What's Happening in Cougar Country

As we approach the end of the school year and graduation season, seniors will become alumni and head out to various spots across the state and the country to start their college education or careers.

In time, they’ll all eventually begin working in areas that interest them, but as young people often do, they’ll find jobs that will just allow them to afford a place to live, support a new family, or live any lifestyle they desire.

At a certain point, though, as people get older and further into adulthood, some want more and realize their career and their money aren’t the end-all. They look for more meaning in what they’re doing. 

That’s when they return to their Lake Catholic roots and remember those three words, “Exit to Serve.”

For Brendan Bowers (‘99), that’s exactly where he’s at with the stories he’s trying to tell. 

After graduating from Case Western Reserve University, he pursued a career in marketing but always remained passionate about writing and sports. In addition to his work as a marketing consultant, he has been a freelance writer for The News-Herald, USA Today, and SLAM Magazine. He covered the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals, including their 2016 championship. He’s had a book on the New York Times Best Seller List. And now his career has taken him to Eyeful Media as a Senior Director, Organic Search Strategy. 

All stops where he was able to put his Lake Catholic education into practice. 

“I had Mr. (Jim) Englehart from Honors History, and he shaped the class so we’d think about the stories and the narratives that went along with each moment in time,” Bowers said. “And it was Mr. (Joe) Tomba who taught me how to write in English class.”

Today, as a digital marketing strategist and consultant, Bowers works with businesses, brands, and marketing teams to maximize revenue and drive growth. He specializes in content creation, search marketing, and AI strategies that improve ROI.

But it was a chance meeting at a freelance job that has him remembering what he learned at Lake Catholic.

“I was doing a favor for a friend and putting together a video of his son’s go-kart racing team. We were done with that, so we ended up just interviewing other kids, and that’s when I met Pedro,” Bowers said.

Pedro is Pedro Cueto – an 11-year-old go-kart driver from Colorado who, at the age of six, was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma.

Pedro is also the subject of Bowers’ award-winning documentary Pedro Cuerto: Power of a Dream, which premiered in September of 2025 and was named Best Documentary Short at the San Diego Movie Awards festival.

“His story is absolutely unbelievable,” Bowers said. “I was just sitting there in awe of this kid. When I was going through all of our footage, there were times when I’d be watching and just start crying. And Pedro never wavered. The week after I met him, he had his leg amputated. But that never slowed him down. He’s still racing, but now just with a modified cart.

“Pedro inspired me to create this documentary. The way he lives his life with gratitude, courage, speed, and a love for each moment is powerful. The goal of this film is to help amplify his message.”

Bowers' film became available to the public recently, streaming worldwide on Amazon Fire TV, the Apple iPad, and anywhere the Free Movies+ app is available (via OTT Studio).

Pedro is now four years cancer-free and continues to race and win. 

Bowers, meanwhile, is looking for his next freelance project.

“Not everything you learn at Lake Catholic is in a class or in a textbook,” Bowers said. “It’s the environment that’s there. It’s the community. Everyone wants to support one another. You learn to be grateful for your opportunities. It’s our faith that teaches us that everything will be OK.

“Those are the stories I want to tell now. I want to put out something inspiring; to tell someone’s story; to help someone in any way that I can.”

Lake Catholic is saddened to announce the passing of its legendary coach and friend, John Gibbons. Coach Gibbons passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, on Saturday morning.

For generations of Lake Catholic students, families, and alumni, John Gibbons was more than a coach. He was a teacher, a mentor, and a steady presence who helped shape not only a football program, but a community.

For more than two decades connected to the Cougars football program, as a head coach, mentor, and later an assistant, Coach Gibbons helped define what Lake Catholic football stood for: preparation, toughness, joy in the work, and doing things the right way.

“Coach Gibbons defined what it meant to be a Cougar — not just through championships, but through the way he formed young men with discipline, joy, and purpose,” Lake Catholic President John Morabeto said. “His impact on our program, our school, and generations of families will endure far beyond the field.”

Coach Gibbons led the Lake Catholic football program from 1985 to 1998, a period that became the most successful era in the team’s history. During that time, his teams compiled a 113–42 record, captured eight North Coast League championships, and made seven playoff appearances. The pinnacle came in 1991 and 1992, when Lake Catholic won back-to-back Division III state championships, firmly establishing the Cougars as a statewide power.

But those who played for him or stood alongside him know that the wins, as meaningful as they were, never fully defined him.

Coach Gibbons brought an unmatched passion and energy to the game. He was meticulous in his preparation, drawing plays wherever he could, constantly searching for ways to put his players in the best position to succeed. His teams played hard, played aggressively, and played with discipline, but they also played with joy. Players would “run through a wall” for him - and smile while doing it.

Just as important was the culture he built. He believed deeply in developing the whole person, encouraging multi-sport athletes, demanding commitment, and surrounding his players with coaches who were teachers first. The lessons learned under Coach Gibbons extended far beyond Friday nights, shaping the lives of countless young men long after their playing days ended.

After successful head coaching stops elsewhere, Gibbons returned to Lake Catholic in 2011 as an assistant coach. In that role, he remained what he had always been - a constant presence, a mentor to coaches, and a connection to the program’s proudest traditions. His influence never faded; it simply evolved.

In 2010, Gibbons was inducted into the Lake Catholic Hall of Excellence and later became a member of the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame, a fitting recognition for the standard he established and the pride he brought to the program. In 2015, he was inducted into the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame, an honor that reflected not just championships, but a lifetime of impact.

John Gibbons is survived by his wife, Patty, their nine children, sons- and daughters-in-law, and many grandchildren, all of whom were central to his life and shared in his deep commitment to faith, family, and football.

His legacy at Lake Catholic lives on not only in banners and record books, but on the sidelines today. His son, Marty (Lake Catholic Class of 2011), now serves as the Cougars’ head football coach. Another son, Tom (‘88), is an assistant coach within the program, while his son Mike (‘02) is the head coach at Medina Highland and was inducted into the Lake Catholic Athletic Hall of Fame in 2025. Together, they carry forward the values and traditions their father instilled.

That legacy will also be permanently honored on campus. At the school’s 42nd Annual Gala, President Morabeto announced that the school’s athletic turf and track will be renovated in a two-phase project, with the turf scheduled for completion this summer and the track to follow next year. Upon completion, the entire facility will be named The John Gibbons Outdoor Athletic Complex, ensuring that generations of Cougar student-athletes will compete in an area that bears the name of the coach who helped define an entire athletic program.

In the end, John Gibbons’ legacy cannot be measured solely in wins, championships, or honors. It lives on in the lives he shaped, the coaches he mentored, the family he raised, and the countless members of the Lake Catholic community who were better because they knew him.

In Lieu of Flowers, the family invites you to honor John’s legacy with a gift to Lake Catholic High School in support of the 
John Gibbons Outdoor Athletic Complex, ensuring his impact on students and athletics lives on.

Donate Here