It seems #IrishStrong is more than a concept down on Bellaire’s Guernsey Street.
St. John Central Academy’s first year of existence was considered a string of successes. With enrollment increasing, expectations continue to remain high.
As detailed in a June LedeNews.com story, academy teachers and staff turned in an incredible first year. Now it appears it is the athletic department’s turn to mirror that resurgence.
Two major announcements within the last few weeks have bolstered the Green & White pride inside SJCA.
First, the Fighting Irish are officially back in the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference fold. The member schools voted 47-0 to approve the academy’s rejoining of the conference.
This was made possible thanks to the OHSAA approves SJCA’s membership application after the school played independently during the transition year from catholic school part of the Diocese of Steubenville to the chartered academy.
But perhaps even more important is the Irish have the perfect man to lead the comeback of St. John athletics in Bubba Kapral.
An alum of St. John Central High, both as student and athlete and later a longtime and successful coach for both the girls’ basketball and track & field teams, there’s been no bigger champion for SJC than Kapral.
Kapral recently retired as Executive Sports Editor from the Wheeling Newspapers after a lengthy and successful career. Now he can turn his full attention to helping rebuild what was a championship program in multiple arenas.
“The OVAC is the driving force of athletics in the Ohio Valley,” Kapral said. “It’s the driving force and we want to be affiliated with it.
“It’s as good of sports conference as there is, and that unanimous vote meant a lot of us. It shows people still have respect for St. John.”
Ninety-two and Counting
In St. John’s storied history, the school produced 92 OVAC championship teams, good for 11th best in the conference.
That’s the type of history Kapral wants to build upon. St. John Central received a rebrand when it opened as an academy, but its sports programs want to retain that Fighting Irish spirit of old.
It starts this fall with both boys’ and girls’ cross county and volleyball.
Winter will feature girls’ basketball, along with swimming and bowling. In the spring, softball and boys’ and girls’ track & field teams will be fielded.
But that’s just the starting off point.
“We will compete in eight varsity sports this year and probably a couple on the junior high level,” Kapral said. “The turnaround won’t be overnight, but enrollment wise, our boys’ numbers are growing. We’re seeing some steady, solid growth.”
Kapral noted that especially at the junior high level, the boys’ numbers have seen a marked increase. That should help see a return of boys’ basketball in the winter to go with a what was a traditionally strong girls’ program under Kapral’s tutelage.
Those numbers also figure to benefit in new areas.
Yes, Soccer is Happening
While numbers are growing, the emphasis on soccer will come at the youth level, offering in-house clinics and instruction with help from the coaching staffs at Wheeling and West Liberty universities.
The goal is to build a summer youth program and as that grows the next few years, begin to implement a high school team,
“Soccer is a great way for us to boost our numbers,” Kapral noted. “Bellaire, Ferry, Bridgeport, Shadyside, they don’t have soccer and probably never will. This gives those areas a neighboring school with an option or those who want to play.”
Currently only St. Clairsville fields a full boys’ and girls’ varsity roster. Union Local had competed with a combined boys’ and girls’ team until recently, when lack of numbers forced the program back to the club status last fall.
St. John also could debut a junior high team, similar to the one offered at Linsly. The Cadets have both 5th- and 6th- and 7th- and 8th-grade soccer teams. They compete against recreation teams from both the Wheeling, Moundsville and St. Clairsville soccer leagues, along with other private schools that field a team.
“It would be a great addition at the grade school level,” Kapral admitted.
Kapral also admitted that, as much as people would like to see it return, football is likely not happening at St. John any time soon, if at all.
But soccer will yield positive results for both boys’ and girls’ athletics, and provide athletes in numbers that should see a return of boys’ varsity basketball.
“Football will likely never be again, but soccer can be,” Kapral said. “And with that influx of athletes, it could help flesh out a basketball team. It’d be perfect to help out both basketball and track in the spring.”
Responsibilities Both New and Old?
Serving as Athletics Director is not exactly unchartered territory for Kapral. He’s worked as an assistant in years past and after 20-plus years as a coach, he’s had his fair share of scheduling duties.
Plus, it does help when you know nearly everyone in the local sporting community from your time both as a coach and a sports journalist.
His return does include one new wrinkle for Kapral’s resume—teaching.
“This is a full-time gig, so I am going to be teaching a couple classes, maybe even journalism,” Kapral admitted.
But what about coaching?
Kapral picked up basketball officiating last winter. Any chance he’s returning to the court not with an officials’ whistle, but a coach’s?
“Right now, I’m babysitting the cross-country program until we get the right person in place,” Kapral said with a laugh.
But the basketball program is in good hands, as are the volleyball and softball programs. Kapral said he’d be willing to help out with track and field come spring, but only in an assistant’s capacity.
Right now, he’s focused on bringing that old St. John spirit and pride back to the newly chartered institution. And it all starts this fall.
