100 Years of Football in the Berea City School District

GREATER CLEVELAND CONFERENCE (part 1)

Other athletic associations formed during the “roaring twenties” included the Eastern Conference (Bedford, Shaker Heights, and others) and the Catholic League (Benedictine, Cathedral Latin, Holy Name, and St. Ignatius). In 1930, Berea joined a new group consisting of suburban schools in Fairview Park, Garfield Heights, and Parma along with recently-opened Cleveland schools John Hay and John Marshall. This was the first version of the Greater Cleveland Conference.

The GCC was successful, but short lived. Fairview left after only one season, but Rocky River, along with the new James F. Rhodes High School in Cleveland, came aboard in 1932. Unfortunately, a major shakeup in the Senate League for 1937 brought about the GCC’s demise after only seven years. The Senate admitted the four Catholic League schools plus the three Cleveland schools in the GCC, going from 10 members to 17 in the process. (It was at this time that the Senate was divided into East and West divisions.) Berea and Rocky River disbanded the GCC and looked west to begin a new era.

Garfield Heights was a dominant team in the GCC, winning four consecutive titles from 1930 through 1933. John Marshall broke the streak with a championship in 1934, followed by Berea in 1935. Under second-year coach John Mucklo, the Red & Blue had an excellent season, finishing 5-0 in league play and 6-1-1 overall. Their only loss was a 19-12 decision to undefeated Shaker Heights. Rhodes High, in just their fifth year of competition, won the final Greater Cleveland Conference crown in 1936.

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