Big Red opens up at home
Steubenville faces tough initial test in McNicholas
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STEUBENVILLE -- After opening up on a Thursday and on the road a year ago, Big Red kicks off the 2024 season Friday night at home, sweet, home.
They'll do so against a new opponent, welcoming Cincinnati Archbishop McNicholas to Harding Stadium for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
A long summer of hard work to prepare has gone into getting to Friday night, during which hall of fame head coach Reno Saccoccia's club has stayed healthy and got dialed in.
"The summer has gone very good so far," Saccoccia, whose team is coming off a 13-2 campaign and back-to-back state semifinal trips, said. "The best part has been, for the most part, we've stayed healthy. That's very important in high school, especially the way it's set up now playing so many games if you expect to do what we expect to do. You have to have a lot of depth and avoid injuries."
McNicholas, making the hours-long trip across the state, is a fellow Division III school. They are coming off of a 5-7 campaign that ended in the second round of the playoffs following a 4-6 regular season mark.
It is the first meeting between the programs.
"I compare them a lot to Dover offensively in the way they can run the ball and throw the ball," he said. "Defensively, we haven't seen many teams that play the type of defense that they play.
"Overall when you look at them, they're very well-coached, well-disciplined and they have a lot of players back from last year.
"It's going to be a very good test for both teams. This is probably our best opener since Columbus Liberty (in 2021). We expect our kids to have to give their best on every snap."
The first one at home is always a big one, starting with the walk up the ramp from the locker rooms into what is sure to be a packed house.
"It's a great feeling walking up that ramp on opening night," Saccoccia said. "Our kids are excited for it. You really don't feel how much that means until you're walking up those steps and knowing, when you get to the top, it's time to go play."
Following the opener, Big Red will head on the road to New Philadelphia and Cardinal Mooney in Weeks 2 and 3, before returning home on Sept. 13 to host Pittsburgh Obama.
The trip to Steubenville is the lone trip this season to eastern Ohio for the Rockets led by Mike Orlando.