Lorain senior football players share jerseys with staff members who've meant most to them

LORAIN — By the time they reach senior year, high school students have interacted with countless school staff members. On Thursday, senior football players at Lorain High School honored the staff members who have meant the most to them by sharing their jerseys for the day. The idea for the jersey exchange program came from head football coach Damion Creel, who brought it with him from his previous coaching job at Beachwood. Thursday was senior night for the team. "Relationships are big for me," Creel said. "And I just want our kids to have those relationships with the adults at Lorain High, so that they can learn how to deal with people and create a culture and an atmosphere here that is loving and respectful from teacher to student, and student to teacher." Wilfredo Gotay-Cotto, who plays outside linebacker for the Titans, chose school safety officer Michael Grissom to wear his jersey. Gotay-Cotto said he can always find Grissom on the sideline at football games, but he also considers the safety officer a mentor in life outside of sports. "How I walked in and how I felt, he saw right through it. He knew when something was wrong," Gotay-Cotto said. "He would talk to me as reality." Being a mentor who really knows the students is something Grissom said he aspires to, so he can help address situations before they even happen. He said it has been a pleasure to watch Gotay-Cotto grow from his freshman year to now, and he became emotional when learning the senior had chosen him to exchange his jersey with. "Sometimes as people working with students, you don't know you have that (connection) until something like this happens," Grissom said. "You can talk to them all the time, but yeah, it was an emotional part for me." Senior center and guard Jacob Addis chose health and physical education teacher Melissa Sayers Wodtly to wear his jersey because she taught him how to push through adversity and leave grudges behind. "She's basically taught me a lot of things that helped me through high school," he said. Addis is now the president of the peer mediation club at Lorain High School, which is advised by Sayers Wodtly. He was drawn to the club as a freshman because the members at the time made the group feel like a family, and now he is in a position to have that same impact on other students. Looking back on the moment he told Sayers Wodtly he'd like her to wear his jersey, Addis smiled and remembered how excited she was to be recognized in that way. She described her teaching style as "firm but fair" and said her caring nature makes her a mother figure for some students. Sayers Wodtly said she has seen many of the seniors grow from "young boys to amazing young men" during their time at Lorain High School. Damarion Rivera, a senior offensive tackle, reflected on his freshman year when selecting early college and academic specialist Matthew Kielian as the staff member to wear his jersey. "One time I basically had a breakdown, and I went to him and talked to him," Rivera said. "We just connected after that." When this school year began after the COVID-19 pandemic kept students home for large parts of the previous two years, Rivera said Kielian again gave him excellent advice for his classes. Kielian — who also is Lorain's head boys basketball coach — said it means a lot for a staff member to realize how appreciated they are and how much they appreciate their students. He said many of his conversations with Rivera are about maximizing every opportunity given to him. "I think there are times when our kids need that extra push, that extra encouragement. Damarion is doing really well, and I'm extremely proud," Kielian said. Lorain faced Shaker Heights at George Daniel Field on Thursday evening. Creel plans to have the entire football team participate in the jersey exchange before the final game of the season, against Shaw High School. Contact Dylan Reynolds at (440) 329-7123 or dreynolds@chroniclet.com. Follow him on Twitter @drey1357.