This week's edition includes:

• Wrestling = GCC Champs Again!!!!!!
• Girls Club Softball Info
• Mustang Bowl
• Track Sign-Ups
• High School Cheer Tryouts
• Booster Club Night at the Races Info
• SHS Alumni Night
• LLS Ice Skating Event!
• Winter Game Schedules and Intramural Information
• Fan Behavior
• Sports Photos
• Eligibility
• Athletic Opportunities at SMS
• Online Team Shop
• Athletic Boosters Information
• Ticket Price Increase
• Online Ticketing Information
• Strongsville Rec Department Program Offerings- BASEBALL & SPRING BASKETBALL
• Click/Tap HERE for previous editions of Cold Pizza

LOTS of pics HERE!

Some great videos of how the day went are below!

If you love track and field, want to improve athletically or hang out with your friends for 2 hours most days after school you should sign-up for coach now! Details on how to sign up are HERE.

GET THE LATEST TEAM UPDATES:

• We post game/event results on Twitter HERE
• Follow game/event results on Facebook HERE

BASKETBALL/CHEER SCHEDULES & RESULTS:

• Gym/Practice Schedule

• GBB Game Schedule

• BBB Game Schedule

• 7th Grade Cheer Schedule

• 8th Grade Cheer Schedule

WRESTLING SCHEDULES:

• Wrestling Meet Schedule

Strongsville City Schools, its students, its staff, and its services are all part of a first class community. The roots of our first class nature are derived from the actions of the great families that comprise Strongsville. With that said, being first class doesn't mean being perfect in all actions. In part, it means having the desire, open-mindedness and skillset to get better when needed. Last year some of our students, perhaps unknowingly, engaged in some unsportsmanlike conduct from the bleachers at some recent athletic contests. Most of us know that being good neighbors to our opponents, their fans and the officials is a part of being first class. It might not be known to many middle school aged students who are starting to experience their first sense of freedom.

I am strongly encouraging all families to have the following conversation with your middle school aged child. Please inform them that the only acceptable behavior at sporting event is being positive. Any negative behavior/speech is strictly prohibited. Below is a brief explanation as it relates to acceptable and unacceptable fan behavior. Thank you for your cooperation!

Who's the winner of the loudest crowd pop of all time? Hogan? Warrior? The Rock? Stone Cold? Nope! It was Jawad Mohammad at the Dual at the School on 1/12! When Jawad entered the gym the crowd erupted louder than all of Cleveland when Kyrie hit "The Shot" in game seven of the 2016 NBA finals!!

Tell everyone a little about yourself.

• I've lived in Strongsville for 16 years, have been a coach for 14 of those years. Before moving here to start my family I lived in the Akron area my whole life.
  

What team(s) do you currently coach (in and out of SCS)?

• 7th Grade Girls White Basketball. Soon to be softball club coach as well.

Why did you get into coaching?

• My kids are athletes, and I started coaching them when they were old enough to play organized sports.

What was your favorite coaching moment?

• My son hit two free throws at the end of OT to win his 6th grade rec basketball championship. It was a big upset win, and we all went crazy as time expired.

Who is your favorite coach?

• Sue Phillips, Archbishop Mitty HS in California.. So smart - full of love and kindness to her players, but also is tough and firm. She teaches them to hold themselves to high standards, and to not accept mediocrity when it comes to they own effort.
  

Outside of the Mustangs, who is your favorite sports team?

• CLE all the way - Cavs, Browns, Guardians!

What is your favorite sport to watch and/or play?

• Basketball is my favorite sport to play. My favorite sport to watch is whichever one is on at the time.
  

What is your favorite sports moment?

• When the Cavs won the 2016 NBA championship. As soon as the final buzzer when off, my son and I ran outside and up and down our street like a couple of lunatics, hooting and hollering...

Favorite sports quote:

• "Don't give up. Failure and rejection are just the first steps to succeeding." - Jim Valvano
  

Player eligibility is determined by SCS and OHSAA policies. Some of the eligibility criteria is listed below.

• Students must maintain at least a 2.0 G.P.A. Should their G.P.A. fall below a 2.0 they will be put on a weekly progress reports to assure assignments and effort are up to snuff. If not the players will be required to sit until improvement is made.
• Students must have passed at least 4 classes in the previous quarter (5 credits if at SHS). Should this criteria not be met a student will not be eligible for the forthcoming athletic season.
• Pay to Participate and previous year academic fees must be paid in order to partake in athletic games/contests. Students will be withheld from all contests until fees are paid.

• OHSAA Eligibility Resource Center

• https://ohsaa.org/Eligibility

See the graphic below for details regarding athletic opportunities for SMS students throughout the course of a school year.

If you're looking for some spirit wear to help support the Mustangs please know that spirit wear can be purchased through the Strongsville Mustangs Athletics Website linked below. Christmas is just around the corner, don't miss out on some great gift ideas! A couple of examples of the 100's of items found in our online spirit shop are pictured below.

There is lots of other information there as well!

http://strongsvilleathletics.org

• Game Schedules
• Game Results/Recaps
• Athletic Forms
• Sports Medicine Info
• Ticketing Info
• Online Team Shop
• Sports Registration/Tryout Info

The Strongsville Athletic Boosters is comprised of parent volunteers that raise funds and provide support to all of the Strongsville High School and Middle School athletic programs and student-athletes. Every dollar raised by the booster club is invested back into the student-athlete experience. We purchase uniforms, warm-ups, training equipment and other items to help our student-athletes perform to the best of their ability in representing Strongsville City Schools. Our ultimate success depends on the commitment of parents! Click HERE to join the Athletic Boosters for the 2022-2023 school year. Becoming a member not only helps your student's success but it also gets you some free SWAG. Details in the graphic below.

Greater Cleveland Conference Approves Ticket Price Increase

The Greater Cleveland Conference (GCC) will be raising admission ticket prices for all athletic events beginning in the 2023-2024 school year. In May, GCC principals approved the increase in athletic ticket prices after GCC Athletic Directors conducted a review of ticket prices for surrounding conferences in Northeast Ohio and found most to already be at these price levels. Ticket sales revenue generated from the events is the main source of funding used by member schools to cover costs for sports and the overall athletic department budget. While costs of game officials, security, sporting equipment, along with all the other costs associated with these events have increased and ticket prices have not. The increase is intended to help offset costs without sacrificing family, student and community experiences. This is the first price increase the GCC has issued since the formation of the league in 2020. The GCC consists of member schools Brunswick, Cleveland Heights, Euclid, Medina, Mentor, Shaker Heights, and Strongsville.

Varsity Football:

$10 at the gate for Adult/Student General Admission

$8 Adult Presale flat fee until 2 hours before kickoff (was $7)

$5 Student Presale (no change)

*Season tickets for home contests are at the discretion of the home school

Varsity/JV (All other Varsity Sports):

$8 Adult/Student (was $7)

Freshman or JV (stand alone):

$5 Adult/Student (was $4)

Middle School Sports:

$5 Adult/Student (was $4)

Senior Citizens Ticket Prices

Free admission (no change)

GCC Passes

Distributed by individual schools, GCC passes admit one spectator per pass

GCC Tournaments:

$8 Adult/Student (was $7)

No charge for pre-school age children

No Senior Citizen passes accepted

Sign-in sheet will be used for school officials

Anyone that plans on attending a home contest for the Mustangs can purchase their tickets multiple ways. Keep in mind that ticket prices are set by the GCC

All other VARSITY sporting events will have $7.00 tickets for adults and $5.00 for students.

For stand alone JV, Freshman AND Middle School games, tickets will be $4.00 and $2.00

1. Tickets will be sold online through our NEW online Ticketing Partner, Hometown Ticketing. The link can be found HERE. This is the preferred method of payment for all home contests. You can also purchase tickets by going to STRONGSVILLEATHLETICS.ORG and by clicking on each team's schedule, there is a BUY TICKETS option. If you have question, please reach out to the Athletic Office.

2. We will offer at the gate cash and CREDIT CARD sales for all home contests. Again, if you do not want to wait in line, the online ticket option would be best

3. SENIOR CITIZEN DISCOUNTS. The GCC will allow Senior Citizens into any contest free of charge. At Strongsville, we will be issuing Senior Citizen All-Access passes that will allow them to attend any HOME sporting event free of charge. Passes will issued at any ticket gate upon entrance to an event.

(Please keep in mind that when we play non-league contests away, those schools may have a different senior citizen policy)

If you have any questions about the ticketing policy, please do not hesitate to contact the athletic department.

Click/tap HERE for what sports programs are upcoming for the Strongsville Recreation Department.

Email: jkeppler@scsmustangs.org
Website: strongsvilleathletics.org
Location: 13200 Pearl Road, Strongsville, OH, USA
Phone: 4405727090
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Strongsville-Athletics/100057494767336/
Twitter: @scsmustangs