Spark

Bring on the Madness

Everybody wants to be the one who picks the correct champion in their bracket. These ten teams are the ones who have the best shot at cutting down the nets in March.

Ethan Keller, Staff Writer • March 7, 2025

With the men's college basketball season heating up, it is time to start looking ahead to March. There has not really been one dominant team thus far as three teams have been ranked at number one as...

From Field to Sideline

A look into the four East football coaches’ National Football League backgrounds and how they use their skills to help the Thunderhawks succeed.

Macie Manzardo, Sports Editor • March 4, 2025

When the 2024-25 East football season ended, the Thunderhawks closed the season with a record of 8-4, losing in the second round of playoffs to Archbishop Moeller High School. To prepare for the season,...

Best in the Nests: Johaeyah Edwards & Shaun Dickerson

Each issue Spark will feature athletes from East and West who showcase exemplary talent.

February 11, 2025

Capped by Salary

Money is power, especially in the world of baseball and the MLB. Fans cannot expect smaller teams to grow and foster a winning culture without big payouts.

Ethan Keller, Staff Writer • February 11, 2025

With the Fall Classic coming to an end, another Major League Baseball (MLB) World Series champion has been crowned. The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees in only five games to win their...

Best in the Nests: Shaun Dickerson

Shaun Dickerson is a senior captain for the Lakota East Boys Varsity Soccer team and three-year letterman. Dickerson is ranked in the top 384 nationally, top 56 in Ohio, top two in Division I and first in the Greater Miami leaderboard for assists with 15. Dickerson has also broken two school records for most assists in a single season (15) and most career assists (25).

Sophie Schaller, Feature Editor • January 28, 2025

Q: What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve learned from playing soccer? A: My favorite piece of advice I’ve been told is that the best players are the ones who can move on from mistakes...

Writing His Own Book

Landyn Bomar, the two time seated shotput state champion, is a leader and beacon of inspiration for the East community.

Macie Manzardo, Sports Editor • December 17, 2024

A deep breath. The perfect throw. The shot sits under his jaw, at the base of his fingers in his dominant hand, his other parallel to the ground, ready to swing him into momentum. The crowd’s eyes are...

Best in the Nests: Sam Wiles & Sofia Wise

Each issue Spark will feature athletes from East and West who showcase exemplary talent.

December 3, 2024

New Year, New Team

East Varsity Football opens the 2024-25 season with a fresh start. As a result of the hard work put in over the off-season, an exciting year is anticipated.

Max Earl, Sports Associate Editor • October 22, 2024

At the beginning of the 2023-24 high school football season, the Lakota East Football team was at the top of all the local headlines due to the hire of Jon Kitna, the head coach for East Varsity Football....

Overhand to Underhand

East sophomore right fielder Krystalin Wagner has been playing baseball as a pitcher all of her life. Now, she brings her talents to the softball field.

Macie Manzardo, Sports Editor • June 1, 2023

STORY MACIE MANZARDO | PHOTOGRAPHY USED WITH PERMISSION | INFOGRAPHIC CARA RAIFORD At 14, Krystalin Wagner steps up to bat. Now she hears the familiar snarky comments made by the parents around her. She...

Twins on Track

East twins Lena and Greg James compare and contrast indoor and outdoor track.

Leah Arnett, Staff Writer • June 1, 2023

STORY LEAH ARNETT | PHOTOGRAPHY AND INFOGRAPHIC CARA RAIFORD Sitting in class, they would count down the minutes until recess. Once the bell rang, the two fifth graders bolted outside of Winton Woods...

2022-23 Bowl Guide

Colin Kunz, Blake Furnish, Kalla Saineghi, Maggie Huss, Olivia Wilson, Brendan Wright, Gabby Weber, Camden Braden, Jaiden Beran, Grace Callahan, and Jaedyn Armburster • January 10, 2023

Moving up

The Ohio High School Athletic Association announced their new division breakdowns for many sports and explained what competitive balance is.

Audrey Allen, Business Manager • December 8, 2022

STORY Audrey Allen PHOTOGRAPHY AUDREY ALLEN | INFOGRAPHIC COLIN KUNZ The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) announced the new divisional breakdown using enrollment data provided by the Ohio...