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

The Catholic Central football team will face off against Triad High School in a game set for Friday, September 4th, at 7 p.m. Triad's athletic director, Jason Malone, has confirmed that the match is taking place despite questions about Catholic Central's roster size.

Southeastern Local Schools had initially planned to shift their Homecoming game to September 18th due to concerns that Catholic Central might not have enough players for their game on October 2nd. However, Triad officials have stated that they are confident Catholic Central will be able to field a team for the Friday match.

The Ohio Heritage Conference lists 21 players on the Catholic Central roster, which is the smallest among Miami Valley-based teams this season. Among these 21 players, 10 are freshmen and there are a total of seven upperclassmen. Triad's athletic director was in communication with Catholic Central officials on Monday and has been assured that the Irish will play this Friday.

Catholic Central began the 2026 season with a 0-2 overall record and has been outscored 95-8 in those games. Despite these challenges, the Catholic Central program has a strong history, boasting 14 playoff appearances and two state tournament appearances in Clark County. The Irish even appeared in a state final game in 1991, finishing as state runners-up. Last year, Catholic Central qualified for the postseason once again.