50 Years Of Covington Catholic Football

[colonel-fan]

@Jackie Ed @Theoldguy @gchs_uk9 Here's a little insight into the playoff situation from the 1969 season. From the Courier-Journal on October 23, 1969.

 

 

Credit the anonymous coach for giving the real reason why the local schools were hesitant to schedule CovCath back then. I get Boone, Kenton, and Campbell, but who was the fourth county the coach referenced? Pendleton? Grant? Gallatin?

[gchs_uk9]

Credit the anonymous coach for giving the real reason why the local schools were hesitant to schedule CovCath back then. I get Boone, Kenton, and Campbell, but who was the fourth county the coach referenced? Pendleton? Grant? Gallatin?

 

I suspect it was more a figure of speech. None of those counties had football in 1969.

[mexitucky]

[ATTACH]62324[/ATTACH]

 

 

 

COACH STEVE RASSO

1966 - 1967

5-4-1 (55.6 Winning %)

 

 

Covington Catholic began its football team in the 1966 season, opting to only play a reserve team. As the 1st head coach for their new team, they hired former Cleveland Cathedral Latin and Archbishop Elder assistant coach Steve Rasso. The following year, the Cov Cath finished their first varsity football season in 1967 with a winning record. This would be Coach Rasso's final year coaching the Colonels. He left to take the head coaching position at LaSalle High School in Cincinnati, and then moved on from there to serve as head coach at Mariemont High School and St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati.

 

 

In the 1967 season, the Cov Cath defense managed to hold all but 1 opposing team to one or fewer touchdowns.

 

How do you have that few scored against you and lose 4 games? Did the offense go to different fields and miss the game 4 times?

[Theoldguy]

How do you have that few scored against you and lose 4 games? Did the offense go to different fields and miss the game 4 times?

 

The reason in my mind was due to the lack of playing together. CovCath best players on offense that season, in my own humble opinion, were Bob Weick (RB) and Larry Erpenbeck (T) neither had played one single play in HS football before that season. Remember also, none, not one single player on that "67" team had played Varsity Football and none, not one single player had played freshman football either.

 

Mex, consider this, image this upcoming 2017 season, a team that opens up without out one single player from last seasons varsity team. Image that team having only six seniors on it who have never played HS football before and having your entire Junior Class with only 1 year of JV football under their belts. What would you think their record would be? To be 5-4-1 in that first year was an amazing event, that I highly doubt could or would be done today.

 

Defense is much easier to teach and learn, you react on the "D" side and especially back in the day you didn't have the complicated sets like you have today. That "D" indeed was tough with Steve McCafferty at nose tackle and Butler at MLB.

 

I totally believe that the "67" team set a very high water mark, for the other CovCath classes to follow!

With a Spirit, that will not Die!

[Theoldguy]

True story about Coach Rasso. I can't tell you the year but it was either his last year at Cin X or the 1st year after he retired from Cin X anyway,

 

My wife and I went over to her Mother home in Norwood and after the visit we went to Dewey's Pizza in Oakley to eat. We walk in and as always there was a wait period to get served for dinner. We sat down and a minute or two later Coach Rasso and his wife sat down right next to us. I knew that no way in heck would he remember me but I wanted to thank him for what he not only did for me but for CovCath so I introduced myself and he smiled and told me he was sorry that he didn't remember me but that those two years at CovCath where some of the best in his life. We proceed to talk for the next twenty minutes of back in the day CovCath Football and how proud he was of starting the CovCath program and how impressed he was with the CovCath Community. It was a very pleasant twenty minutes of reliving my youth at CovCath and that year of being on the CovCath Football team.

[Runcible Owl]

Covington Catholic's 1969 starting lineup, taken from the Courier Journal preceding Cov Cath's final game of the season against the St. X Tigers.

 

 

Postseason awards for members of the 1969 team.

 

Associated Press All-State - First Team: Backs, Rick Hornsby; Tackles, Rick Fedders.

 

Louisville Courier-Journal All-State -

First Team: Backs, Rick Hornsby.

Honorable Mention: Tackles, Rick Fedders; Ends, John Corbett; Guards, Chuck Skelton; Centers, Tom Mallory; Backs, Jerry Arrasmith.

[Runcible Owl]

Postseason awards for members of the 1969 team.

 

Associated Press All-State - First Team: Backs, Rick Hornsby; Tackles, Rick Fedders.

 

Louisville Courier-Journal All-State -

First Team: Backs, Rick Hornsby.

Honorable Mention: Tackles, Rick Fedders; Ends, John Corbett; Guards, Chuck Skelton; Centers, Tom Mallory; Backs, Jerry Arrasmith.

 

The AP and C-J All-State teams of the time combined all three classes (A-AA-AAA). The selections also didn't make distinctions between some offensive / defensive positions. Tackles, guards, ends, backs, etc., as published, could have played on either side of the ball.

[jericho]

I will ever forget the MLB they had in late or mid 90s in title game. One of best I ever saw play.

Mike something I think. Can't believe I forgot his name.

[Runcible Owl]

First Win - Sept. 1, 1967, Cov. Cath. 20 Newport 7

 

First Touchdown - Dennis Egolf, vs. Newport. 3rd quarter - Three yard run up the middle.

 

First Touchdown Pass - John Corbett to Bob Wieck, vs. Newport. 3rd Q: 41 yards.

 

First PAT - Denny Egan, vs. Newport. Following Corbett to Wieck TD pass above.

 

First PAT Pass Completion - Corbett to Wieck vs. Boyd County, Oct. 14. 3rd Q.

 

First Points Scored by the Defense - Safety vs. Russell, Sept. 29. End zone tackle by Don Janson and Nick Schwartz. 3rd Q points are the difference in 8 - 6 win.

 

First Interception? - Mike Setters, vs. Boone County, September 15. Sets up Corbett to Wieck TD pass.

[Runcible Owl]

Cov Cath's best players on offense that season, in my own humble opinion, were Bob Weick (RB) and Larry Erpenbeck (T) neither had played one single play in HS football before that season.

 

With a Spirit, that will not Die!

 

Larry, after 49 years, still holds the school record in the shot put at 55' - 2", because that is way, way out there. That's my frame of reference. If he was close to that good on the gridiron, he must have been a beast.

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

I will ever forget the MLB they had in late or mid 90s in title game. One of best I ever saw play.

Mike something I think. Can't believe I forgot his name.

 

Mike Lutz and Mike Caple were the only linebackers named Mike from the 90s state championship teams. Tim Woolf was the MLB on the 97 team, and is the younger brother of Mike Woolf who was on the 87 state championship team.

Edited July 5, 2017 by Colonels_Wear_Blue

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

Covington Catholic's fourth football helmet design, used in 1970:

 

Edited July 6, 2017 by Colonels_Wear_Blue

[jericho]

Mike Lutz and Mike Caple were the only linebackers named Mike from the 90s state championship teams. Tim Woolf was the MLB on the 97 team, and is the younger brother of Mike Woolf who was on the 87 state championship team.

 

Mike Woolf was him, he was to me the best LB I have seen in many years.

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

Mike Woolf was him, he was to me the best LB I have seen in many years.

 

He was great to watch.

[colonel-fan]

Covington Catholic's fourth football helmet design, used in 1970:

 

[ATTACH]62594[/ATTACH]

 

Wow!

Edited July 6, 2017 by Colonels_Wear_Blue
Editing Quote