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CCHS looks to extend home streak

Meek looks to guide Crusaders to opening night win against former team

LOOKING FOR ANOTHER STRONG SEASON — Eric Meek and Catholic Central Crusaders had a memorable 2023 season and will look to have another in 2024 as the season opens Saturday night with a visit to Harding Stadium from Wellsville. - Andrew Grimm

STEUBENVILLE — A memorable season for Catholic Central started with a win over Wellsville.

The Crusaders are hoping to repeat that victory over the Tigers and the memorable campaign it began when the foe from north on state Route 7 comes to Harding Stadium to open the season Saturday night.

“We’re ready to play,” Meek, whose team is coming off a 9-2 season and back-to-back playoff trips, said. “We had a good summer leading up to this. We have some kids returning that have been through it before and some new faces as well. Some of those new faces have gotten a lot of quality reps in our scrimmages. We’re excited and ready to go.

The Tigers are coming off a 1-9 season and looking to bounce back. Central won last season’s meeting on the road 37-6, but Meek expects a much improved Tigers team to invade Harding Stadium this time around based on what he’s seen of them.

“We know it’s going to be a challenge because Wellsville is going to be a tough opponent,” Meek said. “It’s going to be a big task. They have a lot of kids back, and, from what I’ve seen on film, they’ve really improved from a year ago.”

Wellsville, which trails the Crusaders 7-5 in the all-time series between the schools, is also a very familiar opponent for Meek as the veteran coach had a successful tenure as the head coach of the Tigers from 1995-2002.

“I was the head coach there for eight years, I just know the type of kids that Wellsville produces and they’re always tough kids,” he said. “They have some speed and they like to crowd the line on defense and bring pressure. Offensively they have some real athletic kids that can make plays in space.”

The Crusaders did not lose a game at Harding Stadium last season, something they hope to continue beginning on Saturday night before going on the road the following two weeks.

“It’s important to get this first win,” Meek, who looks to surpass 150 career victories this season, said. “We won all of our games at Harding Stadium a year ago, all six of them. It would be really nice, for our seniors especially and our program, to continue that streak into a second year.

“It’s always big to start off 1-0 because you’re so anxious to get out there and try to get a win. It’s going to be a tough battle, we just hope at the end of the night Saturday we’re fortunate enough to come out healthy and with a win.”

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