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Middies’ football success lifts city’s spirits

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Staff photo by Pat Auckerman Ron Meadows, production manager at Design 2 Wear, aligns a T-shirt to be silk-screened with a Middies logo Thursday, Nov. 12, at the store in Middletown.

Middletown teacher an unofficial cheerleader

By Rick McCrabb, Columnist Updated 7:02 AM Friday, November 13, 2009

MIDDLETOWN — Mark Kerns has probably never worn the Middletown Middies mascot costume and, hopefully, has never slipped into a purple-and-white skirt.

Still, he’s the school’s unofficial cheerleader.

He has been a teacher and basketball and baseball coach at Middletown High School for 25 years, founded the Pigskin-Roundball Spectacular — a fundraiser for college scholarships — 19 years ago, and now, with his children out of the district, he’s taking a more active role in the athletic program.

If that’s possible.

“It’s something I really enjoy doing,” Kerns said Wednesday, Nov. 11. “It makes every day go a lot better.”

In Kerns’ world, there are no bad days, only ones that are a little less purple.

Last season, Kerns started a “Sixth Man” spirit program for the boys basketball team, and that carried over to a “Twelfth Man” for the football team and Purple Palooza near Halloween, a concept he stole from a Sports Illustrated article on Northwestern University’s athletic program.

Right now, he’s putting all his energy into the football team’s playoff run.

“Our momentum is going in a positive way,” he said. “We want to keep it going.”

He’s certainly doing his share. He’s spearheading a “Paint The Town Purple” campaign, and to encourage businesses to follow suit, he has sent out more e-mails than a professional spammer.

Jayna Vaughn, the athletic department secretary, certainly appreciates Kerns’ perpetual support. She called him the “most passionate” person when it comes to doing what’s best for the students.

“Everything he does,” she said, “comes from his heart. He’s one person who really makes a difference.”

Purple pride

Leave it to a bunch of teens to turn this town around.

Energized by the excitement generated by the Middletown High School football team, this city — said by many to be dead, or at least on a respirator — is showing life again.

Suddenly, because our minds are distracted by the 10-1 Middies, who made the playoffs for the first time in 19 years, the potholes aren’t as deep, the storefronts aren’t as vacant, the red-light cameras aren’t as annoying.

The pride is returning thanks to the players in purple. While neighboring communities — Monroe, Trenton, Franklin and Germantown — have enjoyed the benefits of recent pigskin postseason success, this is the Middies’ first taste of the playoffs since 1990.

It’s been worth the wait.

Following the Middies’ shocking — at least outside the school’s football family — 49-10 victory over Moeller in the first round of the playoffs, this community has embraced this team one purple ribbon at a time.

Purple and white flags line Breiel Boulevard near the high school, purple and silver ribbons are tied to most of the poles in the area and businesses are placing “Go Middies!” signs in their windows.

The good ol’ days are here.

Mike Davis, school resource officer in the district, handed out purple ribbons to students as they drove out of the high school parking lot Wednesday.

“It’s kind of fun when everybody gets fired up like this,” Davis said.

Middie football merchandise is flying off the shelves.

“Business is good,” said Ron Meadows, production manager at Design 2 Wear, a Central Avenue silk printing and embroidery store that specializes in high school merchandise.

Sales are strong in the school’s spirit shop, said Martha Brown, a parent volunteer. The stockroom is empty, she said.

“Tremendous,” she said when asked about business.

Besides ringing the cash registers, the football team is reviving the community.

“A high school team, at least in America, can make everyone feel so good about themselves,” said Bill Triick, president of the Chamber of Commerce serving Middletown, Monroe and Trenton. “The whole community gets excited about that. That’s the way this whole town is feeling. The community benefits enormously.”

The Rev. Michael Bailey, pastor of Faith United Church, has hosted "5th Quarter," a weekly Monday night dinner and film session with Coach Jason Krause.

After the Middies’ first-round playoff win last week, Bailey noticed “new faces” in the crowd.

“This is just what we needed in this community,” he said Thursday while monitoring the halls between classes at the high school. “It sends a message that Middletown is a good place to live, a good place to raise a family, a good place to get an education.”

Jayna Vaughn, athletic department secretary, has noticed a difference in the school. She said everyone is talking about the Middies and the discussion is positive.

“It’s a common thread that runs from here to here,” she said, raising her hand from the floor to over her head. “It’s nice that the tightness is back.”

Contact this columnist at (513) 705-2842 or rmccrabb@coxohio.com.

Division I regional semifinals

Who: Anderson (11-0) vs. Middletown (10-1)

When: 2:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: Nippert Stadium, University of Cincinnati

Radio: WPFB-AM (910)

Playoff history: Anderson is 11-8 with a state championship (D-II) in 2007, and Middletown is 4-3.

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the middies are showing there class.. i saw the game and i saw that when they won they just walked off didnt even greet witht the team is this class ..having class is the way you conduct yourself..and that also is whether you win or lose .as far as me .. i have worked at a job for 18 yrs .. but in my spare time i have volunteered for things in the community.such as the walks for heart and diabetes awareness.and will be helping for thankgiving where im needed..where will you be?? read about class

to middletonian
6:49 AM, 11/14/2009

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middiebacker name one town or city.. where homes were sold ..jobs were created ..stores and business were reopened..companies started hiring ..wages increased.. all because a football team started winning and that just turned the whole town around-- feeling pride is when a person can work and support themselves.and provide for there families without the fear of losing there homes .jobs or insurance.ive been at a company for 15 yrs.. and its not due to the middies..its due to the pride in my work

to middie backer
6:38 AM, 11/14/2009

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middiebacker .. im glad that all it takes is a little spark to put our dying town with losses of jobs and and our stores.turned around mark my word on this ..see if they win or lose whether middletown will be growing and see if people will be wanting to send more of there kids to middletown high or vail .. hey honey lets take the kids out of fenwick and move to middletown so they can go to the middletown schools ..we need to do this cause they have a great football team. middletown is booming !!

to middie backer
6:24 AM, 11/14/2009

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Apparently, others have seen what I know. Again, defending these classless fans does no one any good. Actions speak louder than words. Perhaps Get Over It should admit what happened and realize that Middletown is defined by these actions. Monroe lost tonight. I went to their game. Even in defeat, the Monroe fans showed class and manners. Why do you think people choose to live there?

Show Respect
11:35 PM, 11/13/2009

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Show respect....... There you go again. Actually, I am not one of those students that ran the field. I graduated a while ago. Mindless rants? Never.

I have manners. Have I resorted to name calling like you have? No. I could have said some negative things but I chose not to. Looks to me like you can dish it out but can't take it.

Send your kids to me. I'll be their role model. Show them you can resolve conflict w/o resorting to name calling since that's obviously your tactic. :)

GET OVER IT
11:13 PM, 11/13/2009

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