DistrictWON Director of School Partnerships, helping lead Rangers to Historic Season

Adam Winterich is helping guide Lakewood through an 8-1 football season, the Rangers’ best start since 1999. Winterich has served as DistrictWON’s Director of School Partnerships since 2019. Alongside that work, Winterich brings a coaching background that began in 2011 to a program approaching another potential milestone.

Winterich began his coaching career at Elyria Catholic, where he gained early experience working with high school players, and continued building his background at several other schools before joining Lakewood in 2023. He arrived as the Rangers’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, taking on two closely connected responsibilities: helping guide the team’s offensive approach and preparing the quarterbacks for the challenges of each game. In those roles, Winterich became an important part of the staff’s efforts to develop the offense and help players understand their assignments and execute on game day.

The staff includes head coach Mike Polevacik, whom Winterich calls a “big brother” after 15 years of coaching together. He said he has been a mentor on and off the field for him. That longstanding relationship is part of the season’s personal significance for Winterich, who credits the players and fellow coaches for making the Rangers’ run rewarding.

North Olmsted presents the next challenge, with a Lakewood victory potentially bringing a program milestone last reached in 1995. Winterich views the opponent as a strong test and a really good team. For the Rangers’ student-athletes, the matchup connects an already notable regular season with the postseason preparation, giving the offense another demanding assignment before playoff competition.