Can St. Xavier win the GCL this year? Here are five players to watch for the Bombers.

One of the most storied football programs in the area is hoping to return to state title contention in 2024.

St. Xavier is coming off a somewhat disappointing season. The Bombers went 7-5 overall and 1-2 in the Greater Catholic League (GCL), finishing third behind Moeller and Elder.

One thing about St. Xavier under head coach Steve Specht: when they have a disappointing season, their lack of success hasn’t lasted long. In Specht’s tenure with the Bombers, which started in 2003, he’s led the team to four state championships. In 2015, St. X went 7-5. In 2016, the Bombers won the state title. In 2018, the team was 5-6, and two years later won the state again.

The Bombers’ issue in 2023 wasn’t defense, the team led the GCL by a wide margin in points allowed with just 179. That’s no surprise. The offense left a bit to be desired though. St. X scored only about 19 points per game. Their season culminated in a frustrating 10-7 loss to Moeller in the playoffs.

Here are five players to watch as St. Xavier looks to return to the top of the GCL in 2024.

Chase Herbstreit, Quarterback

Herbstreit, the son of ESPN College Gameday analyst Kirk Herbstreit, is entering his senior year with plenty of experience under his belt. He stepped in at quarterback around the middle of his sophomore year and helped St. X to three wins in its last five games in 2022.

St. X will always be a run-first team, but the Bombers will be happy to have a veteran signal caller for 2024. If Herbstreit is able to take a step forward, there’s no limit to where his team could go this season.

“When your quarterback is returning, you just get that much of a head start on the season,” St. Xavier head coach Steve Specht said.

Chase Herbstreit will look to help increase St. Xavier’s offensive output from last season. The senior has started since the middle of his sophomore…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/st-xavier-win-gcl-five-020032179.html

Author : Cincinnati.com | The Enquirer

Publish date : 2024-07-21 02:00:32

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