The562’s coverage of Lakewood Athletics is sponsored by J.P. Crawford, Class of 2013.
Lakewood volleyball coach Mike Wadley hit a rare milestone over the weekend, as he won his 500th game as head coach of the Lancers. Wadley is believed to be the first high school volleyball coach in Long Beach or the Moore League to cross 500 varsity wins–Cal-Hi sports only keeps official coaching records for football, basketball, and baseball/softball so official records don’t exist statewide.
Wadley has certainly made history at Lakewood however. His 2007 state champs are the only CIF State championship team in school history, and he’s won a quarter of the school’s league titles in the 19 years he’s been the head coach of the Lancers. Wadley has said this will be his final season as head coach at Lakewood.
“It’s hard to be an athletic director and a coach, and I think I can serve the school and the league at a higher capacity,” Wadley said before the season. “I want to make our athletic program better and make people want to come here… And my sense of urgency and focus is increased because I know there’s an endgame.”
It hasn’t been the season Wadley and the Lancers were hoping for, as they’ve struggled with a young roster and injuries. Still, Lakewood is improving as they have each year under Wadley. They went to the prestigious Durango tournament in Vegas over the weekend needing four wins to get Wadley to 500 career victories, and they achieved it.
Lakewood hosts first-place Poly on Thursday at 430pm.
