BY RAY SCHAEFER
Enquirer contributor -->
PARK HILLS - In case Covington Catholic football players forgot what happened the last time they played archrival Highlands, a sign on the outfield wall at the baseball field helps them remember. It reads "70-26," a reminder of the score of the Bluebirds' Oct. 9 victory.
CovCath has a chance to atone for that in tonight's Class AAA, Region 3 title game at 7:30 at Highlands. But one could understand if CovCath's players and coaches had more important things on their minds.
Today is the fifth day after former Colonel and University of Kentucky sophomore Artie Steinmetz died in a truck crash, and just one day after the funeral. But coach Lynn Ray said his team is preparing harder than for any other game.
"I feel like we owe Artie something," Ray said Monday. "So I think we'll work harder than usual to make him proud of the way we have played because he would want us to play as hard as we can, do the best we can."
Said junior quarterback Brett Dietz: "He loved the game more than anybody on our team."
Senior inside linebacker Matt Day smiles a little when he remembers being on the wrong end of a Steinmetz hit two years ago.
"A lot of seniors, we knew Artie pretty well," Day said. "He knocked us on our butt a couple times."
On Oct. 9, CovCath was nearly knocked out of a chance to defend its Class AAA state title. The Highlands loss was the Colonels' third in the previous four weeks, and the team had dropped to 3-4 for the year.
Ray doesn't remember any specific thing he told his team.
"Nothing except our backs were to the walls and we needed to win the next three games to make the playoffs," he said. "I think it was a matter of getting back to fundamental football. I think the players decided to dedicate themselves to improving as a football team, and I think they've done that."
Highlands senior quarterback Jared Lorenzen was the main reason for last month's wipeout. He ran 10 times for 190 yards and two touchdowns, and completed 10-of-19 passes for 209 yards and five TDs. Ray said keeping Lorenzen from running is the most important task.
"If we don't stop that, then he doesn't have to throw," Ray said.
Day said Highlands senior running backs Brian Ulbricht - who scored three times in last week's win over Dixie Heights - and senior Noah Gibson are potential problems as well.
"I think (Ulbricht) and Gibson are pretty quick," Day said. "We'll see if we can shut them down."
CovCath sophomore tailback Cole Chadwick, who enters tonight's game with 1,608 yards and 16 touchdowns on 300 carries, turned in his highest output of the season against Highlands: 36 carries for 213 yards and two TDs.
Nobody knows who put up the 70-26 sign, but Dietz said Steinmetz's spirit motivates the Colonels even more.
"He'd love for us to beat Highlands," Dietz said. "When I think of Artie, I think of just how in practice how he was always having fun. And he always wanted to practice and he loved practice and he loved getting better."
Funeral says farewell to a player with dreams
