With so much interest generated, Saint Henry District High School has decided to move up their timeline a year to begin varsity football.
Originally slated to begin in the 2026 season, St. Henry will field a varsity team for the 2025 season. They’ll have a junior varsity team in 2024.
Principal Grant Brannen said the interest among the elementary and middle schools moved things up with 260 kids in grades first through eighth participating in the spring flag football league.
When they look back in a few years, the Crusader Youth Football League is where it all began. The league got underway in the spring and things have been moving at a rather quick pace ever since.
“It really started with the turf field,” Brannen said. “The field was laid down in 10 months and in August of 2022 when it was done, September rolled around and a couple of stakeholders asked the question…”
A football committee was formed with Brannen, school administrators and parents, the stakeholders and R.J. Riegler, who is the director of the football operations. The committee is in constant communication to get things rolling and with newly appointed athletic director Jim Demler set to take over, things are in motion on a daily basis.
“We know there’s a lot that goes into this,” Riegler said. “We’ve been able to identify the things we need and finding solutions, funding for equipment, any options or adjustments to the stadium and so on and so forth.”
Riegler coached football for 11 years, four of them as head football coach at Scott High School. Demler is no stranger to starting up a program, doing so at Ryle in the 1990’s.
Helping with the timeline decision is the way the current KHSAA football realignment schedule is set up. Come 2025, more realignment decisions will be made and St. Henry wants to be a part of that. They’re expecting to be in Class 2A based off enrollment, which would line them up with the current Class 2A, 5th District with Beechwood, Walton-Verona, Bracken County, Carroll County, Gallatin County and Owen County.
“That’s part of the reason in moving up the date. With the scheduling process and new alignment we figured it would make sense for us the next time the new alignment comes out. We’d be put in a district right away,” Brannen said.
St. Henry held their first football camp this week as the Crusader League recently wrapped up. They’ll continue with the Crusader League in the fall and in the spring and they’re hopeful to start aligning the schedule with the KHSAA football calendar come the fall of ’24.
Brannen said the job opening for the head football coach and staff should open up come January 2024.
The numbers are there, the buzz around the school community is there and the clock is ticking…football is coming.
“I couldn’t tell you how many times the kids have asked me when the first Friday Night Lights is,” Brannen said. “We’re very excited and this isn’t just about starting up football, we want to build a successful, winning program.”
