By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

Ravenna High School will honor one of its all-time greats on Friday.

Lauren Calhoun, who is the Ravens’ all-time leading scorer in basketball — boys or girls — will be recognized prior to the start of the school’s Week 1 football home opener against Lorain.

Calhoun finished her career at Ravenna with 1,259 points, which is more than any other boys or girls basketball player in Ravenna High School history.

Other 1,000-point scorers from the Ravens’ girls program feature Andrea Parshall (1,210 points) DiAndra Gibson (1,126) and Deja Sanders.

In boys basketball, Ravenna’s leading scorer is Stan Trivelli with 1,163 points.

“We wanted to do something special for Lauren,” Ravenna athletic director Jim Lunardi, who said that the school plans to hang permanent 1,000-point scorer banners inside the high school gymnasium as part of honoring Calhoun.

“To recognize Lauren and to also tie it into the 50th anniversary of Title IX, we thought it was a great way to do both at the same time. And that was really (Superintedent) Dr. (Laura) Hebert’s idea and it was a really good one.”

Calhoun, a 6-foot post player, will be entering her senior season on the Wheeling University (W.V.) women’s basketball team.

Last season for the Cardinals, Calhoun led the team in points per game (19.4), rebounds (11.4) and minutes (31.8). She also was the team leader in blocked shots with 20.

Calhoun’s 19.4 points per game average led the entire Mountain East Conference and she was named First Team All-Conference and Second Team All-Region.

Lunardi said the school made the decision to recognize Calhoun during the football season to avoid interfering with her college basketball season at Wheeling.

Calhoun’s parents Will and Pamela Calhoun, along with many of her closest family members will all be in attendance on Friday.

“We donated tickets to the whole family,” Lunardi said. “It should be a really nice night.”

Lunardi also added how much respect he gained for Calhoun during her high-school career, which only grew after graduation.

“I think a lot of Lauren,” Lunardi said. “She was a great student here, a great young lady that worked hard and achieved success in a class way. No matter who she was around, she was always genuine. To everyone all the time.”

Calhoun has continued to return to Ravenna to workout during her summer breaks.

“She is great with all the kids here,” Lunardi said. “She comes back to work out, she gives advice to the younger players, she is just a special person.”