Shaker sports are fighting to belong in the Greater Cleveland Conference.
Football has started the season 6-0. The Raiders have beaten GCC opponents Euclid, 40-13, and Brunswick, 39-34, for a 2-0 conference mark. The Raiders face another GCC challenge at Mentor Friday, Sept. 29.
Men’s soccer is 6-1-1 as the season stands. The Raiders are 2-1-1 in the GCC with a 2-0 win vs. Strongsville, an 8-0 win against Euclid, and a 1-1 draw with Brunswick. The Raiders fell 5-1 to conference opponent Medina, ranked No. 2 in the Sept. 18 Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association men’s poll.
The women’s soccer team is 2-7, but winless in the conference. The Raiders lost 5-1 to Medina, 2-0 vs. Strongsville and 1-0 to Brunswick. Medina is ranked No. 1 and Strongsville No. 3 in the OSSCA women’s poll.
Women’s volleyball is 1-13 so far and winless in the GCC, losing 3-0 to Strongsville, Brunswick, Medina and Mentor, twice. The team also suffered 3-2 losses to Euclid and Cleveland Heights.
Other sports such as cross-country, golf, and women’s tennis compete in meet-or-match style events, meaning they do not individually face conference opponents. The field hockey team, 8-1, does not compete in the conference because there are few field hockey teams in the area.
Senior receiver Colin Richard said the GCC features better coaches and more composed schemes. “The players in the GCC don’t give up,” he said. “They play to the last whistle, while the players in the LEL don’t always. GCC has better players and bigger schools.”
This story originally appeared within the Raider Roundup, published Sept. 23, 2023.