Boys' soccer
The Lake Center Christian School boys' soccer team (7-7) gave its two outgoing seniors a great night in the final home game of their careers, defeating visiting Kingsway Christian 5-1 on a cold, windy fall night Oct. 13.
Seniors Charles McMullen and Darius Scott both started and played well, with head coach Eric Schroll substituting for both players late in the game to allow them to receive recognition from the crowd as they left the field.
"Charles and Darius have provided outstanding leadership this year. Each of them they have played for four years in the program," Schroll said. "Charles has anchored the defense and really takes charge of assignments during play. Darius typically plays center midfield and helps us control the middle of the field and provides us with more firepower up front as well. Both seniors have been a joy to coach and have helped make the season very enjoyable."
The Tigers got on the board first on a header by leading scorer, junior Brock Justice, off an assist by Eros Caso. Justice added a second goal off of a deflection in the game's 11th minute for a 2-0 lead. LCCS added a third goal before halftime when T.J. Kline found the back of the net, but Kingsway Christian was able to tally a goal of its own to cut the lead to 3-1.
In the second half, the LCCS defense was able to clamp down on the Eagles, holding them to just one shot on goal and keep the pressure off freshman goalie Danny Raines.
McMullen anchored the back line of the LCCS defense all game long and cleared numerous deep balls as the Eagles tried to build an attack.
Goals by Kline and junior Kaleb Esber padded the LCCS lead to 5-1 in the second half.
Although the Eagles provided a consistent test throughout the game, they were unable to mount a second-half threat. In the end, it was the two LCCS seniors who were able to finish with a win in their final home game.
One regular season game remains on the schedule, followed by the sectional tournament, where the Tigers will look to duplicate the success they achieved in last season's sectional title.
Volleyball
For the seniors of the Lake Center Christian School volleyball team, their final year of high school volleyball has been about adjustments. With new head coach Jim Noall stepping in to guide the team, the seniors have been able to quickly adapt and lead the team to an eight-win season that easily surpasses their victory total from last season. For their efforts, the three seniors were recognized on Senior Night on Oct. 13 as the Tigers hosted Kingsway Christian.
LCCS lost a grueling five-set match (25-15, 17-25, 25-9, 24-26,15-12) to drop their record to 8-9 with three games remaining on the schedule. As they have been throughout the year, the Tigers were led by sophomore Adi Fulmer, who posted 25 kills and eight blocks to keep her team in the match throughout. Senior Amanda Troyer also had a strong outing, leading the team with 15 digs and 10 service points.
In assessing the contributions and performance of Troyer and fellow seniors Sarah Abdul and Hannah Rainieri this season, Noall pointed out what they have brought to the team.
"Sarah Abdul is very smart on the court and she's one of my best servers," Noall said. "Hannah (Rainieri) is a quiet leader both on and off court who handles pressure well and is always very composed. Amanda Troyer is the best all-around player on our team. She is well-respected around the area for her play."
Troyer, a National Honor Society member, will also play in the Stark Rotary East-West All Star Match on Nov. 16 at Canton South High School. She and her fellow seniors will clearly be missed by a program that is headed in the right direction as the 2009 season comes to a close.
