It has been a tough year so far for sports fans. Every day in the media we hear about some sort of scandal. Dog fighting, steroids, game fixing....day after day it has been bad news. However, August is winding down, and now is your chance to regain faith in the athletic ideal. High school football season is back, and there is no better place in the country to see it than right here in Lakewood.

If you’ve never been to a game at Lakewood Stadium, you owe it to yourself to stop by this fall and catch some of the action. Not only is high school football a great attraction for sports fans, but it also makes an affordable and family-friendly evening out with the kids. The Stadium is annually ranked among the very best in the Cleveland area, and was improved this summer with the installation of FieldTurf, a cutting-edge surface that is used by dozens of college and professional teams.

Although the stadium is great, it is the show on the field that you’ll really appreciate. The players are out there for passion, not profit. They hustle and scrap on every play, and fans are close enough to the action to feel the emotion. The caliber of play here in Ohio is second to none. In February 2007 over 130 Ohio high school players signed letters of intent to Division I-A college programs. These college programs include schools from top conferences like the Big 10, Big East and Atlantic Coast Conference. The 2006 NFL draft featured 13 players from Ohio, one of the highest outputs for any state in the country.

Lakewood Stadium will once again be home to two schools this fall. Lakewood High will host five games on Friday evenings this year. Their schedule, which begins with an August 24 game with Berea, features rivals from the new Northeast Ohio conference. St. Edward is scheduled to host some Saturday games, including a matchup with Cincinnati power Elder and the annual battle with St. Ignatius.

An evening of high school football means a lot more than just football. You also enjoy traditions such as the marching bands. These kids work very hard to entertain the crowd not only during the game, but also during the halftime show. Cheerleaders, mascots and majorettes also contribute to the wonderful atmosphere. Perhaps the best part is that the participants aren’t mere strangers, but kids from your own neighborhood.

Unlike a trip to a ball game downtown, an evening at Lakewood Stadium won’t break your budget. The price for Lakewood Ranger tickets at the gate (this includes students and non-Lakewood resident seniors) have been set by the league at $6.00. Students can purchase pre-sale tickets for the football games in the Athletic Office during school hours for $4.00. Lakewood residents 60 and over are free to all LHS Home Athletic Events. They must have a Lakewood Senior Citizen Pass. These passes are available in the Athletic Office during school hours. They will also be available at the ticket booths. Just bring some ID which proves your age and that you live in Lakewood.

Lakewood High has introduced a new ticket plan for the 2007-2008 athletic year. 10 Game Passes, which are good for any sport, are available in the Athletic Office. An Adult 10 Game Pass is $50.00 (a savings of $10.00), and a student 10 Game Pass is $30.00 (a savings of $10.00).