CLEVELAND, Ohio — Garfield Heights and Shaker Heights could soon be back in the Lake Erie League.
LEL president Bryan Koury confirmed Thursday both schools have been invited to rejoin the league, and Shaker Heights' school board unanimously approved Tuesday plans to exit the Greater Cleveland Conference.
Garfield Heights' school board has yet to make a decision, but it could do so Tuesday, Jan. 22 during its next meeting.
"We, as a league, have decided they're both a perfect fit," said Koury, who also is Lorain's athletic director. "It would bring us back to eight schools with the departure of Lutheran East."
The LEL currently includes seven schools, but Lutheran East is leaving this year after two seasons as a partial member.
Shaker Heights notified school employees Thursday of the potential move in an email obtained by cleveland.com. It outlines a plan to rejoin the LEL beginning with the 2020-21 school year after giving notice to the GCC.
Garfield Heights could join by next winter because it is currently an independent, but Koury said scheduling conflicts prevent fall sports teams from joining this year. Garfield Heights athletic director Dale Krzynowek said he could not comment on the potential move because his school board has yet to vote on it.
"If they agreed to join the league by the end of this month, we would be able to include them for winter and spring," Koury said.
In addition to Garfield Heights and Shaker Heights, the LEL would consist of Bedford, Cleveland Heights, Lorain, Maple Heights, Shaw and Warrensville Heights.
Both Garfield and Shaker Heights were previously LEL members, with Garfield departing in 2007 and Shaker in 2012. Both joined the Northeast Ohio Conference, which disbanded by 2015 with eight of those members forming the GCC.
Shaker was among them, but the school cited improved leadership, diversity and travel costs among its reasons to rejoin the LEL.
"I'm ecstatic," Shaker boys basketball coach Danny Young said. "I think we can create more excitement and enthusiasm with more rivalries that are closer to us."
Shaker and Garfield already play most LEL schools in boys and girls basketball. Shaker regularly scrimmages Cleveland Heights in football, as the schools are neighboring districts.
"In terms of time and distance and getting kids home earlier, it's cost savings for our districts," Young said.
Shaker's closest GCC rivals, Euclid and Solon, are about 13-mile drives. Others exceed 30 miles.
"We had no packed crowds at those games ever," Young said. "Now, Warrensville, Shaw and Cleveland Heights, the parents are going to show up for that."
Young added diversity, which his school board cited, among chief reasons to move. He recalled some games in which his players were subject to racial slurs from spectators, and said he asked Shaker's administration to consider a new athletic league.
"I was just very concerned something bad was going to happen," Young said. "Thank God I have disciplined kids who don't respond to that kind of stuff."
Steps still must be taken to officially join the LEL. In the Shaker board's email to faculty, it stated the move is pending "an impact review in January 2020 of a series of benchmarks, such as scheduling, transportation and costs. The Board will ensure that all Shaker athletic teams understand and are comfortable with this sports league change prior to the start of the 2020-2021 athletic season."
As for Lutheran East, it formally withdrew from the LEL at the beginning of this school year. Athletic director Anthony Jones said his school will be independent, but it is seeking new league membership.
"We want to join a conference with football," he said. "We felt the LEL was extremely competitive in basketball, both boys and girls, but this frees up opportunities to join a conference in football."
Lutheran East is a Division V football school while most LEL teams are in Divisions I and II.
Contact sports reporter Matt Goul on Twitter (@mgoul) or email ([email protected]). Or log in and leave a message below in the comments section.
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