That’s Soooo Cincinnati

Perhaps only in parts just east of Ohio and just north of the Mexican border is high school football more popular than in our quaint burg. But, say what you will about Pennsylvania and Texas prep football, that’s really all they have going on. There isn’t anything to supplant its popularity.

The same can’t be said in Ohio and specifically Greater Cincinnati. For that reason, because we choose to rabidly follow our high school football teams, this town just might be the best for Friday night ball. And there are plenty of reasons.

For starters, there’s the competition. Year in and year out, the region showcases a collection of great teams in their respective postseason tourneys. Cincinnati, Hamilton, Middletown, Covington, Newport and Beechwood schools habitually travel up (or down) state and make the area proud, bringing home enough hardware to give Mike Brown jealous fits.

There are more than a few national pundits who even say that this region hosts one of the finest conferences in the nation: the Greater Catholic League. And the proof is most definitely in the pudding. While celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, the league claimed Division 1 state champs for football, swimming, cross country, baseball and boys volleyball, as well as assorted individual champions.

This Friday night, the GCL powers will ram helmets once again. If the games this week — two-time defending state champ Elder vs. Moeller and St. Xavier vs. LaSalle — are anything like the past two weeks, you won’t find more entertainment for the $6 admission.

So while Friday Night Lights, the much-heralded film about Texas football, hits screens this week, folks around here don’t stand to pay much attention to it. At least until Saturday anyway.

Autumn Friday nights are reserved for just one thing — high school football. That’s soooo Cincinnnati.

This article appears in Oct 6-12, 2004.