SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP, Ohio — St. Xavier senior defensive back Robert Houston knows all about the Bombers' challenging schedule this season.
As a captain, he's looking forward to the opportunity and so are his teammates. The Long Blue Line wouldn't have it any other way.
"We're a tight-knit group," Houston said. "We come together. We laugh, we enjoy each other. At practice, we teach up each other so this is a family."
St. X (10-3), a Division I regional semifinalist in 2021, graduated 18 starters last season on a very talented team. But the Bombers are simply focused on the present.
There is plenty of talent this season including four returning starters in senior tight end Joey Wassler, senior offensive lineman Evan Fleetwood, senior linebacker/safety Max Bonner and junior defensive lineman Ted Hammond along with many other players to watch.
There is a competition at quarterback, but junior Jack O'Malley has emerged at No. 1 for that spot this past week, according to St. X coach Steve Specht.
The Bombers open this season at Lakota West (11-2) in the fourth meeting between the teams since the 2020 regional final.
Circumstances don't get any easier as St. X travels to the Chicago area the following weekend to play Loyola Academy (Wilmette, Ill.) in a nationally-televised game on ESPN Aug. 28.
"We want to challenge the kids," said Specht. "We want them to compete against the best competition we can find. We think the competition we play in the city is phenomenal. We're going to open with the best team arguably in the state of Ohio in Lakota West and we're going to travel to Chicago and arguably play the best team in Illinois. We've got the GCL South. We're going to play (Cleveland) St. Ignatius. That's the only way you get better."
Specht acknowledges the Bombers don't have the number of marquee names from the past. The preseason spotlight starts with Moeller (2021 state semifinalist) and Lakota West (regional runner-up) in Division I.
But, no one should underestimate the Bombers this season.
"We have a young team but we're coming together and I think we're going to surprise a lot of people," St. X senior linebacker/safety Max Bonner said.
The St. X coaching staff is eager to see how the team develops from August to October.
"I think for a coach it's exciting to watch kids compete," said Specht, who has led St. X since 2004. "And for the kids it's exciting because they have an opportunity because there is so many open spots. We just have to coach them up. Figure out who the best 11 are and let's take it to the field and see how we do."
