WINONA LAKE — Lakeland Christian Academy inducted two individuals, 1995 alum Matt Reeve and former basketball coach Jay Lavender into its athletic hall of fame on Nov. 23. This was the fourth annual induction ceremony, held during homecoming weekend. Reeve played varsity soccer and varsity basketball for the Cougars from between 1991 and 1995 and was a member of the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) State Basketball Championship Team his senior year (1994-95). Reeve was a standout on the soccer field and a member of three state championship teams. In 1991, his freshman year, LCA captured the Indiana Christian Athletic Association (ICAA) State Soccer Championship, then won the ACSI State Soccer Championships his last two seasons, in 1993 and 1994. Reeve was named First Team All-Conference in the Northern Indiana Soccer Conference (NISC) in his junior and senior seasons as well. He was a pure finisher, scoring 26 goals as a junior and 33 goals in his final campaign. Other accolades during Reeve’s senior season include being a member of the Eagle Cup All-Star Team at the St. Joe High School tournament and being named the Most Valuable Offensive Player at the National Association of Christian Athletes (NACA) All-Star game in Dayton, TN. Lavender was a posthumous induction, having coached girls basketball, leading the junior high team to an ACSI State Championship in 1998. He returned three years later to take over the helm at the varsity level and was the head coach from 2001-2012. Lavender led the Lady Cougars to ACSI State Championships in 2002 and 2004. Lakeland Christian Academy later entered into the Indiana Christian School Tournament, where he was credited with six regional championships and six final four appearances. The Lady Cougars were runners-up at the Midwest Regional for Christian Schools and Home Schools in Cincinnati in 2008, and finished in fifth place among 32 teams from five states in the same tournament in 2010. Lavender reached the milestone of 100 wins on Dec. 11, 2009, and finished his coaching career with 119 victories. Lavender insisted his players employ the ‘CSA for LCA’ priority system. His players were expected to exhibit their relationship with Christ (C) first; maintain Scholarship (S) eligibility standards second, and increase their Athleticism (A) third, as they grew as Christians and scholars.
