One of the best lacrosse players to ever walk the halls of Saint Ignatius High School will be enshrined amongst legends this weekend.
The Ohio Lacrosse Hall of Fame will welcome Anthony Kelly '99 to its hallowed halls on Saturday.
Kelly will be honored at the Ohio Hall of Fame Luncheon at the Ohio Union Great Hall in Columbus, Ohio. The Ohio Lacrosse Hall of Fame, which inducted its first class in 1994, also features Ed Agajanian, a former Saint Ignatius head coach. Agajanian coached Kelly with the Wildcats.
Following Kelly's induction, the state's All-Americans will be honored, including Anthony Ameo '18 and Michael Boehm '20 of the Lax Cats.
Kelly has enjoyed an illustrious career at all levels of lacrosse. The man with the nickname "A-Train" has recorded all kinds of accolades in a career that spans two decades.
His journey began at Saint Ignatius. Following in the footsteps of his brother, Ryan, a 1996 graduate, Anthony picked up the stick as a freshman. "I fell in love with the game immediately," Kelly said.
Over the next four seasons, Kelly became a phenomenal player. A steamroller of a player, Kelly became a marksman in the faceoff circle and a brilliant midfielder. Kelly developed into one of the best Wildcat faceoff men of his time, a precursor to Ameo.
"Watching Anthony Kelly line up for a faceoff was like watching a jaguar stalk its prey," said Kelly's teammate and friend, Gordon Freidrich '98. "Everyone watching knew exactly what was going to happen except the prey. His physical strength coupled with his expertise and determination made for a lethal combination in the faceoff circle."
Kelly helped to lead the Cats to the OHSLA State Final Four for the third time in school history in 1998 and serving as a team leader as a co-captain in 1999.
"Lining up next to that guy on the wing was a lot of fun," Freidrich said. "He would drag, bull a dude over then start the fast break over and over again."
Kelly enjoyed his time at Saint Ignatius both on and off the field. Kelly credits Wildcat High with teaching him critical life lessons that served him well down the road.
"In the bigger picture, Saint Ignatius gave me a good work ethic," Kelly said. "The school taught me how to be a good person and a good man. With the lessons and people I was around, I had some really good role models."
Following a successful four years at Saint Ignatius, Kelly took the opportunity to attend The Ohio State University.
Kelly joined a growing program, helping to build the Buckeyes into a powerhouse. Kelly started all four seasons, anchoring the team at the X. He led the squad in ground balls in all four seasons, the only player in school history to do so.
In his senior season in 2003, Kelly served as team captain and earned Academic All-Big Ten honors. Kelly guided the Buckeyes to a Great Western Lacrosse League championship and a spot in the NCAA Tournament, the first in school history.
While playing for the Bucks, Kelly acquired a degree in education. His commitment to academics, learned at Saint Ignatius, served him well at Ohio State.
Following graduation, Kelly took a job as a teacher while seeking a spot with a pro lacrosse team. Kelly coached at Hilliard Davidson High School in Columbus as he worked towards his goal. But the path to the pros was not easy.
Kelly drove to professional indoor training camps in Philadelphia and Minnesota, but did not make any rosters. He tried his luck at a camp in Buffalo, and made it to the final round of cuts, but did not make a team.
Even amidst defeat, Kelly continued to work hard to hone his game. His big break finally came in 2005 when the Los Angeles Riptide of Major League Lacrosse (MLL) drafted him. Kelly was drafted with the 174th pick out of 180, but his dad encouraged him not to dwell on the draft spot.
"My dad told me, 'You have an opportunity, just like everyone else. You have the same opportunity as the guys drafted early. You have to make the best of it,'" Kelly recalls.
The talented FOGO did just that. Kelly wowed fans and coaches, winning 132-of-252 faceoffs (52.3%), scoring six goals, and tabbing 36 groundballs in his rookie year. US Lacrosse Magazine named him the Riptide's “Newcomer of the Year” for the 2006 season. Following a solid 2007 season, Kelly roared for the Riptide in 2008. He captured 184 faceoff wins, picked up 45 groundballs, and tallied six points in a great season. Kelly was invited to the MLL All-Star Game and won the fastest shot competition, clocking a shot at 109 mph.
In a career that partially mirrors Alex Ovechkin's, Kelly enjoyed plenty of regular season success but could not achieve an elusive championship. Unlike the Great 8, Kelly did move around the league. With the demise of the Riptide, Kelly joined the Chicago Machine in 2009 before bouncing to the Rochester Rattlers in 2011 and then the Ohio Machine for the start of the 2012 season. The Machine traded him to the Denver Outlaws for the end of the 2012 campaign, where Kelly remained for three more seasons.
Kelly's journey to glory proved to be a difficult one. The 6-time MLL All-Star suffered a ruptured Achilles in his right leg at the peak of his career at 29 years old. Some told him he would never return, but Kelly worked hard, returned to the pitch, and earned an all-star selection the next year.
In 2014, Kelly suffered more heartbreak. He tore his other Achilles late in the season, missing the last half of the regular season. But Kelly worked hard for a quick recovery to play in the playoffs and the MLL Championship. Thanks in part to Kelly's efforts at the faceoff circle, the Outlaws captured the title.
"Winning a championship in Denver in my 11th year felt good," said Kelly. "I definitely paid my dues. It all goes back to working hard. No path you take will be or is supposed to be easy. When it’s hard and you overcome things, you feel accomplished."
Kelly continued to shine in the MLL, playing for three teams in the next three seasons – the Outlaws in 2015, the Chesapeake Bayhawks in 2016, and the Atlanta Blaze in 2017.
Returning to the Ohio Machine in 2018, Kelly completed his pro career. During his 13-year, 18-season career (five seasons in indoor lacrosse), Kelly made some incredible memories. Kelly won 1787-of-3468 faceoffs (51.5%), tallied 28 goals, and picked up 520 groundballs in 13 seasons with the MLL.
At present, Kelly is training with the U.S. National Indoor Lacrosse Team. Kelly is preparing for the 2019 FIL (Federation of International Lacrosse) World Indoor Lacrosse Championship. Kelly hopes to lead the United States to a world championship to cap off an incredible career.
Kelly also remains in the coaching world of lacrosse. Kelly is the co-owner and founder of Ohio Resolute Lacrosse. Based in Columbus, Resolute Lacrosse "hosts position clinics, training sessions, individual lessons, coaching clinics, elite teams & camps."
On Saturday, Kelly's herculean efforts on and off the field to promote and advance lacrosse in Ohio and beyond will be recognized at the Ohio Lacrosse Hall of Fame luncheon.
"It's an amazing honor," Kelly said. "I'm going in with great guys. I feel honored that so many great players came before me. It's absolutely an honor to rep my home state."
As part of the Saturday's event, Kelly will speak in front of hundreds of lacrosse legends, players, parents, and fans. Anthony Ameo and Michael Boehm, All-American honorees, will also be in attendance.
So, what advice does Kelly offer to young student-athletes such as Ameo and Boehm?
"It goes quick. You may or may never play lacrosse in the pros," said Kelly. "High school goes quick, and college goes just as fast, if not faster. You gotta live in the moment and enjoy it. Work hard every time you strap on the jersey. Whether it's a good or bad result, you're still playing the game you love. That’s what it’s all about."
Kelly will also thank his friends, family, and especially his parents, Mike and Linda.
"At the end of the day, I'm grateful that my parents sent me to Saint Ignatius," said Kelly. "It was tough, especially since my older brother also went there. My mom and dad sacrificed a lot to send me to Saint Ignatius, but I'm so grateful and thankful they did. It gave me an opportunity to play lacrosse and taught me the importance of hard work."
Plenty of lacrosse fans at Saint Ignatius will be happy to see him inducted this weekend, too. Kelly is the quintessential Lax Cat – a hard-working man with strong values.
"It was a pleasure to watch him play," said Dale Gabor '66. Gabor served as athletic director during Kelly's career at Saint Ignatius. "He was a great kid and a great leader. We had high expectations for him and he never let us down. Congratuations to Anthony on getting into the hall of fame. It's well-deserved."
On behalf of Saint Ignatius Athletics, congratulations, A-Train!