Fall 2010 - Central Catholic High School :: K-Space Web Page

Dear Alumni and Friends,Greetings in the Lord!Fall 2010 is here and another school year is underway. While it seems like just yesterday that I waswriting a letter in the Scarlet and Gray about the end of the year, here a new school year is off andrunning.I’ve mentioned before that last year was a hard year regarding finances. These were some of the worsttimes in our country’s history. Central Catholic has continued to do its very best to help our familieswhen they need us the most. You might also remember that the State of Ohio cut a substantialamount of their support. We did our best to cut the budget and to seek new sources of income. Weweren’t able to close the gap completely but we came very close. This year already seems brighter. Weare still trying to help families who want a good Catholic education for their students.As you know from the very beginning, Central Catholic has prided itself on its diversity. Thisdiversity is not simply in skin color, but it is much greater than that. How proud we are to be a schoolthat opens its arms to all those who are sincerely seeking a solid Catholic education. This year ourdiversity has gone global, as we now have students from Iran, Thailand, China, Spain, France, andItaly. While we believe this will be a great experience for these students who will be spending timehere at Central Catholic, it will also be a fantastic experience for our own students who get to knowour guests.For nine decades Central Catholic has opened its arms to students from all around. Most of thealumni that I have met over my six years are so very proud and thankful for their experience andeducation at Central Catholic. Times have changed and so has education. The administration andfaculty continue to learn new ways to educate the modern youth. No matter who we talk to, theytell us we must expand our horizons beyond Ohio and even beyond the United States. We mustunderstand the global community. Additionally, we must continue the proud tradition of teachingour students about integrity and about our faith.Central Catholic has continued to distinguish itself as a flagship of Catholic secondary schools.We lead the area in educational technology, in studies of foreign language, and in the areas ofmath and science. We are also the only Catholic school in the state of Ohio that is an InternationalBaccalaureate World School. We are the only Catholic school in northwest Ohio that supportsstudents with various learning disabilities. Additionally we have been providing very effectivetutoring programs and remedial classes not only for our own students, but also students from otherschools - even the other Catholic schools in our area. We host various workshops to share what wehave with others. So whether it is for teachers or students, Central Catholic sets the pace. It seems tome that we can humbly say we are... THE ONE!While each new school year brings challenges of its own, it also brings graces from God. I am veryaware that we’ve continued to be able to provide a quality education because of the generosityand commitment of so many of our alumni and friends. While certain things may change, ourcommitment to being the best, to being the flagship and to being THE ONE will never change!May the good Lord bless you and your family. Please know that you are in our prayers and thoughts.In Christ Jesus,Very Reverend Dennis P. Hartigan, Ph.D., V.F.PresidentCentral Catholic High SchoolWebsite — www.centralcatholic.org • Facebook — www.facebook.com/centralcatholic.org • Twitter — twitter.com/centralcatholic • Blog — toledocchs.wordpress.com

2010 Music Hall of FameThe Central Catholic Music Hall of Fame dinner and induction willtake place October 9 at the CCHS Sullivan Center. For tickets to theevent, please contact Tracy Koralewski at 419-255-2306 ext. 1076 oremail tkoralewski@centralcatholic.org. This year’s inductees are:Outstanding Instructor/DirectorJohn Bennett (posthumous)Angelo Cucci (posthumous)Dorothy H. CoatsOutstanding Student in the CCHS Music DepartmentRaymond Clark ‘67Juliana (Zilba) Furay ‘78Bob Mioduszewski ‘65Janet (Flynn) Peatee ‘55William Vedra ‘75Diane (Woytowich) White ‘68Outstanding Music AlumnusJohn Lantz-Seeman ‘70The Music Hall of Fame nominating committee is responsiblefor honoring alumni, directors, instructors, parents, and friendswho have in some way been affiliated with Central Catholic’s richtradition of music in the community. The committee continuesto accept nominations throughout the year. Anyone interested injoining the Music Hall of Fame committee or attending or helpingout at the induction ceremony is invited to contact the CentralCatholic Office of Institutional Advancement at 419-255-2306 formore information.Own CCHS Music History!Central Catholic has a collection of several recordings availablethat document an exciting era in CCHS music history. Allproceeds from the sale of these CD’s and DVD’s go directly to TheGerald V. DePrisco Music Scholarship fund at Central Catholic.Please contact Diane DePrisco Jennings at 419-318-4441 orbutchjennings@hotmail.com to make a purchase.CD – Sounds of ChristmasThis 1967 recording features the Central CatholicGlee Club, directed by Gerald V. DePrisco ’45,performing Christmas favorites, including O HolyNight.Price - $20CD – Sounds of ChristmasThis 1968 recording features the Central CatholicGlee Club, Band, and Orchestra performingChristmas favorites, including O Holy Night.Price - $20DVD – MusicalsHighlights from all the Central Catholic musicals from 1955 to 1975during Jerry DePrisco’s tenure as music director. This two-hourDVD features photos and music from each performance.Price - $25DVD – CCHS Marching BandFilm of the Central Catholic Marching Band performance athalftime of a 1962 Detroit Lions football game. This two-hour DVDalso includes archival band footage from additional halftime showsand parade performances in Toledo and Detroit from 1962 to 1965.Price - $25DVD – DePrisco RetirementThis two-hour DVD features highlights from Jerry DePrisco’sretirement party in 1992, including 20 years of alumni Glee Cluband band members performing the CCHS Alma Mater and fightsong. Also contains film from a roast of Jerry given by past teachersand coaches and a half-hour television program about Jerry’s careerproduced by Channel 48.Price - $25***Own all five CD’s and DVD’s for the special rate of $100.Also available are programs from CCHS musicals from 1956-1974at a price of $10 each. There is a limited supply of originals. Callor email for details. Programs are not included in the collection for$100.2010 Annual Dinner AuctionThe Central Catholic High School 2010 Dinner Auction will be heldFriday, November 19 at 6:00 p.m. in the Sullivan Center. For moreinformation, please call Tracy Koralewski at 419-255-2306 ext.1076. Follow us on Facebook at:www.facebook.com/CCHSDinnerAuction.Central Catholic Invites Youto Share With UsCentral Catholic High School is extending an invitation to all of ouralumni and friends to share your gifts and talents with us. While wealways need and appreciate your financial support – and we ask forit often – we also welcome you to share your less tangible resourceswith our faculty, staff, parents, and especially our students.If you have knowledge or a special skill that might benefit someoneat CCHS, if you’ve had an experience that you’d like to share withour students that you think might be inspirational to them, or if youjust have some time to offer, we would love to hear from you.So many of our alumni and friends are doing great things in theworld! We invite you to give back to Central Catholic to inspire theleaders of tomorrow. You may be surprised to realize what an effectyou can have by simply sharing your gifts with others.Please contact the CCHS Office of Institutional Advancement at419-255-2306 or email lbowling@centralcatholic.org for moreinformation.One Faith. One Community. One Mission.

8 Alumni News | Fall 20101970sJim Baun ’71 is a history buff and an active member of St. BonifaceParish in San Francisco. The parish celebrated 150 years on June5, and Jim spent several months researching the parish. He createda book, called The Sentinel in the City, that can be viewed onlineat www.stbonifacesf.org. The price of each book includes a $10markup, 100% of which goes directly to the parish’s mission,ministries, and projects.Michael Neeb Ph.D. ’72 is a clinical psychologist at St. VincentMercy Medical Center and director of Mercy Sleep Services. InJuly he wrote an article for the Toledo Blade about helping childrenadjust their sleep schedules in time for the new school year. Thearticle can be read at this link: http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20100726/ART16/307269994Dave Meegan ’74 retired from the Toledo Fire Department after33 years of service. He will continue to be a board member for theToledo Firefighter’s Museum and the lead bagpiper in the ToledoFirefighter’s Pipe and Drum Band. A retirement celebration washeld at the Blarney with many brother firefighters there to wish himluck!Kathleen Heter ’77 married Lawrence Hart in 1984. After teachinghigh school biology and chemistry for six years, Kathleen changedcareers to become a full time wife and mother. In 2008, Larrywas called to our Heavenly home, leaving Kathleen and their ninebeautiful children, ages three to 22 years. The familyhas since made a recording of many of Larry’s favoritehymns, which can be purchased online at www.hartsonstrings.com.1980sGreg Diamond ’85 is currently working as theprincipal at Walled Lake Northern High School inCommerce, Michigan. He and his wife, Carol, havebeen married for 20 years and have two daughters –Samantha (4 1/2) and Gracie (3). The family lives inMilford, Michigan.Kerry Katafiasz ’88 received her master’s degreein organizational leadership from Lourdes Collegein May. She is currently a controller for TranstarElectric/Securities. She also holds the office ofsecretary/treasurer at the company.1990sMichelle (Klever) Kuhn ’97 received her associate’s degree innursing from Chamberlain College of Nursing and has passed theOhio Board of Nursing Exam. Prior to receiving her ADN degreeand throughout her nursing program, she worked at the JamesCancer Hospital & Solove ResearchInstitute as an office associate in anoutpatient hematology and transplantunit. She is happy and honored toannounce that she remains withThe James, working as an RN for ahematologic malignancies inpatientunit. Michelle and her husband,Kevin, reside in Columbus, wherehe continues to work for his family’sconstruction company.Stephen Brooks ’99 graduated as 2ndLieutenant in April from the Army’sStephen Brooks Officer Candidate School.2000sEric Taylor ’01 is engaged to marry Stephanie Buck in May 2011.Eric graduated from the University of Toledo and works as anelectrical engineer with Machine Builders of Erie, Michigan.Stephanie is a manufacturing engineer with Chrysler LLC in Toledo.Anthony Pattin ’03 began working in August as an assistantprofessor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice at Wayne StateUniversity in Detroit. He received his Doctor of Pharmacy degreefrom the University of Toledo in May 2009 and graduated from hiscommunity pharmacy residency at the University of Toledo in June2010.Erica Slavin ’03 is a senior nursing student at Lourdes College. Shewas set to travel to Haiti during her spring break but was preventedfrom going in the aftermath of the earthquake. Instead, she andseveral other nursing students accompanied a Lourdes nursingprofessor on a mission to Peru. They provided healthcare to morethan 600 people there as part of a new elective nursing course at thecollege.Stephanie Powers ’04 married Jeremy Diekman on May 8. Thecouple lives in Genoa.Roseanna Rodriguez ’05 married Joshua Lightle ’05 on April 24 atthe Historic Church of St. Patrick. The wedding was celebrated byCCHS president Fr. Dennis Hartigan.Ellen Herman ’06 has signed a contract to playprofessional volleyball in Germany with VT ArubisHamburg. During her stellar CCHS career withthe Lady Irish volleyball team, Ellen was namedCity League and District Player of the Year asa junior and senior and was the first player inCentral Catholic history to earn All-State honorstwice. She went on to play for the Ohio UniversityBobcat program that won three MAC regularseason championships, three MAC tournamentchampionships, and had four NCAA tournamentberths. Ellen was a three-time MAC All-Academicselection and was honored as an Outstanding SeniorLeader at Ohio University’s Leadership Awards Gala.She is a member of Chi Alpha Sigma, the Nationalstudent-athlete honor society, and carried a gradepoint average of 3.49 at OU as a health serviceadministration major. Ellen is very excited aboutplaying in Germany and said she has always dreamed of playingvolleyball professionally.Dan McDonald ’06 graduated from the University of Notre Damelast spring with a degree in political science with an emphasis oninternational politics. In August, he left for Haiti to begin teachingat Louverture Cleary, a Catholic junior high and high school, andhelping with some rebuilding projects in the school’s neighborhood.The students are selected for the school because they show academicor leadership potential, and the hope of the school is to build leadersto help Haiti in the future. A large part of the school’s mission isto give back to the community, and rebuilding of houses in theneighborhood is part of that effort. Both students and staff areinvolved in the project. Dan will be in Haiti for the entire schoolyear.Kelly Pierson ’07 spent nine weeks of her summer interning for thenonprofit Women in Progress in the West African country of Ghana.Women in Progress is an international volunteer organizationfocused on alleviating poverty at a grassroots level and assistingwomen in Ghana to achieve economic independence through small-Ellen Hermanwww.centralcatholic.org

usiness development. It also establishes mutualunderstanding among people of diverse cultures.Kelly received a funded grant for the internshipthrough the Kellogg Institute at the University ofNotre Dame. She chose to intern with Women inProgress in Ghana because of the specific natureof the internship program there. Kelly is a seniorat Notre Dame studying marketing and genderstudies, so she was excited about the businessenvironment of the work and the opportunityto observe gender relations in a very differentcontext. She has always wanted to do service workin an African country.Women in Progress works with a non-profitin Ghana called Global Mamas, a network thatconnects over 500 Ghanaian women batikers,seamstresses, jewelry designers, and shea butter makers to createproducts available through e-commerce and also sold to wholesalersin the U.S., United Kingdom, Japan, and Australia. The womenreceive over 60% of the profits and are also trained in computerskills and fair trade practices.Kelly helped design marketing materials for Global Mamas andother small companies and consulted with women in overcomingvarious challenges they faced in managing their businesses. Herfavorite project was working with Eli, a restaurant owner, to helpher incorporate new food offerings such as apple turnovers andguacamole and plantain chips into her menu to better target thetourist market. Kelly said, “I chose to volunteer in Ghana as a wayof using my skills tohelp others, but theseamazing people havehelped me more thanI could ever hopeto have impactedthem. They’ve beenliving examples of thepatience, persistence,and passion that Ihope to exemplify inmy own life.” Kelly isthe daughter of JohnKelly Pierson (middle)Pierson and Janice(Pinkelman) Pierson’73.For information on volunteering with Women in Progress visitwww.WomenInProgress.org.Lucas Hoffman ’08 was one of eight U.S. grandchildren of KoreanWar veterans chosen to attend a Peace Camp for Youth in Koreafor a week in July. Lucas’s grandfather, Laurence Kish ’50, servedin Korea. The Korean War Veterans Association in the U.S. and thegovernment of the Republic of Korea co-sponsored a program for160 grandchildren from 17 countries around the world to unite inKorea for history tours and educational activities about the war,Korean culture, and the conditions in North Korea. Lucas metpeople from all over the world and visited the Demilitarized Zone,met Secretaries Hillary Clinton and Robert Gates, toured severalcities, and heard lectures about the war and North Korea.Elizabeth CasperElizabeth Casper ’09 is part of a national tour ofGrease that is coming to the Valentine Theatre inToledo on April 5 and 6, 2011. She will be in theensemble, but she is also an understudy for the rolesof Sandy, Patty, and Marty. Liz is a musical theatermajor at Kent State University who also appearedin a production of Rent at Kent State and an AkronCommunity Theater production of The WeddingSinger. Liz began rehearsing for Grease in September.The show will open October 12 in Denver, Coloradoand then make stops throughout the United States andCanada. At CCHS, she was a member of the Glee Cluband appeared in Bye Bye Birdie, Oklahoma, and HelloDolly as well as several Winter One Acts. In September,she visited Glee Club students at Central Catholic andtalked about auditioning and her experiences.Taylor Sawyer ’10, Brian Hanley ’10, Christopher Zavac ’10 andSara Klein ’11 were involved in a student-run production of themusical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee in August.The show took place at St. Ursula Academy, and the students aremembers of a group called SUA Summerstock. Students from SUA,St. John’s, St. Francis, and Perrysburg high schools are also membersof the group. The show was produced, directed, and choreographedentirely by the students in order to create an opportunity for thestudents to learn not only about singing, acting, and dancing, butalso about the technical and business aspects of the theater. Thestudents held three performances of the show, and each was a littledifferent because the show involved a bit of improvisation andaudience interaction. Taylor was one of the show’s producers, Brianand Christopher were technical directors, and Sara was the costumedesigner.Baby IrishSusan (Anderzack) DiSario O.D. ’87 and her husband Jim wereblessed with another beautiful baby girl on November 12, 2009. AvaUrsula is joined by older sisters Sophia (10) and Ella (7). Susanworks as an optometrist in Bluffton, South Carolina.Abby (Denny) Dachille ’96 and her husband Mark welcomed theirsecond child, Ethan Gregory, on March 28, 2010. Ethan joins bigbrother Alexander.Andrew Zablocki ’98 and his wife Tiffany welcomed their seconddaughter, Kylee Jean, on July 8, 2009. She was also welcomed by bigsister Mackenzie Ali (2). Andy is an aircraft mechanic and Tiffany isan administrative assistant for Sea World. They reside in San Diego,California.Marianne (Zablocki) Parker ’01 and her husband Ken welcomeddaughter Brianna Jean on October 1, 2009. Marianne is adepartment billing coordinator for University of Toledo PhysiciansHeart and Vascular. Ken is a CNC machinist for LockreyManufacturing.One Faith. One Community. One Mission.

12 Feature Story | Fall 2010Central Catholic High SchThis September, Central Catholic High School celebrates 90years of Irish spirit and tradition. Although the currentbuilding on Cherry Street did not open until 1928, Central Catholicbecame the school we know today in 1920.In the early 1900s, schools were generally operated by churches andparishes. For instance, Rosary Cathedral parish had its own gradeschool and high school, as did many other Catholic parishes inthe Toledo area. Cathedral High School was designed to increaseopportunities for Catholic secondary education and to bring suchan education within reach of boys and girls from all parts of the city.Cathedral Chapel Parish bore most of the expense for educating thestudents who attended the high school, but in order to equalize theburden, a larger general fee was charged to students who came fromother parishes.According to the Cathedral High School yearbook from 1918, thegeneral fee for students who were members of Cathedral Parish was$4.00, and the fee for members of other parishes was $12.00. Therewere also laboratory fees for domestic science ($2), physics ($1), andchemistry ($1).Central Catholic High School. The traditions, teachers, andstudents of the old Cathedral High were adopted as a nucleusfor this new diocesan school. It was located in the Old ScienceBuilding of Toledo University in a 15-room, four-story building onPage and Cherry Streets, just a 15-minute walk from the heart ofthe city. The general fee that was charged to students at CathedralHigh School became a tuition charge at Central Catholic.CCHS had an enrollment of 380 students and a faculty composedof three priests and 10 sisters from three different orders. Theschool offered a two-year commercial program and a four-yearcollege preparatory program. The school yearbook was theCentripetal and the newspaper was known as The Owl.Athletics were important, and the hardy young “Fighting Irish”practiced at nearby fields and gyms before their own were available.Centralites were immediately loyal to their school. The CentralCatholic Alumni Organization started in January 1921 and heldits first alumni dance that year in April. Father Francis Macelwanewas known as an efficient principal, an able teacher, and a truefriend to every student. According to Sister Mary Dominic, OSU,“Father Macelwane put the spirit of Central Catholic to work andit hasn’t quit yet.”Central Catholic’s enrollment grew to 500 students its secondyear, and to accommodate a freshman class of 300, morning andafternoon sessions were established. Friday assemblies began in1922. Student Council was organized in 1923, the Monogram Clubsaluted scholastic excellence, and the school newspaper becameknown as The Centric.The Old Science Building of Toledo University atPage and Cherry Streets.Additional classroom space was utilized as quickly as it was found.Portable units were borrowed from parishes in the Toledo Dioceseand erected within a block of the main building. During theseyears, the parents and Catholic community started the movementto build a new school. In September 1923, students initiated acontinuous novena for a new building that was even kept up duringsummer and school vacations. After construction began, a novenaof thanksgiving continued. A “Buy a Brick for 10 Cents” drive wasstarted to raise funds.(continued on page 14)But in 1920, Bishop Joseph Schrembs of the Toledo Diocese,along with many parish priests, parishioners, and parents, sawthe advantage of having one large, centrally located high schoolrather than many small high schools scattered around the city.The idea of a centrally located Catholic high school was a newidea in the United States, but due to the visionary actions ofthese leaders, Central Catholic High School became a reality.The Early YearsCathedral High School was the most centrally located highschool in the diocese, and in September 1920 it opened asRight Reverend Bishop Stritch turning ground for the new building on March 5, 1928.www.centralcatholic.org

14 Feature Story | Fall 2010down, and it was during this time that a financial aid program wasstarted.The CCHSschool colorswere originallyblue and white,which was thecolor schemeshared byWoodward HighSchool. Sincethe schools wereoften confusedbecause of theircolor similarities, it was decided in1923 that the winner of the annualfootball game would keep thosecolors, and the loser would choosenew ones. The Fighting Irish lost thegame and changed from blue andwhite to the distinctive scarlet andgray colors that have become an Irishtradition.Principal Reverend A. J. Sawkins introduced the demeritsystem and expanded the curriculum, which numberedeight by 1924. Classical, scientific, teaching, and nursingwere regarded as college prep, while drafting, art, homeeconomics, and commercial were vocational. But FatherSawkins’ crowning achievement was the building thathouses Central Catholic today.Ground BreakingJohn Rynn ‘21From 1920, when Central Catholic first became a centralized school,to 1928, enrollment increased 500% and the faculty increased to 50members. It was apparent that the school needed much more spacein order to accommodate its growing student body.On March 5, 1928, Bishop Samuel Stritch turned the first spadefulof dirt on the Curtis property, located between Austin and MettlerStreets, for the new Central Catholic High School. Over 5,000people attended the dedication ceremony, and more than 20,000visited for its first open house. It was an exciting time for theReverend Raymond G. Kirsch, who spearheaded and guided theconstruction of the four-story 50-room building. A member of thefirst faculty, he was an integral part of the progress of the school.It was during his administration that the fund drive for $1 millionexceeded its goal by $115,542 to erect the building we know today.The depression of the 1930s brought hard times, and Father Kirschstruggled to keep the dream of the Toledo Catholic communityalive. He started a festival to keep the doors of Central Catholicopen, and instituted a registration fee. Enrollment was up andFather Kirsch continued to develop the academic program, andin 1938 Central Catholic was accredited by the prestigious NorthCentral Association of Secondary Schools and Colleges, an honorthe school still holds today. The sports programs flourished - theFighting Irish won football city championships in 1928 and 1935,and basketball city championships in 1934, 1937, and 1939. CentralCatholic began its musical tradition with Peggy from Paris and theformation of one of the largest high school marching bands in thecountry.Growing TraditionsBishop Karl J. Alter appointed Father John L. Harrington asprincipal in 1941, and for the next 27 years Monsignor Harringtonguided the Fighting Irish through many of its proudest moments.Monsignor Harrington had the ability to bring out the best instudents, faculty, administration, athletes, and coaches, and CentralCatholic enjoyed many outstanding leaders during thisperiod.Seven curriculums were available: academic, scientific,commercial, art, drafting, household arts, and teaching;and with careful selection, any one could be madecollege prep. Although Central Catholic has always beena co-educational school, many of the classes were stillseparated by sex at this time. Generally, the higher levelmath and language classes were co-ed, but the rest didnot become fully integrated until the 1960s or later.Alverda Kalt ‘21With a student body numberingup to 2,200, the Mettler Wing in1949 was a necessary addition, andthe Harrington Gym in 1966 gaveadditional room to an expandingathletic program. The athleticteams were winners, garneringnumerous city, district, and sectionaltitles, and playing for several statechampionship titles in various sports,culminating inthe state footballchampionshipin the 1962-63season.The firsthomecomingqueen wascrowned inwww.centralcatholic.org

1956, and the honor was given to senior Arlene Printke. Themusic department blossomed under the able baton of Mr. GeraldDePrisco, with the orchestra growing to record numbers.Following in thegiant footstepsof the belovedMonsignor JohnHarrington,Reverend JamesSteinle found1923 Lady Irish Basketball Team himself faced withtuition increases,an aging building,and students whowanted immediatechanges. His competence, enthusiasm, and dedication led himthrough these turbulent years of societal changes and financialupheaval and allowed him to meet these situations head on.Father Steinle felt students should play a role in organizing theschool, picturing himself as coordinator. He instituted a BlackCulture week, the music building was rejuvenated, and themusic program flourished. Athletic teams continued to winchampionships, with the girls’ program coming on especially strongunder the direction of Miss Fran Krompak. The battle for the IrishKnight with St. Francis began in 1959 and though the Irish droppedthe first game, they won the next three. Baseball and wrestlingteams dominated their divisions, and the Fighting Irish basketballteam earned the number one computer rating in the state.TheTurbulent‘70sIn 1971, tuition atCentral Catholicwent up to $375,which was $125 morethan the previousyear. Although thiswas difficult for manyfamilies, studentsdid not want to goanywhere else. Thenewly revised dresscode allowed girls towear pantsuits and “culottes,” but the males continued to wear ties.The first lay assistant principal, Mr. Richard Beres, was appointedfor the 1972-73 school year, and the family spirit was never moreevident.In 1973, the Reverend John A. Thomas ’54, known as a financialgenius, had the distinct honor of becoming the first Central Catholicgraduate to lead his Alma Mater as principal. Father Thomas startedmany traditions that are important today, including the Adventmarch to Cathedral and the senior honors assembly. He expandedthe community service program and purchased computers for themath department. He also sought the advice of the new Board ofTrustees and Athletic Board.When students walked out in 1974, Father Thomas opened lines ofcommunication between students, faculty, and the administration.The infamous protest was the result of a new policy requiringcurrent athleticcoaches to be“reviewed” andconsidered equallywith any outsiderwho applied for thepositions. On March17, 1974, according tothe 1974 Centripetal,Sr. Gemma’s Science Class1973“At noon, aftersinging Central’sFight Song outsidethe Main Office,about 800 students walked out in protest. The rest of the afternoonpassed in discussion between the students and members of theadministration. By 2:30 students were back in their classes, and Fr.Thomas addressed the student body over the P.A. After school, Fr.Thomas met with Student Council.”After several days of faculty and student meetings, Central Catholicreturned to relative normalcy by March 22 with the promise ofbetter communication and an understanding that changes oftenneed to be made in order to move into a more challenging future.In 1976, Fran Krompak was proclaimed the winningest girls’ coachin Ohio, and The Sound of Music broke box office records.The ‘80s and ‘90sAnother son of Central Catholic, Father Martin Donnelly ’56used his outgoing personality to maintain open communicationamong administrators,faculty, and students. Hewas an active participantin all school activities. Anexpanded recruitment programincreased enrollment, and anew spirit and pride renewedthe school. The windows, andthe heating and ventilatingsystems were updated, andscience labs renovated. CentralCatholic continued movinginto the technology age withMrs. Charlotte Bestthe Catherine A. SchubertComputer room.Father Donnelly initiated the Parish Parent Representative Program,reinstated the Parish Support Program, and instituted prepaidtuition. Through his development efforts he began the Burger KingTuition Assistance Program, and revamped the public relations,development, and alumni office. Father Donnelly was appointedPastor and President, and Michael Smith became our first layprincipal. Boys and girls soccer were added to the sports program,and the Irish Knight was finding a home on Cherry Street.The football team and the girls’ basketball team played in theirstate championships. The Center Stage troupe and musicals suchas Oliver and the exciting ENCORE: Our Golden Show of Showskept music flowing in the halls. Through Fr. Donnelly’s dedicationOne Faith. One Community. One Mission.

16 Feature Story | Fall 2010and enthusiasm, the traditions of CentralCatholic flourished.Father Michael Billian saw the schoolprogress in a number of areas. The Christthe King Chapel was renovated in 1987,national recognition for Drug EducationAwareness camein 1989, and theprestigious “Schoolof Excellence”Award from theU.S. Departmentof Education wasreceived in 1991.Central Catholicremains the onlyCatholic school inOhio to receive bothawards. Jack Altenburger was appointed thesecond lay principal in 1993.The “Shaping the Future ThroughLeadership in Education” movement beganin 1992 with three main goals: campusdevelopment, academic enhancement, andconstruction of an activity and convocationcenter. Ten acquired acres doubled the sizeof the campus, a new 350-car lighted lotprovided needed parking space, a drop-offloop in front of the school streamlinedtraffic flow, and Shillelagh Field behind theschool began to see softball action. TheHonors and Advanced Placement Programsexpanded, three new computer labs addedmore computers, and the “Project 100”program for academically challengedstudents was created.Thanks to many generous donors, groundwas broken for the Sullivan Activity andConvocation Center on May 11, 1996. Theclass of 1998 was the first to graduate inthe Sullivan Center. In the fall of 1998, theGallagher Athletic Complex opened.The New MilleniumFather Gregory Hite came to CentralCatholic in 1999, succeeding Father Billianas pastor and president. During his yearsthe Central Catholic atmosphere grew in the“Irish Spirit” as the school movedforward into the new millennium.Fr. Hite put a lot of his time andenergy into the development ofthe Millennium Fund, a campaignto grow the endowment fundsin support of student tuitionassistance and faculty and staffsupport. Fr. Hite also emphasizedthe spiritual side of the school,working hard to teach the messageof Christ and instill in the studentsand staff an appreciation of the mission ofthe Catholic Church.Computers in 1998 Computers in 2010Fr. Billian addressing thestudent body.Fr. Hite said that during his tenure hismajor challenge was to find ways to makea quality Catholic education affordable, aswell as to maintainstaff compensationat a competitive level.“Central Catholic hasserved generationsof students in thesehalls and classrooms,”he said. “We wishto faithfully servegenerations to come.”When current CentralCatholic presidentFr. Dennis Hartigan arrived in 2004, hesaid, “Central Catholic to me has alwaysbeen considered the flagship of the ToledoDiocesan schools, so in my mind it wasalways a school that had a great reputation.It has to be, without a doubt, the bestCatholic school in Toledo. My hope is tocontinue on with the proud tradition that’shere.”During Fr. Hartigan’stenure the FightingIrish football teamwon the 2005Division II StateChampionship.Fr. Hartigan wasinstrumental insecuring a donationfrom CharlesGallagher ‘56 andDiane (Bertling)Gallagher ‘58 towardcompletion of the Gallagher AthleticComplex. The stadium was dedicatedprior to the homecoming football game onSeptember 28, 2007 and has since been thesite of many victories and spirited tailgatingcelebrations.In 2005, the first all-school Mass of theyear began to be held outside on theCCHS front lawn. The fall of 2007 saw theintroduction ofOne ConnectedCommunity,a programdesigned toprovide eachincomingfreshman studentwith a laptopcomputer. Thegoal of theprogram is to help teachers and studentsmaximize and enhance their educationalexperience and ensure that all students areprepared for the digital world of today andtomorrow. The girls’ varsity volleyball teamwon the Division II State Championship.In December 2007, Gene Kranz ’51presented his NASA Ambassador ofExploration award to Central Catholic,and it is housed in the Kranz SPACE Roomof the school library. The award includesa lunar sample brought back to Earthfrom the Moon by the crew of Apollo 17.Kranz felt that CCHS was the best locationto display the award to inspire futuregenerations of explorers.In early 2009, Central Catholic became thefirst high school in Northwest Ohio and thefirst Catholic high school in the entire stateto be named an International BaccalaureateWorld School.Last fall, a new media production facilitydebuted at CCHS, allowing live broadcastsof daily announcements live on our website via the Irish News Network (INN). Thenew technology also allows Central CatholicMass on the Front Lawnwww.centralcatholic.org

to broadcast live events - such as footballand basketball games, school assemblies,and the graduation ceremony - over theInternet. The newly remodeled classroomalso features an instructional area for classeson computer applications and design anda professionally designed full multi-trackrecording studio.The CCHS Reads program continues topromote lifelong reading as it provides allstudents and faculty with a book to readand discuss as it is integrated into classroomlessons. The author of the book is theninvited to speak to the student body atan all-school assembly. This past spring,CCHS welcomed Tony Dungy, author andformer professional football player andNFL coach, after the entire school readhis book Uncommon, Finding Your Path toSignificance.Go Irish!Just as so many Central Catholic alumnipoint to that special Irish spirit as the“thing” that sets us apart from other schools,our current students feel the same. In fact,a group of senior student governmentmembers have created a club called SidelineSpirit with the goal of uniting students,faculty, alumni, parents, and fans togetherto form an “Irish Nation.” The group hopesto get more people to attend more FightingIrish athletic events, not just football andbasketball games, and they have createdgame themes and colors for everyone tofollow.“I went with agroup of friendsto a tennismatch, and werealized thatthere were veryfew studentswho actuallywent,” saidsenior MattKolena, thegroup’s founder.“We have someMatt Kolena ‘11of the besttalent in the cityon our tennisteam and to have only a few kids see themplay was just kind of wrong, so we decidedto do something about it. We brought morepeople into it and made it an official club.”The club also wants to maximizeexcitement at the sporting events that arealready well attended, and the membershave put together a schedule of eventsinvolving themes and colors for eachgame throughout the fall season. Thesegames include football, tennis, volleyball,and soccer. In addition, Sideline Spirit isplanning some contests, such as the MostSpirited Fan and Minute to Win It, tohelp energize the students. “The spirit issomething that sets Central Catholic apartfrom other schools,” said Matt. “We arelooking at how we can push our spirit to thenext level.”To learn more about Sideline Spirit andto become a member of the Irish Nation,please visit their web site atwww.sidelinespirit.wordpress.com.Looking Towardthe FutureCentral Catholic High School is committedto being a leader in education and thecommunity for many, many years to come.With the introduction of the InternationalBaccalaureate Programme, Central Catholicwill continue to stress the importance of aglobal education, and we believe the numberof international students and teachers willincrease. We currently have a teacher fromChina, two students from Thailand, andstudents from France, Spain, Italy, China,and Iran, and we expect to see students frommany other countries in the future.Central Catholic will continue to stress theacademic achievements of our studentsand the importance of 21 st century learningskills. Plans are being made to implementa learning program at CCHS that involvescritical thinking and problem solving,communication, collaboration, creativityand innovation, media and technologyskills, and life and career skills.As CentralCatholiccontinuesto grow andchange tomeet theneeds of ourstudentsand ourcommunity,developmentof ourphysicalcampus willbe necessary.We willlook forgreener solutions for our energy needs andconcentrate on energy efficiency. In thefuture, we hope to build a new performingand fine arts center, a new varsity baseballstadium, and a new science and technologycenter. Students at Central Catholic willcontinue to have the most up to datetechnology at their disposal, and somedayvideoconferencing, distance learning classes,and virtual field trips will be the norm.As we look to the future of Central CatholicHigh School, we know that the Irish spiritand tradition that has become legendaryover the first 90 years of this outstandinginstitution will never change. As alumniand friends of CCHS, it is our duty andprivilege to pass on the honor of a CentralCatholic education to future generationsand leaders of tomorrow.Central Catholic’sLeadersReverend Francis J. Macelwane: 1920-1921Reverend A.J. Sawkins: 1921-1925Reverend Raymond G. Kirsch: 1925-1941Monsignor John L. Harrington: 1941-1968Reverend James Steinle: 1968-1973Reverend John A. Thomas: 1973-1976Reverend Martin Donnelly: 1976-1987Reverend Michael Billian: 1987-1999Reverend Gregory Hite: 1999-2004Reverend Dennis Hartigan: 2004 to PresentMusical HistoryAs Central Catholic celebrates 90 yearsof educational excellence and legendaryspirit, it is important to remember that theperforming arts have been a major part ofthe tradition over the years. For most of our90 years, the CCHS music department haspresented a musical, with 2010’s productionof The Sound of Musicmarking 81 yearsof show-stoppingperformances.For the first 25years, the musicalproductions werecalled operettas andwere often worksof Gilbert andSullivan. In 1930,Central Catholicpresented its very firstoperetta, Peggy FromParis. By 1955, theannual productionbecame known asOne Faith. One Community. One Mission.

18 Feature Story | Fall 2010CCHS Glee Club 1992“the musical” and that year’s show wasBrigadoon. After that, Broadway musicalsbecame the norm each spring at CCHS.The first operetta took place in the CentralCatholic auditorium, and over the years themusicals have been presented in variouslocations, such as the Toledo Sports Arena,the Toledo Museum of Art Peristyle, theFranciscan Life Center at Lourdes College,the Masonic Auditorium/Stranahan Theater,and most recently the Valentine Theatre.Although the locations and performanceshave varied over the years, the intent hasremained the same. Each spring, actorsand audiences travel to a magical placewhere life’s occurrences and problems areaddressed through song, dance, laughter,and tears.The 1930 Central Catholic yearbook hadthis to say about the school’s first musical:“During the month of May, the dramaticclub entered a new field of work andcombined with the orchestra to produceits first musical comedy. The play selectedwas Peggy From Paris…On the eveningsof May 16 and 17, the production waspresented in Central’s auditorium, withMary Hutchinson and William Flynn inthe leading roles. With their first musicalcomedy such a success, it is to be hoped thatmembers of the dramatic club will continueto produce this type of play in the future.”Little did the writer know that 80 years laterthe annual Central Catholic spring musicalwould still be going strong!Future NotesThe Central Catholic music departmentcontinues its tradition of entertainingthe community and emphasizing theimportance of the performing arts ineducation. Our students have becomea part of history over the years withtheir unbelievable talent and dedicatedperformances.Central Catholic has honored many of ourmusic department alumni and supporterswith induction into the Music Hall of Fame.The next class of inductees will take theirhonored places at the ceremony scheduledfor October 9. And look for our 82 ndmusical production in the spring!Thanks for the MemoriesIn the spring of 2004 when Central Catholicwas presenting its 75 th spring musical, PeterPan, the Scarlet & Gray profiled some ofthe people who have made up the musicallegacy of CCHS. To view some excerptsfrom that story, please visit the CentralCatholic web site at www.centralcatholic.org under the heading Alumni & Friends >Scarlet & Gray.Fighting IrishAthletics – Historyin the MakingFighting Irish athletes have been battling itout on the fields and courts for as long asthey have been cracking the books. Playingfor Irish pride and rooting for our teamsis a huge part of the spirit and tradition ofCentral Catholic High School.The following is a chronicle of some specialmoments in the history of the Fighting Irishathletic tradition. With the Luck of the Irishon our side, there will undoubtedly be manymore highlights to come!The 1920s“We have all noticed in the games so farplayed the clean tactics used by the Centralteam. The team plays hard, fast football,but not dirty. Only once or twice have anyCentral men lost their heads and taken aswipe at an opponent.The clean methods of playing are the onlyones and they win in the end. While a playermay be thinking of something by which heintends ‘to get the guy’ who got him, the playwill have started and the opposing team willhave either made a good game or have scored.So men, let us keep our good record – Centralclean in every sport.”-From The Owl (CCHS school newspaper),October 8, 1920“The first regular meeting of the CentralCatholic Athletic Association was held onFebruary 9…The association will now takean active part in the promotion of all thingsathletic.”-From The Owl, February 18, 1921Girls’ basketball at Central Catholic beganin 1921. The seasons were short becausethere were few opponents, but the Irishladies were quite successful. The earliestcoach was Mrs. Bertha Brickett, who wasalso the supervisor of girls’ athletics.A new high school baseball league wasformed in February 1923 and consistedof the five Toledo high schools – CentralCatholic, St. John’s, Waite, Scott, andWoodward.Athletes were given permission to wearthe varsity “C” to honor their representationof the school. Requirements for obtainingthis honor were remaining in goodscholastic standing according to the OhioHigh School Athletic Association, and theattitude of the player, including followingtraining rules, discipline, and regularattendance at practice.Track was added as a sport in 1924.CCHS won the baseball citychampionship in 1924 with a 4-2 victoryover Libbey High School.“To the Editor: Who is to be cheer-leaderthis year? At Central, a boy has always beenhonored with this position. Why not make achange and have a girl fill the vacancy? Or itwould be real attractive to have both, a boyand a girl, as one person can hardly handlethe crowd. Having each attired in an outfitmade of the school colors would make a hit,I’m sure.-FanAnswer:This is a function for which a boy is naturallymore fitted. Let’s hear from candidates.”-From The Centric (school newspaper),September 25, 1924In 1925, the six city high schools – CentralCatholic, Woodward, Scott, St. John’s,Libbey, and Waite – took part in the firsthigh school basketball tournament ever heldin Toledo. The winner was to be recognizedas the city champion and would go onto the district tournament a week later.Unfortunately, Central Catholic lost to St.John’s in the first round.The CCHS athletic teams had difficultyfinding practice space since their buildingdid not have a gymnasium, and theirproperty did not have a field. The teamstraveled to all parts of Toledo to findpractice space. The curriculum could notinclude physical education without anadequate place to hold it.Instead of attending the usual chapelassembly on the day of a football game, theteam was honored at a pep rally for the firsttime in October 1925. The football teamlined up on stage and students were led incheers.“Central, at least, is over its borrowing days,having acquired the site for the new CentralCatholic High School, and on April 10 Centralwww.centralcatholic.org

athletes for the first time in their history helda baseball practice on their own property,newly purchased at Cherry, Austin, Mettler,and Walnut streets. The players were in highspirits, romping around in preparation forthe championship which they enjoyed in 1924and 1925…It is planned to play all homegames on the Cherry street estate.”-From The Centric, April 15, 1926The Irish did not have a baseball teamin 1927 because a suitable schedule couldnot be arranged. The teams of 1925 and1926 were city and state champions, and theschool had difficulty making up a schedulewith teams that were willing to play them.The Toledo Interscholastic Golf Leaguewas formed in 1927 and Central Catholicbecame a member, along with Libbey, Scott,Waite, St. John’s, and Woodward.The football team of 1928 won the citychampionship. Their three-year recordconsisted of only one loss. The team earnedthe News-Bee trophy for the first time fortheir accomplishment.The golf team won the city and districtchampionships in 1929 and finished fifth inthe state championship.The CCHS Marching Band made its firstappearance at halftime of the football gameagainst St. John’s in 1929. The band wascomposed of 140 members, but only 100appeared on the field.The 1930sIn 1930, the Girls’ Athletic League wasformed by students to develop leadership,to encourage social and athletic activities,to promote sportsmanship and health,and to work with the physical educationdepartment.The boys’ golf team won the districtand state championships in 1930, and GusSchumaker ’30 won the state individualhigh school championship.Central Catholic formed a boxing teamin 1932.The boys’ basketball team won the citytitle in 1934, 1937, and 1939. The 1937 teamled the league in scoring for the season.A bowling league was formed in 1935to compete with other city schools. Itconsisted of American and National Leaguecomponents. The American League teamtook first place in the city in 1939.The boys’ tennis team was formed in thelate 1930s.The 1940sThe Fighting Irish basketball team wonthe city championship and the district titlein 1942. They went on to win the regionalchampionship and finished as state runnersup.In 1949, the team again went to the statefinal and finished as runners-up.The bowling team won both the cityand district titles in 1942, and the golfersfinished in a three-way tie for the citycrown.The American League component of thebowling team won the city tournament in1946. The National League team took thecity championship in 1948.The boy’s cross country team formedin 1946. In 1947 they took the citychampionship and qualified for the statemeet by finishing third in the districttournament.The Fighting Irish shared the city footballcrown with Libbey in 1949.The 1950sThe boys’ basketball team won sectionaland district titles in 1951. In 1952, theytook the city co-championship, sectional,district, and regional titles, and lost in thestate quarterfinals. In 1958, they won thesectional championship. The team went18-0 in 1959 to win its first All-City trophy.The football team took another cochampionshipin the city in 1951.In 1954, the golf team won the CityLeague championship and the baseball teamtied for first place in league competition.Msgr. Harrington announced in 1955 theinauguration of an intramural basketballtournament for boys. The programCoach Denny Bolbachconsisted of an inter-class tournament andan inter-conference room tournament inwhich every boys’ conference room hadto enter a team. The idea was to providehealthy, competitive recreation and touncover any hidden basketball talent in theschool so that promising players could bedeveloped for future league teams.The golf team took the city and districtchampionships in 1956 and the city title in1957.“The first athletic contest between CentralCatholic and St. Francis proved the Irish’ssupremacy on the basketball court, as the Celtswhipped the Knights 60-46 at a packed ToledoUniversity Field House. The long awaitedevent became an actuality Saturday, February22 as the two Catholic schools initiated thefirst of their meetings in sports. The pre-game‘cheering-screaming’ sections gave a colorfulexample of the new inter-school rivalry.”-From the Centric, February 28, 1958CCHS formed a wrestling team in 1958and took fourth place in the regionaltournament. The following season sawthe team go undefeated in league conteststo win Toledo’s first prep wrestlingchampionship. They also captured firstplace in the regional tournament.The CCHS Athletic Boosters Club,originally called the Men’s Club, wascreated in 1958 to further the Irish athleticprogram and to assist coaches in purchasinguniforms and equipment.The baseball teams won City League titlesin 1958 and 1959, a district title in 1959, andsectional titles in 1958 and 1959.The City League introduced cross countryto its sports program in 1959 and CCHSentered the competition.The 1960s“Dear Editor…If boys’ sports areemphasized here at Central, why are girls’sports minimized to such an extent? It ishard to understand why a school of this sizefinds itself unable to sponsor a girls athleticprogram. The girls that I have come intocontact with in regard to this question havehad in mind an intermural program orschedule with some of the other Catholic highschools. The girls are willing to hold practicesin parish gyms if Central would sponsorthis activity. If it is possible to make anyimprovements in this regard, I know at leasta thousand girls will appreciate it. – CarolWagner ‘60Dear Carol:Monsignor Harrington said that the StateDepartment of Education has forbiddenOne Faith. One Community. One Mission.

20 Feature Story | Fall 2010interscholastic girls’meets. The girls’ gym iscurrently being enlarged toaccommodate the girls andprovide for an expandedphysical education programfor the coming years.”-From the Centric, April 1,1960The Irish football teamtook the City Leaguechampionship in 1960. In1962, the team won its firststate championship andTom McHugh was namedCoach of the Year. The1968 team won the Shoe Bowl game againstSt. Francis to win the city title.The wrestling team won the citychampionship in 1960. In 1961, they went16-0, taking the city, district, and regionaltitles. They won the district tournament in1962.The basketball team took City Leaguetitles in 1961, 1962, and 1963. The 1963team also won the district championship.The 1967 team went undefeated in leagueplay on their way to the city championship.The team was the last to win 13 City Leaguegames because the number of games wasdecreased the following season. In 1968, thesquad won the city, sectional, and districtcrowns.The cross country team won its first citychampionship in 1962.The CCHS American bowling team wasnamed top team in the state in 1963 and hada record of 57-9. The National team wonthe city championship in 1968.The tennis team took the citychampionship in 1966.The Tom McHugh trophy was createdin 1966 to honor outstanding athletes.The first recipient of the award was TomBoardman ’66 who played football,basketball, and baseball for the FightingIrish.The baseball team took the city title in1968, and the city, sectional, and districttitles in 1969.The 1970sCity League competition began invarsity girls’ basketball in 1970. In theirfirst season, the Lady Irish posted an 8-0record, clinching the championship. Morecity championships followed in 1971, 1972,1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, and 1979. The 1977team also won the regional title.The boys’ basketballteam won the sectionalchampionship in 1972 and1974.In 1974, the baseballteam won the sectionalchampionship. In 1976they were city champions.Gymnastics andvolleyball were introducedas girls’ sports in 1974. Thevolleyball team won its firstcity championship in 1979.The Margaret Mary VolzScholar-Athlete Awardwas established in 1974 tohonor a senior woman of good characterwho has distinguished herself in the areasof academics, service to the school andthe community, and athletics. The awardwas named for a graduate from 1951 whowas tragically killed in a car accident onthe night of her graduation. Margaret wasan honor student who participated in theCCHS Girls’ AthleticLeague. The firstrecipients of the awardwere Kathy Costain’74 and Julie Justen’74.Mat Maids wereintroduced in 1975 asgirls began cheeringthe wrestlers on tovictory.The 1977 Irishfootball team won a second straight RedDivision title and earned the school’s firstever playoff birth. Coach Mike Beier wasnamed the City League Coach of the Year.In 1978, the Irish won the Irish Knighttrophy for the fourth consecutive year.The hockey team won a divisionchampionship in 1979.The 1980sThe Lady Irish volleyball team won theCity League championship in 1982, 1986,and 1988. In 1987 they were sectionalchampions.In 1986, 1987, and 1988, the Lady Irishbasketball team won city championships.The 1987 team also took the sectional,district, and regional crowns.The girls’ cross country team won thecity championship in 1985, 1987, 1988, and1989.In 1987, the Irish hockey team won a cityco-championship.Coach Tom McHughBill Axe, Athletic DirectorThe wrestling team took the city andsectional championships in 1989.The 1990sThe Lady Irish volleyball team won thesectional championship in 1990 and the citychampionship in 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995,and 1996.The 1990 hockey team won its leaguechampionship.The girls’ track team won citychampionships in 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994,and 1996.Girls’ cross county teams won citychampionships in 1990, 1991 (also districtchamps), 1993, 1994, 1995, and 1996.Boys’ cross country won citychampionships in 1990 and 1991.The 1991 softball team won the CityInvitational championship.The Fighting Irish football team took thecity title in 1994.The 1995 boy’s track team won the citychampionship. The 1997 teamwon city, district, and regionalchampionships and the first statetitle for any CCHS athletic team in36 years.The Lady Irish basketballprogram won city championshipsin 1992, 1994, and 1999. The1997-98 team finished with afinal record of 25-2 and won city,sectional, district and regionaltitles to advance to the statesemi-finals where they lost by one point toDayton Chaminade.The hockey team won the 1990 city titleand the 1996 Metro League championship.In 1997, the girls’ soccer team was the coleaguechampion.The Sullivan Center opened in 1997 onthe CCHS campus. The Irish would nowhost home basketball and volleyball games,and the facility is also used for CYO andcommunity events.The boys’ basketball team won the districtchampionship in 1998.Coach Santoro with theFighting Irish Football Teamwww.centralcatholic.org

In 1999, Josh Lenix ’99 finishedwith only one loss en route tothe state 215-lb. wrestling title,becoming the only individualstate wrestling champion inCCHS history.The 2000sThe boys’ basketball team wonthe district championship in 2000.In 2010, they won their first citychampionship in 42 years.The Fighting Irish football teamtook four City League titles in arow, from 2005 to 2008. In 2005,the team also won the regionalchampionship and the DivisionII state championship, and head coach GregDempsey ’90 was named City League Coachof the Year, Blade Coach of the Year, andone of five Division II coaches of the yeardetermined by a state media panel.The newly renovated Gallagher AthleticComplex was dedicated prior to thehomecoming football game on September28, 2007, and Central Catholic becamethe first Catholic high school in Toledo tohost home football and soccer games, trackmeets, and community events.The Lady Irish volleyball team won theDivision II state championship in 2007.The girls’ varsity tennis team won the CityLeague championship for the first time inhistory in 2009.The Irish baseball team won the city titlein 2008 and 2010.The 2002 and 2008 Irish wrestlers won thecity championship, and the 2009 team wonthe sectional meet by outscoring the closestteam by 71 points.The 2009 Lady Irish softball team wonsectional and district championships.Boys’ lacrosse was added as a sport in theIrish lineup in the spring of 2009, and theteam competes in the Ohio High SchoolLacrosse Association, Division 2.In May 2010, Steve Pfahler ’72, headcoach of the Lady Irish basketball programfor 21 years, announced his retirementfrom coaching. His overall record of377-96 included four trips to the statechampionship, eight district championships,and 12 Toledo City Athletic League titles. Inthat span, his Irish ran off 90 consecutiveTCAL victories. Steve also won two OhioCoach of the Year awards.Coach McHugh with CoachDempsey holding the StateChampionship plaqueFamily TiesSome names are legendary at CentralCatholic High School for their contributionsto the school. Harrington, Sullivan,Gallagher, and Donnelly are just a few thatcome to mind. Other names are well knownbecause of the large number of familymembers who have graduated from CCHS.Many of us probably knew or attendedschool with a Boyle or a Murnen, a Farmeror McCarty, a Bishop or a Lenkay. Manyof these families still have descendantsattending Central Catholic today.Many families have at least three generationsthat have attended Central Catholic, and theSpring 2005 issue of Scarlet & Gray profiledseveral of these families. They include theLenkay family, the Schullers and Boyles,the Bishops and Romatowskis, the Ginterfamily, and the Murnen family. We alsomentioned familiar names like Desmond,Hendricks, Langenderfer, McGurk, O’Brien,O’Donnell, and O’Shea. After the articlewas published, we had additional familiescontact us to share their stories.No matter the size of the family you comefrom, or whether you are a member of thefirst generation or the fourth, every one ofyou who has attended Central Catholic overthe last 90 years shares a special bond andwill always be part of an even bigger family– the Central Catholic family!To view some of the comments from thesemulti-generational families about whatmakes Central Catholic so special andhow it has stood the test of time, pleasevisit the Central Catholic web site at www.centralcatholic.org under the headingAlumni & Friends > Scarlet & Gray.One Faith. One Community. One Mission.

22 Feature Story | Fall 2010(continued from page 11)I could go on forever remembering thoseyears. A group of our high school friendsstill gets together every other month. Imarried Joe Wright ’42. All seven of ourchildren and two grandchildren who live inToledo graduated from CCHS, and anotheris starting this fall as a freshman - AnthonyWright. So far, all but one of my childrenand grandchildren have been in the GleeClub and musicals. I met my husbandin the Glee Club. He was a friend of mybrother.I was the proud niece of Fr. Harringtonand I saw his pride and pleasure in beingprincipal of Central Catholic. H e toldme once, after he retired, that he couldhardly wait to get down to the school inthe morning to see what exciting thingswere going to happen. He guided theschool through some difficult times, butloved every minute of it. As I drive past thebeautiful building today and see all the newstructures, I am very proud I graduatedfrom CCHS.”Fran Krompak ’58“I graduated from CentralCatholic and I also taught therefrom1962 until 1992 - 30 yearsof teaching phys. ed. and health,coaching basketball, volleyball,and tennis. I was a G.A.L.[Girls’ Athletic League] moderator. It was awomen’s athletic association that sponsoredafter-school bowling intramurals, flagfootball, ski trips, and canoe trips to Hell,Michigan. Mary (Eggerstorfer) Glowacki’72 was an awesome back! One year whenwe took the gals from the class of ’72 onthe canoe trip, they took the wrong turnon the river and wound up in a cornfield.They included Vicki Kelly, Deb Carcus, andBecky Stewart as I recall. The G.A. L. wasthe precursor to involvement in the CityLeague.Our skiing trips were also adventuresome.All I can remember is the many falls andmore kids down than upright. We usuallytook two busloads of boys and girls over theMartin Luther King break. I was also thecheerleader advisor for over 10 years andworked with some great young women. Wewere always having car washes to pay fortheir uniforms. One of our cheerleaderswas Terry Augello ’68. She would alwaysyell so loud she would lose her singing voice.But her daughter, Alicia Keys, has made upfor it!When we began competition in the CityLeague in 1969-70, we only played eightbasketball games. Our scores were 27-13and 51-1. We played with six players andnot everyone could run the full court. I hadgreat assistant coaches like Mo Gallagherand many of the young boys basketballplayers at CCHS. Among them was JohnWieck ’68, who later married Chris Justen’71, one of our players. I played a littlematchmaker in that one. Eric Stockard’75 was outstanding. We were so blessedto have him. He would attend practices atthe University of Toledo and observe, andthen we would do a lot of their drills. Hewould come up with defensive schemesthat befuddled our opponents. There werealso Denny LaDuke ’75, Terry Murnen ’73,Steve Dermer ’72, and Mitch Seemann ’77.They really supported the girls’ teams. Thatis one of the underlying themes of CCHS-supporting each other.I remember that the front gym was freezing.We had poor lighting and old windows. Istarted drinking hot coffee just to get warm.We had many basketball practices with noheat. Our locker room was dark and inneed of much work. The girls from thebasketball team painted it one summer -Diane Brazell, Kathy Szenderski, and LindaFournier from the Class of 1972. Whensomething needed to be done the kids justpitched in. We had a very minimal athleticbudget and held a whiskey raffle to raisemoney.One of the notable characters at CentralCatholic was Felix Elllerbrock, the headjanitor. You didn’t want to mess with Felix.One year he planted grass on the footballfield and the track team had the audacityto run on the new grass. They sure heardabout it from Felix. A few weeks later, somemembers of the track team got their revengeon Felix. They sneaked in at night withweed killer and wrote in very large letters onthe football field, ‘Felix is an a**.’ It could beseen from all the upper floors at CCHS.In 1962-63 when I started at CentralCatholic as a teacher, we had manynotable feats. We won the mythical statechampionship in football. We won the CityLeague championship in basketball andwrestling, and we had four Merit Scholars.We had 2,200 students and a faculty of over100. At least 80 were sisters and priestsand we had barely 20 lay teachers. Quite aremarkable change. We had a great bunchof lay teachers, including Paul O’Rourke,Tim Dever, Tom McHugh, Bob Nichols,Dorothy Brown, Sally O’Connell, KristiHayward, Jerry DePrisco, Joe Gajdostik, andJoe Rozanski. Our marching band was over100 strong.Val Fischer taught physics and was theschool treasurer. We were paid in cashevery two weeks and my starting salarywas $4,000. We did not sign contracts andverbally agreed to return the next year.Monsignor Harrington would take us eachaside and tell us we had done a good job andhe was going to raise our pay. He would askus not to tell anyone else. Later we foundout we were all told the same thing. To getback to Val Fischer, he never missed a dayof school in 38 years. I remember he leftCentral Catholic on a Friday afternoon anddied on Sunday. We were all shocked.We had great assemblies, and the traditioncontinues. It was the class of 1972 thatstarted Super Fella. I remember rollerskatinginto the gym for one of the facultyassemblies with Mo Gallagher. We woreraincoats and had big squirt guns and got allthe kids wet. We skated to ‘Raindrops KeepFalling on my Head.’I retired from basketball in 1980 and tooka break, and then I returned to coachvolleyball. I took a great deal of pride inworking With Chris (Tuttle) Maseman’79, first as her coach and later her mentor.Chris did a great job with the girls’basketball program and continued thewinning tradition. She hired Steve Pfahler’72 and we all know how successful Stevewas.I’ve been awed by the teachers andadministrators who have devoted theirlives to Central Catholic, the alumni whohave remained loyal and supportive, andthe parents who sacrifice so much for theirchildren. That has been a constant. Somany of our former students have returnedas faculty and staff. So many families areCentral Catholic families, the generationsof grandparents to parents to students. Ouroffice staff does a great job of keeping theschool running smoothly. Mary Lou Snyderand Ann Bonanni have been invaluable,Sandy Faunce and Terry Albert and Joe Perzare the unsung heroes.After 30 years of teaching, I became aguidance counselor at CCHS and workedfor 12 more years. Central Catholicencouraged me to further my education.They paid half my tuition and Terry Alberthelped by typing my papers. Mike Smith,our principal, gave me an extra free periodso I could do my internship at Central. Iworked with the suspended students anddid support groups. Central Catholicallowed me to grow, and after 42 years Iretired with immense gratitude for all it hasgiven me.”Denny Bolbach ’63“As a student I participatedin student government, was athree year letterman in footballwww.centralcatholic.org

and track, and I was named to the All-City football team two years. I receivedthe Player with the Most Desire award myjunior and senior years, and I played in theNorth/South All Star Game. I was inductedinto the Central Catholic Athletic Hall ofFame in 1990, and was also inducted withthe 1963 State Championship team, the1960 City Champion football team, and asa coach with the 1972 and 1977 footballteams. I was very fortunate to receivea four-year football scholarship to theUniversity Dayton, where I lettered threeyears.I returned to CCHS for the 1968-69 schoolyear, and I was the last teacher to sign acontract with Msgr. Harrington. I coachedfootball and wrestling and helped withtrack. After coaching for several years, Ibecame athletic director in 1975 and didthat until 1982. Throughout my 42 years,I taught mechanical drawing, math, phys.ed., health, and driver’s education. From1982 to 2010, I was the Dean of Men, and Iretired in June.Returning to CCHS to teach and coachfootball was a dream and a goal throughoutmy college years. As a CCHS student, Iwas so imprinted and enlightened by ourstrong traditions. It is hard to explainthe attraction, mostly because it was thetotal experience of my four years. I was soimpressed by the dedication of the teachersand coaches and people involved withthe school that I wanted to be part of thatexperience as an adult. We have always hadso many alumni that return to play somerole in the continuing history of CCHS.From administrators, staff, and coaches,to volunteers. they are all caught in the‘Irish Spirit’ and want to see it continue forgenerations to come.I often told people when they asked if Iwas still at Central Catholic, ‘Yes I amstill here, and if I ever leave Central, I willleave education all together, not becauseI think we are greater that any place else,but it is the only place I would ever want tospend my career.’ It’s about faith, tradition,community, honor and a true realization ofthe world and community we live in.Central Catholic has stood the test of time.Strong in its roots, and with Christ as ourtrue leader, our school has changed to keeppace with the world we live in. Certainlytechnology has led the way in the last 10 orso years. To be cited as a leader in educationfor the Toledo Diocese is an honor and aresponsibility.Some people will say that we have mademany big changes from the CCHS ofthe 1960s to the present, some good andsome may have been questioned. But wehave stayed true to our mission as a coed,Catholic institution. Some people questionour staying in the Central district of Toledoand our increasing minority population.I truly believe God has a plan for us, andas some question our direction, I see ourdiversity as a strength and a reflection ofreal life experience.Certainly winning the 1962 state footballchampionship was an outstanding event asa student. We were 10- 0 that season and10 players were elected First Team All-City.There were several other individual honors,but I must say that it was a total team effortthat allowed our team to reach the top -Great coaching by Tom McHugh and hisstaff, great leadership by our principal Msgr.Harrington, a very supporting faculty, andjust an outstanding, student body that noone could out cheer. Again, totally a CCHScommunity accomplishment.Over 42 years there were many highmoments, along with some very downevents also. But experiencing the differentevents involved the total support ofeveryone - to celebrate, to be there whenthere was a need, and together thanking theLord for His guidance and for providing thegreat community of Central Catholic.Central Catholic was honored during thelate 1980’s through most of the 1990’s whenwe were recognized as a National Schoolof Excellence for our drug prevention andeducation programs. Our student assistanceprogram was rated among the top in thecountry.I am very proud to have been able to servethe Central Catholic community for themany years that I did. I thank God and allthat are associated with our institution forallowing me to be part of Central Catholichistory.”Jan (Kozak) Florian ’70Jan has been Central Catholic’sschool nurse since 1991. In thiscapacity she has also served as apreceptor for nursing studentsfrom UTMC, Lourdes College,and Mercy College, moderatorfor STAMP (the Stay Tobacco-free AthleteMentor Program), facilitator and cofacilitatorfor CCHS support groups, andhead of the faculty wellness programs. Shehas also been a waitress for some of theCCHS wait nights. Jan reflects on her timeat CCHS:“As a student, I think that in general thingswere not so different than they are forstudents today. I remember there were upsand downs as I was trying to fit in and figureout who I really was and what I wantedto be when I grew up. As an employee/adult, I have the same struggles! My momis convinced that because I liked school somuch, that is why I came back, even thoughI’m now a nurse!Things are moving much more quicklythan when I was a student. If you don’t payattention, you can easily miss something.Technology has definitely been a drivingforce - for better or worse. We now have theIB program. Certainly when I was a studentwe were not thinking so globally. Now weneed to or we will get left behind.Our faculty/staff has definitely changed.When I was a student, the majority of ourfaculty members were religious - priests,brothers, sisters. We also had graduatingclasses of 450 to 500 students. Our facilitiescontinue to be updated. We never hada ‘home game’ at our ‘home’ in any ofthe sports when I was a student. Not tomention that girls’ sports were non-existent.Basketball was just beginning to be arecognized girls’ sport.It really is the people and the spirit thatmake Central Catholic special. People whoare involved in CCHS are like a family. Justlike regular families, we’ve had some upsand downs, we’ve celebrated successes,moved through difficulties and grievedtogether, even had some disagreementswe’ve had to work out together. Throughit all there always remains a sense that weare all here to help our students be the bestthat they can be wherever their paths maylead them. There is also an atmosphere- just as there is in any family - that therecomes a time to move on, but you arealways welcome home. I think this mightbe obvious in the number of faculty/staffwho have come back and the number offamilies who continue to send their childrenand grandchildren to CCHS. The fantasticcrowds that attend our events are alsoevidence of this.My graduation class was ‘special.’ The classof 1970 was the 50th anniversary year forCCHS, so we wore gold graduation gowns.At that time, graduation was held in theSports Arena that is no longer standing!”Timothy J. Dever ’77Tim taught for one year atCentral Catholic (1982-83)before attending law school,and he was also the boys’ tenniscoach from 1981 to 1983 andagain from 2004 to 2008. Hisfather, Timothy Dever, was a social studiesOne Faith. One Community. One Mission.

24 Feature Story | Fall 2010teacher at CCHS from 1954 to 1981 and theathletic director from 1959 to 1974. He alsocoached track, golf, and tennis at differenttimes throughout those years. TimothyDever passed away in 2005. His son Timrecalls…“The one memory of Central Catholic fromover the years that really sticks out in mymind happened years before I was evena student there. When I was about eightyears old, Central Catholic earned a berthin the Shoe Bowl against St. Francis. Atthat age I lived and breathed Irish football.I never missed a game, and my dad wouldsometimes let me come on the sidelines tobe a water boy. He thought it would be agood idea if I came to the pep rally beforethe big game. Having never been to a peprally, I really had no idea what to expect.As I entered the old gym, I was absolutelyoverwhelmed by the complete insanity thatwas a Central Catholic pep rally. This waswhen there were probably 1,800 studentsand they were jam-packed into that littlegymnasium and the sound was deafening.As the band marched in playing the fightsong and leading the football team to thestage, the energy level doubled. I wasdumbstruck by the energy and the spiritof the Irish faithful. At the end of the peprally everyone got quiet and my dad madea speech. I don’t remember the context,but it was fairly solemn and you could heara pin drop. I do remember the final line -‘We’re gonna kick those cupcakes back toBancroft Street.’ The place went absolutelynuts. Sheer bedlam. It was magical and Iremember it like it was yesterday. My soulbelonged to the Irish after that day.My other favorite memory also involvedmy dad. He was in his mid-80s, blind andwheelchair bound. But I insisted that he goto a Central Catholic football game so hecould see his grandson, Jack Dever ’04, wearthe red and gray and play for the Irish. Eventhough he couldn’t see anything, he sat andsmiled throughout four quarters. It was thelast Fighting Irish game he ever saw.”Chad Huntebrinker ’00“When I think about CentralCatholic, so many memories andmoments start flying throughmy head. The earliest memoriesof Central Catholic go backto when I was only a few yearsold. My mom (Peg Huntebrinker) hasbeen teaching at Central Catholic my entirelife, and I remember acting sick at day carejust so I could come over and run aroundCentral. I remember going to every footballgame when I was little, and I would stay uplate at night dreaming about putting on aFighting Irish jersey and helmet.Before I knew it I was a freshman at CentralCatholic. Playing football taught me somuch about life and enabled me to meet somany of my great friends. We had up anddown seasons my sophomore, junior, andsenior years, but the memories of playingfootball with my friends stand out the most.After finishing college I had a chance tocome back and teach and coach at CentralCatholic. Father Hartigan, Mr. Kaucher,and Coach Dempsey all gave me a chance tocome back and be part of this great family.Its funny - I played for Coach Santoro andCoach Naufel, and I had Coach Padgett as ateacher. Eight years later I’m coaching andteaching alongside them. It’s amazing therelationships I have built with them overthe last few years. Many of my teachers arestill here teaching, including Mrs. Cromlyand Mrs. Best (who now ask me to call themby their first names, but I just can’t out ofrespect), Sister Linda, Mr. Torrence, and afew more I know I am forgetting.The best moment was not when I was astudent at Central Catholic, but when I wasa coach and we beat St. Francis in 2008.No team that I played on had ever beatSt. Francis. Being part of that victory as acoach was something I will never forget.”Jennifer Dever ’05“The most influential factor inchoosing CCHS was my strongfamily history there. So manyof my family members, aunts,uncles, and cousins, graduatedfrom Central Catholic, includingPatricia (Dever) Turner ’65, my fatherDaniel Dever ’68, Thomas Dever ’69,Timothy Dever ’77, my grandma Elaine(Bueter) Dever ’39, Daniel Mahoney ’56,James Mahoney ’58, Marty Mahoney ’65,my mother Kathryn (Mahoney) Dever’70, my brother Timothy Dever ’99, andmy sister Kara (Dever) Moore ’01. I wasraised on stories of how my grandpop (TimDever) would get the students fired up atpep rallies as the coach/athletic director andhow he, along with others, implemented theIrish Knight, which to me is the strongestIrish tradition CCHS has to date. I startedgoing to football games at a young age, and Iremember the feeling Central gave me whenI went to visit in eighth grade. I couldn’thave asked for a better four years.I have so many memories from my fouryears at Central, but the one that stands outthe most in my mind is my senior year whenour boys brought home the Irish Knight. Itwas an overwhelming feeling when the lastfew seconds ticked by in the fourth quarter.There wasn’t a dry eye any where in sight,and going back to Central to celebrate withthe players after the game was the best part.”From the 1925Centripetal yearbook:“Today, Central Catholic stands asthe type of all that is best in Catholiceducation. It is truly a Catholicinstitution. The faculty consists ofpriests from city parishes, sisters fromthree communities, and Catholiclay men and women – the best ofteachers. The student body is drawnfrom every parish in the city and someof the neighboring towns – Catholicyouth, capable of being the strengthand bulwark of Church and state,if given the training which Centralaims to give them. For the plan ofreligious education in operation hereis admirably thorough. By precept andexample, by instruction and practice,by the force of environment and dailyusage, the school imprints on theminds of the students the ideals ofCatholic life. It drills them in habits ofthought and habits of action which aremorally right and which will materiallyhelp them in mastering any task. Thisfeature of the school’s work is itsreal reason for being. The ordinarybranches of learning, however, arenot neglected. The school is ratedas a first-class high school, whosecurriculum and requirements are up tothe standard…”From the 1980Centripetal yearbook:“Things change – the original highschool on Collingwood Blvd., the moveto Cherry St., bigger enrollment, sevenperiods instead of eight, more liberalrules and regulations; the excessivegrowth of girls’ sports, the increase ofenrollment to present. New forms ofold things. We are forever changing.”www.centralcatholic.org

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Non-Profit Org.U.S.PostagePAIDPermit No. 150Toledo, OhioHere’s to another 90 amazing years! Go Irish!Irish EventsOctober 9, 2010 - Music Hall of FameCCHS Sullivan Center, 5:00 p.m.October 15, 2010 - Homecoming, Fighting Irish vs. WhitmerGallagher Stadium, 7:00 p.m.November 14, 2010 - CCHS Open HouseCCHS Campus, 12:00 - 3:00 p.m.November 19, 2010 - Annual Dinner AuctionChampion CentralCCHS Sullivan Center, 6:00 p.m.December 12, 2010 - Sounds of ChristmasValentine Theatre, 4:00 p.m.PUB: S&GfALL2010