The Game
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THEY SAID IT
“There were guys that dogged me all of the time, ‘Moeller this and Moeller that, big deal.’ We were a big deal.” Bob Crable, Moeller Class of ’77
“The Princeton-Moeller rivalry was nation wide. Playing Moeller was like playing your arch enemy. We wanted to smash those guys.” Ray Hutch, Princeton Class of ’92
ABOUT THE FILM
The Game, narrated by award-winning sportscaster Dennis Janson, is a documentary about the battles between two of the most successful high school football programs in the country - Cincinnati Moeller and Princeton. The film will focus on the 10 seasons (1978-87) when Moeller won five state titles and Princeton won three. The winner of the Moeller/Princeton game back then often determined which school represented the region for the state playoffs - which made that game not only incredibly intense for the two schools, but an intensity shared by many Cincinnati residents.
THE NARRATIVE
It is a story about two schools - one private, one public. Two football teams - one predominately black, one mostly white. The rivalry and success of the two schools created an excitement for high school football that remains in Cincinnati today. The film will not only capture the rivalry but examine each program — including some of the all-time greatest high school and college football players the football-crazy state of Ohio has ever produced. Many of the players not only moved on to earn college degrees, but become successful in their respective careers.
WHY NOW
Capturing "The Game" will allow high school football fans to relive the passion produced by two of the better prep programs in the country. The two programs were so strong during this period that nearly 200 players earned college scholarships from 1979-87. The game garnered enough national attention that the 1988 Moeller-Princeton game was the first nationally televised football game - shown on ESPN.
The series ended in the early 1990s but a rebirth in talent at Princeton and the recent hiring of former players at each school can rekindle a rivalry where long-standing traditions are valued and expectations are high.
THE CREATORS
Director/producer - Cincinnati native Branson Wright is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. He’s the owner of Be Right Ventures, a multimedia company that specializes, but is not limited to, documentary filmmaking that captures humanity and displays it on a visual canvas. Branson is also the director of The Blur and Pass Interference and a co-producer of ESPN's Believeland.
Editor - Madwerkz creator Joddy Eric Matthews is an Emmy Award winning director, writer and editor. He has a wide range of credits, including directing music videos, commercials and several award-winning films.
Advisor - Gary Cohen, Branson’s advisor, is the Emmy award-winning producer who embodies the culture, spirit, reliability and work ethic of Triple Threat TV. Gary has produced nine films for ESPN’s 30 for 30 series, ten episodes of MTV’s True Life and the MSNBC series Pot Barons of Colorado.
SUPPORT
Your financial support will help produce this film from shooting the interviews of those high school All-Americans and legendary coaches, to the hours of editing the classic historical match ups. Funds will also help with the research, networking, trailer/advertising and the creation of a website. Monies will be used for equipment rentals, post-production sound, licensing of archival footage, music rights, titles and visual effects.
Support of this film will not only help fulfill a dream of proving how Southwest Ohio once dominated high school football, but also prove how sports, despite our differences, can create lifelong bonds.
I am honored with the opportunity to do this project and even more grateful with your backing.
“There were guys that dogged me all of the time, ‘Moeller this and Moeller that, big deal.’ We were a big deal.” Bob Crable, Moeller Class of ’77
“The Princeton-Moeller rivalry was nation wide. Playing Moeller was like playing your arch enemy. We wanted to smash those guys.” Ray Hutch, Princeton Class of ’92
ABOUT THE FILM
The Game, narrated by award-winning sportscaster Dennis Janson, is a documentary about the battles between two of the most successful high school football programs in the country - Cincinnati Moeller and Princeton. The film will focus on the 10 seasons (1978-87) when Moeller won five state titles and Princeton won three. The winner of the Moeller/Princeton game back then often determined which school represented the region for the state playoffs - which made that game not only incredibly intense for the two schools, but an intensity shared by many Cincinnati residents.
THE NARRATIVE
It is a story about two schools - one private, one public. Two football teams - one predominately black, one mostly white. The rivalry and success of the two schools created an excitement for high school football that remains in Cincinnati today. The film will not only capture the rivalry but examine each program — including some of the all-time greatest high school and college football players the football-crazy state of Ohio has ever produced. Many of the players not only moved on to earn college degrees, but become successful in their respective careers.
WHY NOW
Capturing "The Game" will allow high school football fans to relive the passion produced by two of the better prep programs in the country. The two programs were so strong during this period that nearly 200 players earned college scholarships from 1979-87. The game garnered enough national attention that the 1988 Moeller-Princeton game was the first nationally televised football game - shown on ESPN.
The series ended in the early 1990s but a rebirth in talent at Princeton and the recent hiring of former players at each school can rekindle a rivalry where long-standing traditions are valued and expectations are high.
THE CREATORS
Director/producer - Cincinnati native Branson Wright is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. He’s the owner of Be Right Ventures, a multimedia company that specializes, but is not limited to, documentary filmmaking that captures humanity and displays it on a visual canvas. Branson is also the director of The Blur and Pass Interference and a co-producer of ESPN's Believeland.
Editor - Madwerkz creator Joddy Eric Matthews is an Emmy Award winning director, writer and editor. He has a wide range of credits, including directing music videos, commercials and several award-winning films.
Advisor - Gary Cohen, Branson’s advisor, is the Emmy award-winning producer who embodies the culture, spirit, reliability and work ethic of Triple Threat TV. Gary has produced nine films for ESPN’s 30 for 30 series, ten episodes of MTV’s True Life and the MSNBC series Pot Barons of Colorado.
SUPPORT
Your financial support will help produce this film from shooting the interviews of those high school All-Americans and legendary coaches, to the hours of editing the classic historical match ups. Funds will also help with the research, networking, trailer/advertising and the creation of a website. Monies will be used for equipment rentals, post-production sound, licensing of archival footage, music rights, titles and visual effects.
Support of this film will not only help fulfill a dream of proving how Southwest Ohio once dominated high school football, but also prove how sports, despite our differences, can create lifelong bonds.
I am honored with the opportunity to do this project and even more grateful with your backing.
Organizer
Branson Wright
Organizer
Cleveland, OH
