Akron Firestone High School Baseball
2011 Team Preview

Team Information:

The 2010 Akron Firestone High School Baseball team returns twelve (12) lettermen
including nine (9) seniors, and five (5) players selected as All-City selections
from the 2010 squad. Firestone will bring back four of their top six pitchers
from the 2010 team that boasted a team ERA of 3.63 and hope to improve on a 16-13 record.

The Falcons compete in the Akron City Series and once again this year will face one
of the most difficult non-league schedules in the area which will include Lake,
Cuyahoga Falls, St. Ignatius, Archbishop Hoban, Massillon, Wadsworth, Medina,
Mentor Lake Catholic, Youngstown Cardinal Mooney, Zanesville, and the 2010 Division
II State Runner-up and Nationally Ranked Walsh Jesuit.

The returning Senior Class is the largest in numbers under Lightfoot’s tenure
and verystrong in experience as eight starters return and several players being
actively recruited by college level programs. The team will be led by 2010
All-City selections, SS/2B, Sr. Jordan Shaffer, 3B, Sr. George “Tre” Turner,
LHP/DH, Sr. Joe Cianciola, C/DH, Sr. Kyle Reilly, and OF/SS, Jr. Phil McIntyre.
Also playing a major role this year will be returning starters 1B, Sr. Lance Dokes,
RHP/OF, Sr. Nate Shaffer, LHP/OF, Sr. Rob Kinley, and returning lettermen RHP/2B/SS,
Sr. Kudzi Munodawafa, 2B, Sr. Drew Lindenberger, OF, Jr. Chris Merzweiller, SS/3B,
Jr. Nick Heimbaugh, and C/OF, So. Tom Lehman.

Brad Lightfoot enters his ninth full season as Head Coach (126-109) and his
eleventh year working with the Firestone High School Baseball Program. The Varsity
Assistant Coaches will be Doug Bryson(University of Dayton) and Tom Lentz
(University of Cincinnati), while the Junior Varsity will be run by Jeff Sloan
(University of Akron), the Frosh will be under the guidance of Bryan Celik (University
of Akron), and the Litchfield Middle School team will be run by Henry Payden.

Contact Information:
Brad Lightfoot
Cell: (330) 715-6226
Home: (330) 869-8120
E-mail: blightfoot@neo.rr.com
Web Site: www.falconbaseball.org

Coach Background:

Head Coach – Brad Lightfoot is entering his ninth full year (126-109) and his
eleventh year working with the baseball program. Brad was born and raised in
Logan, Ohio, a city in Southeast Ohio where he played baseball and football at
Logan High School. Brad graduated from Logan High School in 1979, and was then
recruited to play baseball at Kent State University where he went on to receive
an Associates Degree in Architecture. He then went on to earn a Bachelors of
Science Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Akron, and his Masters
in Business Administration again from Kent State University. Brad is married,
and with his wife of 24 years, Loraine, has two children Alexandrea (19),
a second year junior at Ohio State, and Spencer (18), a senior at Firestone
High School. The family resides in West Akron.

• 2001 Team 18-9, Hudson Sectional Champions
• 2003 Team 13-15, City Runner-Up, Named All-City Coach of the Year
• 2004 Team 13-13, City Champions, Named All-City Coach of the Year
• 2005 Team 19-9, City Champions, (Neil Lindgren, All-City Player of the Year)
• 2006 Team 15-13, City Runner-Up, Hudson Sectional Runner-Up
• 2008 Team 14-14, City Champions, Named All-City Coach of the Year, (Jonathan Kienzle, Beacon Journal Scholar Athlete of the Year)
• 2009 Team 15-14, Hudson Sectional Runner-Up
• 2010 Team 16-13, City Champions, Hudson Sectional Runner-Up, Named All-City Coach of the Year, (Tom Bekelesky, All-City Player of the Year, Second Team All-State)

Returning Varsity Starters:

Joe Cianciola, LHP/DH, Sr., 5’-11”, 220 Lbs

• .455 Career BA , and (5) 2B in 2010
• 3-5 Career Record
• Academic All-City Selection in 2009 and 2010
• All-City Selection 2010
• Grove City College Recruit

Jordan Shaffer, SS/2B, Sr., 5’-9”, 180 Lbs

• .560 BA, (16) 2B, (1) 3B, (2) HR in 2009
• School Record .560 BA in 2009 (#1 in Northeast Ohio)
• Career .488 BA, (28) 2B, (5) 3B, (3) HR, (58) RBI, .671 SLG, and .596 OBP
• All-City Selection in 2008, 2009, & 2010
• Academic All-City Selection in 2008, 2009, & 2010
• 2009 Firestone Outstanding Offensive Player
• 2009 & 2010 Firestone Scholar Athlete
• University of Buffalo, & University of Miami (OH) Recruit

George “Tre” Turner, 3B, Sr., 5’-10”, 210 Lbs

• Career .388 BA, (20) 2B, (4) HR, & (43) RBI
• All-City Selection in 2009 & 2010
• Academic All-City Selection in 2009 & 2010
• Mount Union University Recruit

Nate Shaffer, RHP/OF, Sr., 6’-1”, 210 Lbs

• Career .477 BA, (5) 2B, (1) 3B
• Career 4-5 Record, 4.88 ERA, 63 K, 35 BB
• All-City Candidate in 2010
• Muskingum College, & Alderson Broaddus Recruit

Lance Dokes, 1B, Sr., 6’-4”, 230 Lbs

• Career .349 BA, (4) 2B, (1) HR, (13) RBI
• Wayne State University Recruit

Robert Kinley, LHP/OF, Sr., 5’-8”, 150 Lbs

• Career 3-0 Record, 0.00 ERA
• Career .529 BA
• Shawnee State Recruit

Kyle Reilly, C, Sr., 5’-10”, 200 Lbs

• All-City Selection in 2010
• Academic All-City Selection in 2010
• 4 Year Letterman in Golf, 2 Year Letterman in Baseball

Phil McIntyre, OF/SS, Jr., 5’-9”, 170 Lbs

• Career .345 BA, (12) RBI
• 3.90 seconds home to first
• Division I Baseball Prospect

Team Outlook:

The Falcons are looking to repeat as the regular season Akron City Championship and
win the City Series Championship. It is also a goal to win the Hudson Sectional Championship,
and set their sights on performing well and competing in the Hudson District in 2011.
The team last season fell short with a disappointing late inning loss to Twinsburg in the Hudson
Sectional Final in 2010. The team brings a strong experienced pitching staff returning three
starting pitchers, Joe Cianciola, Nate Shaffer, and Rob Kinley, and hope for repeat outstanding
performances at the plate by returning starters Jordan Shaffer, George “Tre” Turner, Lance
Dokes, and Phil McIntyre. The team will benefit by the return of Chris Merzweiller, and Kyle
Reilly and the addition of newcomer pitchers Brandon Maddern, and Kevin Halverson.

Akron City Series Outlook:

The top two teams in the Akron City Series are expected to be Akron Firestone and Akron
Ellet, city series champions. Akron Ellet will return three All-City selections from 2010;
LHP Nick Liston, OF Nate Geer, and OF Aaron Male. Akron Firestone hopes to maintain a
prolific offense from 2010, and expand on an already experienced pitching staff from 2010
to repeat as regular season City Champions, regain the City Series Title and compete in
the 2010 Hudson District.

2011 Gallery

Media for Summer Team will be posted as it is recieved