MAPFRE Stadium today announced it will once again serve as host for the 2016 Columbus City League Championships, presented by the Columbus Crew SC Foundation, this Thursday, October 13. Prior to the championships at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. ET, a special match is set to take place at 3:30 p.m. ET between the Linden McKinley High School boys’ team and the South Bulldogs. Entry to the special match at 3:30 is free with tickets for the championship matches sold for $6 beginning at 5 p.m. ET at the MAPFRE Stadium box office.
The match for Linden McKinley is part of a continued collaboration between the school and the Crew SC Foundation. This year, the Crew SC Foundation has made it possible for the school to field a boys’ team for the first time in a decade. The Crew SC Foundation previously provided the team with equipment including jerseys, shorts, balls, goals and more, allowing Linden McKinley to play a match on September 15 – its first in 10 years.
Through Crew SC’s Give Forward platform, presented by MAPFRE Insurance, Black & Gold defender Chad Barson’s annual “Barson’s Boots” cleat drive campaign gave each Linden McKinley player a brand new pair of cleats, with Barson also volunteering on matchdays. Crew SC Brand Ambassador Frankie Hejduk helped lead training sessions for the team and helped the team prepare for a return to the field, with Hejduk on the sideline assisting every match this season. Crew SC midfielder Ethan Finlay visited with the team ahead of its first match, provided a talk and later purchased a Chipotle meal for the entire team and their families to celebrate the first match. The Crew SC Foundation has also provided Linden McKinley with post-match meals in every match since the team’s opener. The match for Linden McKinley on October 13 marks a return for the club to MAPFRE Stadium after the team watched warmups and was recognized prior to Crew SC’s match on September 25, with the Crew SC Foundation providing match tickets.
Following the exhibition match, the Columbus City League Championships begin with the girls' competition begins at 5:30 p.m. ET, with the Centennial Stars set to take on the Whetstone Braves. The boys' competition is set to follow the conclusion of the girls' competition, where the Beechcroft Cougars will play the West Cowboys at 7:30 p.m. ET. The inaugural Columbus City League Championships took place in 2011, making 2016 the sixth edition for both boys' and girls' championships.
The matches are presented by the Crew SC Foundation. Amenities such as the facility, field and public address are all provided at no cost to the schools in competition.
Following the completion of both City League Championship games, an MVP and accompanying $1,000 scholarship to be applied to higher learning, courtesy of the Columbus Crew SC Foundation and the Atlapac Corporation, will be awarded to a player on each championship winning team.
