We are saddened by the passing of Coach Cap. He touched the lives of so many as basketball coach at Heights. Coach Cap and players set the standard to which we hold ourselves to this very day. Tiger Nation is sending prayers to the Cappelletti family during this difficult time.
Cleveland Heights High School
Class Of 1969
Sports
BASEBALL
Tris Speaker Little League 1961 Wiley Jr High
Braves
| Coach Dubb, ? , ? , ? Coach Uberstein |
| Stanley Dubb, ? , Sammy Borsolino, Skippy Stone, Mike Gallegher, Joe Catullo, Jerry Siegal |
| Perry Eisner, ? , ? , Jim Papp, ?, Coach Stanley Stone, Mark Uberstein, David Holts, Ricky Applebaum, Kenny Light |
| Kenny Applebaum, Janet Stone |
| White Sox |
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Tris Speaker Little League 1962 Wiley Jr High
White Sox
| Mark Uberstein, Chuck Balcher, Jerry Siegal, Al Weiss, Wayne Basch, David or Karl Wuest, Peter Bardon, Stewart Lebovitz and others |
Tris Speaker Little League 1962 Wiley Jr High
Dodgers
| Wayne Basch, John Sutula, Joe Catullo, Rick Schenkleberg, Ken Pomeroy, Ralph, Napoletana |
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Arnie Knect, Bill Gore, Marty Lewis, George Dodworth, Randy Marks, Gary Goldberg, Harold Zion ?
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| Perry Eisner, Richard Wright Not pictured: Barry Isaacs, Jon Lindgren |
| Cubs |
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Cleveland Heights/University Heights Little League 1962
Twins
| Louie Berman, Ross Bushman, Bob Bushman, Ed Becker, Ed Vinocur, Alan Arons, Jeff Mervis, Gary Werner, Alan Bittman and more |
Tris Speaker Little League 1963 Wiley Jr High Baseball Fields
Angels
| Coach, Mark Abrahams, Arnie Knect, Mike Abrahams, Max Roebuck, ? , Mike Gallagher, Coach |
| Coach Roebuck, Perry Eisner, Harvey Litowitz, Stuart Neidus, John Digravio, ?, ?, ?, ? , Ricky Applebaum, Coach |
| Athletics |
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Yankees
| Chuck Balcher, Ricky Morrison to name a few |
1964
Heights High Varsity Baseball Team 1969
Travis Kelce
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BASKETBALL
Monticello Jr. High School Basketball Team 1965
Roosevelt Jr. High School Basketball Team 1965
| Perry Eisner, Henry Lustig, Ralph Klein, Bob Simpson, Stuart Neidus, Gary Bryan, ?, Block,?Levy, Harvey Litowitz, Jerry Zake, Jack Topel, Stuart Lebowitz, Roy Meckler, Louie Berman and others |
Roosevelt Jr. High School Basketball Team 1966
| ? |
| Dale Winsberg, ?, ?, Stu Gladstone, Perry Eisner, David Goldstein, Bruce Barron |
| Louis Berman, Danny Hecht, Jack Topel, Jerry Zake, Bob Kinstlinger, Roy Mickler, Harvey Litovitz, Mike Stevens |
| Kneeling- Stewart Lebovitz |
Roosevelt Jr. High School Girls All Star Basketball Team 1965-1966
Roosevelt Jr. High School Cheerleaders 1965-1966
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| Fran Thomas, ?, Shirley Hyatt, Dorothea Colnon, Sharon Ming, ? |
| From the photo collection of Shirley Hyatt |
Heights High Basketball Team 1969
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Travis Kelce
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FOOTBALL
Wiley Jr. High Football Team 1965
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| Ray Warner, coach |
| Steve Glazer, Jerry Slomovitz, David Tomsich,?, David Paris |
| Bert Engle, Gene Leiberman, Ron Gutter, Lenny Reardon, Steve Lavin, Ronald Friedman, Joel Newman |
| David Sutton, Ricky Morrison, Steve Koblentz, ?, Doug Bruell, Billy Lefton, Joel Urban,?, Mark Uberstine, Jerry Simms, ?, |
| ?, Bob Weiss, Kenny Cohen, ? , Irv Berkowitz, Marc Charney, Pat Corrigan, Mark Abrahams, Mike Abrahams, Kenny Fisher, Henry Schwartz |
Monticello Jr. High Football Team 1965
| ?,?,?,?, Sandy Siegel, Gary Pollack, ?,?, Ross Bushman |
| Mr. Lou Tsipis, Eric Arnold, ?, ?, ?, Gary Werner, ?, Craig Schuetzow, ?,? |
| David Buchler, Larry Levy, David Lash, David Simon, Bob Hertz, John Waggle, Roger Sherman, Gerald Gurney, Allan Miller, Mr. Florian |
| Bob Finkle, Danny Weir, James Basilone, Frank Salamone, Michael Horlak, Donald Bopp, Marty Himmel, Bob Uzon, ? |
Roosevelt Jr. High Football Team 1965
| #41 Marshall Landesman, #35 Mike Hayes? |
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Jim Polster, Art Belfer, Cornelius Edwards, Stu Neidus, Gary Bryan, Bob Kinstlinger, Jack Topel, Ron Stein, Ken Light, Dale Winsberg
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Stu Gladstone, Henry Lustig, Mike Stevens, Jerry Zake, Stu Lebovitz, Louie Berman, Jeff Semco, Ralph Klein
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1968 Heights vs Brush |
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Ted Olmstead scoring a touchdown vs. Brush High. John Waggle in background. Gerald Gurney throwing block. |
| 1968 |
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Tackle of Shaw running back by Gerald Gurney. Mike Horlak (right), Joe Urban and Mark Uberstine (left and far left). |
Heights Varsity Football Team 1969
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| 20 years later... |
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| Kenny Light, Craig Scheitzow, Louie Berman, Irv Berkowitz, John Waggle, Gene Leiberman, Marc Charney, Bart Stein, Henry Lustig, Kenny Sherman?, Gerald Gurney |
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Bert Engle, Frankie Salamone, Mark Abrahams, Dave Gold, Johnny DiGravio, Jim Farmer |
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Travis Kelce
2008 Heights High Varsity Football
February 12, 2023 Superbowl LCII Arizona
Jason Kelce Crashes Brother Travis Kelce's Postgame Interview after Super Bowl LVll giving a shout out to Heights High:
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CHHS Alumni Hall of Fame Induction Speech - Travis Kelce
February 11, 2024 Superbowl LVIII Las Vegas
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WRESTLING
Heights High Wrestling Team 1969
50 years later... (2019)
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| 1969 Wrestlers: Marc Charney, Irv Berkowitz, Gerald Gurney, David Buchler, Chuck Balcher, Daniel Weir, Gary Goldberg |
February 11, 2023, Chuck Balcher and Gary Goldberg attended a wrestling tournament at Maple Heights High School and got their picture taken with the team. Pictured in the center is Coach Willie Newton, coach of the Cleveland Heights Wrestling Team and LEL Coach of the Year.
TRACK TEAM
Heights High Cross Country Team 1969
Roosevelt Jr. High School Track Team 1964
| Roy Meckler, Perry Eisner, Mike Stevens, Bob Simpson, Jeff Simco, ? Block, Louie Berman and others, Dale Winsberg manager |
Roosevelt Jr. High School Track Team 1965
| Roy Meckler, Perry Eisner, Mike Stevens, Jeff Simco, Bob Simpson, ? Block and others, Dale Winsberg manager |
TENNIS TEAM
Heights High Tennis Team 1969
SWIM TEAM
Heights High Varsity Swim Team 1969
Heights High Swim Cadets 1969
Heights High Swim Cadets 1969
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SOCCER
Heights High Varsity Soccer Team 1969
Jim Cappelletti, who shaped Cleveland Heights’ boys basketball program, dies at 85
The Plain Dealer
Jim Cappelletti, pictured before his 500th career victory in February 2003, died this week. He was 85 years old and led Cleveland Heights' boys basketball program for more than three decades. (Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com)
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Jim Cappelletti’s name is synonymous with Cleveland Heights basketball.
The former longtime boys coach led the Tigers for more than three decades, seeing them to a state championship in 1997 and developing some of the area's most memorable high school players. The court at Cleveland Heights is dedicated to him because of his contributions.
This week, Cappelletti’s family, former players and friends are mourning the 85 year old’s death. News of it circulated Thursday, as area coaches remembered him during their annual Greater Cleveland Basketball Coaches Association banquet.
"Heights is one of the most precious areas in high school basketball in Ohio," said GCBCA president Sean O'Toole, "and he was a big reason why."
Added Mentor coach Bob Krizancic, "I don't think there was a person I respected more on and off the court."
Cappelletti was married for more than 50 years. He and his wife, Nancy, had three children, Sharon, Kathy and James Jr. Services are pending, according to an online obituary by DeJohn Funeral Homes and Crematory.
Cappelletti won 539 basketball games, but also coached baseball, football and track. His teaching career began in 1959 at Wiley Middle School. He taught physical education there and at Cleveland Heights for five decades.
His basketball teams reached the state final four six times, including three championship game appearances and that 1997 state title. As a result, he is a member of the Ohio Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame.
"Heights' former players have a strong bond and brotherhood unlike any program, and that all started with him," said Damon Stringer, who won Ohio's Mr. Basketball award under Cappelletti in 1995.
Cleveland Heights reached the state final four three straight years with Cappelletti, Stringer and Co. in the mid-90s. Stringer added Cappelletti “was truly the key to our success. Among the many lessons, learning to respect your coach and how to truly lead a team were in the forefront.”
The Plain Dealer
Jim Cappelletti, pictured before his 500th career victory in February 2003, died this week. He was 85 years old and led Cleveland Heights' boys basketball program for more than three decades. (Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com)
Cappelletti's tenure with the Tigers ended in 2006, but he went on to help rival coach Bob Wonson at Shaker Heights.
“I can’t believe there has ever been an administrator, teacher or coach that has presented Cleveland Heights in a better light,” Wonson then told former Plain Dealer writer Eddie Dwyer, who added that the pair coached against each other 42 times.
Wonson died in 2009, but they left a lasting impact on their schools, which headlined a talent-rich Lake Erie League.
"I don't know if there was a better rivalry, especially in the '80s and '90s than Shaker Heights and Cleveland Heights," said O'Toole, who coached at Euclid during the end of their careers. "When the game was over they were best of friends, and as a coach that had an influence on me and so many younger coaches."
Krizancic said he remembered Cappelletti applying for head coaching jobs in his 70s following his Cleveland Heights run. The two first met in 1993 during their teams' state final four runs. Krizancic led Girard to a Division II state championship that year, while Cappelletti's Tigers were in the D-I semifinals.
They stayed at the same hotel in Columbus, and the coaches exchanged numbers. Within months, Krizancic was hired at Mentor and called Cappelletti. He invited Krizancic's new team to an ice arena in Cleveland Heights, where some of the area's powerhouses met up for open gyms.
In Cappelletti's 37 years at Cleveland Heights, he coached former NBA pro J.R. Bremer and several All-Ohio standouts.
"My first year, we bumped heads a few times," former Plain Dealer Player of the Year and All-Ohio guard Jon Battle said in 2003. "But I came to realize how much Cap cares. He's going to stay on you, that's for sure. But that's how you know he wants what's best for you."
Cappelletti returned last year to Cleveland Heights for a rededication of its basketball court in the rebuilt high school. The gym is named after him with "Cappelletti Court" inscribed on the baseline.