Brush High School, Collinwood Cobras & Cuyahoga Vikings Named 2022 Leo Murphy Memorial Field & Equipment Grant Recipients


CLEVELAND – The Brush High School Arcs, Collinwood Cobras and Cuyahoga Vikings have been named 2022 recipients of the Leo Murphy Field & Equipment Grant, the Cleveland Touchdown Club Charities (CTCC) announced on May 5.

The Field & Equipment Grant, named after the late longtime Cleveland Browns trainer and Honorary Lifetime Member of CTCC Leo Murphy, is awarded annually to youth football programs in the Greater Cleveland area. This grant will assist each program with securing the proper equipment and resources need to play the game of football safely.

“This year, we saw many organizations in need as the pandemic is slowly coming to an end and youth sports ramping up,” CTCC President Christina Webb said. “We hope this grant will help these programs be successful on the field and build bright futures.”

Brush High School, located in Lyndhurst, Ohio, is currently an independent program fielding 65 players across the freshman, junior varsity and varsity levels and will receive $1,300. The Arcs varsity program finished 5-5 in 2021 and enters the 2022 season under the guidance of first-year head coach Ricky Powers.

“The South Euclid Lyndhurst School District thanks the Cleveland Touchdown Club Charities for recognizing the Arcs with this year’s grant,” Jamar Ross, Brush High School Athletic Director, shared.  “Their mission is to ‘provide youth a sporting chance” and, by honoring our football program with the additional support, it will allow us outfit more young athletes and provide more opportunities.”

The Collinwood Cobras are a member of the Cleveland Muny Football League and will receive $5,000. Founded in 2018 and serving the youth of Collinwood, Ohio, the Cobras offer football across five levels to 166 children, as well as cheerleading, baseball and basketball. Operating on the motto of “One team, one dream,” Collinwood Cobras founder Darnell “Coach Buck” Banks and his staff focus on coaching student-athletes how to be successful in live, as well as in their sport, through hard work and honesty.

The Cuyahoga Vikings, also a member of the Cleveland Muny Football League, is one of the league’s newest teams and will receive $1,200. Created in 2020, the program did not hit the field until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to offering football and cheerleading, the program also provides free tutoring, mentoring and life skills education.

“The Cuyahoga Vikings are so grateful and thankful for this grant,” Program CEO Demetrius Darmond added. “Our motto is ‘Iron Sharpens Iron,’ and we are blessed to have you all as iron to sharpen our iron.”

The CTCC Leo Murphy Memorial Field & Equipment Grant eligibility is limited to 501(c)(3) non-profit youth organizations and local schools in Cuyahoga, Lorain, Medina, Lake and Geauga counties. Grant funds are designated to make improvements to equipment and/or facilities, and to help improve the safety and overall quality of those programs.