While the postseason goes on for the Concordia Lutheran High School girls volleyball team and the Cadets football team, fall seasons for the rest of The Lutheran Schools have come to an end. Congratulations to the Central Chargers boys soccer team and the St. John-Emmanuel Tigers girls volleyball team for their championships.
In soccer, eight schools competed: Central Lutheran, St. Paul's, Wyneken, Lutheran South Unity, Holy Cross, Suburban Bethlehem, Concordia, and St. Peter's in Fort Wayne. Central and Holy Cross won regular-season divisional honors. Central beat Holy Cross in overtime on penalty kicks to claim Central's fourth-straight Lutheran School Athletic Association (LSAA) boys soccer tournament crown. For Holy Cross, it was the second-straight tournament runner-up finish. In girls volleyball, 12 schools competed, with 10 of the schools also fielding varsity 'B' squads: Central Lutheran, St. Paul's, Wyneken, Lutheran South Unity, Holy Cross, Suburban Bethlehem, Concordia, St. Peter's in Fort Wayne, St. John-Emmanuel, Emmanuel-St. Michael, Emmaus, and Ascension. Wyneken and Holy Cross won regular-season divisional championships. In the season-ending tournament, St. John-Emmanuel beat Wyneken in a hard-fought championship match, making Wyneken the runner-up for the second year in a row. Boys soccer and girls volleyball are two of the many sports opportunities offered for area Lutheran elementary schools through the LSAA, which "exists to provide an organized environment that promotes competition and fellowship among Christians in the greater Fort Wayne community." The LSAA promotes interscholastic athletics throughout the The Lutheran Schools by offering volleyball, basketball, track, and soccer for girls, and soccer, basketball, wrestling, and track for boys. Sportsmanship is a key element of the LSAA. While not directly a part of The Lutheran Schools Partnership, the LSAA demonstrates a goal of cooperation among The Lutheran Schools to provide a competitive learning experience that allows for God-given athletic ability to grow. Because of the emphasis on gaining experience, LSAA sports are not just for middle-schoolers, but, in some cases, engage third-graders and fourth-graders in athletic competition. We encourage you to support your Lutheran school's athletic program-including those sports not directly connected with the LSAA, such as cross country and Holy Cross football. These experiences are often treasured for a lifetime. Your support is important as you cheer on your team. Off we go into the basketball season, but in the meantime, it's still "Go Cadets!"
