Beyond a Rivalry: Gilmour Honors the Legacy of Coach John Gibbons
September 14, 2026
As Lake Catholic head football coach Marty Gibbons prepared for kickoff Saturday afternoon, an unexpected visitor began walking across Osborne Family Field toward the Cougar sideline.
Gilmour Academy senior tight end and linebacker Bruno Cook was carrying a green flag. On it was a shamrock and three letters: JCG.
Cook approached Gibbons, who was putting on his headset before the game, and presented him with the flag.
“Coach Gibbons, we want to present this flag to you and your family in honor of your father,” Cook told him. “We want to thank you and your family for his impact on Ohio high school football.”
For a few moments, a game between two opponents became something much bigger than football.
The flag honored John Gibbons, the legendary Lake Catholic head football coach who passed away in April. His impact on generations of Cougars is woven throughout the history of Lake Catholic Athletics, but Saturday’s gesture was a reminder that his influence reached well beyond Bellflower and Reynolds roads.
For Marty, John’s youngest son, the presentation was completely unexpected.
“I don’t know if everyone in our family saw it happen, but those who did were in tears,” Marty said. “They all thought it was so cool and such a meaningful thing for Gilmour to do.”
The tribute was particularly meaningful on a day already filled with significance for the Lake Catholic community. Saturday marked just the third varsity football game played on Lake Catholic’s campus, with the Cougars and Lancers meeting on Osborne Family Field at The John Gibbons Outdoor Athletic Complex.
But before the competition began, Gilmour made sure there was time to recognize a man whose influence on high school football transcended school colors and sidelines.
“We recognize how competitive football can be, but it’s a giant community, and Gilmour is a great representative of that,” Marty said. “Catholic schools differentiate themselves with gestures like this.”
A few days later, Marty returned to Osborne Family Field with members of the Gibbons family and the flag Gilmour had presented. Joining him were John’s son-in-law, Matt Moran, and four of John’s grandchildren who currently attend Lake Catholic: Brady and Maggie Moran and Claire and Maddie Gibbons.
Together, they stood on the field holding a simple green flag that now carries a much larger story.
For the Gibbons family, it is a reminder of a husband, father, grandfather, and coach whose legacy continues to be felt. For Lake Catholic, it represents the impact one person can have on generations of young people. And for two schools that entered Saturday as competitors, it was a reminder that some things matter far more than the final score.
Some moments are bigger than football. This was one of them.
Football Comes Home: A Memorable Day on the Lake Catholic Campus
September 13, 2026
Cougars defeat Gilmour, 14–7, as students, families, alumni and friends gather for only the third varsity football game played on campus.
For only the third time in school history, varsity football took the field on the Lake Catholic campus Saturday, September 12 — and from the first tailgates of the morning to the final minutes of a dramatic Cougar victory, it was a day to remember.
Long before the noon kickoff against Gilmour, campus was already coming alive. Students, families, alumni, future Cougars, and friends filled the grounds for morning tailgating, food trucks, a Kids Zone, and plenty of opportunities to reconnect and celebrate together.
Even periods of rain couldn't dampen the atmosphere as a packed Lake Catholic campus turned an uncommon home football game into a celebration of the entire Cougar community.
And throughout the afternoon, the day provided plenty of opportunities to celebrate Lake Catholic's history.
Members of the Class of 1981 returned to campus as part of their 45th reunion weekend and were recognized during the game.
At halftime, following a performance by the Cougar Pride Marching Band, members of the 2001 State Championship Football Team took the field once again. Twenty-five years after capturing the state title, members of the championship team returned home to be recognized by the Lake Catholic community and celebrate one of the proudest moments in Cougar football history.
Then, the current Cougars added a memorable chapter of their own.
With the game tied late in the fourth quarter, Lake Catholic scored the go-ahead touchdown with less than two minutes remaining and held on to defeat Gilmour, 14–7, giving the home crowd one final reason to celebrate.
The victory provided a fitting finish to a day that was about much more than the final score.
Generations of Cougars came together on one campus — current students alongside alumni, young future Cougars alongside longtime members of the Lake Catholic community. They celebrated the school's history while creating a new memory that will become part of it.
Thank you to everyone who joined us, supported the event, and helped make September 12 such a memorable day at Lake Catholic.
There's no place like home.
New Spaces Bring Lake Catholic's Commitment to the Whole Person to Life
August 27, 2026
Each weekday morning, the entire school community gathers in the gym for prayer and the recitation of the school’s Mission Statement.
Most alumni and current students know the school’s Core Values.
But there’s a lesser-known Belief Statement that helped inspire three new and reimagined spaces in the school this year.
“We believe the education of our students includes the development of the whole person in a diverse world.”
The whole person.
As the school year begins, these spaces will serve to support Lake Catholic students in mind, body, and spirit.
“All of these new rooms are physical examples of how our faculty and staff sought to help students,” said Dean of Academics Jim Slike (’07), who worked alongside Assistant Principal of Academics Maghen Frindt to lead the redevelopment of the spaces.
“We were very deliberate with each of the spaces,” he said. “The work of our teachers and staff can continue in these provided rooms. The desire to help our students has always existed; we just had to provide the necessary resources for that to best take place – to provide spaces to help strengthen our students’ minds, bodies, and spirits.”
The whole person.
The Fiat Room
Fiat is Latin for “let it be done” or “let it be.” In Luke 1:38, Mary told the Angel Gabriel at the Annunciation, “Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum” — “Let it be done to me according to your word.”
Located in the back of the St. Thomas Aquinas Learning Center, the Fiat Room is a space for student leaders and clubs to meet and plan, and for students in need of tutoring, study skills, and executive functioning skills to find that support.
In supporting students academically while also giving them opportunities to lead and collaborate, the Fiat Room is a space intentionally dedicated to strengthening the mind.
“It has recently been a place where our students could get extra help, where we housed our tutoring services and writing lab,” Slike said. “Now, those things are still available, but we’ve expanded the area for directed studies, as well as after-school, student-led activities and meetings.”
The Serenity Room
At the end of Main Hall, the Serenity Room is designed for students (and adults) in need of a space to recharge, reflect, and regulate.
“The conversation for a space like this started early last school year,” Slike said. “There was a need for a quiet space where students can safely go, still be monitored, but be in a soothing environment.”
“People have needed a space to take a moment and effectively regulate their nervous system across all times,” Frindt said. “The growing body of information from neurocognitive psychology has helped educators make decisions regarding our best practices. A space that allows students and adults alike to regulate their system is a best practice that Lake Catholic can now offer every student.”
The room was created largely with resources the school already had, along with a few new additions. Soft lighting, calming imagery, and intentional color choices help create a soothing environment, while peaceful music and video play in the background. The Serenity Prayer hangs prominently on the wall.
The space recognizes that educating the whole person also means caring for the body.
“There are other schools with spaces designed for similar reasons,” Frindt said. “While we are certainly inspired by other high schools as frontrunners, Lake Catholic is happy to present a version of this space that is uniquely Catholic in nature. We know that our God is a God of beauty; the design of this room is inspired by the Serenity Prayer and grounded in the beauty of God's nature.”
The Prayer Rooms
The three open rooms in the back-right corner of the Aquinas Center are dedicated to personal prayer during the day.
“The chapel isn’t always available to students during the school day, so these are separate rooms where they can go, dedicated to prayer and faith,” Slike said.
Together, the three rooms provide dedicated spaces to care for the spirit, giving students a quiet place to step away from the busyness of the school day and spend time in prayer.
Students are able to use the Prayer Rooms during their lunch periods or study halls.
The Prayer Rooms were funded in part by the Rooted in Faith Grant the school received last year from the Catholic Community Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports the Diocese of Cleveland. The Lake Catholic Parent Association also provided financial support.
Individually, each space serves a different purpose. The Fiat Room provides resources for students to grow academically and as leaders. The Serenity Room gives them a place to pause, regulate, and care for their well-being. The Prayer Rooms offer quiet spaces to strengthen their faith and relationship with God.
Together, though, they represent something bigger.
They are spaces for the mind, body, and spirit — tangible reminders that educating students at Lake Catholic has never been limited to what happens inside a classroom.
A Legacy Built to Last: Lake Catholic Welcomes 2026 Athletic Hall of Fame Class
August 17, 2026
For more than five decades, generations of student-athletes, coaches, and leaders have helped build the tradition that defines Lake Catholic athletics.
On Saturday evening, seven more remarkable pieces of that history took their permanent place among the very best.
Lake Catholic welcomed five individuals and two teams into its Athletic Hall of Fame during the third annual induction ceremony, celebrating achievements that span decades, sports and generations of Cougar athletics.
The Class of 2026 includes Therese Maher Campolieti ('74), Eric Kettani ('05), Richard Sanders ('11), Mike Sullivan ('85), and Bonnie Zappitelli-Squire ('12), along with the 1991 and 1992 Division III State Championship Football Teams.
"Every championship, every trophy, and every banner has a story that began long before today," Lake Catholic President John Morabeto told those gathered for the ceremony. "Tonight, we celebrate the people and teams who helped write those first chapters and laid the foundation for the success Lake Catholic continues to enjoy."
Those stories took many different paths.
Richard Sanders ('11)
One of the most productive football players in Lake Catholic history, Sanders put together a record-breaking senior season in 2010, rushing for more than 2,100 yards and 30 touchdowns. He finished his Cougar career with multiple school records, including more than 3,300 rushing yards, 55 total touchdowns and 330 points scored.
But his athletic accomplishments extended beyond those Fall nights.
Sanders was also a standout sprinter, winning a district championship in the 100 meters, qualifying for regionals and running on a record-setting 4x200 relay team that placed fifth at the state meet.
His induction also made the evening a family affair. Sanders joined his twin sister, Je'Rica, who entered the Lake Catholic Athletic Hall of Fame in 2025.
Bonnie Zappitelli-Squire ('12)
Zappitelli-Squire established herself as one of the premier pitchers in Northeast Ohio and one of the most accomplished softball players in Lake Catholic history.
Her standout senior season earned her News-Herald Player of the Year honors and All-State recognition, but perhaps her most memorable performance came with a championship on the line.
Zappitelli-Squire threw a no-hitter in the district championship game, leading the Cougars to the title and helping elevate the Lake Catholic softball program to new heights.
Mike Sullivan ('85)
Few athletes have excelled in two sports at Lake Catholic quite like Sullivan.
A defensive leader on the football field, Sullivan helped lead the Cougars to the program's first two state Final Four appearances in 1982 and 1983. His play earned him All-Ohio recognition and back-to-back Cleveland Defensive Player of the Year honors.
At the same time, Sullivan was establishing himself as one of Ohio's best wrestlers. His senior season ended at the top of the podium when he captured the 1985 Class AAA Heavyweight State Championship.
His induction also reunited another Hall of Fame family, as Mike joined his brother Mark, who was inducted in 2024.
Eric Kettani ('05)
For Kettani, a football career that began at Lake Catholic eventually took him to some of the sport's biggest stages — and on a journey defined by much more than football.
One of the most dominant running backs in Cougar history, Kettani continued his career at the United States Naval Academy. Among the defining moments of his collegiate career was scoring the game-winning touchdown in overtime against Notre Dame.
His journey later took him to the NFL, where he played for the New England Patriots, while his service to his country became an equally important part of his story.
A champion, competitor, and leader, Kettani's path from Lake Catholic to Navy and professional football remains an example of where dedication and perseverance can lead.
Therese Maher Campolieti ('74)
Not every Hall of Fame legacy can be measured in points, victories or championships.
For Campolieti, it can be measured in opportunities.
Beginning in the early 1990s, Campolieti served as Lake Catholic's Assistant Athletic Director and played an instrumental role in expanding opportunities for female student-athletes.
During her tenure, Lake Catholic added girls golf, soccer and lacrosse, while the softball program transitioned from slow-pitch to fastpitch.
The opportunities available to generations of young women at Lake Catholic today are part of the legacy she helped create.
Her Hall of Fame induction brought that journey full circle. Campolieti helped create opportunities that did not exist when she herself was a Lake Catholic student before graduating in 1974.
Remembering Coach John Gibbons
Before turning to the final two inductees of the evening, Lake Catholic honored the man whose influence connected them both.
Legendary Head Football Coach John Gibbons passed away earlier this year, leaving behind a legacy that reaches far beyond championships.
Already a member of the Lake Catholic Athletic Hall of Fame, Gibbons built one of Ohio's premier football programs through what Morabeto described during the ceremony as his "passion, preparation, leadership and unwavering belief in his players."
More importantly, he influenced generations of young men who proudly called him "Coach."
Members of the Gibbons family were recognized during an emotional tribute before the focus turned to two teams that forever changed Lake Catholic football.
"Though Coach Gibbons is no longer with us, his legacy lives on — in these teams, in this program, and in every Cougar who has worn the green and gray," Morabeto said.
1991 and 1992 State Championship Football Teams
The early 1990s marked the rise of a powerhouse.
In 1991, Lake Catholic broke through and captured the first football state championship in school history.
Despite facing adversity during the season, including the loss of its starting quarterback, the team powered through the postseason and capped its historic run with a decisive 45-20 victory in the Division III State Championship Game.
One year later, the Cougars did it again — this time without a loss.
The 1992 team finished a perfect 14-0, scoring more than 400 points while allowing just 51. A commanding 31-7 victory in the state championship game completed the undefeated season and secured Lake Catholic's second consecutive state title.
Together, the teams did more than win championships. They established a standard built on toughness, preparation and brotherhood that continues to influence Lake Catholic football more than three decades later.
Current Lake Catholic Head Football Coach Marty Gibbons ('11) accepted the Hall of Fame awards on behalf of his father as members of both championship teams gathered together once again.
A Permanent Home for a Lasting Legacy
The newest Hall of Famers now join generations of Lake Catholic greats whose accomplishments have helped shape the school.
And beginning this year, that history has a new home.
Lake Catholic recently completed its new Honor Wall, located outside the gymnasium across from the school's atrium. The display recognizes the school's most recent Athletic Hall of Fame and Hall of Excellence members and is designed to grow as new classes are honored in the years ahead.
"More than a display of names and plaques, it tells the story of Lake Catholic's most recent Athletic Hall of Famers and Hall of Excellence members, and the people who have shaped our school through excellence, leadership and service," Morabeto said.
For current students, alumni, prospective families and everyone who visits Lake Catholic, the Honor Wall offers a visible reminder of what generations of Cougars have accomplished — and what future generations can aspire to achieve.
As Saturday's ceremony came to a close, current Lake Catholic student-athletes joined the newest Hall of Famers, providing a fitting connection between those who built the school's athletic tradition and those now carrying it forward.
As Morabeto said: "Tonight has reminded us what makes Lake Catholic so special — not just the championships or the trophies, but the people who make them possible,"
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