Friday night was a special one for Centerville, as the Varsity Football team hosted the St. Xavier Bombers in front of an overflow home crowd. Before the game, Centerville Mayor Brooks Compton officially declared the day as "Kirk Herbstreit Day" in honor of one of Centerville's most distinguished alumni. Kirk Herbstreit, now a famous sports commentator, returned to his hometown to watch his youngest son, Chase Herbstreit, play for St. Xavier. Chase did not disappoint as he had a great game in leading the Bombers to a 34-10 win over the Elks. Mayor Compton presented Kirk Herbstreit with a proclamation and a special coin to commemorate the day, and the home crowd showed their appreciation for him before kickoff.
The game started with both teams trading punts, but St. Xavier quickly took control. On the first play of their second possession, the Bombers broke free for a 48-yard touchdown run, taking a 7-0 lead with 8:04 left in the first quarter. Things got tougher for the Elks when they fumbled on their next possession. St. Xavier recovered the ball at the Elk 16-yard line, and on the very next play, the Bombers ran it in for another touchdown, making it 14-0 with 7:51 remaining in the first quarter.
St. Xavier made one mistake late in the first quarter, fumbling a punt that was recovered by Centerville at the Bomber 25-yard line. The Elks couldn't capitalize fully, but Leland Gantz kicked a 33-yard field goal to get the Elks on the board, making it 14-3 with 1:17 to play in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, both teams traded punts, but the Elks fumbled again, and St. Xavier scored with just 35 seconds left in the half to extend their lead to 21-3. The Bombers continued their strong performance in the second half, scoring on a 63-yard touchdown pass with 9:50 left in the third quarter to make it 28-3. St. Xavier added another touchdown in the fourth quarter, and while the Elks scored late, the final score was 34-10 in favor of St. Xavier.
The loss leaves Centerville with a 1-1 record on the season. The Elks face another tough challenge next week as they host Carmel, Indiana, on Friday, September 6th at 7 p.m. Tickets for the game are available online (with no fees) at or with cash ($9) at the gate. The game will also be streamed live for $10 at
ELKS FALL TO ST. XAVIER BOMBERS IN FRONT OF PACKED HOME CROWD
