First-year Roncalli football coach Sam Otley addresses his players prior to a practice.
Sam Otley’s most deeply rooted memories of Roncalli football revolve around one of the more magical seasons in program history.
The 1999 squad, which included his cousin, defensive lineman Zach Conover, won all 15 games, stubbornly limited 11 opponents to single-digit point totals and rode that dominance to the Class 3A state championship.
Now 31, Otley steps into a role that would seem to fit him as well as one of his old game jerseys. He is the Royals’ fourth head coach since the man for whom he played, Bruce Scifres, stepped aside following the 2016 season.
Somewhat surprisingly given the program’s envied history (10 state titles), Otley is the first Roncalli graduate to be head coach at his alma mater.
“There’s a lot to do, and I was aware of that coming in,” said Otley, one of the Royals’ assistant coaches the past eight seasons before being elevated to the top post in May. “But with all the support behind me, it’s made the transition more seamless. The kids have been great, and are excited for that first Friday night.”
Roncalli’s opener at Southport kicks off the latest in a seemingly endless line of brutal regular-season schedules. The current one is back-loaded with heavyweights Cincinnati LaSalle, Cathedral and East Central.
But if anyone is adept as running headfirst toward a challenge, it’s Otley, a 2011 Roncalli graduate who was a starting fullback. He eventually attended Franklin College to play for coach Mike Leonard before beginning his coaching career as a Grizzlies graduate assistant.
Leonard, who retired following the 2019 season and is FC’s all-time wins leader, remembers Otley’s recruiting visit as if it were yesterday.
Otley’s father, Jim, handed the coach a DVD of Otley’s senior season at Roncalli. The carries were few; the running alleys convincingly paved by Otley for the benefit of teammates were abundant.
“I was like, I love this kid’s tenacity,” Leonard said. “It was pancake block after pancake block. He won the respect of everyone in the program, and was named one of our four captains his senior year.”
Otley is the oldest of five boys, each of whom made their mark in one way or another for Roncalli football. Scifres’ final team eight years ago not only included Otley as an assistant, but two of his siblings as players.
That group also finished 15-0 and claimed a 4A state championship, making it 1999 all over again.
Otley, who has embraced Roncalli’s culture from as many different angles as are available over the last quarter century, simply doesn’t see himself eventually exploring greener pastures should the Royals flourish under his guidance.
“Just from being a student to an assistant coach to now, it’s limited the surprises, that’s for sure,” Otley said. “It’s where I want to be. It’s home to me. And we’re going to try to have as many successful seasons as we can.”
SCOUTING THE ROYALS
Coach: Sam Otley
Last season: 4-7, lost at Mooresville in Class 4A sectional semifinal
Who’s back?: RB/DB Henry Adams, TE/LB Marty Babcock, RB/TE Rogan Benich, QB/WR Jayden Buchanan, OL/DL Johnny Jaffe, WR Drew Nelson, TE/DL Sam Neu, WR/DB AJ Richardson, WR/DB Rudy Schoettle, OL/DL Peyton Sisk and DL Nathan Turner, seniors; QB/WR Colin Ash, OL Zane Baker, RB Zach Dozier, RB/LB Brody Heidelberger, WR/DB Connor Kesler and OL Carter Sitzman, juniors
New faces to watch: TE/LB Nick Bastida, RB/LB Robert Houser and WR/CB Eli Lauck, seniors; OL/DL Landon Scott, junior; WR/DB Will Hegwood, sophomore
What to expect: The Royals look to reverse course under Otley after finishing an uncharacteristic three games under .500 last season. Ash and Buchanan both saw time behind center in 2023, throwing for 870 and 292 yards, respectively, while Schoettle makes for a dependable target after making 19 catches as a junior. Adams (284 yards rushing), Benich (247) and Dozier (383) are all proven ball carriers who’ll be asked to shoulder more responsibility.
Defensively, Richardson (41 tackles) last season and Neu and Turner (30 apiece) make for solid starting points as the Royals look to improve after allowing an average of 24.3 points per game. Given the program’s customary arduous regular-season schedule, a fast start is imperative as the Royals look to avoid consecutive losing seasons for the first time since 1973 and 1974.
2024 SCHEDULE
Date;Opponent;Time
Aug. 23;at Southport;7 p.m.
Aug. 30;Franklin Central;7 p.m.
Sept. 6;Bishop Chatard;7 p.m.
Sept. 13;at Columbus North,7 p.m.
Sept. 20;Guerin Catholic;7 p.m.
Sept. 27;at Brebeuf Jesuit;7 p.m.
Oct. 4;Cincinnati LaSalle;7 p.m.
Oct. 11;at Cathedral;7 p.m.
Oct. 18;at East Central;7 p.m.
