The St. Bernard-Elmwood Place spring sports season officially began last week, and the Titans have a lot to be proud of as we enter week two.
FLAG FOOTBALL
Flag football is a sport that has gained popularity in recent years, with some colleges even offering scholarships for promising players. In 2026, SBEP joined several local schools in providing flag football as an option for its athletes thanks to donations from the Cincinnati Bengals.
The first two flag football games in school history took place on April 1. Game one against Purcell Marian ended in a 26-12 loss for the Titans. Cihanna Johnson caught the program’s first-ever touchdown pass from Caires Crawford.
Despite the loss, the Titans stayed strong and claimed their first victory against Cincinnati Christian in game two with a final score of 13-6. Their day was highlighted by three touchdown passes for Caires Crawford as well as scored touchdowns from Aniyah Henderson, Ta’riah Barnes and Kaylen Thurman-Ellison.
It will be exciting to watch the flag football program evolve this year and into the future. The varsity team will play again on Monday, April 13, to face off against Summit Country Day at 4:30 p.m. The junior varsity team plays against Summit tonight at 5:00 p.m.
VARSITY BASEBALL
The varsity baseball team beat Winton Woods twice, winning 14-3 on March 30 and 19-6 in their April 2 rematch. Lucas Cannady, the Opening Day starting pitcher, surrendered two earned runs and struck out three batters in 2.1 innings of work to secure the season’s first pitching win.
When Ashad Hopwood stepped into the batter’s box during game one, it was his first time doing so in a varsity game. In his first at-bat, he cleared the bases with an inside-the-park home run, putting the Titans up 5-0. Hopwood went a perfect 3-3 in his plate appearances, knocking in a team-leading four RBIs and finishing just a double shy of the cycle.
From top to bottom, the entire lineup contributed to the win. Mason Creech, Aiden Rack, and Nathan Schulte each had three hits. SBEP stole 16 bases, with Schulte’s four leading the team. Of the team’s 17 hits, six were for extra bases.
There were fewer hits in game two, but the Titans generated more runs by demonstrating patience and speed. SBEP hitters drew eight walks and accrued 25 stolen bases. Strong performances included Aiden Rack, Lucas Cannady, DJ Moss, Amare Hicks, and Keenan Derrenkamp.
Rack knocked in seven of the team’s 19 runs and stole five bases. Cannady reached base safely in three plate appearances, and he scored two runs after stealing seven bases. Moss led the squad with four runs scored while Hicks drove in three runs with a double during his only plate appearance.
Derrenkamp had a complete game in the batter’s box and on the pitching mound. As a hitter, he doubled, drove in three runs, and stole three bases. As a pitcher, he threw for the entirety of the Titans’s six innings. He gave up six earned runs and struck out eight batters.
The varsity baseball team will be back at Frank Robinson Field tonight at 5:00 p.m. to take on Western Hills.
JUNIOR HIGH TRACK AND FIELD
The junior high track and field team excelled in their first meet of 2026.
In sprint events, Jayah Brooks led the girls in the 100-meter dash with a 10th-place finish. Toniyah Griffin Harris turned in an impressive performance in the girls 400-meter dash, placing 5th. Natalee Ventura secured a 5th-place finish in the girls 200-meter hurdles.
Distance events saw notable performances from both the girls’ and boys’ teams. Maricela Miguel Roblero placed 8th in the girls 1600-meter run, while LeeMar Jones finished 9th in the boys 1600-meter run. Jones also earned a strong 4th-place finish in the boys 800-meter run. On the girls’ side, Jiyona Hull placed 7th in the 800-meter run.
The girls 4 x 200-meter relay team stood out with a 2nd-place finish, marking one of the top performances of the meet. The boys 4 x 200-meter relay team followed with a 4th-place finish. In the shorter relay, the girls 4 x 100-meter team placed 8th, while the boys secured 6th. The girls 4 x 400-meter relay team added to SBEP’s achievements with a fourth-place finish.
In field events, Madison Clay placed 10th in the girls long jump. Sophia Hausfeld-Szary placed sixth in the girls discus throw, and seventh in the shot put. Arturo Damian also contributed in throwing events, placing ninth in the boys discus and improving to fifth in the shot put.
The boys’ and girls’ varsity track and field team will have meets on Wednesday, April 8. The girls will be at Madeira while the boys will be at Cincinnati Country Day. The time is currently TBD.
