Sports

Three local boys who got their start in soccer thanks to the Lakewood Soccer Association (LSA) were key members of the Cleveland Internationals Soccer Club U12 boys Super-Y League team that won the prestigious North American Finals in Tampa, Florida December 2 – 6. Brennan Foran, David Quayle, and Daniel Strachan formed their early interest and passion for soccer through LSA’s recreation and travel programs, before moving on to the Internationals premier program to further advance their skills and level of competition. 

Looking for something for your child to do at the YMCA this winter? Check out our Winter I 2011/2012 programs and events for more details on how your child can get involved and have fun with the YMCA of Greater Cleveland.

The Lakewood Speed Skating Club has been rich in history for almost 80 years. Lakewood speed skaters started skating outdoors in 1932 at the City Ice and Fuel Co. plant, which once stood at Warren and Fischer Roads, where Serpentini Ice Arena is today. Although the skaters practice indoors and year long, speed skaters haven’t slowed down one bit!

As the game clock winds down, varsity defensive lineman Chris Cole (74, center) celebrates with Rangers teammates a 20-15 win over the Medina Battling Bees. Heavy rain dampened the spirits of the team and its fans during the first half of the Friday September 23, game at Lakewood Stadium but clear skies and two fourth quarter scores provided a thriling come-from-behind Homecoming victory for the Rangers.

A second quarter point-after kick by the Lakewood Rangers Jake Antel sails over the outstretched arm of a Parma player during the Friday, September 16, conference loss against the host Redmen. The loss evened the Rangers record at 2-2.

Lakewood Rangers varsity players Jovon Young (2), Dan Angelo (76) and Deven Williams (40) share a post-game cheer with visiting fans after turning in a convincing 34-14 victory over host the North Olmsted Eagles. Junior tailback Young rushed for two fourth quarter touchdowns in the Fri., Sep. 9, game. The Rangers are 2-1 on the season.

Lakewood Rangers varisty defensive player Sie Doe, Jr. (r., seated) bears his disappointment on the home bench moments after a final minute score by North Ridgeville gave the visitors a 21-14 and resulting victory. The Fri., Sep. 2, loss evened the Rangers season record at 1-1.

Are you ready for some high school football? Now fans can relive the Friday night games with Cox High School Football on Cox Channel 45 and On DEMAND! Games start airing Saturday, August 27.

Local high school sports fans can watch the game on Cox Channel 45 on the Saturday following the game. In addition, beginning on Sundays, Cox digital subscribers can also tune in at their convenience to watch the game On DEMAND over and over again at no charge. Cox also shares streaming highlights on the Cox Cleveland Facebook page.

The Lakewood Shamrocks are once again champions in the Four Corners girls’ fastpitch softball league!  The Shamrocks ended the regular season tied for first place in the Under 12 division with a record of 13 wins against only two losses. The girls then swept the playoffs with a perfect 3-0 record, winning the championship game on July 29 against a very tough team from The Sandlot.

Looking for something for your child to do at the YMCA? Check out our Fall 2011 Session I programs and events for more details on how your child can get involved and have fun with the YMCA of Greater Cleveland.

Al “Bubba” Baker Football Clinic
To help kick-off our NFL Flag Football season, former Cleveland Browns Defensive End Al “Bubba” Baker will participate in a special Punt, Pass & Kick Clinic from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on August 27 at the West Park-Fairview Family YMCA (15501 Lorain Avenue in Cleveland). The clinic will end with lunch provided by BubbaQ’s.

Nick Gliha, 17, of Lakewood signed his National Letter of Intent to attend Division I Youngstown State University, accepting a full tuition scholarship to run track and cross country.

During his four years at Trinity, Nick has broken many records and has been in seven state championships, including the boys track state team championship in 2009. Nick's win in the 3200-meter event was the performance that put the team into first place. Nick also led Trinity to a fifth place finish as a team in the cross country state championship in 2007, and a fourth place finish this year in 2010.

Even at the high school level, sports are often central to a student’s life. Too often, students are measured solely by those successes, ignoring the things that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. On Friday, February 4th, at Serpentini Arena here in Lakewood, the St. Edward High School Ice Hockey program took pause to acknowledge the accomplishments of their seniors on multiple levels: those on the ice and elsewhere. The event took place just before the Eagles were to face Lake Catholic High School in a regular season match-up.

Regardless of the time of year, the Lakewood Recreation Department is always in season with adult athletics. As the basketball leagues' tournaments approach, the Department is getting ready for spring and summer.

Spring Volleyball

Team registration is now underway for spring adult volleyball. The season will begin in late February and end by May 1. There are weekday evening men’s, women’s and coed leagues available. All spring leagues are 6 vs 6, and will play one match per week for eight weeks, plus playoffs. Matches take place at various gyms through the Lakewood City Schools. The cost for all teams is $199. Game fees are $20 per team per match for men’s and coed leagues, and $16 per team per match for the women’s league. Uniforms are not required. 

Despite the cold winter weather, the Lakewood Rangers have been busy in a wide range of sports competitions this winter. Here are updates on some Ranger athletes:

When the Winterhurst Hockey Association put together teams for the 2010-2011 Season, they ended up with four "Mite" (ages 5-8) teams. The fourth team, called "Mite White" within the Association, was comprised of just two boys who had ever played competitively before. So it goes without saying that this was a team of beginners. After their first regular season game, they showed it, losing 11-0 by mercy rule. To some, this might have been an indication of the entire season ahead. The team and parents could take solace in knowing that they would learn and improve a great deal, despite what the score might show.

The team would gradually improve their current fourth place spot in the CSHL Mite B Division standings. Then, in early January, the opportunity arose to be a part of the Raymond A. Robinson Memorial Tournament, sponsored by Cleveland Heights Hockey. This would be an opportunity to get  more games under their belt late in the season.  Quickly, it became something more...

As the end of the fall season winded down and gave way to winter, a success story emerged in the middle of Lakewood at Kauffman Park. This fall, the familiar sound of basketballs pounding the pavement returned. They could be heard on Detroit Avenue as neighborhood kids congregated at the newly installed two half court outdoor basketball hoops. Funded by The Lakewood Outdoor Basketball Committee (LOBC), the group lobbied for the return of the outdoor hoops after a five year hiatus.

The city's only court was used heavily by neighborhood kids. It even got the attention and use of Head Basketball Coach Phil Argento and the Lakewood High School boys basketball program. “Many of the kids that have used our hoops have taken ownership of the courts,” states Stephanie Toole, co-founder of LOBC. The non-profit LOBC staffed the courts during peak hours with adult supervision. “There has been little out of bounds behavior from the neighborhood kids; many of them realized what was at stake.”

My observation of the passion of the St Eds Fans

The Lakewood U-10 girls travel team recently topped off a winning season with a big tournament win. The 6th Annual Brunswick Fall Classic kicked off November 6th and 7th. It is a popular event, with over 250 teams this year.

RANGERS FOOTBALL NUMBER ONE WITH FANS — Lakewood varsity cornerback Tony Boddard celebrates with homecoming fans moments after a thrilling 20-14 Rangers victory over Cuyhoga Falls, Fri., Oct. 15. A 27-yard game-ending touchdown run by Jacob Supinski lifted the Rangers over the Black Tigers. 

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CELEBRATING A RANGERS WIN — Lakewood HIgh School varsity football fans William Tobin and Daniel Harrington (l-r) celebrate Friday, Sept. 17, after a convincing 17 - 0 Rangers victory at home over non-division rival Valley Forge.

Youth soccer in Lakewood just got a lot more unified. The 28-year-old Lakewood Soccer Association and the Lakewood Board of Education, which runs soccer programs through its Recreation Department, have signed an agreement that streamlines the city’s soccer programs and offers continuity from pre-school players up to high school, from recreational players to premier league players.

The agreement emphasizes cooperation between LSA and the Rec Dept. with regard to field access, registration, marketing and promotions and other administrative tasks of their respective programs. The two entities also agree not to compete directly with the other’s programming and to cross-promote each organization’s offerings of camps, clinics and leagues.

Lakewood High School varsity football suffered a frustrating 21 - 17 Sept. 10 non-conference loss at home to North Olmsted. The Rangers held the lead before a late seconds game-winning Eagles drive sealed their fate.

On Wednesday, August 18th the Lakewood Recreation Department held an end of the season banquet commemorating the 2010 Emerald Necklace Girl’s Fastpitch Teams. Over 140 girls participated in the league this year making it our most successful season yet.

Tedd Bruening, the Lakewood High School Varsity Fastpitch Coach was in attendance handing out accolades and certificates to the participants and said, “This was the best summer softball season yet. I’m really looking forward to next year and the future of the Ranger softball program.” With over 100 people in attendance, the pot-luck style banquet was full of great energy, enthusiasm and nostalgia from the summer season.

It was Rangers night in North Ridgeville, Fri., Sept. 3, as the Lakewood High School Rangers faced same namesake the North Ridgeville Rangers in non-conference varsity football action. North Ridgeville captured Rangers bragging rights by besting LHS 42-28.

Lakewood High School's 2010 varsity football season got off to a rousing start Friday, Aug. 27, with a convincing 42-6 win over the Lincoln West Wolverines. Shown celebrating the victory are (l-r) Maksym Kostryk (57), Al Hannum (3) and Dan Angelo (76).

Lakewood Rangers Varsity Football begins its 2010-2011 season on Friday, Aug. 27 at LHS Stadium with a 7 p.m. kickoff versus Lincoln West. All home games this year will begin at 7 p.m. rather than the usual 7:30 p.m. of past seasons. Each game will feature a special theme or activity that aims to recognize various groups in the community. The home opener will recognize all the new freshmen, who will be admitted free as part of their Fresh Start orientation program.

Lakewood has always been known as a community of great sports fans. Lakewood residents have enthusiastically supported the local professional teams since the days of Otto Graham, Tris Speaker and Austin Carr. However, it has become increasingly difficult in recent years to cheer for big name athletes. Many have grown weary of the ongoing antics in professional sports -- large contracts, massive egos, off-the-field crimes and misdemenors. Team owners often aggravate the situation with high ticket and concession prices.

Tackle Football

Grades 5th & 6th - Lakewood Recreation Department is taking registrations for children in grades 5th and 6th to participate in the Little Southwest Tackle Football Conference. This is an instructional league where fundamentals and participation are stressed. Players will participate in a 7 game season against teams from Avon, Avon Lake, Bay Village, Fairview Park, North Olmsted, Rocky River and Sheffield. Cost is $85 per Lakewood resident/$100 per non-resident. Practice starts early August. All participants must have a current physical on file at the Recreation Department at the time of registration.

Beginning with the 2012-2013 school year, the Lakewood City Schools athletic teams will move from the Northeast Ohio Conference to compete in the West Shore Conference, which is a better geographic match for Lakewood. The move will allow Lakewood to better develop school rivalries with other western suburbs that are in closer proximity to Lakewood Schools than most NOC teams.

The Lakewood High girl's soccer team has decided to support breast cancer awareness this summer. A portion of our fundraising money will be donated to a breast cancer foundation. Also, our uniforms during the summer season will be pink. We are following in the footsteps of other sports and are using them as somewhat of a model to help accomplish our goal. We are trying to collect and then donate as much money as possible this season as well as spread awareness in Lakewood. We are hoping to start a trend in soccer that has already begun in other sports like volleyball and softball.

We are taking on this endeavor to do our part in improving cancer research for future generations. We hope to be able to say that we’ve done as much as we could to prevent breast cancer and to help make our city more aware of this horrible disease. By doing all of this, we are encouraging future teams at Lakewood High School and other teams across Northeast Ohio to get involved in the fight against breast cancer. We are hopeful that in doing this we can leave a lasting legacy that stretches way beyond the soccer field.

Saint Ignatius Wildcat Crew Freshman 8+ boat placed second in the nation, winning a Silver medal at the SRAA (Sholastic Rowing Association of America) National Championships Memorial day weekend, at Saratoga Springs, NY. The freshman boat qualified for the National Championships by earning second place at the Midwest Regionals at Cincinnati in mid-May.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is estimated that half of the 4 million children injured during sports events or practices suffer repeat injuries. These figures are likely underestimated because other professionals like chiropractors and physical therapists, who also treat young injured players, are not included. There is mounting attention nationally on the growing problem of injuries incurred by our youth because of over-use problems.

An awareness group called STOP Sports Injuries is building national attention to address this problem. An April 1, 2010 online Wall Street Journal article mentions STOP:

The Spring Training Baseball League, STBL, is a great opportunity for players to gain valuable experience on the field at multiple positions.  This league is designed to help players transition into competitive baseball. The ACE staff will coach the teams and run the pre-game skill development sessions. Parents, if you are looking expose your young players to proper skill development and game strategies-this is the program for you!

On February third my oldest daughter Mattie Liston signed an NCAA National Letter of Intent to accept an Ohio University athletic scholarship. She will be competing to become Ohio's starting women's soccer goalkeeper next fall, as Ohio has two graduating seniors this year.

Cleveland Kickers Lakewood Academy will be the new force in soccer in Spring 2010.  A true to form academy aimed at developing student athletes from youth.  Unlike current Premier and “Academy” organizations, CKLA is geared towards training youth players in every aspect of the game, physical, mental, tactical and technical, then feeding them into the highest caliber level of play with the Cleveland Kickers. 

Burning River’s Elite travel team, with players from Lakewood, Medina, North Canton, Brunswick, Solon, Avon Lake, Rocky River, and Cleveland Heights, finished 2nd in the National Tournament of Champions in the Rising Star Division, losing in the Championship game 6-4 to the Copperheads Black (GA) after outscoring their opponents 59-12 in the five previous Tournament games. The Tampa-based Tournament of Champions is sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods and is the only National tournament for High School Lacrosse, drawing teams from 20 different states and Canadian provinces. 

2008 Lakewood High School graduate Makorobondo (Dee) Salukombo earned an individual spot at the 2009 NCAA Division III Men's Cross Country Championship held at the Highland Park Golf Club in Cleveland, Ohio on November 21. Dee, competing on the Denison University Cross Country team, earned this spot by placing second at the 2009 NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional Championship held at the LaVerne Gibson Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, Indiana on November 14, 2009. In addition, Dee placed first in five out of seven cross country meets this season for Denison.

Lakewood High Senior, Tracy McCann is signing a National Letter of Intent to play Division One Hockey with Minnesota State University in Mankato, Minnesota. The Mavericks play in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) with Ohio State, University of Minnesota, North Dakota, Minnesota-Duluth, St. Cloud State, Bemidji State and 2008-09 National Champion Wisconsin.