You had to call next game, and sometimes it was four-deep, and you just stood to the side and watched as some of the best-of-the-best matchups took place along Edgington Lane.
It was “The Lane” during the 1980s and 1990s, and it was a very crowded playground with kids playing, adults competing in tennis, and the basketball games that lined the fences with fans young and old. Paul Renowicz, Rico Cox, Tony Chopps, Doug Wojick, Mike Tennant, Tony Gordon, Mike Stiglich, Myron Ray, Ron Stephens, Mark Dodd, and many more former stars of the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference congregated at The Lane nearly every night, and the competition attracted hoopsters from East Ohio high schools, as well.
Winners
There were no referees, and real fouls were agreed upon. The pace of play was quick, too, and most games were played to 10 because of how many teams were waiting to play the winners. The losers, though, usually would get right back in line to play, yet again no matter how long they would have to wait. Bragging rights, after all, were at stake.
Probably the only evening the Edgington Lane Playground wasn’t packed was when the Wheeling Recreation Basketball League took place at the Pleasanton Playground near Wheeling University. Coaches were not allowed to coach those games, but gentlemen like Skip Prosser, Sam Andy, Dan Petri, John Stanko, and Gene Ammirante were always there, and they showed up often at The Lane, too.
The Future
The Wheeling Parks and Recreation Department is planning an extensive renovation to the Edgington Lane Playground, and according to Director Jesse Mestrovic, the project’s timeline will be developed later this year.
Mestrovic has guided the transformations of many of the city’s playgrounds during the past three years, and the facilities have proved popular in neighborhoods like North Wheeling, Elm Grove, Wheeling Island, Mozart, South Wheeling, and East Wheeling. Once Mestrovic is successful yet again, “The Lane” will offer many new features for children and parents of a brand-new era.
