The GCL: Home to the powerhouses of Ohio sports

 A Greater Catholic League (GCL)  game with the student section roaring, everything on the line, both teams are confidently nervous, this is the GCL. The GCL is home to the powerhouses of Cincinnati sports, this brings a lot of rivalries and intense games. The GCL has claimed 19 of the last 50 OHSAA Championships in football.

This brings rivalry and competition between teams when the play each other. These games often help decide who will play for a state title each year. Every sporting event becomes way more competitive when playing in a GCL environment. Luke Reiners, a member of the football teams and lacrosse team, says, "The energy is just different, there is more on the line and it hurts worse to lose but winning in the GCL is the best."

 While Moeller and St Xavier have been most dominant in the past decade, Elder has become a threat to these teams in sports like basketball and football. By far the biggest rivalry in Cincinnati and possibly the whole state of Ohio is Moeller vs. St Xavier. No matter what sport this game is already incredibly competitive.

 I talked to a few people about their favorite GCL moments. Harry Bachman who is a member of the football team and rugby team, says, "My favorite GCL moment was playing in The Pit at Elder freshman year and being put in at fullback and scoring a touchdown to win the game." The GCL rivalries are some of the oldest rivalries in Cincinnati sports. This raises the impact that each win has and what it means to each school.

 The deep history of these rivalries and games is something people never forget and something they can look back on good or bad. During the 2010's the GCL was known as the hardest conference in the country. This shows how massive of an impact the GCL has around the country.

GCL teams also typically have a very challenging out of conference schedule playing top teams within the nation. The deep and storied rivalries impact Ohio's sports more than any conference and this won't be changing any time soon. The dominance of the GCL continues as each year they seem to bring home more state titles.