Jim's Journal

Academy, Sistuh C in the state final again.

Columbus Academy's ("CA") field hockey team beat Cleveland Hathaway Brown ("HB") 2-1, Friday November 6, 2009 at Upper Arlington to make it in the state championship game today at 1 p.m. against arch-rival Bishop Watterson.  In a rematch of last season's state title game, won by HB 3-1, the first half was dominated by HB, which held a 5-1 advantage in penalty corners and scored with just 2 minutes left in the half.  The underdog Vikings regrouped and came out with a different intensity after the intermission.  The Vikes tied the score about 4 minutes into the 2nd half when youngest daughter, Clarissa ("C"), a sophomore, smacked a penalty corner into the HB goalie's pads.  In the mad scrum that followed, freshman Courtney Deena put the ball into the cage.  CA continued to control, commanding a large edge in penalty corners.  Then with exactly 6 minutes left in the game senior all-stater, Mia Wise, scored the clinching goal. 

It was phenomenal.  When the Vikes face adversity (they've trailed in the last two games) they get stronger.  When HB went down 2-1, the wind left the sails of the defending champs.  CA beat Watterson 1-0 in overtime in the last regular season game, so today will be exceedingly difficult.  Our outstanding sophomore right midfielder, Dina Sinno, was hit in the hand with a shot with 4 minutes left in the game.  The ball cracked the bone on the ring finger of her right hand, which tore through the skin.  Dina had surgery Saturday afternoon and had a pin put in.  Our prayers are with this outstanding brave and talented young lady with her recovery.  The rest of the Vikes will have to elevate their games to overcome this loss.  Let's go Vikes!

Louisville, Tashi, start Big East tournament today.

The University of Louisville plays UConn today at 1:30 in the Big East tournament at the University of Providence.  This is a semifinal game with the winner playing the Syracuse/Providence semifinal winner on Sunday.  The Big East tournament winner gets an automatic bid into the 16 team NCAA tournament.  All others must hope for an at large bid.  18-year-daughter Natasha starts at left back for the Cardinals.  Go Tashi! Go Cards!

Tashi plays old teammate.

Natasha and the U of Louisville field hockey Cardinals beat Stanford 4-1 Sunday in a game played at the University of Maryland.  Tash and the Cards played very well against 12^th ranked Stanford.  Tash played against former teammate, senior Rachel Mozenter, who plays forward for Stanford.  Since Tash is the Cardinal’s left back, the two had a number of great battles.  Rachel was a high school freshman when our oldest daughter Miranda was a senior field hockey captain at Columbus Academy.  By the time Rachel was a senior at Academy, Tash had made the varsity as a freshman.  When Rachel gave her Columbus Academy junior speech, she honored Miranda by stating that when she was a freshman field hockey player and having a hard time trying to compete at the varsity level, Miranda called her after  a summer practice and reassured her and told her to hang in there.  She said that call made a big difference in her life.

Tash and the Cardinals, 14^th ranked, head to Providence, R.I. this weekend to play in the Big East tournament.  They play UConn in a semifinal Saturday with the winner to play the winner of the Syracuse/Providence semifinal.  The final is Sunday with the winner getting an automatic bid to the 16-team NCAA field.  Louisville, which made the NCAA last year, may need to win the Big East Tournament (or, at least, do extremely well) to make it to the Big Dance.  The selections are made one week from today.  The Cards lost to Syracuse 3-2 and then lost at UConn in double OT during the season.  The Cards are playing there best hockey now, however.

Go Team Cardinal!

Clarissa preparing for state semifinal.

Clarissa and the Columbus Academy Vikings are getting ready to play defending champ Hathaway Brown (“HB”)  in the state semifinal at noon Friday at Upper Arlington.  If successful, the championship game is Saturday afternoon against the winner of the Bishop Watterson/Cincinnati St. Ursula semifinal.  The Vikings lost to HB 3-1 in last year’s state title game when Tashi and Clarissa were teammates.  HB, 13-3-1, has pretty much its entire team back so it will be a challenge.  The Vikes, 13-3-2, beat Watterson 1-0 in OT and were tied by St. Ursula 1-1 during the season.  Both of those games were on the road.

Go Team Viking!

University of Maryland trip today.

Wife Debbie and I are getting ready to leave our Hampton Inn in Washington, PA in a few minutes to make it to College Park, Maryland to see daughter Natasha and her University of Louisville Cardinal field hockey team take on Stanford at noon.  The Cardinals defeated Big East opponent Georgetown 5-1 Saturday (10/31). Tash played extremely well.  The game was played at American University in Washington D.C.  This is the final regular season game for Team Cardinal ("TC").  Tash takes on another former Columbus Academy teammate.  Rachel Mozenter, a senior, is a high-scoring forward for Stanford.  She and Tash played together when Tash was a freshman.  The Mozenters are a fantastic family.

C wins to fight yet another day.

Youngest daughter Clarissa ("C") had a defensive save and scored a stroke as 6th seeded Columbus Academy won its regional final game against Thomas Worthington in strokes.  TW scored early and controlled the first 10 minutes of play.  CA came on and took over the rest of the first half with the Vikes' Jesse Pickering scoring on a penalty corner to tie the game at one.  Worthington then took over in the 2nd half and the Vikes just held on.  It was during this time that C had her defensive save when the ball got past goalie Alicia Tamarkin and appeared on its way in.  With about 5 minutes to go in the game the Vikes regained their edge and had some great chances to win including a penalty corner as time expired when senior all-stater Mia Wise was just wide right on a shot from the top of the 16-yard circle and senior Caroline Casey just missed tipping it in.

TW then reasserted itself in the first part of the first 10 minute sudden death overtime and had several penalty corners against the Vikes.  At that point, Worthington hit its high water mark as the Vikings gained  a foothold and took over the final five minutes of the first OT and all of the 10 minutes of the second overtime.  But although the Vikes threatened to score several times, they couldn't put the ball in the cage.

Then came the stroke shoot-out to decide the issue.  The teams desigmate 5 strokers each and they alternate shooting strokes from 6 yards out against the other team's goalie.  Whichever team gets the most after the five tries (if necessary), wins.  CA went first.  Sophomore Dina Sinno scored; then TW's all-stater Anna Simmons, who played splendidly, was stopped by CA's Tamarkin.  CA's second stroker, senior Taylor Long, missed the last two seasons with ACL surgeries, then hit her stroke, while the TW stroker was again stopped by Tamarkin.  CA was up 2-0 in the strokes.  Then came C, who scored to put the Vikes up 3-0.  TW was on razor thin margin at this point, having to score its last three opportunities and stop the Vikes on their last two.  The next Cardinal stroker kept it alive by scoring her stroke to narrow the gap to 3-1 with both teams having 2 more strokes each.  Then came Wise for CA to the stroke line to try to win it for the Vikes.  Perfect!  Game over.  Jubilation for the Vikings who head to the state's Final Four.  The semifinal is noon Friday (11/6) against nemesis Hathaway Brown from Cleveland.  HB beat the Vikings in the state championship game last year when C, a sophomore, and Tash were playing together.

C's big sister Miranda and my brother, Uncle Dan, were at the game with us cheering on the Vikings.

Vikes beat Ottawa Hills 3-1 to advance to regional final

            16-year-old daughter Clarissa’s Columbus Academy field hockey team traveled to powerful Ottawa Hills Wednesday and defeated the Bears 3-1 to advance to the regional final Saturday at 3:30 p.m. against Thomas Worthington at Dublin Scioto.  The winner advances to the state Final Four.  Clarissa assisted the game’s first goal about six minutes in when her drive from about 25 yards out found teammate Rachel (the “Machine”) Terveer for the score.  The second goal, before halftime, was by Caroline Casey (assisted by Dina Sinno).  Ottawa scored about 10 minutes into the second half to narrow the margin, but the Vikes responded with another goal (by Jesse Pickering) to put the game out of reach.  Thomas Worthington, the winner of our league, won its second round game 3-1 against Olentangy Liberty.  The Vikes, league runners-up, handed Thomas its only league defeat with a 1-0 win at Thomas on 9/30.  The Vikes are 12-3-2 and are red hot.  They start five sophomores, four seniors, one junior and one freshman -- so they're still a pretty young team. 

Clarissa gets 2 goals 1 assist in 3-0 tournament win

Clarissa (“C”) scored twice, including once on a penalty stroke, and assisted teammate Mia Wise on another goal as the Columbus Academy Viking field hockey team defeated the Irish of Dublin Scioto 3-0 at home to advance to the 2^nd round of the tournament.  Next opponent is Wednesday (tomorrow) against powerful Toledo Ottawa Hills, who have at least two future Div. I athletes, Katherine Jamison and Lane Smith.  The team travels to Toledo for a 4 p.m. game.

Frank Benson, father of C’s teammate Liz Benson, is doing better in trying to recover from double pneumonia.  He is on a ventilator to help him breath.  Got the update from Fank’s wife, Jewel, yesterday.  They are all still in our prayers.

Clarrisa starts playoffs tonight..

Clarissa’s Academy Viking field hockey teams plays its 1^st playoff game against Dublin Scioto at home today at 4.  (Game was washed out Friday.)  If successful, the Vikes head to Toledo to take on high-seeded Ottawa Hills at 4 Wednesday.  The winner there would play Saturday (probably against Thomas Worthington) for the regional championship and right to go to the state final four.  The parents may be taking a bus up to Toledo on Wednesday. 

Tashi’s field hockey.

Tashi’s Louisville Cardinal field hockey team followed up their 6-0 win over the University of the Pacific last Thurs with a 2-0 win at Iowa on Sunday.  The Cards play Big East rival Georgetown Saturday at American University in Washington D.C. and then play Stanford at the University of Maryland on Sunday.  We plan to drive to Maryland Sunday to see the game (We’ll probably miss the game in D.C.).  The following week is the Big East tournament in Providence, R.I.   Louisville may have to win that tournament to get a bid to the NCAA’s.

Misc.

Debbie and I saw OSU’s field hockey team beat Duke 2-1 on senior day.  Natalia Ciminello – a former high school teammate of both Miranda (Natalia was a frosh when Miranda was a Sr.) and Natasha (Natasha was a frosh when Natalia was a Sr.) – had her senior day.  She played against another of Tash’s former teammates, Sue Ferger, who’s a soph at Duke.  Sue and Tash were starters on Academy’s last state champion. 

Buddy Phil Kramer gave me 2 tickets the to the OSU/Minnesota game last Saturday. Went with friend, Dr. Scott Barkin, and had a great time.  Bucks win 38-7.  Phil and son Jonathan are to be in Columbus (they live in Calabasas, CA, where Phil practices law) on Nov. 14 for the OSU/Iowa football game. 

Client Michael Lucas, president of Unisone, was in town with 2 of his sons over the weekend.  We met Friday morning on business.  Michael and his sons went to the science museum Friday (COSI) and to the OSU game Saturday.  Didn’t get a chance to see them after Friday morning, but Michael said the boys had a great time despite the rain and cool, damp temperatures.  They live in Southern California.

Yoga – started doing Yoga downtown with Jimmy Merrelli.  Jimmy used to cut our lawn, but now has a Yoga studio just a block from my downtown office.  Jimmy started doing Yoga because of his bad back from doing lawns.  He then became an expert.   It’s great for my core/lower back plus balance and stretching.  Jimmy probably needs more clients to keep in business. 

Stated reading “The Shack” on recommendation of fastpitch softball buddy Rick Simmonds.  He recommended it a year ago.  I was able to get a free copy this past Saturday.  So far riveting but incredibly sad.  Like a Dostoyevsky novel, the bright light drowns you at the end. 

Prayers for field hockey dad and friend Frank Benson (double pneumonia) and law colleague David Levine (cancer).  Also for step mom Lenora Leickly (some med tests and Caribbean cruise). 

Brandon’s in Dental School

I should’ve added in my 10/20/09 blog entry that newly married nephew, Brandon Leickly, is in his first year of dental school at Indiana University and that he and wife, Amanda, an IU med student, are living in Indianapolis.  His dad, my oldest brother Fred, is a pediatric allergist in Indianapolis.  Congrats and Bon Chance to Brandon and Amanda!

Tash’s final home game tomorrow

I’ll be heading to Louisville tomorrow for Tashi’s final home game of the season.  The opponent is the University of the Pacific.  Go Tashi!  The Cardinals travel to the U of Iowa for a game Sunday and then have games at the U of Maryland next week against Big East rival Georgetown (Sat) and 14^th ranked Stanford (Sun).  Her private coach, Christina Williams, who helped her tremendously last year is a former All-American at Stanford and will flying in from Columbus to be at that game to root on Tash, but also to serve a post-game tailgate for the Stanford team.  Talk about walking the fence.  Against Stanford, Tash will play against former Columbus Academy teammate Rachel Mozenter.  Rachel was a freshman when oldest daughter Miranda was a senior and was a senior when Tash was a freshman, so she played with both girls.  Since she’s a high-scoring forward and Tash is a defender, they’ll go head to head. 

C’s winning goal actually a winning assist

Turns out teammate Caroline Casey, positioned in front of the goalie, tipped in Clarissa’s shot described in my last blog entry.  Clarissa’s assist; Caroline’s goal; Team’s victory 1-0 in OT.  Same result, same great effort.  The two have been named as Players of the Week on WTVN 610AM.  WTVN’s Larry Larson will announce them on air at 8:55 a.m. Saturday 10/24 and at 10:40 a.m. Sunday 10/25.  Also, it will be on the web at WTVN.com.

Clarissa scores winning goal

            The Academy Vikings field hockey team defeated arch-rival Bishop Watterson 1-0 in sudden death overtime yesterday at the Park of Roses (Watterson’s home field) to finish the regular season 10-3-2.  Watterson, one of the best teams in the state, finished the regular season 14-2-1.  Clarissa (“C”)  scored the winning goal and a mad celebration ensued.  The team starts five sophomores, including C, and one freshman and has improved dramatically over the course of the season.  Just a couple weeks ago the matchup with powerful Watterson seemed like a date with the executioner.  Yesterday, however, the Vikes brought their A game and looked great.  They finished with 1-0 wins over both their top rivals (Watterson and Thomas Worthington), defeating both on the road.  The playoffs begin Friday at home against the winner of Dublin Scioto v. Olentangy.  If  the Vikes win, they travel to Toledo to take on Ottawa Hills.  C has been working on not giving up on the play even if the ball goes by her or gets taken away.  Yesterday, the winning play was a penalty corner where she misplayed the inbound pass but still was able to pass the ball over to teammate Alison Martin who then was able to push it toward the goal.  C re-emerged and shot Alison’s pass, scoring the goal.

Natasha playing well

            Tash, a freshman, starts as left back for the U of Louisville Cardinal field hockey team.  The Cards came to Ohio State last Wednesday and Tash played well.  OSU won the game in overtime.  I went down on Friday to see Louisville beat Big East rival Providence 3-2.  Debbie and I went down on Sunday to see them lose a tough one to Wake Forest 2-1.  The team is 8-7 and will have to do well in the Big East tournament in 2 weeks to get a bid to the NCAA tournament field of 16.  They will have to beat highly ranked Syracuse and/or UConn in that tournament.  School is going very well.  Her experience at Columbus Academy has really helped get her ready for college.

Nephew Brandon married

            Brandon Leickly, the son of my oldest brother Fred and his wife Linda, married Amanda Stram on August 29^th in Chicago.  The couple is living in Indianapolis.  Amanda’s in med school there.

Miranda & Ben

Miranda has graduated with a masters in education from Radford University.  The commencement was in May (Grandma and I attended), but the final coursework was finished over the summer.  She completed that coursework so the dreaded asterisk is now removed from her diploma.  Ben is in his 2^nd year of medical school at Virginia Tech and doing well.  Ben works with the Hokie football team.  Ben and Miranda were at Tech’s last minute come-from-behind win against the University of Nebraska a couple weeks ago in Blacksburg.  I reminded Miran that the “N” on the side of Nebraska’s helmet stands for “knowledge”.  Miranda and Ben have adopted a 2^nd dog, named Brutus (I call him Cletus – he’s very cute). 

Clarissa

C has been playing well as a sophomore for the Columbus Academy Vikings field hockey team, which is 7-3-2 at this point.  She plays mostly defense but is one of the hitters for the Vikings on their penalty corners.  She’s scored 2 goals (against Dayton Oakwood and Granville) that way and has also scored on a penalty stroke (against Columbus School for Girls). She has a great drive and has been working and getting better all the time at moving to the ball, eliminating a defender, accelerating to daylight and driving the ball (shot or pass).  The team traveled to Thomas Worthington last week and defeated previously 9-0 TW by a 1-0 score.  C had a defensive save in the first half.  Tomorrow, the Vikings play 11-0-1 archrival Bishop Watterson at the Park of Roses.

Natasha

Tashi graduated from Columbus Academy in June.  She loves the University of Louisville.  She’s started every game for the field hockey Cardinals, who’ve beaten the University of Michigan in overtime, but lost to 6^th ranked University of Connecticut in 2 overtimes and lost to 8^th ranked Michigan State in one overtime.  The team gets stronger all the time.  The Ville travels to Ohio State for a 3 p.m. game Wednesday, October 14, 2009.  Grandma (Lenora Leickly) plans on visiting for the game.  Tash is majoring in psychology.  We get to see her about every two weeks or so.  The Ville is only about 3 hours, 15 minutes away.

Health issues

Deb is coming off a week of the flu that gave her the chills and fever and zapped her energy.  She’s back to work now.  Prior to that, C had a horrible cough for about 2 weeks that caused her to lose sleep.  The doctor prescribed buckwheat honey as a natural cough suppressant.  I’ve been fairly fortunate, just a minor cold a couple weeks ago.  Did get a seasonal flu shot last week.

Natasha graduates.

Our 18 year old daughter Natasha graduated from Columbus Academy on 6/12.  Marty Nesbitt, one of Pres Obama’s best friends and a Columbus Academy graduate of 1981, spoke at the commencement.  He reminded the grads that all the basics for success are in them now – they are well prepared.  It was a fantastic speech – no politics, just life and what he has found to be so important in his walk.  Tash’s grad party was later that day.  She combined it with buddy Audrey Young at Audrey’s house.  Grandma and Uncle Dan were in for the ceremony and party.  Uncle Don and Aunt Penny Hill were at the party as were Tash’s cousins Brent and Shelly Edwards and their boys.  Tash starts summer class at the University of Louisville on 7/8.  She will play field hockey there.

Miranda & Ben in Egypt.

Ben’s first year of med school is over and Miranda has graduated from Radford with her master’s in education.  They are now in Eygpt, seeing the Sphinx and pyramids at Giza and then taking a cruise down the Nile.  They left their dog, Mahalo, with us.  The dog is a sweetheart, but hates me for some reason.  I thought we had reason an “understanding” during the dog’s first day with me, but since then things have deteriorated. 

Clarissa has been having a great fastpitch season.

Clarissa (“C”) has been batting just south of .500 and has hit 3 homers and 2 triples for the Columbus Dragons U-16 fastpitch softball team.  She has done a great job at catcher too:  being “The Wall”; throwing out runners; and making some great tags at the plate.  The team finished runnersup in both the Grove City and Whitehall tournaments and play in the Ohio Classics tournament this weekend.

Hal’s visit.

My old buddy from Rhodes High School, Pastor Hal Santos, came for a day in early May.  We went to Ohio State’s football facility and met with his friend, Buckeye offensive coordinator Jim Bollman, and had a wonderful time.  Hal and Pam’s daughter Jaime gave birth just last week.  Hal and Pam and now grandparents. 

Tash off to Virginia Beach for the National Futures Tournament. 

Tash, Deb and Grandma head to Virginia Beach tomorrow morning for the u-19 National Futures Tournament in field hockey.  She earned her way there by playing well at the regional tryout in Pittsburgh 2 weeks ago.  C was chosen as an alternate in u-16.

Lacrosse season.

Tash (a senior) and C (a freshman) finished their lacrosse season 3 weeks ago with both starting as D-wing for the Columbus Academy Vikings.  The team finished by getting to the semifinals of the state tournament in Mason, OH before losing to Hathaway Brown.  Tash was named the team’s most valuable defensive player, 2^nd team all-district and state all-academic. 

Office move.

As of 6/1/09 I’ve been at my new office in downtown Columbus at:

145 E. Rich St, 2^nd Floor

Columbus, OH 43215. 

My officemates, Gene Butler, Jim Connors and John Winkler have all come over as well.  We are all sole practitioners and share only our office space, our love for the law and an uncanny sense of humor.

Heading to Los Angeles for Unisone shareholder meeting.

I’ll be heading to LA on 7/1 for the annual Unisone shareholder meeting at the Calabasas Country Club the next day.  I’m secretary and general counsel for the company.

Miranda graduates, Ben is back from Honduras

Grandma and I traveled to Blacksburg, VA last weekend to see Miranda and attend her hooding and commencement at Radford University.  She received her Masters of Education.  It was a fantastic trip and we’re really proud of Miranda.  Miranda’s husband, Ben, has returned safe and sound from at trip of first year Virginia Tech medical students to Honduras.

Clarissa scores winning goal

Starting at D-wing, our freshman Clarissa (“Sistuh C”) has been having a great lacrosse season for the Columbus Academy Vikings.  She scored the winning goal in the 6-5 victory last Saturday over Cincinnati Mariemount, the No. 2 seed in the upcoming tournament.  My wife Debbie and I split duties over the weekend with me going to Virginia and Debbie covering the lacrosse games with Tash and C.  The first tournament game is this Thursday at 5 p.m. at home against Bishop Hartley.

Tash has senior day

Natasha was honored at senior day yesterday as the lacrosse team defeated Wellington.  Nine seniors will leave the Vikings – all great leaders and great kids and players.

Hal coming Thursday

My old buddy from Rhodes High School, Pastor Hal Santos, is visiting Thursday-Saturday.  Hal and I are classmates and wrestling team teammates of Drew Carey (see web page).  We’ll be meeting with Ohio State assistant football coach Jim Bollman at noon Friday.  Jim is a friend of Hal from when Hal did a chapel for the Chicago Bears when Jim was coaching there.

Office moving by end of month

I’m moving my downtown law office by May 31^st from the present location at

Tash plays the Fiddler

We attended Columbus Academy’s production of Fiddler on the Roof over the weekend.  Our daughter, Natasha, a senior at CA, was the fiddler – wearing a beard and standing up there on the roof and playing and symbolizing the traditions of the Jewish people of the little town of Anatevka.  It was  phenomenal experience.  The senior who played the main character, Tevye, (Alex Johnson) was born to play that role.  Lenora (Grandma) and Uncle Dan came for the Saturday performance.  There’s a new photo in the Natasha section of the web site of her and Alex in costume. Grandma said that Natasha’s great grandfather Henry Leickly, a musician who had a music store on the near west side of Cleveland would have been so proud as would Tash’s grandpa (my Dad) Ed.  Henry was a fantastic violinist.  I remember Ed taking us to see Fiddler at the Colony theatre in Shaker Heights, Ohio in the early 1970s.  We all fell in love it then so it was special to see Tashi performing in it.  (It was when grandpa Henry was a patient at Lutheran Medical Center in Cleveland during his final illness in late 1969 that my Dad met Lenora, who was an RN at the hospital.)

Miranda to be hooded

Lenora and I will be going to Miranda’s hooding at Radford University in Virginia this Friday.  Miranda will be getting her Master’s in Education.  She has an opportunity to accept a paid assistant’s position with the Radford field hockey team.  She’ll have to make up her mind soon.  Miranda’s husband, Ben, is in Honduras with other 1^st year med students a VCOM (Virginia Institute of Osteopathic Medicine) for 1 week helping poverty stricken people receive medical care.  He returns to Blacksburg Sunday.  We’re praying for their work and their safety. 

Tash’s Commencement and grad party 6/12

Tash’s commencement is June 12^th.  She and her friend Audrey Young will have their parties together later that day at the Youngs’ home in Gahanna. 

Lacrosse going well

The Academy Lacrosse team has won five straight (6-3 overall) and travel to defending state champ New Albany Tuesday (5/5).  Tash, one of the captains, plays both ends of the field so she does a lot of running.  Clarissa, as a freshman, is a starter and plays D-wing.  It’s a lot of defense, but she’s scored 2 goals and had some assists. 

Pastor Hal to visit

Hal Santos, my high school football and wrestling buddy, who is a pastor in the greater St. Louis area of Illinois, is coming to visit on May 15.  Can’t wait to see him.  There are some photos of Hal on the website.

Finding my old football coach

I received this email from a ’67 graduate of my old high school.  I don’t know Wayne, but the email was a blessing.  What follows is his email and my reply giving homage to my old high school football coach, Tom Ehlert.

From: Wayne (dated 3/21/09):

Dear Mr. Leickly,

My Name is Wayne Klein and I am a 1967 graduate of Rhodes High School. 

I was a mechanical drawing student in Tommy Ehlert’s class at Rhodes in ’66 and ’67.  I think of him now and then with great fondness, and was searching the web to find a trace of him so I might thank him and tell him that he made an impression on my life. I’d like to tell him how much I enjoyed his class and him.  

I ran across your blog and read your story about how he turned around a dejected football team and made them into winners. 

That’s the thing about Tom, he helped make winners. 

I wonder if you might be able to locate or find his E-Mail address or physical address, so I might be able to drop him a line. 

Thanks in advance, 

Wayne Klein

From Jim Leickly to Wayne (Dated 3/22/09):

Wayne: 
 
Thanks for the email.  I'd like to find him too.  I keep in touch with Ret'd Lt. Col. John Jannazo and Pastor Hal Santos (each were class of 75) on a regular basis and Dale Gracon ('76) and Cleveland Fire Capt Tim Holzman ('75) as well and those guys all keep in touch with others that I don't.  We're all ex-football players for Coach Ehlert.  What I'll do is forward this to them and maybe we can get an email APB out on Mr. Ehlert.  I thought I heard that he might be in FL.  He put a lot of tremendous ideas in our heads.  Only the passing of the years have fully revealed what treasures they were.   I thought of him as a fiery coach grabbing my face mask and screaming, "LEICKLY, you Candy Ass! You gotta block somebody!", but he really did talk a lot about life and the fundamental values that made it worthwhile.  The only one that I still haven't figured out is his adversion to cake.  He used to call us, "Cake-eaters", when he was displeased. At film sessions, when he'd see one of his Rhodes Rams passing up a chance to make a big, bone-crushing hit, he'd mutter something about cake and then his patented: "Ahhh... the nice guys from Rhodes." In football, "nice guys" is  pejorative term.

In my senior season in October of '74.  We had a game against heavily favored Lincoln-West (a team that had just beaten eventual city champ Ignatius and was sitting, at the time, a top the West Senate standings) at West Tech field.  My little sister Nancy's funeral was that morning.  She had died of leukemia at the age of 14.  Hal and I were the captains for that game and Coach Ehlert dedicated the game to Nancy.  That was pressure since you're supposed to win the games that you dedicate to people and we had just lost the previous two games, including a 42-7 defeat at home to John Marshall the week before.  It was cold, even spitting a little snow, and our student managers were huddled on the bench, eschewing their duty to bring us water during the time outs.  This was pretty important, especially since a lot of players played offense and defense and therefore didn't often leave the field.  I complained to Coach Ehlert when I came over during a timeout.  His eyes widened when he turned to see the managers sitting there next to the water.  You could almost sense the earth shake as he exploded at them:  "Shame on you!!!  Our boys are crying for water."  
 

Our tight end Tony Zemla leaped at least 10 feet vertically (or at least it seemed) to catch a pass from quarterback Dave Martanovic to keep our game-winning drive going and fullback Joe Gigante kept powering in behind us offensive linemen (John was the center, Hal was the right tackle and I was the right guard) as we battled from an 8-7 deficit late in the fourth quarter to win 15-8.  It was phenomenal. We held on Lincoln-West's last drive and the offense took  over in the last seconds to run out the clock.  We held hands in the huddle and watched the scoreboard countdown.  As the clock stuck "0" we all simultaneously raised our clasped hands into the air in victory.  For me, at the time and even more so in retrospect, it's fitting that John was on one side of me on the offensive line and in the offensive huddle and Hal on the other. 

(Note: The earlier touchdown for us, scored in the first half, was not nearly the heroic "battling down the field bit by bit, yard by yard" that the winning touchdown was.  That drive was the result of two fumbled punt returns by Lincoln-West about 2 minutes apart that gave us 95% of the real estate we needed to score.  After the second fumbled punt return by L-W, my oldest brother, Fred [Rhodes class of '70 and now a pediatric allergist] yelled from the stands, "Just keep the punt team in!"  Well, a touchdown's still 6 points no matter how you get it.)
 
The game ball, signed by the team and coaches still sits in the house I grew up in near W. 73 and Camden.  My step mom Lenora still lives there and is guardian of that precious memory of my Rhodes teammates and Coach Ehlert.  W. 73rd and Camden is just walking distance from West Tech field where the game was played.  When Coach Ehlert gave me the ball and shook my hand, he said, "The Leicklys are givers."  May it be so.

Thanks again!  Stay in touch.  We will find Mr. Ehlert.

"The definition of impossible is 'incapable of being accomplished'.  I've noticed 3 things that are impossible: 1.) kissing a girl who is leaning away from you; 2.) climbing a fence that is leaning toward you; and 3.) changing someone who doesn't want to change."  

                                  -- Hal Santos, JFR '75

C change coming:  C makes varsity lacrosse.

Clarissa made the varsity lacrosse team as a freshman.  She’s really worked hard and it’s quite an honor.  Congrats “C”.  She’ll be a teammate of her big sister, Natasha, a senior.  Let the season begin.  They began on 2/23.  It’s the only sport where the preseason is longer than the season.  Then again, Nehemiah prayed 3 months in preparation of rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls.  The project only took 50-55 days.  So maybe a long preparation is a good thing.

A Miranda by any other name would be as sweet.

Miranda was here with her new dog to visit while on a mid-semester break from her master’s studies at Radford. Her dog loves everyone except me.  Miranda officially changed her name from Miranda Leigh Leickly to Miranda Leickly Bring on the official records of the United States and the state of Ohio.  Grandma (Lenora) came down for the weekend as well to see Miran.  She  and Miran got to catch C and Tash’s final indoor field hockey game – probably the last time they’ll be teammates in a field hockey game.  Tash heads to the University of Louisville this summer.  Tash scored on a penalty stroke and C added 2 goals as the team (the Bulldogs – all the names were from the SEC) won its first game, beating a team from Dublin Coffman.  The Coffman goalie, Sarah Lemieux, was C’s teammate from their Final Four team at Disney Showcase in February. 

Tash is the Fiddler on the Roof – sounds crazy, no?

Tash is on her senior trip to Chicago this week.  She will be the fiddler in the school’s production of Fiddler on the Roof.  She’ll sport a beard and have to play while dancing and moving about.  The fiddler is in the opening, closing and one middle scene – all with just the main character, Tevye.  We’re excited.  Most important: don’t fall off the roof.  That would defeat the point of the entire play.