PHOTOS: Lakewood Vs. Millikan, Boys’ Soccer

The562’s coverage of Lakewood Athletics is sponsored by J.P. Crawford, Class of 2013. The562’s coverage of Millikan Athletics for the 2025-26 school year is sponsored by Brian Ramsey and TLD Law. The562’s high school soccer coverage for the 2025-26 season is sponsored by Long Beach Poly soccer alum Kennedy Justin

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – Schaeffer Academy’s Luke Friese knew he was playing well against Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons last week. He just didn’t know how well, exactly.

“I was just going, and I kept looking at the scoreboard like ‘we’re just going to keep winning,’” Freise said. “Our scoreboard doesn’t have the points of what player, so I was just out there playing. I had no clue what my stats were.”

“I asked our stat people at the end of the bench on the iPad, ‘how many does Luke have? And they said, ’29,’” head coach Tom Bance said. “We still had 5 minutes to go in the first half.”

Friese scored 36 points in the first half and 45 total in a Lions win. With the outing, he set the Schaeffer Academy single-game scoring record, breaking his own record from earlier this season.

“Since we have a close-knit community at Schaeffer, lots of people know that I play basketball and stuff, so it meant a lot to me that I got to get this record and get remembered at least a little part of Schaeffer that I scored the most points in a game.”

His massive performances are the result of a massive role. Last season he shared the floor with the Lions’ all-time leading scorer Ethan Van Schepen. This season, as one of just two seniors on the team, the offense flows through Friese.

“I really like being the go-to guy, but I also love passing it up to my teammates and making sure they get involved,” he said. “So I think we’ve found a good happy medium.”

A player willing to do whatever he needs to help the team.

“I’ve coached for a long time and he’s probably the best captain I’ve ever had, where he just leads those kids,” Bance said. “He’s encouraging the other guys to look for their shot and they’re doing a great job of getting better at that, but they’re still young, so Luke just knows ‘I’ve got to be the guy that’s going to have to score.’”

It’s a selfless approach to massive individual numbers. His ability as a three-level scorer is on display with each box score he fills and record he sets. As his name will live on in the Schaeffer Academy record books, it’s a perfect name to represent the Lions.

“He’s everything that I think Schaeffer basketball should be about: faith, hard work, dedication to the game,” Bance said. “So it couldn’t have happened to a better guy.”

Find stories like this and more, in our apps.

Copyright 2026 KTTC. All rights reserved.

Portola Coach Brian Smith leads his team in a game in December. (PHOTO: Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone).

Portola head boys basketball coach Brian Smith has been enjoying the 2025-26 season. His Bulldogs have a 15-5 overall record and are 2-0 in the Pacific Coast League.

In December, Smith celebrated his 300th career victory and after another game, his 100th career victory at Portola. It’s his 10th year running the Portola program, which is in its eighth year of varsity competitiion.

“That just says it’s a long career, I’ve been doing this a long time,” said Smith, who has been coaching for 30 years, 21 years as a head coach. “I’m very blessed to have coaches and players in New Mexico and here who played for me. I’ve opened two schools, there’s been a lot put into this career and I’m really enjoying this group right now, they’re making it more fun for me and my coaches do a great job.

“Those 300 wins, it’s all those other coaches and the players who played for me as well that make me do what I do.”

Portola hosts Woodbridge Tuesday night.

—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com

Cisco Blogs / Natalia Safatli

Leader, Customer Delivery

Americas CX SP Canada

I launched my Cisco career in 2012 as a bilingual logistics agent, energetically supporting the LATAM team, within our dynamic supply chain and logistics operations. Motivated by an unwavering commitment to excellence, innovation, and collaboration, I joined the Cisco High Touch Operations team in 2016, where I delivered outstanding support to American and Canadian customers.

Embracing new opportunities for growth, I advanced in 2021 to Service Delivery Manager, further progressing to Team Lead, Expert Care Lead, and now proudly serve as PMO and Expert Care Lead for Service Provider (SP) Canada. I am especially enthusiastic about the integration of artificial intelligence within our organization, recognizing its transformative impact on efficiency, customer experience, and the future of technology. Throughout my journey, I have remained deeply positive and grateful for the teamwork, mentorship, and visionary leadership that have shaped my professional path.

Beyond my fulfilling career, I am a proud mother of two and an active volunteer with the Canadian Red Cross and Saint John Ambulance dog therapy program in Halifax, Nova Scotia. My passion for community engagement extends to youth sports, where I serve as a backup coach for my daughter’s soccer team and actively support my son’s baseball team.

In my spare time, I am dedicated to continuous self-improvement, challenging myself through self-study, pursuing Cisco-recommended learning paths, and advancing my knowledge in AI and IT security. I approach every aspect of life and work with enthusiasm, optimism, and a genuine desire to create a positive and lasting impact.

Articles

Many in the area have their attention in the sports world on the Buffalo Bills after the exciting win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in the wildcard round. But there is reason to be excited when it comes to boys high school basketball in the north county.

Both Fredonia and Dunkirk are off to fantastic starts — and have brought renewed energy to a rivalry that played out more than a week ago. For the first time in eight years, the Marauders were victorious over the Hillbillies.

Sixto Rosario, longtime advocate and youth basketball enthusiast, is the Dunkirk coach. His emotions came out once the buzzer sounded.

“I want to thank all the fans and everybody for believing,” Rosario said. “I love Dunkirk. I love the program. I love the kids. This is a great feeling.”

Both teams play again in February in Fredonia. Based on the current winning ways for both schools, the tilt will be highly anticipated.

ROSEMONT — The Chicago Snowballs, a new team mixing baseball and family-friendly entertainment, are gearing up for their spring debut, with the team hosting a scrimmage in Rosemont last week.

The Snowballs, who brand themselves as pro baseball’s first co-ed “sportstainment” experience, hosted tryouts all last week at the The Dome at the Parkway Bank Sports Complex in suburban Rosemont.

Tryouts culminated Friday with an event called Inside the Snowglobe, a benefit for local youth sports. Fans watched the prospective players sing, dance, perform trick plays and perform with the Jesse White Tumblers and the Bucket Boys. Proceeds from the benefit went to support youth sports organizations in Chicago.

RELATED: Chicago Getting Its Own Savannah Bananas-Inspired Team

The players were spilt into teams that took turns scrimmaging and then would perform
dance and cheer routines for the fans during inning breaks.

CEO and co-founder Cherie Travis said the team will aim to give opportunities
to players who want to continue in baseball or softball and might not otherwise have
the chance to keep playing.

“If you played baseball or softball in college and you don’t make the majors or the
minors, you’re done,” Travis said. It was “the idea of creating another opportunity for
athletes; they don’t have to be the best pitcher. They need to be good ball players, and
they need to have a ton of fun and put that energy on the field.”

The Snowballs plan to play players a salary and profit share — and advertise equal
pay for male and female players.

“I feel like it was a great opportunity to come out and play coach, possibly get involved in management and help show that the women can compete with the men and have just as much fun,” said coach Allie Lacey.

KJ Gaiter, a youth baseball coach at Oz Park, said that his family and fiends encouraged him to try out.

“Playing baseball, I was always energetic, silly, goofy, but there’s a limit to it because you want to win at the same time,” Gaiter said. “To be able to be in a facility like this, an environment like this, where you can come out and play baseball and you can also be silly with it, it’s almost like being a kid playing baseball again. I feel like a kid in a playground.”

The Snowballs will play their first game May 3 at Kerry Wood Field, 3400 N. Rockwell St. in North Center.

The team will be based in Chicago and will tour the Midwest, operating in a similar fashion to the Harlem Globetrotters or the Savannah Bananas.

The Bananas, known for combining baseball with physical stunts, comedy, dancing and other skills, sold out Sox Park this summer and are making their way to Wrigley in July.

See more photos from Friday’s scrimmage:

Listen to the Block Club Chicago podcast: