in the program since being hired in February, from bringing in new assistants to implementing new offensive and defensive schemes. But perhaps the biggest change is in the team's workout regimen and attitude.



Wirth was 27-25 in five seasons as head coach at Hamilton Badin. He won two Greater Catholic League North titles and last season took the team to its first playoff appearance since 2001.

He said he firmly believes the way his players train and condition will overcome the current decline in talent that helped produce back-to-back 5-7 records and cost Dave Brossart his job. Keep in mind that not only was CovCath 5-7 last season, but it lost by scores of 57-0, 61-0, 56-7 and 56-0 in the regular season and 49-14 in a second-round playoff game.

"People at Badin, when I interviewed for the job, said with the things you're talking about that you want to do, you'll never be able to do it with the type of kid you have and who you're playing against (Kettering Alter, Chaminade-Julienne, Roger Bacon); you'll never be able to run with them," said Wirth, who was defensive coordinator at CovCath under legendary coach Lynn Ray from 2001-03.

"I just didn't buy that, because I've seen too many kids train the right way to go from a B to an A athlete and from a C to a B. That's where I think we had our success at Badin. If we have a lot of bubble guys become better athletes, they also become stronger psychologically.

"I can already see we're night-and-day different athletically. We're still not where we need to be."

In addition to strenuous offseason weight and conditioning work, Wirth has the players working out in the morning and coming back for practice at night, which will continue until two-a-day practices begin next week.

"We'd usually tone it down significantly by now, but I think we can get a tiny bit more out of them without waxing their legs before two-a-days," said Wirth, who has changed the offense to a full-time spread look and changed the defense by allowing players to make constant on-field adjustments.

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll...907270362/

[Stardust]

Wirth's Colonels begin transitional year
By Adam Kiefaber • [email]akiefaber@nky.com[/email] • August 18, 2009

• • Print • ShareThis • Type Size: A A


In each of the past two seasons, Covington Catholic has finished with an uncharacteristic 5-7 record.


That performance marks the first time since 2000 the program has had back-to-back losing seasons.

This season, CovCath will try to rebuild to the program that won six Class AAA state titles since 1987. Leading that transition will be former CovCath assistant and now current head coach David Wirth.

Wirth takes over the program after being the head coach at Hamilton Badin High School, where he complied a 27-25 record over five seasons.

Prior to the Badin job, Wirth was an assistant at CovCath under coach Lynn Ray from 2001-2003. Under Ray, Wirth was eventually promoted from offensive line coach to defensive coordinator. With that promotion, Wirth was able to get the Badin job and now the head-coaching job at CovCath.

Joining Wirth is a staff imported from the other side of the river, many with ties to Moeller, which is where Wirth coached before coming to CovCath in 2001.

However, not all the coaches are known for coaching in Ohio. Ray, who won five of those six state titles at CovCath, has come out of retirement to coach the linebackers.

"It is very reassuring to know that there is a guy with five rings in his pocket right beside you as a reference," Wirth said. "He is the best coach in Northern Kentucky if not in the Tri-State, so having him on the sidelines with me and in the coaches office with me is a blessing to say the least."

Not only does Wirth have a talented coaching staff, but he also has some talented players.

Senior left tackle Kevin Connaughton is one area's top offensive linemen and already has an offer from Air Force.

Another player that excites Wirth is senior quarterback Brayden Erpenbeck.

"He will make some mistakes early on, but by the time we get to midseason Brayden is going to be pretty scary," Wirth said. "Defenses are going to have to very honest because of his ability to run and throw."

Erpenbeck's projected top receiving target was returning starter Michael Robinson, who was seriously injured during a 7-on-7 this summer. Robinson could miss the entire season.

Possibly filling that void will be junior wide receiver Alex Connelly (6-foot-4), who won Class 2A state high jump in May.

Overall CovCath only returns three starters on offense and four on defense, but Wirth is not concerned.

"In a transitional year, returning starters are put back to ground zero because they have to re-learn everything," Wirth said. "The fact that we don't have that many returning starters doesn't concern me because everyone is starting at square one, but we are excited about what we have."

CovCath begins it season at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21, at Ryle

[CCHColonelFan]

im a sophomore this year at cov cath and am on the team. the 2009, 2010, and 2011 season teams for cch are just going to get better and better. the more we are with coach wirth, the better we are going to get over the next few seasons. we will have great shots at the state championship in the next few years