Monday, November 27, 2000
Locals go home empty-handed again
By Dave Schutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Cincinnati's drought of Ohio football titles continues. After a decade that saw only one Cincinnati school win a title, the city won't be represented in the state football finals this weekend as a result of Colerain (Division I) and Reading (Division V) losing semifinal games Saturday.
It's the second straight year that Cincinnati teams were shut out of the finals.
Pat Mancuso, who coached Princeton to three state titles, doesn't accept the thinking that Cincinnati football is weaker than in other parts of the state.
“We have good teams down here, and it's just a matter of getting to the big game,” Mancuso said. “I think Colerain was capable of winning it this year and St. X could have a couple of years ago.”
“I've always said that it takes a little luck to win a state championship,” Mancuso said. “If Colerain hadn't fumbled on the Upper Arlington 5 (in Saturday's 10-7 loss), they could have won. It's a matter of getting over the hump.”
Since the state finals were moved to Massillon/Canton in 1990, only three Greater Cincinnati teams have won titles — Lebanon (1998, Division II), Hamilton Badin (1990, Division III) and Cincinnati Academy of Physical Education (Division IV, 1992).
The last Cincinnati big-school team to win the title was Princeton in 1987 when the Vikings defeated Youngstown Boardman 14-7 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus.
It's a far cry from the '70s and '80s when Moeller (seven titles) and Princeton dominated the big-school division.
Cincinnati teams have won only 20 of the 130 state championship games since Ohio began football playoffs in 1972.
Mancuso would like to see the championship games return to Columbus but he discounted the notion that northern teams have an advantage playing in Canton-Massillon.
“A lot depends on the time of day the game is played,” Mancuso said. “If it's at night, there's the possibility of going up that day. It would then be a routine day with the kids having the comfort of staying at home and sleeping in their own beds.”
Two state championship games were played in Southwestern Ohio and on both occasions, Cincinnati teams emerged as the champions over northern teams.
In 1978, Princeton defeated Berea 12-10 at Welcome Stadium in Dayton for the Class AAA title. Moeller beat Massillon Washington 30-8 at UC's Nippert Stadium in 1980.
However, Moeller also won in 1975, '76 and '77 at the Akron Rubber Bowl, defeating Lakewood St. Edward, Gahanna Lincoln and Canton McKinley.
The site for the 2001 state championship games will be decided by the Ohio High School Athletic Association within two months.
Most coaches from Southwestern Ohio prefer bringing the games back to Ohio Stadium or to Crew Stadium, the state-of-the-art soccer facility in Columbus.
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