One of the most prolific girls basketball players to ever perform on the hardwood at Lorain Admiral King High School, Cheryl Bansek starred for the Admirals in the 1980’s and her performance during a four year high school career resulted in elevating the girls basketball program to elite levels.

The 1985 Admiral King graduate is currently ranked in the school’s Top Ten career records in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots. Cheryl’s outstanding performance was recognized as she was named to the All-Buckeye Conference Team each of her four years. She was named Honorable Mention in her Freshman and Sophomore years, Third Team as a Junior, and First Team as a Senior. She also earned All-District Team Honors in her Junior and Senior years. During her tenure, the varsity team compiled an 80 won – 16 loss record, winning four league titles and one District championship. She has been a part of the four twenty win seasons in school history, three as a player and one as a coach. Cheryl concluded her high school career with the distinction as the Most Outstanding Player in school history.

Andy played in the County All-Star Game and set a scoring record that still stands today. He scored 37 points, hitting 18 of 27 shots for 66.6%. His combined totals place him fifth in Lorain County Career Scoring Records with 1,615 points, one place ahead of former Lorain Catholic Star and Lorain Sports Hall of Famer Paul Wilson.

Paul Biber

Paul Biber had a tremendous athletic career at Admiral king High School as a football, basketball and track star. He earned six varsity letters with numerous honors including receiving Honorable Mention on the All-Buckeye Conference Football Team.

After graduating from the University of Toledo in 1970, Paul returned to Lorain and took a position as a teacher in the Lorain City Schools and joined the Admiral King football program where he served in various coaching roles from 1970 to 1978.

In 1977, Paul was named Head Girls’ Basketball Coach at Admiral King High School which was the start of a 28 year career in which he built the program into one of the most respected programs in the State of Ohio. Paul compiled a career record of 351 wins and 265 losses. He had a stretch in which his teams compiled twelve consecutive winning seasons.

John Burke

John Burke achieved an outstanding playing career at the high school and college levels and subsequently became a highly successful high school football coach in Colorado and Arizona.

John graduated from St. Mary’s High School in 1968 and as a member of the Fighting Irish football team was part of their legendary 24-game winning streak. He played quarterback and was a three year letterman and also lettered in tennis for four years, two as captain, and two years in basketball.

After graduation from St. Mary’s, John accepted a football scholarship to Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, where he was a four-year letterman and two-year starter at quarterback. John also was a two-year tennis starter at Wartburg.

Hal Craig

Harold (Hal) Shields Craig began to develop into a fine baseball player during his childhood in Pardoe, Pennsylvania. In 1903, when he was seventeen, Hal’s family moved to Lorain, Ohio. After several seasons as a catcher on Lorain teams, he acquired a reputation as one of the finest catchers in the history of the city. Stan Morgan, the long-serving and highly respected umpire, named Hal to his “All- Time Lorain Stars.” In 1911, Hal decided to try out for the “Diggers” professional baseball team from Marion, Ohio. At that point in time, when he made the roster and signed a contract with “The Marion Base Ball Company,” Hal became one of the first professional baseball players ever to come from Lorain. After four years of playing pro ball Hal earned a reputation as a great hitter and outstanding catcher.

With the onset of World War I, Hal enlisted in The United States Army and served in France. After returning home, he became involved with the American Legion where he turned his passion for baseball into pioneering American Legion Baseball in Lorain. Serving as the team’s manager, Hal led the 1931 Legion team to the District League Championship. During his ten years as manager Hal developed many outstanding players who went on to play in the strong Class “A” League which included several of Lorain’s best players of all time, some of whom are enshrined in the LSHOF.

Joe Farais

Joe Farais was an outstanding athlete at Admiral King High School, playing both football and baseball. He was an All-Buckeye Conference First Team football selection at linebacker in his senior year. He led the team in tackles, forced eight fumbles (recovered five), and blocked a punt. The most memorable game of his senior year involved Joe’s leadership in the upset of Fremont Ross, which cost Fremont the state championship.

Joe was named “Player of the Week” six times by the Morning Journal and the Elyria Chronicle Telegram. In one game as a senior he was in on 18 tackles, 14 of them solo. As a senior he was honored as “Best Defensive Lineman” of the year for his record-breaking 126 tackles, 4 interceptions, caused 8 fumbles, recovered 5 and 1 blocked punt. Capping off his outstanding year was his playing in the 1975 North-South All-Star Football Classic at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. Teammates on the North squad included Tom Cousineau, Bob Golic, Jim Browner, and Byron Cato. He was also selected to play in the “Big 33” Ohio-Pennsylvania All-Star game.

Jim Jones

Jim Jones got an early introduction to athletics, with a great deal of support and encouragement from his parents, John and Jean Jones.

In baseball, his stand-out play at shortstop helped his Youth Center baseball team win three “Hot Stove State Championships”, in 1959, 1961 and 1963. At Longfellow Junior High, his teams won city championships in football and basketball. Both of those championships were the result of undefeated seasons. It was the first time in 17 years, that Longfellow had gone undefeated.

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George Locher

George Locher attended Clearview High School and although he did not participate in scholastic sports, he did develop an early reputation in sandlot baseball as a pitcher and position player with superior skills. In 1942, as an 18 year old high school junior, he was voted by the fans to an All-Star team that would play an exhibition game with the Great Lakes Naval Training Station team, whose roster included several major league players and was managed by Mickey Cochrane.

Locher was drafted into the U. S. Army during his senior year in high school and played with the Ft. Lee Va. 12th Regiment team in 1943 before being assigned to an engineers battalion that served in the Far East.

Lee J. Svete

During the period of 1975-1978, Lee Svete attended Lorain High School and quickly became a key player for the varsity basketball team and earned two varsity letters.

Svete had a breakout year as a junior with a regular season 12.5 points per game scoring average, and followed with an outstanding performance in the tournaments. Although the Steelmen had a losing regular season record, they played the spoiler role in the post-season play, winning their first Sectional Tournament title since 1974. Svete led the team with a 22 point per game average and was named to the First Team in both the District and Sectional Tournaments.

1966 St. Mary Football Team

With a victory-leading backfield, a vigorous line and a vibrant young coach, Lorain St. Mary High School’s football team pulled out all stops in 1966 in completing a 9-0 undefeated season.

Although St. Mary outscored all opponents, 279-86 points, four of its triumphs came by eight points or less. Their 8-6 win over host Elyria Catholic came in a season finale during which the Irish failed to garner a first down!