SMCC win highlights high school football's communal nature

SANDUSKY — After the Panthers finished shaking the Ashtabula St. John players' hands, they trotted toward the bleachers, locked arms and stood with the cheerleaders, waiting for the band to play the St. Mary Central Catholic alma mater.Something about seeing this scene after SMCC's 34-14 win on Saturday evoked emotion from SMCC coach Toby Notestine.Were it not for Panthers football, the band would've still performed this season. The cheerleaders would've still choreographed their acrobatic routines.But seeing them sing the SMCC alma mater at Strobel Field felt right.This is the way it's supposed to be, Notestine thought to himself. This is why we chose 8-man football."For all of those reasons," Notestine said, wiping back tears, "there's no better game. To me, there's nothing better than high school football."That line of thinking is common among high school coaches. They see high school football as the purest form of the game. Players play because they love playing, and that's it.But Notestine understands high school football's uniquely communal nature better than most. His position as SMCC athletic director paints a clear picture of the impact football has on other extra-curriculars.That impact goes beyond raising money that helps pay for other activities. Football acts as a vehicle through which other student groups showcase their talent. Take the band that Notestine's players sang in front of after Saturday's win. The halftime show is the moment those students build toward every week. SMCC band director Matt Hadsell had a plan in place in case SMCC didn't field a football team this season. The students would've performed as an individual entity, a traveling band. Hadsell believes the band would've been happy to perform under any circumstance. But they were especially happy to play in front of Panthers fans at Strobel Field on Saturday."They're just really excited," Hadsell said. "It's been awhile since we've been here, so it's nice for us to come out at home and play for our community here. So many people have been itching for a home game, and we're all here now."Unlike Hadsell, SMCC cheer coach Taylor Burns never felt the need to form a contingency plan. She was confident the cheerleaders would have something to cheer for this fall. And if that something wasn't a football team, she believes her students would've kept their enthusiastic approach. Just like Hadsell's students, though, Burns could sense an extra tinge of excitement from the cheerleaders on Saturday. She said her seniors enjoyed continuing the tradition of cheering at Strobel field. They had a decent crowd to interact with, too. It looked a like a couple hundred people turned out to support the Panthers on Saturday, which Burns deemed a pretty good size for 2 p.m. on a Saturday. "I think this whole thing has pulled (the community) even closer together," Burns said. "Keeping the tradition of football — 8-man, 11-man, it doesn't really matter — alive is what we take pride in."Notestine felt that same sentiment before he stepped on the field Saturday morning.Before preparing the field for 8-man action, Notestine attended Mass. While he was there, several former Panthers — players Notestine said he looked up to as a child — wished him luck in today's game. "That's what it's all about," Notestine said. "Sometimes I'll turn a pro game on, and I know (high school football) isn't exactly the same thing, but to me, there's nothing better." Cooper Barone ran the ball 12 times for 74 yards and three touchdowns in SMCC's win on Saturday. Isaac Aldridge added 86 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, and Kyle Pelz ran for 99 yards, threw for 71 and intercepted two passes on defense. St. Mary Central Catholic 0 20 7 7 — 34Ashtabula St. John 0 0 0 14 — 14SMCC — Isaac Aldridge 1 run (Paige Ackerman kick)SMCC — Cooper Barone 4 run (kick failed)SMCC — Kyle Pelz 1 run (Ackerman kick)SMCC — Barone 5 run (Ackerman kick)SMCC — Barone 8 run (Ackerman kick)SJ — David Delsalbador 8 pass from Caleb Hill (Hill 2-point good)SJ — Hill 2 run (conversation failed)[gallery]St. Mary Central Catholic cheerleaders and football players sing the school's Alma Mater after the team's victory over Ashtabula St. John on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2019, in Sandusky.St. Mary Central Catholic's Kyle Pelz reaches for the ball while playing defense during a game against Ashtabula St. John at Strobel Field in Sandusky on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2019.St. Mary Central Catholic football players get ready to run a play during a game against Ashtabula St. John at Strobel Field in Sandusky on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2019.St. Mary Central Catholic's Cooper Barone makes his way into the end zone to score a touchdown during a game against Ashtabula St. John at Strobel Field in Sandusky on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2019.St. Mary Central Catholic's Jackson Rutger makes a tackle during a game against Ashtabula St. John on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2019, at Strobel Field in Sandusky.St. Mary Central Catholic football players stand along the sidelines during a game against Ashtabula St. John at Strobel Field in Sandusky on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2019.St. Mary Central Catholic students Brittan Kromer and Karina Near run with a flag during a football game on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2019, in Sandusky.