We’re working on laying out the Jan. issue here in the office today, but there were a couple of things I wanted to get to before I huddle with the incomparable Grant Glas, our graphic designer, and The Mind of McConnell himself.

• One of the most heralded football programs in all of Indiana will be looking for a new head coach soon. Cathedral High School football coach Jim O’Hara resigned on Wednesday after six seasons and a 50-24 record that included a state title in 2006.

O’Hara had to leave his alma mater due to the increasing pain of a ruptured disc in his back. “With a full load of teaching and trying to manage the program, it’s in the best interest of the school for me to give up the reins and take care of myself,” O’Hara told The Indianapolis Star. “It was a true honor to be head coach at Cathedral, (but) I have to try and get this body back into shape.”

The Irish had won 41 of their last 49 games under O’Hara, who did say that would like to return to coaching, should his body recover. Overall, O’Hara is 87-48 as a head football coach, which includes six seasons at Hamilton Southeastern.

 
As Cathedral athletic director Terry Fox pointed out Wednesday, it is a sad day for the Irish. O'Hara is a hard-working coach with a deep passion for Cathedral, the community, the student-athletes and the game of football. HSSTM wishes Coach O'Hara the best of luck in his recovery.

• Tough to see Briana Bass go down for North Central last night. The Miss Basketball candidate and University of Tennessee recruit had to leave the No. 5 Panthers game against No. 15 Fishers after taking an elbow to the face and bleeding quite a bit. North Central went on to defeat Fishers, 49-42, even without their star guard.

I spoke with Bass just a few short weeks ago for a piece that will be in the upcoming Jan. issue. She’s a great student-athlete, with a good head on her shoulders and completely embraces the role of a leader. And if there’s one thing I learned – she hates missing games and loves basketball deeply. I’d bet that she’ll be back as soon as possible. HSSTM wishes her the best as well.

• Quick musing: I think one of the most interesting dynamics in high school sports is the transition multi-sport athletes face as they end one season or sport and begin another, especially if they overlap. For football players from several Central Indiana schools, that’s certainly the case. Pike, Carmel, Chatard, Sheridan and others all have athletes who play winter sports such as basketball and wrestling. And the conditioning and style change to the mind and body force student-athletes to really show their mettle and maintain great focus.

Lastly, here’s wishing all students the best of luck with end of the semesters finals this week. It can certainly be a challenging time – with an extended holiday break lurking around the corner. Stay focused and study hard for those tests.