Loveland, Ohio – “This community needs a win, and I have to deliver it to them,” Loveland High School’s Women’s Basketball Coach Darnell Parker said with his legendary smile. Parker has certainly become a big part of the Loveland community spreading positivity among his student-athletes and the cancer community. There’s no question that Coach Parker is a part of “What’s in Loveland’s DNA!”
Parker, who was born and raised in Findlay, Ohio, grew up knowing that he “would have to work twice as hard as everyone else” to accomplish what he wanted to accomplish in life.
“My dad always told me that growing up and that always stuck with me. Seeing my mom and dad work so hard so that I would never go without ingrained in me a work ethic like no other,” Parker said when speaking about what he had gained from his parents growing up.
Parker, a born and bred athlete, started participating in sports at a very young age and almost instantly fell in love with the game of basketball.
“My dad was a fantastic athlete even getting an opportunity to be drafted by the Atlanta Falcons,” Parker said when asked about where his love for sports came from. Parker’s dad competed in football and baseball at Purcell Marian and then eventually moved on to play football at Defiance College, unfortunately succumbing to a leg injury that stopped him from moving forward in the professional sports world.
Parker pursued his collegiate basketball career at Bluffton College where he also obtained his degree in Business Management Administration. Post-college Parker took his coaching talents to West Clermont where he coached 6th-grade boys basketball for 9 years before making his move to Loveland.
Once Parker made the move to Loveland he eventually landed the LHS Women’s Basketball Head Coach position, and that’s when he began making history!
“I really couldn’t have chosen a better community to live in and coach in,” Parker said after reminiscing on his successful coaching career at LHS. Parker is definitely going down in history as one of the most successful LHS Women’s Basketball coaches of all time, grabbing the Eastern Cincinnati Conference Coach of the Year twice, leading the Tigers to 2 of the best seasons in school history, and coaching some very successful women collegiate athletes who have all broken school records at one point or another!
Unfortunately in October of 2020 shortly after Parker lost his father to COVID-19 complications, Parker received the news that he was diagnosed with both Liver and Colin Cancer.
“Telling my kids and my players that I had cancer was the hardest thing I ever had to do,” Parker said, “We cried it out and hugged it out and my girls really dedicated that season to me. They rallied around me.”
Fast forward now to 2022, Parker is now in chemotherapy and says he’s feeling good and that through all of this he has made the choice to make his journey one where he can encourage and help others going through cancer. “I thought to myself well I can either go into a shell and take it on myself or stay positive and share the experience with everyone and give those that need it support.”
Parker who has 2 daughters and just got married last year, says his future is looking bright and that he can’t wait to get back out on the LHS basketball court, which he says he will be transitioning into next week but will only be coaching home games.
After knowing Coach Parker myself for nearly 3 years I thought the start of 2022 would be the perfect opportunity to feature Coach in our “What’s in Loveland’s DNA” segment because no one can really deny the effect he has had on the Loveland and LHS community. I am pleased to present to you Coach Darnell Parker in a Loveland Magazine TV production of “What’s in Loveland’s DNA!” Click below to watch the full-length interview!
Here are some still photos from my interview with Coach Parker by David Miller:
Want to read more about Coach Darnell Parker? Check out Loveland Magazine’s past stories!
Loveland, Ohio – It’s official! Loveland High School’s (LHS) Women’s Basketball Coach, Darnell Parker, has quite a loyal fanbase of Tigers!
On Monday, April 12th, Bishop’s Quarter, located in Downtown Historic Loveland, hosted “Rolling Mondays,” a fundraiser in support of Coach Darnell Parker as he battles Colin and Liver Cancer. The first Rolling Monday proved to be a success as fundraiser organizers, Jessica Early, Jodi Stanton, Loveland Magazine, and several LHS parents and local business owners, brought the community together to generate funds to help pay Coach Parker’s Cancer bills.
Beginning at 6 PM the community began to “Roll” into Bishop’s Quarter so that they could “Eat Out to Help Out” Coach Parker. The fun-filled night kicked off with the serving of the “Coach’s Cocktail,” which included Tito’s, muddled strawberries, lime, basil, and simple syrup. I for one can say that the cocktail was not only unbelievable but very popular with those that attended the fundraiser!
While Coach Parker’s fans enjoyed their cocktails they were able to enjoy spectacular live music provided by Brad Martin, and yes he did dedicate “Paparazzi” by Lady Gaga to yours truly! As if the fantastic live music and refreshing cocktails weren’t enough, LHS Women’s and Men’s Basketball players competed against one another to see who could get the most entries into the Split the Pot drawing (Women’s Team) or the Gift Basket Raffle (Men’s Team)! The winning team ended up being the LHS Women’s Basketball Team but that doesn’t go without saying that the Gift Baskets were beautifully done and included a lot of superb prizes. The Split the Pot rounded out to be a whopping $500 for the very first Rolling Monday!
Towards the end of the fundraiser, it was easy to see that Coach Darnell Parker has touched a lot of people’s lives with his vibrant personality, competitive drive, unbelievable coaching skill set, and ability to help so many athletes succeed.
Bishop’s Quarter was filled with many pillars of the community on Monday night and they wanted to share with YOU what their experience was like at the first Rolling Monday EVER! Here are a few of those individuals’ thoughts about their “Eat Out to Help Out” night at Bishop’s Quarter!
“Bishop’s Quarter was honored to support Darnell and his fight against cancer. It was my first time meeting Darnell and it did not take long to understand why so many people care about him and support him in his fight vs. cancer,” Co-Owner of Bishop’s Quarter, Mark Wiehe said, “He is an amazing and inspiring guy and I left our first meeting feeling like we have known each other for years. I was extremely proud as a Loveland resident and business owner to see the support shown by the school, basketball program, and community. Thank you, Cassie and Loveland Magazine for your support of Coach Darnell!!”
“The first of the three Rolling Monday events to support Coach Parker was incredible! Bishop Quarter management, Mark and Kevin, hosted a fantastic evening,” LHS parent and one of the Rolling Monday organizers, Jessica Early said, “Loveland Magazine’s sponsorship and support were fantastic. Our Loveland community showed up with love, energy and amazing generosity. It truly was a special night in Loveland and we look forward to the next Rolling Monday event, Monday, April 19th at The Works! I’m sure it will be wonderful.”
“Because I respect coach Parker and his team so much I jumped at the chance for Loveland Magazine to be the media sponsor,” Loveland Magazine Editor in Chief David Miller said, “I was so impressed with what Jodi and Jessica did! I was especially impressed with their organizing skills! I truly appreciated the wonderful hospitality Bishop’s Quarter and staff showed to all, it was a memorable night.”
Thank you so much to everyone who contributed to making the night such a big success! We appreciate YOU!
Here at Loveland Magazine, we of course had to capture the magic of the very first Rolling Monday so please enjoy the video footage and photos captured by both David Miller and myself!
The next Rolling Monday is set to kick off at The Works Pizza located at 20 Grear Millitzer in Downtown Loveland on April 19th with activities from 6 PM-10 PM. The Works Pizza will be holding a Bartender Competition from 6 PM-10 PM in which guest appearances will be made by several Loveland community leaders! I will be guest bartending from 6 PM-6:45 PM, Jill Dressell (parent of a LHS basketball player) will be taking the 7 PM-7:45 PM time slot, Brad Early (Assistant Varsity Coach for the LHS Women’s Basketball team and a LHS parent) will be competing from 8 PM-8:45 PM, and Jodi Stanton (Parent of a former LHS Women’s Basketball player and current LHS Men’s basketball player) will be running the bar from 9 PM-9:45 PM.
The guest bartender with the most tips (tips will be donated to Coach Parker) will win the competition! Split the Pot tickets will also be sold from 6 PM-8 PM.
We hope to see the Loveland community and beyond at next week’s Rolling Monday at The Works Pizza! Believe me you won’t want to miss out on all the fun and the opportunity to give back to Coach Darnell Parker!
Loveland, Ohio – There are so many reasons why Loveland is such a great community to be a part of; the biggest reason being the community is ALWAYS ready to pay it forward and give back to those who have made a significant impact in the lives of those who reside in Loveland and beyond!
Darnell Parker, the Loveland High School Women’s Basketball Coach, received devastating news in light of the 2020-2021 basketball season, that he was diagnosed with both Colon and Liver Cancer. Coach Parker decided to take a positive outlook on his Cancer diagnosis by sharing his story and experience with those that in some way had been touched by Cancer in hopes that he would provide both strength and encouragement for those struggling.
Click the article link below to read Coach Parker’s initial announcement to the community about his Cancer diagnosis.
After Coach Parker announced he had Cancer the community of Loveland as well as those who had been positively impacted by Coach Parker rallied around him giving as much love and support as possible. Not only did the community hold multiple fundraisers benefiting Coach Parker they also created the hashtag “ParkerStrong” placing it on both t-shirts and magnets that they then sold, giving the proceeds to Coach Parker and his family.
While Coach Parker was undergoing chemotherapy, the Women’s L.H.S Basketball Team dedicated their season to him, exerting that much more effort to have the most successful season possible. The Tigers ended their season going 20-4, winning the Eastern Cincinnati Conference (ECC) for the 2nd year in a row, and Coach Parker through it all was elected the 2020-2021 ECC Coach of the Year also for the 2nd year in a row!
A couple of Coach Parker’s top-performing athletes had a lot to say about him and his impact on their lives.
“Coach Parker has inspired me to never give up and to always find the silver lining in the worst of situations,” Jenna Batsch said, “He has taught me that every little hiccup in the road is just another opportunity to get better and he has inspired me to live every day with no regrets like it’s your last.”
“Coach Parker got some of the worst news you could ever get and if you hadn’t heard it, you wouldn’t be able to tell,” Tess Broermann said, “He always has a smile on his face, and I’m thankful for his ability to fight. He doesn’t live in fear but leads a life with confidence. He inspires me to not sulk in bad news but make the most out of every day because you never know what’s going to happen tomorrow.”
“Coach Parker is family to me, so it’s a no brainer to do what we can to help him out,” Jenna Stanton L.H.S class of 2018 and former basketball player of Coach Parker’s said, “I know that I could call him any day of the week and he’d be there for me, and you can’t say that about too many people. He’s treated me like family since the day we met and I’m so thankful I was able to play for him and Coach Keith. The Loveland community always comes out in full force to support their own so I’m excited to see the turn out for Coach Parker. He’s done so much for our community, this is the least we can do.”
Jenna now plays basketball at the College of Wooster.
Click on the image below to see Coach Parker talk all about the 2020-2021 basketball season and how he was able to coach effectively while going through chemotherapy in a Loveland Magazine TV exclusive Zoom interview!
Although Coach Darnell Parker has just recently completed round 11 of chemo treatments, he is still making a conscious effort to motivate and inspire others battling cancer to stay strong by sharing his own journey.
Coach Parker’s constant positive outlook on life and his dedication to helping L.H.S student-athletes inspired Loveland’s parents to do something extra special for Parker and his family. Beginning on Monday, April 12th, L.H.S parents Jessica Early and Jodi Stanton, and local businesses, Bishop’s Quarter, The Works, and Narrow Path Brewing Company, will be hosting “Rolling Mondays” in honor of Coach Darnell Parker.
Rolling Mondays will include basket raffles, split the pot, a “Darnell” signature cocktail, music, and a guest bartender competition in which yours truly will be competing in! A percentage of the sales generated at the business hosting the Rolling Monday will be put towards Coach Parker’s Cancer bills.
On Monday, April 12th Rolling Mondays will be held at Bishop’s Quarter with fun events going on from 6 PM until 8 PM. On Monday, April 19th Rolling Mondays will be held at The Works with a Guest Bartender Competition going on from 5 PM until 8 PM. On Monday, April 26th Rolling Mondays will be held at Narrow Path Brewing Company.
So just how did the idea of “Rolling Mondays” come about? Coach Parker supporters Jessica Early, Jodi Stanton, Scott Gordon, owner of The Works, and Loveland Magazine’s David Miller explained to us why this fundraiser is so important to them.
“Jodi Stanton and I discussed the idea of holding a fundraiser in downtown Loveland back in November when we were both organizing t-shirt fundraising. At the same time, Scott Gordon reached out asking if The Works could help support anything,” Jessica Early said, “Since the Go Fund Me and t-shirt fundraisers were going strong in November, we sort of felt it seemed best to wait until the next phase of his treatment process began.”
Early said that in addition to waiting until the next phase of Coach Parker’s treatments, they also wanted to wait to hold Rolling Mondays until vaccinations were readily available so that the event could feel safer. “We understood that our Loveland restaurants took a big hit with the Covid Pandemic and thought it would be great to combine efforts of raising funds for Darnell as well as bringing life and energy back into downtown Loveland.”
“I am so inspired by his ‘style’ of fight. I’m pretty sure most people would stop everything to focus on the fight. Darnell instead uses all aspects of his life as his fuel in the fight. Cancer robs individuals and families of energy, happiness, and positive health. No one seems to be immune from getting stuck in the web of cancer,” Early said, “The best we can do is work together as families and communities to help support those In need. Our Loveland and surrounding communities have been amazing thus far with supporting Darnell. At the same time, we (like so many others) are a community in need as we navigate thru this pandemic. I’ve been so impressed with how our local businesses have ‘hung’ in there and worked on creative ways to stay in business.”
Early shared that she knows the Loveland community will enjoy coming out to Downtown Loveland on Mondays in April to help support businesses, Darnell, and each other. “Connecting to others is so important during this time. My goal is that Darnell doesn’t have the stressor of finances while making health decisions. His battle ahead is long and there will be continued treatment and monitoring for many years.”
Jodi Stanton said, “The idea of Rolling Mondays developed from a few brainstorming conversations of ways we could help Coach Parker. The ideas were discussed early on after his diagnosis. However, we decided to wait until after the holidays and after the first couple of fundraisers including T-Shirt sales and car magnets.” Stanton explained that the idea of Rolling Mondays manifested into using multiple local restaurants/establishments and hosting the event on more than one night.
“I was actually on the interview panel for the hiring of the Varsity Women’s Basketball Coach, along with other parents and coaches. When we interviewed Coach Parker, his enthusiasm and positivity were amazing,” Stanton explained, “From day one with the program, he hit the ground running. Stanton also said that Parker made an unforgettable impact on her daughter’s high school basketball career. “The funny part is, they didn’t always see eye to eye, but, their player/coach relationship turned into something special.”
“Unfortunately, me and my family have been directly affected by colon cancer. My father was diagnosed with Stage 4 Colon Cancer 17 years ago,” Stanton said, “I’m thankful that research has been expanded and there are additional treatment options available to others today fighting this awful disease. I think our Loveland Community shows time and time again why Loveland is so special. When we have someone who has given so much to the athletes in our community, this is the perfect opportunity for others to give back!”
Stanton said that she has no doubt Loveland will show up and provide support not only to Coach Parker but to our amazing restaurants and brewery who have stepped up to assist. “With the pandemic affecting our local businesses over the past year, this is a perfect chance to help out not only the Loveland businesses but Coach Parker as well. I don’t know that we have a certain monetary goal in mind. Anything we can do to help him and his fiancée, Sam, during this difficult time and to let them know they are not fighting this alone will be more than we could have hoped for. Like I mentioned earlier, Coach Parker is a special kind of guy. He invested so much time and energy into our players, our daughters, and the L.H.S Basketball program. Throughout that short time for me, he and Sam have also become two people I call friends. This is just a small opportunity to help out friends.”
Scott Gordon, the owner of The Works, talked about his connection to Coach Parker and why he holds this cause so close to his heart. “I am a Loveland High School grad ‘85 and later came back to help coach baseball for several years. I have too many connections to Cancer and hate hearing when people I know are fighting that battle,” Gordon said, “Coach Parker was my nephew Alec Gordon’s coach many years ago in Glen Este. I don’t know Coach Parker personally, but our paths have crossed a lot over the years. Our staff at The Works knows that the money raised is a small part of this, raising awareness for the ongoing battles with cancer is of course a small part. But, showing a member of our community they are appreciated and loved while battling for their life and health is what Loveland is all about.”
Loveland Magazine’s very own David Miller also weighed in on how Coach Parker has left a lasting impression on his life. “Coach is such a positive expression of all things Loveland. Watching him coach, since he has been here, has been so much fun,” Miller said, “He has a unique way of showing displeasure with an official that never seems to get him in trouble, and his coaching style during games is always to encourage and applaud his players. His constant smile is pretty contagious and it spreads to the crowd.” David added that he was delighted to be asked to help with “Rolling Mondays” and was even more gracious that Loveland Magazine was selected to be the Media Sponsor.
Here at Loveland Magazine, we encourage you to attend Rolling Mondays in support of Coach Darnell Parker. There is no better way to give back to the community than to support an individual that has given so much of himself to the community of Loveland and L.H.S. Join me on April 12th at Bishop’s Quarter as we rally around Coach Parker and his family for one awesome time in Downtown Loveland!
Check out past Loveland Magazine articles featuring Coach Darnell Parker below!
Loveland, Ohio – The LHS Women’s Basketball Team is still doing it #ourway while keeping their head coach #parkerstrong!
The 2020-2021 LHS Women’s Basketball season was quite the eventful one! The Tigers not only captured the ECC title for the second year in a row during a chaotic Pandemic but were also able to successfully motivate their coach, Darnell Parker as he battled cancer and dealt with the loss of his father giving him the strength to not only beat Cancer but also win the ECC Coach of the Year title for the second year in a row.
Here at Loveland Magazine, we decided it would be a great idea to catch up with Coach Darnell Parker via Zoom to see just how he felt about the 2020-2021 basketball season, the COVID-19 Pandemic, and his personal journey with cancer.
So without further ado, Loveland Magazine TV brings to you our loyal readers, “One-On-One Zoom Style With Darnell Parker!” Believe me, you don’t want to miss this inspiring interview!
Click below to view the Zoom interview now!
Thank you to team photographer Gayle Rothmeeler for allowing the use of her wonderful photos during this Zoom interview!
Loveland, Ohio – High School Winter sports are starting to wrap up their regular-season competition and prepare for the post-season as OHSAA officially released the Loveland Women’s Basketball Team first-round post-season matchup!
The Tigers, who are still sitting in first place in the ECC (Eastern Cincinnati Conference) with an 11-2 record in the conference and a 15-4 record overall, have 3 regular-season games left all of them being important ECC matchups. On February 3rd the Tigers will face Lebanon on their court at 7 PM, on February 4th they will play Turpin at home at 7 PM, and on February 6th Loveland will compete at home against Winton Woods at 7:30 PM.
Over the past couple weeks Loveland has captured some big ECC wins, beating Milford 45 – 39, West Clermont 59 – 27, and Kings 59 – 40. The Tigers suffered one upset during that time period against Little Miami, losing in quite the nail-biter 48 – 45.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) recently released the Sectional/District brackets (see below) giving Loveland a 7th seed. The Tigers will be playing their opening tournament game against Cincinnati Anderson, a 29th seed, on February 13th at 10:30 AM at Harrison High School. If the Tigers grab a victory they will move on to play Cincinnati Winton Woods, a 22nd seed, on February 17th at 5 PM at Harrison High School.
The Loveland Women’s Basketball Team is not only having a very successful season with the potential to be the 2021 ECC Champs, but the Tigers also have several individuals in the top 10 in the ECC for their personal stats. Currently, Jenna Batsch is in 6th place for scoring averaging 14.1 points per game, and teammate Tess Broermann is in 8th place putting up 12.1 points per game. Broermann is also in 7th place in the ECC for Assists averaging 2.5 per game. Olivia Raby is sitting in 3rd place in the ECC for Blocks averaging 1.6 per game while Batsch is in 7th place averaging 1.3 per game. Batsch is also in 5th place in the ECC for Steals averaging 2.9 per game.
To catch more of the Loveland Sports 411 With Me, Cassie Mattia, stay tuned!
The photo above by Claire Besler is Senior Bowler Jacob Kim
by Cassie Mattia
Loveland, Ohio – Student-Athletes and sports fans across Ohio are celebrating as Winter sports are finally back in session!
Over Winter break, the LHS Winter sports teams competed and gained some unbelievable ECC (Eastern Cincinnati Conference) victories! There have been many Tigers that are not only helping their designated teams win but also making a name for themselves as top performers within the ECC. Here is your Loveland Sports 411 With Me, Cassie Mattia!
Men’s Basketball
The Loveland Men’s Basketball Team worked hard over Christmas break so that they could compete to their best ability in some big league and non-league games!
On December 22nd the Tigers faced Talawanda at their home court. Loveland gained a victory winning 34 – 32 (click the link to see box score). The lead scorer for the Tigers was Addison Hearn who had 10 points while fellow Tiger Sam Cox played a great game as well grabbing 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal.
On December 29th Loveland hosted Mason. Although the Tigers lost 62 – 24 they fought as hard as they could to compete. The lead scorer for the Tigers was Pete Craft putting up 16 points.
On January 5th the Loveland Men’s Basketball Team played at Turpin losing in a very close game 45 – 39. The top performer for the Tigers was Aaron Krabacher scoring 14 points and grabbing 6 rebounds.
On January 8th the Tigers played in another nail bitter at home against Lebanon. The Tigers lost in overtime 70 – 68. Aaron Krabacher played unbelievably scoring 18 points and collecting 10 rebounds while teammate Pete Craft scored 17 points and gained 11 rebounds.
Currently, the Tigers are sitting in the middle of the ECC with a 3-4 record (5-6 overall). Tiger Addison Hearn is 1st in the ECC in Assists averaging 3.3 per game.
The Loveland Men’s Basketball Team will play again on January 12th at Home against Aiken at 7:30 PM.
Women’s Basketball
The Loveland Women’s Basketball Team is taking the ECC by storm achieving an 8-1 record (12-1 overall) after competing over Winter break putting the Tigers at the top of the ECC!
The Tigers kicked off Winter break play on December 23rd on their home court against Walnut Hills. Loveland secured a victory winning 52 – 21. The top performer for Loveland was Tess Broermann who had 14 points and 5 assists. Jenna Batsch also had a beyond stellar game scoring 12 points and grabbing 3 steals. Tiger Nia Kemper chipped in for the win with 11 points and 5 steals.
On December 28th Loveland traveled to West Clermont gaining another win 43 – 31. Tess Broermann was once again the leading scorer with 14 points! The Tigers bounced back and played again on December 30th on their home court against St. Ursula. Jenna Batsch helped lead the Tigers to another win, 51 – 43, scoring 19 points!
On January 4th Loveland made the trip to play at Sycamore where they had another victory winning 48 – 36. The MVP for the Tigers was Jenna Batsch who had 22 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, and 1 assist.
Loveland competed on January 6th at home against Lebanon winning 47 – 43 putting the Tigers officially on a 10 game winning streak! Jenna Batsch helped lead the Tigers to a victory once again earning 17 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals, 1 assist, and 1 block.
After Loveland’s successful Winter break, several Tigers are now at the top of the ECC stat leader boards! Jenna Batsch is in 5th place in Scoring averaging 14.2 points per game, in 4th place for Blocks collecting 1.4 blocks per game, and is in 5th place for Steals grabbing 3 steals per game. Olivia Raby is in 3rd place for Blocks averaging 1.8 per game.
The Tigers will play their next game on January 13th on their home court against West Clermont at 7 PM.
DiveTeam
Enjoy the beautiful compilation of photos taken of the Loveland Tigers Dive Team by Loveland Magazine intern Claire Beseler!
The Loveland Men’s Wrestling Team competed over Winter break earning top spots on all of the ECC leader boards! Check out the Tigers individual placement within the ECC according to what weight class they competed in!
EDITORS NOTE:
Katie Folzenlogen, the “Wrestling Liaison” sent this info to Loveland Magazine :
“You have some of the boys in the incorrect weight classes and missed the weight class 152. I am the wrestling liaison and I am happy to send the corrections if you would like them.”
126: Alex Harrison (10) and Tre Webster (12) 145: Ryan Harden (10) and Cole Ray(12) 152: Gavin Folzenlogen (11)
“Coach is switching up weight class placements for the duals moving forward. So there may be a few changes coming this Thursday.”
The Loveland Wrestling Team’s next competition will be on January 14th at home against Lebanon at 5 PM.
Men’s Swimming
The Loveland Men’s Swim Team swam their hearts out over Christmas break placing in the top 10 in several ECC swimming categories! Below is the placement of both the team and Tiger individuals in the ECC.
The Women’s and Men’s Dive Team (Photo from Loveland Athletics)
The Men’s Swim Team will compete again on January 21st at the Dive Championships at 5 PM at West Clermont High School and on January 23rd for the ECC Championships at 12:40 PM at Various Sites that have yet to be announced.
Women’s Swimming
The Loveland Women’s Swim Team swam fantastically over Winter break also placing in the top 10 in several ECC swimming categories! Below is the placement of both the team and Tiger individuals in the ECC.
The Women’s Swim Team will compete again on January 21st at the Dive Championships at 5 PM at West Clermont High School and on January 23rd for the ECC Championships at 12:40 PM at Various Sites that have yet to be announced.
The Loveland Men’s Bowling Team kicked off January bowling in 3 different matches capturing 2 big ECC victories!
On January 2nd the Tigers bowled at the SWOC/ ECC Tournament then bounced back to bowl again against Anderson on January 4th claiming a big win! On January 6th Loveland secured another victory against Lebanon.
Below are the details for each of the 3 matches (click the blue link below to see)!
The Loveland Men’s Bowling Team bowled again today at Little Miami at Eastgate Lanes at 3:30 PM, in which the results will be posted in a future Loveland 411 update, and will bowl on Wednesday at Crossgate Lanes at 3:30 PM against West Clermont.
Currently, Joey Kapszukiewicz is in 4th place in the ECC with a 202.6 bowling average, and Loveland as a team is sitting in 3rd place in the ECC with an average of 927.4. The Tigers are 2nd in the ECC with an 8-1 league record (9-1 overall).
Women’s Bowling
The Loveland Women’s Bowling Team started out 2021 bowling in 3 different matches capturing 1 win and 1 loss!
On January 2nd the Tigers competed at the ECC/SWOC Challenge, in which the Match Details weren’t available. On January 4th Loveland beat Anderson and a couple of days later on the 6th lost against Lebanon. The match details for both bowling competitions are below!
The Loveland Women’s Bowling Team competed on Sunday at Northwest Lanes for the Lancer Baker Bash and then again on Monday at Eastgate Lanes against Little Miami where they claimed a big ECC victory. The match details weren’t available for Sunday’s Lancer Baker Bash but were available for the Tigers match against Little Miami which is listed below.
Loveland’s next match will be on January 13th against West Clermont at Crossgate Lanes at 3:30 PM.
Currently Tiger Ashley Gilker is in 4th place in the ECC with 175.5 bowling average and Loveland as a team is in 4th place with a 691.4 average. The Loveland Women’s Bowling Team is 6-4 in the ECC (6-5 overall).
Academic Team
The Loveland Tigers Academic Team competed twice thus far in 2021. Although they battled hard, the Tigers lost in both games against Little Miami on January 6th. The Tigers lost 82-67 and 70-63 putting them at 2-2-0 in the ECC.
The Academic Team’s next match will be January 13th at Kings at 4 PM.
That rounds up the Loveland Sports 411 With Me, Cassie Mattia! For more of sports updates stay tuned!
Cassie Mattia is the Associate Editor of Loveland Magazine and lives in Historic Downtown
Loveland, Ohio – It has been a sad week for the Loveland High School Tiger Family as Head Women’s Basketball Coach, Darnell Parker, announced that he has been diagnosed with Colon and Liver Cancer.
Coach Parker made the devastating announcement over Twitter on October 29th and almost immediately the Loveland community rallied together to root him on in his battle with cancer. Below is the announcement Coach Parker made a little over one week ago.
Thank you all in advance for your Prayers and Support! I know I can’t respond to everyone but just know it’s appreciated!
Coach Parker has not been the only one to remain positive after being diagnosed with Colon and Liver Cancer; the support from the Loveland community and many others across Ohio has been outstanding! Below are just a few of the tweets that have been dedicated to Coach Parker’s post-cancer announcement.
Oh Man, I Love my Pep band Tigers!! Best in the Business!! Thank you it absolutely put a smile on my face!!! #TigerFamhttps://t.co/YbJQEiQC60
Thank @mcdermottmadi.. you will always have a special place in my heart! How could you not kid, your one of my "Day Ones"!! Love you kid, looking forward to watching you coach this year! #OurWay#ParkerStronghttps://t.co/9YotMRcN7s
Dog Gone it Coach I almost had a year free Monday! I appreciate this more than you can imagine! Looking forward to sharing the court with you guys soon!! https://t.co/nCpTJGNhFQ
This is what it's all about!! Love my GLen Este kids! Thank you @TF4_Era for posting the throwback! Love you kid! Keep doing great things, proud of you! https://t.co/by611I7VDW
It’s no secret that Coach Parker has not only done a lot for Loveland High School but has also succeeded in developing an unbelievable Women’s Basketball program, breaking several school records along the way. Click below to read about Coach Parker’s stellar coaching career and his 100 win milestone!
Coach Parker has touched the lives of everyone he has surrounded himself with including myself. The first meeting I had with Coach Parker and his Tiger basketball team was last year when I decided to do a feature on-camera interview with him, his coaching staff, and the women’s basketball team. I remember walking into the gym excited to feature a Tiger women’s team that was kicking butt and taking names! Last year the women’s basketball team had one of their most successful seasons in history and of course, it had something to do with the talent Coach Parker had on his team but it had more to do with Coach Parker’s “ourway” philosophy. Below is the interview I conducted on that very special day!
The passion, the excitement, and the heart Coach Parker displayed the first day I interacted with him inspired me to the core. I remember asking Coach Parker why he created the #ourway and his response made me want to join the Tiger women’s basketball team myself! He told me that he didn’t want the Tiger program to mimic any other program, he wanted to do things their way. Coach Parker wanted his team to stand out through the way they played and through the way they carried themselves off the court and in school. I loved his mentality. His tenacity honestly reminded me of my own experience of playing basketball for my father which is saying something because I consider my father one of the best coaches around.
My next encounter with Coach Parker other than through emails as I always made sure I kept him up-to-date on any articles featuring him and his Tigers, was when the women’s team faced Mount Notre Dame for the 2019 District Title at Princeton High School. Although I had heard about Coach Parker’s coaching style I had never experienced it in person. I was so impressed with how Coach Parker and his coaching staff were able to get the Tigers so focused while encouraging them to stay positive and just play the game they were born to play.
Unfortunately, the Tigers lost that day and of course, the players were upset but the one thing I noticed is that everyone including the fans, parents, and assistant coaching staff went directly up to Coach Parker gave him a big hug, and thanked him for his dedication to them and the game of basketball. That really spoke to me. The fact that the first thing everyone did after the loss was go up to Coach Parker to encourage and congratulate him on an outstanding season said to me that the Tiger community knew he gave the team and LHS his all regardless of the loss. Click below to read about the Tiger’s 2019 District Title run!
When I heard the news about Coach Parker and his battle with cancer my heart broke in two. Why does such an amazing human being have to go through so much pain? It just didn’t make sense to me. Then I read about the positive outlook Coach Parker decided to take on the entire situation. Wow what a selfless person. Instead of giving up on life, Coach Parker has decided to inspire others battling cancer through words of encouragement and sharing his own story. Although I am more than saddened by Coach Parker’s cancer diagnosis I know that he will do everything in his power to defeat cancer and spread love and kindness along the way!
Coach Parker, I want you to know that you have inspired me to not only be a better person but also spread positivity with a smile on my face regardless of what obstacles may be challenging me. I am here for you, your awesome family, and the Tiger’s Women’s Basketball Team, and I will do whatever I can to help you spread that cancer won’t defeat your spirit or dedication to the Loveland/Tiger community! We love you here at Loveland Magazine and we can’t wait to see how successful you will be in the near future!
Sincerely,
Cassie Mattia
Continue reading to see Loveland Magazine Editor in Chief, David Miller’s tribute to Coach Parker.
Dear Coach Parker,
You’ve become too much of a personal friend not to offer anything but, “Loveland Magazine is here for you to offer our support in any way we can.” You are more to me than just someone Loveland Magazine covers as a sports figure. I’ve come to love how you coach, always that big smile, always that grin, always that encouragement to your players. Even the prodding I see towards the officials is done with your natural good nature.
To Coach’s players… I am here for you too. Trying to put myself in your Nike’s is impossible because I have never been there, but I acknowledge how difficult this is for you. Loveland Magazine is here for you too!
Loveland Magazine is here for you… to help you all cut down this net too and we will be here to cover you cutting down many, many more!
