Central Catholic High School (Perry Township, Ohio)
| Central Catholic High School | |
|---|---|
 Central Catholic's sign on The Great Front Lawn shines in the night. | |
| Address | |
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4824 West Tuscarawas St W , , 44708-5118 | |
| Coordinates | 40°47′39″N 81°26′16″W / 40.79417°N 81.43778°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Private, Coeducational |
| Motto | "Habemus equum" |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Roman Catholic |
| Established | 1946 |
| Oversight | Roman Catholic Diocese of Youngstown |
| Superintendent | Michael Skube |
| Principal | Robert Kaylor |
| Faculty | 44 |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Color(s) | Green and White |
| Nickname | Crusaders |
| Accreditation | North Central Association of Colleges and Schools [1] |
| Dean of Students | Leo DeMatteis, a very evil, short Italian with HUGE ears |
| Website | http://www.cchsweb.com/ |
Central Catholic High School (Canton, OH, USA) is a private, Catholic coeducational diocesan high school run by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Youngstown. Central began educating in 1946 when the Diocese merged the all-female Mount Marie Academy and the co-ed St. John High School. Although Central is a Catholic high school, it is open to non-Catholic students as well. This school serves the west side of Canton and Western Stark County and is located in Perry Township. Central Catholic's sports teams are nicknamed the Crusaders.
A Brief History of Canton Central Catholic High School
Canton Central Catholic High School was formed from the merger of Mount Marie Academy and St. John High School. Mount Marie Academy was a female only secondary school that began educating young women in 1907 where the present school stands today.[2] The original "East Building" contains a basement and four additional floors of classrooms. The "West Building" would be erected at a later date, adding three long corridors of classrooms and lockers to the original structure.
St. John High School, founded in 1925, looked to merge with Mount Marie Academy in 1946.[2] The merger was authorized under the auspices of the Diocese of Youngstown, given the 65 acre abundance of diocesan land upon which Mount Marie sat.
One heirloom of Mount Marie survives within the corridors of the "East Building." During merger negotiations, the administration of Mount Marie issued an ultimatum unto their colleagues at St. John High School. Taking advantage of its superior bargaining position due to the fact that Mount Marie would be yielding all properties to the merger, the administration demanded that the lockers of the new high school remain pink throughout the new school's existence. Rumors about the two schools recount how St. John's administrators nearly placed a moratorium on the merger, arguing that a more gender neutral color would behoove the student body as a whole. Nevertheless, in the eleventh-hour, St. John High School conceded to the demand and the merger was realized. To this day, all lockers in the East Building are the original pink color.
Athletics
Central Catholic has won the Ohio state championships in the following sports:
- Boys Football – 1988, 2000 [3]
- Boys Golf – 1984, 1987[4]
- Boys baseball - 2008
- Boys Handball - 1986,2013,2934
Other sports accomplishments
Athletic Facilities
- Central Catholic is the proud owner of several state of the art facilities. Lowell Klinefelter Stadium is carpeted by an artificial turf surface and is also home to an eight lane running track. The stadium plays host to several Ohio High School Athletic Association State playoff football games.
- Central Catholic's baseball facility is new and opened in 2005. It is named after current coach Doug Miller.
- The gymnasium is equipped with fully-functional basket hoops with glass backboards, pull-out wooden bleachers, and two electronic scoreboards.
- Central Catholic is the only school within the Diocese of Youngstown that is equipped with an Olympic sized competitive pool. The pool is located on the fifth floor of the school's tower, making it the highest structure to enclose a pool in Stark County. In March 2006, a series of leaks at the bottom of the pool were discovered when water began dripping through the fourth floor ceiling, causing disruptions in a number of classrooms. Central Administrators promptly convened for an emergency meeting and unanimously decided to close the pool for repair despite peaceful student demonstrations to keep the pool open on The Great Front Lawn which lasted nearly 36 hours. By April 2006, the leaks were sealed and the pool was reopened.
The Great Serpentine Wall is a brick, undulating wall that now partially encloses Lowell Klinefelter Stadium. The wall previously surrounded the stadium on all four sides before renovations were made prior to the fall 1998 football season. The stadium was then named Lowell Klinefelter Stadium. Presently, the wall fully encompasses the stadium's north, south, and west sides. The eastern wall was torn down to create additional room for the new football field, eight lane running track, and grander bleachers.
The destruction of the eastern wall was a highly polemic issue. The rarity of serpentine walls and the tradition that Central's stadium always be protected from the enemy on all four sides created a schism amongst the Crusader faithful. The administration, looking towards the future and excited for the renovations, demanded that the eastern aspect of The Great Serpentine Wall be brought down. The leaders of the demolition/construction team, alumni of CCHS, took the opposite stance and attempted negotiations to restructure the blueprint in order to save the wall in its totality. Nevertheless, tired of the issue and unwilling to delay the opening of the new Lowell Klinefelter Stadium, administrators marched onto the construction site and demanded: "Mr. Construction man, tear down this wall!"
- The Great Serpentine Wall Photograph Gallery
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A view of the wall's South Side, along 13th St. SW. Note the sinusoidal undulations. -
Several cracks exist in the structure of the wall, yet the wall has never crumbled. -
The wall was tapered off by the demolition crew in the above fashion for the Eastern side of the stadium to be extended. -
The wall no longer protects the Eastern Side.
Klinefelter Blvd is the main street of access to Lowell Klinefelter Stadium. After the Crusader's second state football championship in 2000, a number of superstitious opponents began seeking an alternate route into the stadium to avoid traveling down Klinefelter Blvd, known to them as The Boulevard of Broken Dreams. To curb such cowardice, Central administrators installed an iron gate on 13th Street SW to hinder the opposing teams' efforts and force them to enter via Klinefelter Blvd.
Klinefelter is the Dean of Stark County Football Coaches, and has taught, coached, and served as the school's Athletic Director for over 30 years. The naming of the boulevard and stadium after Klinefelter has led some to believe that one day the school be renamed Lowell Klinefelter Catholic High School.
Oil Reserves at Central High
In June 1950 Pope Pius XII charged Vatican auditors with assessing the worth of the Roman Catholic Church. This task proved to be most difficult due the Catholic Church’s inter-continental presence. However, by the late fall of 1950 Vatican Auditors had determined the Catholic Church’s wealth and reported the figure to Pope Pius XII. While the precise figure was never made public, it was common knowledge amongst high-ranking Roman Catholic officials that its vast assets likely made it the wealthiest organization in the world.
Despite the favorable report by Vatican Auditors, Pope Pius XII was not satisfied. Specifically, he believed that the Archdioceses and Dioceses in the United States of America were not doing everything in their power to secure financial assets. In an official Vatican edict, Pope Pius XII ordered American Bishops to actively pursue additional financial assets. In an effort to win the favor of the Pope, the power-hungry Bishop Emmet Walsh, of the Diocese of Youngstown, assembled a team of drillers to begin searching for oil reserves on diocesan land.
When Bishop Walsh’s team of oil drillers searched the ground of Central High they discovered vast amounts of oil, and two oil wells were subsequently installed. Pope Pius XII was so pleased with Bishop Walsh’s discovery that he invited him to the Vatican for dinner, and went on to discuss the possibility of a promoting Bishop Walsh to Cardinal.
Rivalry with St. Thomas Aquinas
Since the dawn of time, Central Catholic's chief rivals have the been the Knights of St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Louisville, OH. Known as "The Holy War", this fierce rivalry has largely been dominated by Central Catholic in recent years.
Violence in the Rivalry
The rivalry between these two schools has sparked a great deal of vandalism and violence over the years. One infamous incident occurred when a group of students from Central Catholic stole St. Thomas's victory bell and threw it into Meyers lake, prompting the theme that Crusaders "shop, not fish for bells".
Perhaps the greatest of the incidents of violence between these two schools occurred on March 17, 2006, in the parking lot of St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church. In what became known as the St. Patty's Day Massacre", large groups of students from both schools fought in the parking lot resulting in the severe beatings of multiple St. Thomas students. This incident nearly resulted in the end of the rivalry.
Rituals
At home basketball games, before the Crusader’s starting five is announced, the school mascot, Captain Crusader, emerges from the locker room draped in a velvet cape carrying a flaming trident, while riding atop a white thoroughbred named Chester. When Captain Crusader and Chester emerge, the Crusader faithful yelp an emphatic roar.
Chester was introduced to the Crusader faithful during a St. Thomas Aquinas football game played at the then Central Stadium. The student body, with their extensive training in Latin, began immediately chanting, "Habemus equum!...Habemus equum! in an attempt to taunt the Aquinas student body. This quickly became the school's new motto, and St. Thomas remains without a horse to this day.
Chester the Crusader Horse
Chester, an Iberian horse, is the center of many Canton Central Catholic athletic rituals. Aside from his frequent appearances at sporting events, he does participate in other equestrian pursuits. Chester currently is kept in shape by a trainer, and practices the equestrian art of dressage.
Chester resides on the high school's campus in a recently built barn/stable complex that also harbors most of the athletic maintenance machinery. During Aquinas Week, the stable is guarded by an outside security liaison 24 hours a day for the entire week to avoid foulplay that the rivalry has been known to bring out.
At all home games The Crusader rides chester around the track.
Institute of Noble Minded Behavior
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The Institute of Noble Minded Behavior at Central High seeks to develop only young boys and girls of the most exceptional intelligence and promise. The program is designed to aid selected students in developing the skills required to be tomorrow’s leaders while carrying out Christ’s Will on Earth.
Each July, entering ninth graders interested in acceptance into the program compete in a two-day writing competition. Students who perform well in the writing competition are then invited to interview with a panel of distinguished Central High alumni. The top twelve performers in the interview are offered acceptance into the program, earning the title “Noble Minded Behavior Fellow.” In 1996, Central High accepted its inaugural class of Noble Minded Behavior Fellows.
Throughout their four years at Central High, Noble Minded Behavioralists participate in a series of simulated scenarios designed to strengthen their leadership skills and build character and bravery. Additionally, Noble Minded Behavior Fellows have the opportunity to participate in workshops directed by area Roman Catholic leaders who have a proven track record of leading others while serving Christ.
Alma Mater
Alma Mater, we sing our song to thee,
With praise and devotion, with honor loyalty,
Crusaders, sons and daughters, all
True to the White and Green;
One voice we will raise,
In thy glory and praise...
Fight Song: Dearest Central High
Dearest Central High
We Sing Your Battle Cry
We Strive to Live and Learn
To Carry Out Christ's Will We Yearn
The Thrill of Victory Brings Us Together
May The Glory Days of Our Time at Central Live Forever!
Nuclear Fallout Shelter
In response to the nuclear threat posed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War in the 1960s, Central High built a nuclear fallout shelter in the basement of the school’s “East Wing.” Prior to the construction of this fallout shelter, the school’s official policy was for students to “duck and cover” in the case of nuclear attack. However, “ducking and covering” was widely criticized because it offered no protection from dangerous nuclear fallout. As tensions with the USSR intensified, and a nuclear attack seemed increasingly imminent, demands by parents that a fallout shelter be built to protect their sons and daughters from harmful radioactive debris were granted. Due to size constraints, the fallout shelter is only large enough to safely accommodate 300 persons. In the case of an attack, the 300 available spots will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.
Holy Places
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In order to fulfill its Catholic identity, several places of supreme holiness are maintained on the school's campus. The Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto can be accessed via the West Campus.[6] It lies just beyond a brick walkway known by the Catholic faithful as "The Walk of Faith." A legend exists stating that young Crusader couples who take "The Walk of Faith" hand-in-hand will one day be united in Holy Matrimony. Coincidentally, the gravel path behind the grotto is know as The Trail of Tears due to it being the path trod by Crusader football players on their march to two-a-day practices.
The stones of the Grotto were brought to the campus of CCHS from all states within the Union. Each stone was custom made and hand rubbed prior to being set in its final resting place. Each year, alumni who celebrate significant anniversaries of graduation make a pilgrimage to this site along with fellow classmates in observance of Holy Mass.
The Chapel of CCHS is located on the school's first floor. This is an oft-visited destination for students and faculty to make small offerings to the Lord between classes. A daily mass is offered by the Rev. Robert Kaylor before classes commence. It is not uncommon[specify] for the children of faculty, former students, and future Crusaders to be baptized at the school's chapel.
Distinguished Alumni
- Alan Page, Canton Central Catholic Class of 1964, Former University of Notre Dame Football Star, Former NFL Defensive Lineman for the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears (9-time Pro Bowl selection, 1971 NFL Most Valuable Player), Currently serving as an Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court.
References
- ^ NCA-CASI. "NCA-Council on Accreditation and School Improvement". Retrieved 2009-06-23.
- ^ a b http://cchsweb.com/Oct192008v4/About.html
- ^ Yappi. "Yappi Sports Football". Retrieved 2009-02-12.
- ^ OHSAA. "Ohio High School Athletic Association Web site". Retrieved 2006-12-31.
- ^ "Ohio Tennis Coaches' Association". Note - Sponsored by The Ohio Tennis Coaches' Association. The OHSAA does not hold team state championships for tennis.
- ^ http://www.stbarbmassillon.com/Church/bulletin/Aug-10-2008.pdf