Who has the best high school basketball gym in Greater Akron? Here are our 8 favorites
Through the cold months of winter, one of the warmest places to gather can be a high school gymnasium.
Future athletes often watch their first game inside a local gym. Some return to coach at the same spot for decades.
In some place, a high school gym is the place entire communities come to congregate.
What makes a gym great? Is it large crowds, modern amenities or an old-school feel? Greater Akron has plenty of variation on what makes home-court advantage.
Here's a look at some top high school gyms in the region:
Greynolds Court at Barberton: The Purple Palace in the Magic City
Basketball has been huge in Barberton since the days of Jack Greynolds in the 1970s. Coach Greynolds lent his name to the Magics' old gym, as well as the one that opened with the school in 2000.
"When we came from the old place, Greynolds Gymnasium, that was a pretty special place," said Barberton athletic director John Sabol. "It was important for us to have just as good a place at the new school."
Greynolds Court provides that place as one of the largest gyms in Summit County. Sabol said the purple seating on all four sides gives the gym a small college feel.
That aura was heightened with the arrival of an LED video board last November.
Little wonder why this gym hosts district and regional tournaments on an annual basis.
LeBron James Arena at St. Vincent-St. Mary: Hail to the King
LeBron James, the greatest of local players, helped fund the upgrade to the gym in which he played at St. Vincent-St. Mary. It now bears his name and remains one of the most popular gyms in Akron.
"LeBron came back about 10 years ago and redid the whole venue," said STVM athletic director Kyle Sasala. "He put a lot of money into it and really upgraded the facility for all the kids for years to come."
The lights at STVM are brighter, despite the number of banners hanging from the rafters.
"It has that success and tradition behind it," Salata said. "It has the blood, sweat and tears of a lot of great basketball players, obviously LeBron, Malaki (Branham) and a couple other guys who have been through the college ranks as well as the NBA. The panoramic view is amazing for our students and our spectators. It's normally rocking on a Tuesday or Friday night."
Another big feature is a mural/plaque collection detailing James' career by the entrance.
Wadsworth: A tradition updated
Wadsworth can't lay claim to one of the greatest ever to play basketball, but it can claim a tradition of raucous crowds that made its gym unwelcome to visitors.
"I was fortunate enough to play in the old gym and coach in the new gym," said Wadsworth boys coach DJ Shrock. "The old gym had some really great memories. I still have some nostalgia there. We tried to imitate that a little with this gym. It's beautiful. The floor is great. Everywhere you sit, there is not a bad spot."
The current gym opened in 2012 and feels like a Division I facility with plenty of capacity in its two large crimson stands.
Still, Shrock wonders if Wadsworth lost a bit of home-court advantage when it moved from its old facility.
"Everyone was on top of the floor. We had it packed quite a few times back in the day," Shrock said. "The modern gym, especially with how big this is, you'd like to get a more intimate setting where you can get it louder. I think how nice this gym is and how accommodating it is — that's what makes it so attractive."
Woodridge: Most improved in Greater Akron?
"Intimate" was one way to describe Woodridge's old gym, though coach Ric Blevins uses less charitable words to describe it.
"The old gym here, as dangerous as it was and as small as it was, it became a big advantage for some of our teams," Blevins said. "It was always hot in there."
In 2018, that changed as Woodridge opened its new gym as part of a $33.5 million bond issue.
The new maroon-draped gym is much more spacious and well lit, though Blevins wonders if the Bulldogs lost something in the transition.
"Our current gymnasium is a lot nicer," Blevins said. "It's more fan-friendly. It holds a lot more people. It's air conditioned, so I'm sure the people enjoy that part. I don't know if we can say we have a home-court advantage here. If we have a good team, we play on the road and at home. When we're not a good team, it seems to follow us."
The Warrior Dome at Walsh Jesuit: A unique house
Space has never been an issue at Walsh Jesuit's Warrior Dome.
"I think the architecture of the dome makes it so unique from many high schools," said Walsh athletic director Mark Hassman. "When we get visiting high schools come from other areas come see our dome for the first time, they're amazed by architecture. We have a lot of space behind the hoops, which gives a lot of depth perception differences. I think the uniqueness is what makes it so pleasing for teams to come and play."
Hassman said the dome shape also keeps the decibel level high despite being large enough to accomodate large events like the annual Walsh Ironman wrestling tournament.
"Especially for Ironman wrestling, the fans are right on the mats," he said. "That atmosphere in the dome is great. The acoustics kind of makes it even louder. It makes it that much better. Having a gym where kids are excited to play here when they visit makes it fun for me as an AD."
Barry Gym at Archbishop Hoban: Old-school flavor
Archbishop Hoban's Barry Gym takes the opposite aesthetic to the Warrior Dome. The intimate confines include a stage on the south side and balcony seating on the north end.
"I'd say the room is old, but the maintenance guys do a great job with the floor," said Hoban athletic director Matt Bing. "I would say its an old building, but its not old on the inside. As long as you've got fans here, there's a home-court advantage."
There is one modern touch inside Barry, as a large LED scoreboard hangs on the south wall.
Tom Jones Court at Cuyahoga Falls: The granddaddy of Summit County
Gyms don't get more old-school than Coach Tom Jones Court at Cuyahoga Falls.
The facility that houses Jones Court has been in operation since 1922.
Falls athletic director Kenny Johnson knows the gym well, having played, coached and administrated there.
"I think this gym is iconic. It's one of the biggest gyms in Northeast Ohio," Johnson said. "Some great players have come through here. Some great coaches, including Bobby Knight. There's a lot of history in here. Seeing this gym completely full in the early '90s was great. It will be sad to see it go."
It will go during the 2025-26 school year when the new Cuyahoga Falls High School is set to open.
"The new gym will obviously will be a little bit smaller. It's all dictated by enrollments," Johnson said. "I think the capacity of the new gym will be about 1,500. We'll start our 2025 season here and then finish the season over there. I just think it will be full all the time"
Johnson said he would like to see the large Black Tiger mural painted above the south entrance make its way to the new gym.
'The Jungle' at Manchester: Farewell to a legend
If Falls wants lessons in how to transfer from a historic gym to a new facility, all it has to do is ask Manchester.
"The Jungle" recently hosted its final home basketball game, as the new Manchester High School will open at the start of next school year. The Panthers' home has been open since 1961 and is showing its age.
"We are long overdue for new facilities," said Manchester athletic director Brody Jackson said. "Now, we go through the blueprints and everyone says we should do this. No matter what we build, it's going to be better than what we have now. We are very, very, very excited to get a new gym."
That said, the venue will be missed, as its close confines were perfect for a community of Manchester's size.
"It will be interesting to see how the new gym develops," said longtime Manchester coach Jim France. "I think we needed a new school, but as far as this gym goes, [The Jungle is] as good as any gym around."
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Our favorite Greater Akron high school gyms around Summit County
