Prep football: Winless Middies take aim at 0-2* Colerain

A wounded Colerain High School football team is coming to Barnitz Stadium to face Middletown on Friday night.

That’s not anything close to good news for the Middies, who haven’t tasted victory since 2015. But it’s also not a reason for Middletown to surrender before the game even begins.

“We don’t play games based on how other people think we’re going to do,” Middies coach Lance Engleka said. “You go into every game thinking that you’ve got a chance to win. If you didn’t, you might be doing the wrong thing.

RELATED: 0-2 Indians, Firebirds turn focus to GMC play

“We’ve coached our kids and put them in positions to be successful. So if we go out and execute that, then we’re going to be successful in what we do.”

It’s a matchup of 0-2 teams in a Greater Miami Conference opener, though Colerain’s 0-2 is worthy of an asterisk.

The Cardinals lost to defending state champions La Salle (Division II) and St. Xavier (Division I) by a combined seven points.

“I would like to think we’re the best 0-2 team out there,” Colerain coach Tom Bolden said. “The guys have been loose and upbeat. Like I told them, we’re going to own it that we couldn’t quite get the job done in the first two games. But we’re still a really good football team.”

RELATED: Winless HHS, Oak Hills seek perfect start in GMC

Even with the level of competition, Colerain is allowing just 195 yards and 13.5 points per game. Linebackers Luke and Dan Bolden have 37 tackles between them.

Offensively, the Cardinals’ triple-option attack has produced a balanced corps of runners led by Ivan Pace Jr. (19 carries, 121 yards), Syncere Jones (18 carries, 87 yards), Deante Smith-Moore (28 carries, 86 yards) and J.J. Davis (nine carries, 71 yards).

“You know what they’re going to do,” Engleka said. “They’re not trying to hide it. They’re just going to say, ‘Here’s where we’re at. Let’s get it on,’ particularly defensively. That’s really the strength of their team, just the speed and power they play with.”

Colerain’s GMC tradition has been staggering. The Cardinals have won 17 straight titles and 59 consecutive games in the conference. Their last loss came against Middletown in 2008.

RELATED: Hornets looking ahead after taking down Madison

Tom Bolden said his team wasn’t real sharp in the opener against La Salle. He felt Colerain played much better in its overtime loss to St. X.

“Hopefully there’s a lot of people that think we’re not a very good football team because we’re sitting there at 0-2,” Bolden said. “I know our kids are fired up about Friday night’s game and the opportunity to get that taste out of their mouths from last week.

“It may just be Week 3, but we’re in playoff mode right now. We can’t take anything for granted. Our goal now is to rattle off eight straight and be a team come Week 11 that nobody wants to play.”

The Middies have opened with losses to Lima Senior (34-14) and Springboro (37-0). Their play after halftime hasn’t been good — Middletown has been outscored 51-0 after the break.

RELATED: Fenwick-Lebanon features teacher vs. student

Senior running back Diondre Cooper has been a bright spot for the Middies. He’s got 162 yards on 34 carries.

“I see an athletic team,” Bolden said. “I see a team that plays hard, but they’re like us in that they’ve got some kids going both ways. I think that hurt us a little bit in the St. X game.”

Engleka said it’s been a good week of practice for his troops.

“We’ve improved each day, which is always what you want,” Engleka said. “We’re staying the course. You always have little tweaks for this and that, but there’s no major overhaul. We’re going to do what we do. I think the kids recognize that the issues we’ve had are things they can fix. We’re taking steps to make those improvements.”


Friday’s game

What: Colerain (0-2) at Middletown (0-2), 7 p.m.

Where: Cris Carter Field at Barnitz Stadium, 1211 S. Main St., Middletown

Last year: Colerain won 47-8

About the Author