Thomas Jefferson and Central Catholic will open their football seasons in Wheeling, W.Va. They will take part in the inaugural Friends of Coal Classic on Sept. 1 at Wheeling Island Stadium. The three-game Classic will kick off at noon when Thomas Jefferson faces Cleveland Glenville, which is coached by Ted Ginn Sr., father of the Miami Dolphins' Ted Ginn Jr., and sends many prospects to Ohio State.
"They are a pipeline to Ohio State,"
Thomas Jefferson coach Bill Cherpak said. "They're good obviously. It's a step up for us in terms of class and talent. It's their second game, and it'll be our first so we have to be ready."
At 3 p.m., Central Catholic will play Lakeland (Fla.), which was ranked No. 1 in 2005 and 2006 by USA TODAY.
• Central Catholic, the defending WPIAL and PIAA Class AAAA champion, will be without two running backs who could have played a major role this season. Central Catholic coach Terry Totten said running back-defensive back Jeff Knox and running back Dom Timbers will not attend Central Catholic. Totten said Knox, who rushed for 1,400 yards last season, will play at DeMatha Catholic (Md.), which sent 11 players to Division I colleges last season. Totten said he isn't sure where Timbers, who sat out last season with a knee injury, will play.
• Seton-La Salle broke ground on a new athletic field Monday when it began preparations for the installation of a new synthetic turf field, utilities and access road. Phase I of the Rebel Athletic Field Project will cost an estimated $1 million and is scheduled for completion in time for sports activities in August.
"This much-needed renovation is moving ahead quickly because parents and alumni have stepped up and taken lead roles in the project,"
athletic director Brian Geyer said. "To date, we have raised close to $650,000. This has allowed construction of Phase I to begin and will allow us to have a fresh new field for our young athletes to use this fall."
