High School Football: Catholic Central at Triad football game on amid questions about Irish roster

The Catholic Central high school football game against Triad is set to take place on September 4th, as initially announced. Triad High School officials confirmed the game will occur at the scheduled 7 p.m. kickoff. Southeastern High School's decision to shift their Homecoming festivities to September 18th has raised questions regarding Catholic Central's football season.

The reason for this change is concerns over the number of players on Catholic Central's roster. Principal Tim Bell of Southeastern High School explained that if Catholic Central doesn't have enough players to play on October 2nd, the district wants to ensure they can host a homecoming game and announce the homecoming court before the game.

The Ohio Heritage Conference lists 21 players on Catholic Central's roster, which is the smallest among Miami Valley-based teams this season. Out of these 21 players, 10 are freshmen and seven are upperclassmen. Catholic Central's athletic director, Jason Malone, has been in communication with Southeastern officials and has been informed of their intent to play the game on Friday.

However, they have not responded to requests for comment. Catholic Central started the 2026 season with an 0-2 record and has been outscored 95-8 in those games. The school has had a successful history, with 14 playoff appearances and two state tournament appearances. Catholic Central was the first Clark County program to reach a state final game, finishing as the state runner-up in 1991. The team hasn't qualified for the postseason since 2022.