Lutheran East Men’s Basketball Secures 3rd Consecutive State Championship; 6th in Program History
The 2024-2025 athletic season has come to a close for the Lutheran East Falcons, who have brought more hardware back to the school on Mayfield Road.
Lutheran East Men’s Basketball has just secured its 3rd consecutive state title (2023, 2024, 2025); its 6th state championship in school history (previous state title years were 2005, 2017, and 2021).
The team clinched the 2025 Division V state title by defeating Columbus Academy, 53-49, in the final game at the University of Dayton Arena on Saturday, March 22, 2025.
This game followed a state semi-final win (76-73) over the Minford Falcons on March 15, a 64-59 win over Richmond Heights to clinch the Regional Championship (8th consecutive Regional title), and an early March win (68-35) over Poland Seminary to secure the program’s 10th consecutive District Championship title.
The Falcons are coached by Lutheran East alumnus Sam Liggins ‘05, who spoke highly of his team’s character and perseverance to Cleveland.com following the championship win: “Character is everything. That’s how you become a champion. You gotta have the right heart. You can’t be a selfish individual. You gotta be humble, you gotta be willing to sacrifice something. All of these kids sacrifice their own individual game when they come on our team.”
TJ Crumble ‘26 spoke to Cleveland.com after the game, saying, “Basketball-wise, besides winning the state my freshman year, this is the second-best feeling I ever felt, just being able to come out and lead my team as a junior and hopefully going back-to-back winning another state championship and hopefully doing it the next year, too.”
With no seniors on the roster for the 2024-2025 season (and just two juniors), Lutheran East Men’s Basketball is already setting its sights on continued success in the upcoming year. The prospect of securing a fourth consecutive state championship would mark an unprecedented achievement in OHSAA high school boys’ basketball history, further cementing the program’s legacy and dominance on the court.
To read more coverage of the Falcons’ state championship run, see the referenced Cleveland.com article here, follow Cleveland.com sports reporter Matt Goul on X (@mgoul), or view a video and article from News5Cleveland here.
Stay tuned for the Falcons’ 2025-2026 schedule and roster at LutheranEast.org/Athletics; available in the late fall.
FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES:
Anthony Jones, Athletic Director
ajones@lutheraneast.org
School Office: (216) 382-6100 ext. 107
Falcons Women’s Basketball Goes 15-6 on Overall Season and Ends Season in Regional Tournament
Lutheran East Women’s Basketball had a solid playoff run to conclude its immensely successful 2024-2025 season.
After an overall season record of 15-6, the women’s team entered the playoffs as the #2 seed in their division. In a thrilling matchup that went down to the wire, the team emerged victorious over Norton High School, 49-47, to secure the Division IV district championship.
The Falcons’ relentless defensive pressure proved to be the difference-maker, disrupting Norton’s offensive flow and forcing key turnovers in the final minutes. Lutheran East’s ability to stay composed under pressure helped them fend off Norton’s late comeback attempt.
Leading the charge for Lutheran East were Danajia Woodard and Jordynn Jackson, who dominated the glass with crucial rebounds on both ends of the court. Their presence in the paint limited Norton’s second-chance opportunities while providing their team with extra possessions.
Advancing to the regional tournament, the February 26 matchup between the Lady Falcons and Bellvue High School ended in a hard-fought 51-46 loss.
The team’s winning season was a great source of pride and excitement for the Lutheran East school community. What’s more, the women’s varsity basketball team not only excelled on the court – the team’s average GPA during the fall semester was an impressive 3.69. Great work all around, Lady Falcons!
The 2025-2026 roster and schedule will be published in late fall 2025.