The Turpin Spartans open their 2026 football season Friday, Aug. 21, with a 7 p.m. road game at Archbishop McNicholas, marking the first game under returning head coach Rob Stoll.
Kickoff is at Penn Station Stadium on Beechmont Avenue in Cincinnati. The Turpin athletics department called for a "white out" for traveling fans.
The matchup is one of more than 300 OHSAA games statewide during opening weekend, which began Thursday, Aug. 20.
Stoll's return
The game marks the beginning of a new chapter for Turpin football. Stoll, a Turpin Hall of Famer and the school's all-time winningest coach, is back on the sideline after previously leading the program from 2002 to 2016, according to WCPO. In 11 seasons of that tenure, he compiled a 102-28 record with nine playoff appearances, six conference championships and a state Final Four run in 2006.
Stoll replaces Bryan Walker, who stepped down after three seasons and an 11-21 record. Turpin finished 5-6 in 2025 and earned the No. 12 seed in Division II, Region 8.
"I'm excited to be back without question, but this isn't about me returning to coaching," Stoll said in a December 2025 news release announcing his hire. "It's about the players and helping them to achieve what they are capable of."
Athletic director Tony Hemmelgarn described the hire as "the past meets the future" in the same announcement, saying Stoll's teams were "well prepared and tough as nails" and that opponents "knew they better bring their best to have a chance against the Spartans."
The opponent
Archbishop McNicholas, a Division III program, posted a 4-2 record through late September of the 2025 season and was ranked No. 18 in the state's Division III computer poll at that point. The Rockets' 2026 roster and returning personnel are not yet publicly available.
This is a non-conference game for the Spartans, who compete in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference in Division II.
What's next
Turpin's home opener is Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. against Little Miami in a conference matchup. The Spartans then travel to Walnut Hills on Sept. 4 before hosting Winton Woods on Sept. 11. The JV squad plays at McNicholas on Saturday, Aug. 22, at 11 a.m.
