Back in the spring of 2005, Prospect standout shortstop Matt Davis went on a power surge streak that put him in striking distance of matching or surpassing a national high school record.

Davis didn’t reach the record at the time for 9 consecutive games with a homer. The mark is now 10 games in a row according to the records of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). But Davis’ streak of seven consecutive games with a homer was remarkable and seemed to captivate just about everyone around the Mid-Suburban League and Chicago area.

Maybe with the exception of the guy on the record-chasing rampage.

Davis was the humble old-school homerun hitter. A throwback to the days of Hank Aaron or Mickey Mantle putting their head down and running around the bases without putting on a show to draw attention to themselves or fuel the ire of their opponents.

In fact, when Davis’ streak hit five games with a seventh-inning grand slam in a 9-5 loss at Barrington, he had a question for a couple of questioners.

“Why do you want to talk to me,” Davis asked with no hint of disdain or sarcasm.

Simply because the 5-foot-8 Davis went on a power trip no one in this area had ever seen. It wasn’t as if this came out of nowhere since a year earlier Davis tied the school record for homers in a single season of 8 with Derek Owens.

Not bad at a school that produced teammates Dave Kingman, one of the greatest sluggers in major-league history, and big-league catcher Tom Lundstedt. Of course they were operating with wood bats and playing about half as many games during their high school seasons in the 1960s.

But Davis’ ability was legit as he went to Division I Eastern Kentucky and earned third-team All-America honors as a senior. Prospect coach Ross Giusti regarded him as one of the 20 best players in MSL history at the time in the story on Davis sharing 2005 Daily Herald All-Area co-captain honors with Eric Marshall, who led Barrington to third place in the Class AA state tournament.

“He doesn’t like all the recognition,” Giusti said then. “He would rather the team get the recognition, which is a unique quality.”

The start of Davis’ streak had a historic twist as his solo homer on April 29 in a 4-0 win over Hoffman Estates broke the Prospect career record of 12 by John Simios from 1982-84. The next day Davis homered, doubled and drove in 5 runs in an 11-1 nonconference win over Lake Forest.

On Monday, May 2, he hit a 2-run shot in an 8-2 win at Palatine. Two days later in a 7-4 loss at Schaumburg, which went to the Class AA Elite Eight, Davis extended the power run to four with a 2-run blast. But it looked like it would come to an end at Barrington as the Knights trailed by 8 runs going into the top of the seventh inning.

Pat Lyons and Scott Winters singled and Tim Churchill was hit by a pitch to give Davis one more shot with two outs and he delivered with a grand slam.

“I hit the ball pretty hard twice in a row (for outs) but I was looking at putting the ball in play,” Davis said. “I don’t try for homers. I guess they just happen.”

And they happened again twice the next day as Prospect won a pair of nonconference games against Chicago Public League foes Von Steuben and Curie. Davis hit a solo homer in his final at-bat in the first game but eliminated any suspense in extending the streak to seven games with a homer in the first inning of Game 2.

Now he was within range of the national record of 9 consecutive games with a homer held by Mick Gray of Bridgeport Red Hill in southeastern Illinois in 2001 and four other players. Ethan Bennett of Knoxville, Tennessee broke the record by homering in 10 games in a row in 2010.

“Nine is ridiculous,” Davis told me after the double-header blasts. “It’s a pretty cool thing to do but I never really dreamt of doing something like this. All I ask for every time is as long as I hit it hard I’m happy.”

Davis also had 10 homers to break the single-season school record he held with Owens.

“It doesn’t matter who you do it against, he’s hit against good pitchers and whoever,” Giusti said. “It’s just unbelievable. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

But the fickle early-May weather conditions of northeastern Illinois weren’t conducive to extending the streak further in a Monday afternoon at Prospect against Elk Grove. Davis was kept in the park on a chilly and rainy day with the wind blowing in. But his single off future minor leaguer and current Northern Illinois head coach Ryan Copeland in the 10th inning led to him scoring the tiebreaking run on Andrew Schwarz’s single in a 6-5 victory.

“It was in the back of my mind,” Davis told the Herald’s Bill Esbrook about continuing his record chase. “I knew the wind was blowing in, so I knew it wasn’t going to happen. I wanted to hit the ball hard and try to get a base hit.”

Davis would finish his senior season by hitting .512 with 11 homers, 12 doubles, 4 triples and 51 RBI. For his three-year varsity career it was .433 with 19 homers and 81 RBI. He was also a two-time all-area pick in football for Brent Pearlman.

“One thing about Matt, he’s not going to just settle for being where he is,” Giusti said.

Davis didn’t at Eastern Kentucky. As a senior he earned All-America honors and his .418 average still ranks in a tie for 12th-best in a season in program history.

It was code for stealing an opponent’s signs. For years the Sox employed a coach regarded as one of the best at it on their staff in former big league outfielder Joe Nossek. Opposing teams had to be careful not to slip up and have a stolen base opportunity thwarted by a not-so-surprising pitchout.

All the use of technology for calling pitches or using cards with elaborate number systems has made stealing the actual signs a lot tougher in baseball. Now it’s more a game of show and tell - especially with a pitcher who might be tipping off pitches and a coach relaying that information to his hitters.

If it happens on the field it’s typically considered fair game. Banging on garbage cans from the dugout or using an intricate video system is viewed as foul play.

However it happens, those on the wrong end of it don’t particularly like it. It’s been a story during this year’s Little League World Series and it is specifically in the organization’s rules that the practice is illegal. I’m not sure I feel all that great about 11- and 12-year-olds stealing signs to get an edge, but when I was that age I probably would have done it, too.

Then there was a flap between the big leaguers on Monday when the Cubs and third-base coach Quintin Berry apparently picked up on Arizona’s Merrill Kelly tipping his pitches. Berry was relaying the information to the hitters and once the Diamondbacks finally caught on, it led to some friendly back-and-forth, four-letter pleasantries exchanged between the two dugouts.

D-Backs manager Torey Lovullo apologized for their reaction the next day. But Kelly, in his postgame interviews, thought it was “bush league” because it was a coach relaying the signs and not a player. I’m not sure exactly what’s the difference, but the unwritten rules of baseball can be a bit funny depending on which side of them you’re on.

All of it reminded me of two high school baseball instances of sign-stealing in the Mid-Suburban League. One witnessed first-hand and the other in a second-hand story from two of the people involved. Even though they occurred years ago their names and teams will be left out here to protect the not-so-innocent. It was safe to say neither team really needed much help.

On occasion one I was sitting in my lawn chair by the backstop at a MSL game. Sometime around the second inning I realized, “he’s calling the whole game,” from the coach’s box.

The calls seemed fairly simple. “Come on Johnny (player’s name)” was a fastball or “Come on 2 (player’s number)” was a curve or off-speed pitch. Or it might have been the other way around.

Either way, the hitters banged line drives all over the ballpark for 20-plus hits. After the game I went up to the coach and joked, “Where were you when I needed you,” for my days as a light-hitting (bad) infielder. I also wondered how I was able to figure it out when the opposing coaches never did.

On occasion two, which was told to me years after it happened, the opposing coach did figure out his “mail was being read.” And he basically went postal, as the saying goes and was recounted by the sign-stealing coaches. But they weren’t the targets of the opposing coach’s frustration.

“Don’t you two know they’ve got your signs,” he screamed at his pitcher and catcher during a meeting on the mound.

So, the now-displeased catcher had one more sign he wanted to relay on the next pitch. He made sure in his setup the sign-stealing coaches could clearly see he called for a fastball.

By emphatically jabbing his middle finger toward the ground.

Mel Johnson and his sons Ron and Ken all became Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Famers and combined for nearly 1,600 boys varsity victories. Ken had the shortest high school head coaching tenure of the three, albeit a still lengthy 20 years with a record of 302-225 at Hinsdale Central, Larkin and Stevenson, but also the most high-profile success.

Johnson, who took Hinsdale Central in 1972 and Stevenson in 1992 to Champaign for Class AA Elite Eight trips, passed away August 12 at his home in Elburn at 81. Johnson was also an assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin and the athletic director and assistant bowling coach with his wife Gina at Stevenson.

“It was good and there were a lot of people,” said Paul Swan, who is gearing up for his 58th season as a Stevenson basketball assistant coach, of Johnson’s celebration of life on August 20. “I think the whole town of Elburn turned out. It was quite a family. Quite a number of the old guard (from Stevenson) was there and there were a lot of good memories.”

Former Stevenson three-sport standout Chris Piggott, who has been Fremd’s head baseball coach since 2003, remembered Johnson similarly as the leader of a family who mixed toughness with fairness and compassion.

“He was just a great man. He genuinely cared about all his players and you could tell that and feel that,” said Piggott, one of the standouts on the 1992 Elite Eight qualifier. “He was a hard coach and he pushed us. Practices were harder than the games. There would be yelling and screaming, but then he’d put his arm around you and hug you and tell you he loved you.

“He always wanted the best for the team and the best for you individually. He never sacrificed anybody for the team.”

Ken Johnson Obituary

Education and coaching was a big part of Johnson’s life with his dad Mel and mom Irma, who was an elementary school principal in the Burlington Central district. Mel won 563 games in a 35-year coaching career at Elburn and Geneva. His last team in 1963 was one of only eight teams to go through the old district setup to reach the one-class Elite Eight and he passed away a year later from a battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease).

Ken didn’t play for his father but for his brother Ron at Kaneland. Ron Johnson, who passed away in 2020 at 87, won 710 games from 1957-98 at Kaneland and St. Charles. Ron’s son Jeff is continuing the family tradition as a varsity assistant at Lyons Township.

Ken Johnson played basketball at Wisconsin-LaCrosse and it didn’t take him long to gain statewide coaching acclaim in Illinois. At just 27 years old, he led the 1971-72 Hinsdale Central team led by star guard Jim Flynn to Champaign in the first year of the two-class system.

Defending state champion Thornridge and Quinn Buckner grabbed most of the spotlight on the way to a perfect repeat that cemented its status as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, team in Illinois high school history. The Red Devils finished the regular-season ranked third in the state behind Thornridge and LaSalle-Peru, won the West Suburban Conference title and avenged their only loss by beating Lyons 66-59 in the supersectional.

They also nearly got a top-four trophy but were unable to hold double-digit leads in an 83-81 quarterfinal loss to East Aurora. But Johnson was appreciative of the early opportunity that his father didn’t experience until the end of his career, which Peoria Journal Star Hall of Fame writer Bob Leavitt shared in his postgame story.

“I’m just so thrilled to be here, I really can’t feel too badly about the loss,” Johnson said. “We played a great game and gave people a real treat. We lost to a great team and I’d just like to thank all the people that have helped me have a chance to coach here. I’ve had a lot of help, even from my dad, who was here in spirit. I hope he enjoyed it as much as I did.”

Johnson would spend just one more season at Hinsdale and then leave for a burgeoning program at Larkin. Elgin with legendary coach Bill Chesbrough was the powerhouse in town and a consistent contender for state acclaim.

After Johnson announced his retirement late in the 1998-99 season, the late John Radtke wrote a column for the Daily Herald that focused on Johnson’s tenure in the Fox Valley. In particular was the 1975 AA regional championship where Larkin upset its 11th-ranked crosstown rival 66-61.

“Elgin had a great team that year and the enthusiasm in the city was just tremendous for that game,” Johnson told Radtke of ending a 12-game losing streak in the series and a 15-game winning streak that season by Elgin.

Dave Huxtable, who is currently a defensive assistant with the Atlanta Falcons in a 40-plus year college and NFL coaching career, played on that 1975 Larkin team that was the school’s first 20-game winner at 21-8. The Royals beat Palatine and future NBA player Kevin McKenna in the sectional semifinals. The run ended with a sectional final loss to Norm Goodman’s East Leyden powerhouse led by four-time all-stater Glen Grunwald and 7-2 former Bulls broadcaster Tom Dore.

“Coach Johnson brought a real spirit to Larkin basketball,” Huxtable told Radtke in 1999. “His character, his enthusiasm and his whole approach to the game made it exciting to go to practice every day and made it exciting for the fans. He was a tremendous motivator and that’s one of the things I remember most. He made it fun to play.”

Johnson left Larkin in 1980 for a two-year stint as an assistant to Bill Cofield at Wisconsin. The coaching staff included future head coach Bo Ryan, who led the Badgers to two Final Fours and a NCAA runner-up finish in 2015. Swan also recalled that Johnson wrote a book, “Coaching Winning Basketball with the Overplay-Pressure Defense,” that was published in 1982 and can still be found on Amazon and eBay.

“I learned so much about defense … and that’s what we did,” Swan said of his time as an assistant for Johnson. “We overplayed everything.”

But he wouldn’t get the chance to put it into practice at the high school level again until 1990 when he left his post as Stevenson athletic director to return to the sideline. His first team went 25-3 and won a regional title and the second, led by all-stater Chris Coleman, Piggott, Kenyon Catchings and Eric Roth, went 29-2 and gave him a return trip to Champaign. The Patriots lost 86-75 in the quarterfinals to eventual runner-up Peoria Richwoods.

Getting to Champaign included a memorable 75-73 triple-overtime supersectional win over Glenbrook North and current Northwestern coach Chris Collins, who scored 40 points, before a full house at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Piggott hit the game-winning free throws with four seconds left.

The system was relatively simple although the game preparation could be daunting.

“It was a lot of fun but we did not stop running,” Piggott recalled with a laugh. “Up and down the court, pushing the ball was our style of play. It was a fun system to play in, pressuring and pushing the ball up the court.

“We had two plays. We ran a motion offense and a stall offense we ran against Glenbrook North. We’d press all game and try to get steals. He just let us play.”

But it wasn’t necessarily through the relaxed atmosphere or approach Johnson exhibited off the court.

“I tell people he was like two different people,” Swan said. “He was the most quiet, unassuming and humble guy around school.

“When practices and the games started he was one of the more intense people I’ve known - in a good way. He was able to get kids to play way harder than they believed they could play. He could really inspire them.”

Johnson has also been an inspiration in the coaching career of Piggott, who got his 400th career victory at Fremd last season.

“As I’ve grown in my coaching career, it’s not just X’s and O’s and there’s a lot more to it than that,” Piggott said. “What we try to do in our program is be good men and that’s what coach Johnson did. Not only be a good basketball player but be a good person.”

Swan said that was a reflection of Ken Johnson.

“He was just a wonderful, wonderful person,” Swan said.

Nelson, who passed away on Sunday, August 9 at 86, starred at Rock Island before heading on to a decorated NBA playing and coaching career. He earned five rings as a player with the Celtics and his 1,335 coaching victories ranks second to Gregg Popovich.

Ecker, who passed away in December 2021 after a lengthy battle with leukemia, starred at Moline before heading to the Northwest suburbs to become Wheeling’s most successful boys basketball coach. He also helped start one of the state’s premier holiday tournaments in the Wildcat Hardwood Classic.

The 6-foot-4 Ecker was a senior and the 6-5 Nelson was a junior when they faced off three times in the 1956-57 season. They ended up together with second-team honors on the all-Metropolitan Team for Quad City high schools that was voted on by writers, broadcasters and coaches, according to a Rock Island Argus story on March 16, 1957.

Meeting one at the Rock Island in mid-December 1956 saw the Rocks pull away to a 72-59 victory despite Ecker’s game-high 21 points. There is a discrepancy on how many points Nelson scored - the Argus boxscore credited him with 10 and the Moline Dispatch had 8.

There were no discrepancies in the second meeting on February 9 before a capacity crowd of 5,900 at Moline’s iconic Wharton Fieldhouse. Nelson broke the single-game school scoring record with 39 points on 12-for-13 shooting from the field and 15-for-20 on free throws as Rocky held on 77-69 to improve to 17-1 with its 10th consecutive win. Ecker had 16 points and 10 rebounds.

The third meeting in early March was in a regional semifinal at East Moline. Neither player had a major scoring impact - Nelson with 12 and Ecker with 9 - as Rock Island completed the season sweep 57-43.

Rock Island was one of the favorites to get to Champaign for the Elite Eight as it finished the regular-season ranked sixth in the AP poll and took a 25-2 record into a sectional championship matchup against a Galesburg team it had beaten twice 54-51 and 79-67. Nelson shared team-high scoring honors - but only with 6 points - in what is known as “The Stall Game” as John Thiel’s Silver Streaks pulled off a stunning 23-21 victory.

Ecker accumulated numerous all-state honors before heading to Iowa State. Nelson did the same in 1958 after averaging 22 points game - albeit with another heartbreaking loss, this time to Moline in the regional final 55-54 - before heading to Iowa.

Their paths wouldn’t cross there as the two school didn’t play each other and Ecker transferred after his sophomore year to North Park College on Chicago’s North Side. Ecker had a brief training camp trial with the NBA expansion Chicago Packers in 1961 before going to Arlington to teach and coach.

Nelson was third-round pick of the renamed Chicago Zephyrs and averaged 6.8 points and 4.5 rebounds in 62 games but was waived before the 1963-64 season as the franchise relocated to Baltimore and eventually Washington, D.C. Nelson spent two years with the Lakers and joined the Celtics as a free agent, where his five NBA championship rings as a player is matched only by George Mikan (Joliet Catholic) by players from Illinois.

Both of them also took different paths to coaching success. Ecker had a .546 winning percentage (148-123) in 11 years at Wheeling (148-123). Nelson was at .557 (1,335-1,063) in 31 seasons with the Bucks, Warriors, Mavericks and Knicks.

Their reasons for getting out of coaching weren’t all that different for the one-time Quad City rivals. Ecker announced his resignation late in the 1979-80 season.

“I’ve also had a lot of other interests lie dormant over the years because of basketball,” Ecker told the Daily Herald’s Keith Reinhard. “But mainly, I would say that my retirement is prompted by the fact that I have a lovely wife and three small children and I just want to spend more time helping her raise them.

“I think coaching basketball has ruled my life too long. Even at home I’ve found my thoughts have either been with the game just played or the one coming up. It’s not so much the time I’ve been able to spend with my family as the quality of it.”

Nelson’s retirement path took him to Hawaii.

“All I can tell you is he’s happy,” Nelson’s son Donnie said on his dad’s Wikipedia page. “He’s in Maui, drinking Mai Tais and watching sunsets and whales. Life’s good.”

It definitely turned out that way for Ted Ecker and Don Nelson.

But the familiar sight of Grams bringing out the starting lineup card for Elk Grove’s softball team will no longer take place next spring.

Almost a half-century to the day after Grams got his first varsity head coaching job on an interim basis in boys basketball, he departs as the winningest softball coach in Illinois high school history. Grams’ retirement was announced by District 214 on Tuesday (August 11).

All of the victories by Grams - the 1,066 victories in softball and the 125 in eight basketball seasons - were achieved with a mix of humility and dignity that was the hallmark of his mentor, legendary Elk Grove football coach Don Schnake. To plagiarize myself from a Daily Herald story after Schnake’s death in 2010, Grams was similarly a man of big accomplishments with little flair or fanfare.

It also connected Grams to another of the state’s greatest coaches in Arthur L. Trout, who Schnake played basketball and football for at Centralia in southern Illinois. Trout won 810 games and three state titles in basketball and 153 games in 26 years of football.

“Anything I’ve ever done professionally, he’s been the biggest influence in my life,” Grams said of Schnake, who won 100 games in 19 seasons and a 1972 mythical state title in the pre-playoff era. “He was just a remarkable man. I appreciated and learned by being around him that he had a great feeling for what was happening around him.”

As did Grams, who graduated from Arlington in 1958 and Northern Illinois in 1963 and got his first teaching job at Forest View before moving over to Elk Grove when it opened in 1965. Ironically, his first varsity head coaching opportunity came in late August 1976 on a trial basis in boys basketball after Bill Parmentier resigned to become an assistant principal and athletic director at Piasa Southwestern in southern Illinois.

The Grenadiers, led by all-MSL and Herald all-area pick Mark Smith, went 13-14, won their second regional title and had their highest Mid-Suburban League division finish in second place in the South. The interim tag was removed in May 1977 and Grams became a fixture in Elk Grove and MSL coaching for the next half-century.

The next two seasons produced MSL South titles, sectional final appearances and a still-school record 23 wins in 1978-79. The 1981-82 team led by 6-7 future big-league pitcher Dave Otto won 20 games and a regional crown.

Grams also started coaching softball with longtime close friend and future Buffalo Grove boys basketball coach Doug Millstone in 1981. The hoop success carried over in 1982 to the diamond with a second-place finish in the state tournament in Pekin behind all-MSL picks Cindy Sunagel, Kathy Leyden, Karen Hellyer and Dawn Juliano.

Two other teams won state trophies with a third in 2010 and a fourth in 2012 behind the pitcher-catcher duo of Dani Goranson and Devan Parkison. Stephanie Maday, Olivia Roback, Jessica Balzano, Krista Soesbe, Becca Walz and Andrea Starr were crucial to the success of that era.

MSL Softball Title Game History

His teams won five MSL titles and made 21 title-game appearances in a league that posed significant challenges from Barrington and Fremd. Early in the 2025 season he passed Randy Wolken’s 1,044 wins at St. Joseph-Ogden for the most in state softball history. Barrington’s Perry Peterson currently sits third with 1,042 career wins, according to IHSA records.

And one of his best players, 1985 all-MSL and all-area outfielder Babbi Barreiro, went to Barrington to become one of the state’s top girls basketball coaches with 500-plus victories.

Grams won’t be leaving quietly. He’ll be on the call as the public address announcer for the 61st season when Elk Grove welcomes Leyden for its home opener on Friday, August 28.

“I enjoy the whole scene,” Grams told me before his 50th anniversary season in 2015. “It’s the best time of the year, a new start, Friday night lights. It’s wonderful, a celebration of the community and the school.”

And in so many ways, a celebration of how much Ken Grams has meant to Elk Grove.

St. Viator and the rest of the schools from the defunct ESCC are part of the expanded Chicago Catholic League. But imagine if this scenario had never occurred for Viator because it was closing in on 60 years in another league.

Today it would probably be tough to envision Viator as a member of the Mid-Suburban League considering the public vs. private school discourse that seems to increase in volume - and in some cases vitriol - with each passing day.

The tenor of high school sports was much different in 1969 when some of the most prominent figures in the history of MSL and Viator athletics publicly discussed the pros and cons of a private school entering the ranks of a public-school league that was in just its sixth year.

The Chicago Catholic League wasn’t part of the IHSA and there were no football playoffs that seem to annually stoke the flames of the public vs. private debate. Viator was an all-boys school and the enactment of Title IX was still three years away from bringing girls sports into IHSA competition.

The MSL was also in the midst of rapid growth that mirrored farmland being turned into subdivisions and new schools to accommodate the increasing numbers of kids. So, on March 25, 1969, the “Scrimmage Lines” column by Larry Mlynczak of Paddock Publications led this way:

The Mid-Suburban League has too many schools within its structure.

At the time the MSL had grown to 10 schools. Mlynczak mentioned the openings of Schaumburg and Rolling Meadows in the next two years. He mentioned the pending opening of Maine North and a new high school in the Barrington area.

Maine North would only stay open for 10 years and was a member of the Central Suburban, O’Hare Suburban and North Suburban conferences. Barrington didn’t open a new high school but joined the MSL in the 1977-78 school year. And Buffalo Grove and Hoffman Estates would also open new high schools in the 1970s.

In 1969, the MSL was still one league with no divisions. Mlynczak floated this proposal about a third of the way into his column for the 1970-71 school year:

Eastern Division: Arlington, Prospect, Hersey, Forest, View, Wheeling, St. Viator

Western Division: Palatine, Conant, Fremd, Elk Grove, Glenbard North, Schaumburg

That was the first mention in the column of St. Viator joining the MSL from another long-lost conference, the Chicagoland Prep League. The Rev. Patrick Cahill, the school’s athletic director and eventual president, told Mlynczak he was all for the move.

“We’d most definitely be interested in joining the Mid-Suburban League,” said Cahill, who had the Viator gym named after him. “I think that it would be to our advantage to play in a local conference.

“We have been told that under the present setup there wouldn’t be room for us to join the conference. But if the conference is split into two divisions then we would have a better chance of getting in.”

Mlynczak wrote that the idea of Viator joining the MSL was not new. And yes, at least for public consumption, the feeling was mutual that Viator’s addition would benefit the league. We don’t have the luxury of knowing how athletic administrators may have believed behind closed doors or off the record, but the fact a number of them would offer such a publicly positive stance lends credence to it being given serious consideration.

Palatine athletic director Bernie Mitchell said if Viator could field teams at all levels (varsity, JV, sophomore, freshman), “then I would see no reason why they shouldn’t join the Mid-Suburban League. They have already proven that they can compete with the Mid-Suburban on the varsity level.”

Conant athletic director Charlie Feutz took the idea a step further.

“I would like very much to see Viator join the league. I think that it would be good for the league,” Feutz said. “If they can show us that they have the facilities to handle five levels at every sport, they should be in it.”

Cahill told Mlynczak that Viator would be competing at all levels in the Chicagoland Prep League if all the other CPL schools were as well. Cahill said Viator had the facilities necessary to compete in the MSL.

Wheeling athletic director Bus Ormsbee also believed the rapport between schools would have made Viator a good fit for the MSL.

“We have had nothing but good relations with Viator,” Ormsbee said. “They’re a fine school. If they can compete at all levels at each sport, well, I’m for it.”

Legendary Arlington athletic director and track coach Russ Attis seemed a bit more reserved in his public comments to Mlynczak. Maybe that was from the direct competition within Arlington Heights.

“I have no feelings one way or another about Viator joining the league,” Attis said. “If they can maintain a full athletic program then I don’t see why not.”

There was, of course, the proverbial elephant in the room that Ormsbee and Cahill addressed. One of the hot-button issues of prep sports today was one back in the late ‘60s, too.

“I do think, though, that we (MSL) would have to work out an agreement with Viator,” Ormsbee said. “You know that they get boys as far away as Crystal Lake. They don’t have regular boundaries like the rest of the schools.

“But this is OK as long as there is no recruiting. Let’s not call it recruiting, let’s call it tampering. We wouldn’t want a Viator coach, or a Mid-Suburban League coach, tampering or talking a boy into coming to a certain school for athletic purposes. Make it clear. I’m not accusing anybody. I know they’re definitely not doing it now.”

Cahill also responded to the concerns of recruiting for athletics.

“We have never recruited or tried to talk a boy into coming to our school,” he said. “A boy comes to St. Viator by his own choice. We have never tried to talk a boy into coming here and we don’t ever intend to. Anyone who knows me knows that we would never become involved in such practices.”

Viator did apply for MSL membership in 1970 but the bid was rejected by the Inter-Suburban Association, which was a governing body for a number of leagues in the Northwest suburbs, according to a column by the Herald’s Mike Klein in late October 1975.

“Their response was that the ISA had been formed for public schools with common problems,” Cahill, then Viator’s president, told Klein. “They did not feel they’d solved enough of their own problems to consider admission of a non-public school.”

The problem for the MSL in 1975 was an imbalance with 13 schools among the two divisions that were created in 1970-71. Seven were in the South and six were in the North with Barrington rumored to be the perfect solution - which ultimately came to fruition - to make both divisions equal in quantity.

Once again in 1975 there were rumblings about Viator joining the MSL, although they seemed to be more lukewarm than they were a few years earlier. Cahill said Viator’s interest had not been reciprocated by the MSL, which District 214 athletic administrator Dick Kinneman confirmed to Klein.

The reason for another exploration of the MSL by Viator was its own future. In 1970 it joined the Suburban Catholic Conference’s East division. The SCC’s East and West divisions ultimately split apart and there was concern about the ESCC’s survival because of defections to the Chicago Catholic League.

“Morally, I don’t think our league could take another departure,” Cahill said of Viator possibly departing the ESCC for the MSL. “It would kill the league. I don’t think we want to do that.”

Cahill said Viator explored a merger with the Chicago Catholic League, which was now part of the IHSA. It only took 50-plus years but it ultimately did happen with the CCL absorbing the ESCC.

As for Viator joining the MSL, the guess is if it did happen, the public-private combustibility would have ultimately caused a divorce. The combination wasn’t truly a matter of necessity in the Chicago area as it is in larger communities with only one private school such as the Quad Cities (Rock Island Alleman in the Western Big Six), Rockford (Boylan in the NIC-10) or Peoria (the merged Notre Dame from Spalding and Bergan in the big-school Mid-State or Big 12).

But it would have been interesting to see how a Viator-MSL marriage would have worked while it lasted.

Part of it is the nature of their business. The dynamic of games people play - especially when you mix high school athletes with parents and administrators - lends itself to interesting, humorous and infuriating tales. Some of which may be strictly off-the-record with a reporter or in confidence with another coach.

Longtime Chicago area high school history teacher and football coach Mike DiMatteo is a regular storyteller in his retirement in Harriman, Tennessee, about 35 miles west of Knoxville.

And DiMatteo, who was a head coach at Leyden, Lake Zurich, Hinsdale Central and Buffalo Grove, is proving to be far from the retiring type with his writing. To use a great old term, he’s penned six books from football to historical fiction books and has a seventh on the way. He writes Mid-Week Musings on Wednesdays for his Somewhere in Time Substack on a wide range of topics. A podcast is now part of his weekly routine.

Two people who were instrumental in DiMatteo’s second career of sorts - aptly under the banner of Triple Option Publishing as a tribute to the offense his teams ran - were English teachers Jeff Grybash and Stephanie McCleish at Buffalo Grove. Grybash, who played baseball and football at Fremd, also coached with DiMatteo at BG.

“They really encouraged me and I kept going,” DiMatteo said. “I got into the art of how to write properly and started studying classics - Russian history, because I’m a history guy.

“I discovered I fell in love with the process and I think I’ve gotten better as I’ve gone on. I had written most of my life but never tried it formally. I really developed a love for this and enjoy doing it and all the books have gotten nice reviews, which I’m really proud of.”

One of those six books is “Confessions of a High School Football Coach.” which chronicles all the highs and lows of his football coaching odyssey and is available on Amazon for $14.95. Getting fired after one year at his dream job at Leyden. Building the foundation for Lake Zurich becoming a state championship program.

Making a run to a state championship game at Hinsdale Central and then basically getting run out of the job by a mix of unsupportive parents and administrators. Losing more than just games at Buffalo Grove from 2012-15 but nearly his life from ignoring some serious warning signs with his health.

Jean Jacques-Rousseau wouldn’t have known anything about X’s and O’s as a controversial 18th century philosopher. But it was Rousseau’s fearless style of describing his own life that led to DiMatteo turning what began as a historical novel of the 2002 team at Lake Zurich - which lost in the Class 7A semifinals to three-time champion Prospect and good friend Brent Pearlman - into the 400-plus pages that are more about dealing with the proverbial “Jimmy’s and Joe’s” and not X’s and O’s.

“Rousseau told you about his life by being absolutely blunt and brutally honest,” DiMatteo said. “That was the inspiration for ‘Confessions of a High School Football Coach.’ I chronicle my coaching career - primarily as a head coach. All the things I screwed up and all the things as a staff we did well.”

DiMatteo grew up in a working class family in west suburban Melrose Park and started playing youth football for the Leyden Bears because of his mom’s high school friendships with their coaches. He was in awe of the powerful East Leyden teams and paid tribute in the book to the famed “spaghetti backfield” of future Maine West coach Ray Pettenuzzo, Jim Benedetto (brother of Wheeilng coach Rick) and Joe Sambucci of the 1977 Class 5A state title team.

DiMatteo’s second chapter of the book is titled “Chasing Jack Leese” of wanting to follow in the footsteps of the team’s great coach. After stints as an assistant at St. Patrick and Morton, where one of his fellow teachers and coaches was early 1950s Arlington track star Gordon Busse, he got his chance with the head coaching job at Leyden in 1993.

The chase lasted one year as he got entangled in his first real taste of proverbial political football.

“I tried to be brutally honest,” DiMatteo said, “and share all the mistakes I made and all the great things that happened because of high school football.”

His dream job turned out to be his six-year stint at Lake Zurich from 2000-05 where his defensive coordinator was Bill Helzer, the former Hoffman Estates head coach and current Barrington assistant to Joe Sanchez. The success of finishing second in Class 8A at Hinsdale Central in 2008 was spoiled just a couple years later by a combustible mix of internal and external forces.

A couple of assistant coaching stops at Glenbard West and Cary-Grove, where his sons Ray and Jacob were standout linebackers on the 2014 state runner-up and 2018 state champions respectively, preceded what could be described as a life-altering move to Buffalo Grove. Serious health issues cropped up between DiMatteo’s first and second seasons of trying to rebuild the program.

“I had a liver tumor that almost cost me my life,” DiMatteo said. “It was like a balloon on my liver and if it burst I was basically dead.

“I had surgery but there were a ton of complications. I became septic and almost lost my life. I tried to coach the 2014 season and it kind of cost me my career. I didn’t have the energy, stamina and desire anymore, but fortunately I was surrounded by wonderful people like (current head coach) Jeff Vlk.”

Grybash was another one who detected that DiMatteo was pushing himself too hard, too quickly to get back on the field. Grybash let him know it, in his own inimitable and demonstrative way, during a practice where it was clear DiMatteo was struggling.

“Look. You’re going to die on an under-level practice field, and I’m not going to allow that to happen,” DiMatteo recalled in his book of the admonishment and gallows humor from Grybash. “At least, die on a varsity field for god sakes! Now go home! We’ll finish up here.”

DiMatteo finished up his head coaching career a few years later. But BG is also where the writing chapter of his life really gained momentum with the first of his three historical novel series about Flavius Fettotempi, who lost his family during the Revolt of St. Titus in the Mediterranean in 1368.

His latest historical novel, “Playthings of the Gods,” is set in the Crisis of the Third Century where the Roman Empire nearly collapsed. It is expected to be available for purchase this fall.

DiMatteo is still close with his ROCED (Retired Old Coaches Eating and Drinking) group of Conant’s Bill Modelski and Ted and Tony Monken. He comes back every year for a reunion with his 2002 Lake Zurich state semifinal team.

Most of all he’s enjoying the good life of eastern Tennessee with his wife Melinda. Vlk and former Grayslake North coach Steve Wood, the godfather to his youngest son Jacob, were recent visitors. DiMatteo was a University of Tennessee fan growing up so he could not have imagined he’d wind up living a mere 40 miles away.

“It’s a really nice little town and just a good place to be,” DiMatteo said of Harriman. “It allows me to do all the things I’m interested in.”

Especially writing and storytelling.

Mike DiMatteo Triple Option Publishing

Remembering Happy May Days

Former White Sox all-star Carlos May is best remembered as the only player in Major League Baseball history to wear his birthday on the back of his uniform (May 17). Unfortunately he’s also known for a mortar accident during the Vietnam War where he lost part of the thumb on his right throwing hand.

Mike DiMatteo’s stepfather and May served together in the Marines. DiMatteo was an impressionable 5-year-old living in Des Plaines when May and his wife Tish moved in for a few months while they were looking for a house.

Stories of the American League All-Star in 1969 and 1972? Memories of the .274 hitter with 90 homers and 536 RBI in 1,165 career games? You better believe there are a few that include May bringing his glove to DiMatteo.

“The first night he was so kind and he picked me up and gave me a hug,” DiMatteo said. “We were sitting on the couch. He had a big ‘fro and I was patting him on his hair and he was laughing.

“One night I had a nightmare and he was there to help me. He was just the sweetest guy. He set us up with tickets to White Sox games and at times we drove him to Sox Park. I’d say, ‘Where are we going,’ and my stepdad would say, ‘We’re taking Carlos to work.’

“I think he used a 35-ounce bat and you could smell the pine tar on it. It was like swinging a redwood. When he was traded to the Yankees (in 1976) I must have cried for an hour. I was absolutely crushed. I got to go in the dugout a couple times and meet Bill Melton and met some of the guys and it was really cool. It fueled my love for the game of baseball for sure.

“Needless to say our entire family was Carlos fans and Sox fans forever, including my kids. I have really fond memories of Carlos and Tish and they absolutely made an impact on my life. I’ve never forgotten how a good, kind man treated me like the little boy I was. He hugged me all the time.”

Stahmer grew up in Barrington and was in the high school’s 1977 graduating class. His dad Bruce was the head basketball coach from 1970-76 and a longtime teacher. One of Bruce’s close friends was Kirby Smith, who became the head baseball coach in 1977 and also coached basketball and football.

Scott Stahmer started his long career in newspapers while he was in high school as a part-time sportswriter for the Barrington Courier-Review. Stahmer’s indoctrination was covering the no-nonsense Smith’s sophomore basketball team.

But in 1986, as the Broncos and future big-league all-star catcher and manager Dan Wilson were bludgeoning the competition on the way to the school’s first state title in any sport, Stahmer was nearly a thousand miles away and just a few months into a new job on the sports desk of the Dallas Times Herald. That didn’t afford him the luxury of coming home to witness the first of two Mid-Suburban League state baseball championships along with Schaumburg’s 1997 team.

That also didn’t stop Stahmer, who is now retired and living in central Florida with his wife Sandee, from bringing home the 1986 team’s amazing season in his 130-page book, “Forever Champions: The Remarkable Story of Barrington Baseball and the Historic 1986 High School Team.” Stahmer may not have been there but he brought the season to life through the memories and stories of coaches, players (including Wilson) and others who were around the team.

“I never envisioned it reaching this point when I started and certainly had a few bumps along the way,” Stahmer said in one of our conversations about the project. “So many journalists have an idea that some day they’re gonna write a book. I didn’t feel I had it in me to be a great novelist so I figured I’d stick to a subject I know something about.”

So, even though Stahmer may not have been in the know about the team as an up-close and personal observer, he provides an inside look of stories and insights about the crowning achievement of the league’s best baseball program. Stories of how this team that combined big-time talent with important role players set a then-state record with 65 homers and finished with a 32-5 record after beating Fenger from the Chicago Public League 12-2 in 5 innings in the state championship game in Springfield.

The book is available through Amazon publishing at $19.95; $24.95 with shipping. Stahmer also got a boost in sales when the team was celebrated for its 40th anniversary before a Saturday afternoon game in early May.

The book was published by the husband and wife team of Judy and Bruce Borich of Middle River Press. They were photographers at the Orlando Sun-Sentinel when Stahmer worked there. His editors were Dave Kane, a media member of the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame from the Springfield State Journal-Register, and Gordon Nelson from the Daily Dispatch in Moline.

“It looks nice and really well done,” Stahmer said of the cover designed by the Boriches. “I’ve told people the back cover is not as attractive because that’s where my photo is.”

Stahmer’s attraction to chronicling Barrington’s first team state champion started about a decade ago but was actually Plan B. His initial idea was to write about the 1977 boys basketball team led by Ike Person and John Tomlinson that made an unexpected run to the Class AA Elite Eight. But the combination of still being immersed in a full-time job and somewhat lukewarm interest from some of the participants sent him in a different direction.

When he retired in 2023 he started thinking about the upcoming 40th anniversary of one of the best high school baseball teams in Illinois history.

“Dad was friends with Kirby Smith and that gave me sort of an advantage right from the start,” Stahmer said. “My father’s good name helped a lot. I didn’t know most of the team members but I certainly knew of them. The community is a unique one.”

It was Stahmer’s starting point in his newspaper career as a Barrington student in 1974 and included interviews with Smith.

“Kirby would be worth a book by himself,” Stahmer said. “I started to know Kirby at 7 and he was an intimidating figure even then.”

Wilson was one of the 12 players on the team Stahmer interviewed along with third baseman Brad Sparesus, outfielder Mike Bradley, shortstop Mark Levin, pitcher Bob Beaubien, catcher Jerry Willis, outfielder Craig Halborg, outfielder Tony Mensik, Dave Barry, James Wambach, pitcher-first baseman Peter Faith and former neighbor and second baseman Kurt Lageschulte.

Affable pitching coach Dave Engle, sophomore coach Jim Larson, athletic director Bob Carpenter and athletic trainer Bob Siegworth from that era were also a big help. Kevin Noreen added the perspective of his younger brother Keith, the 1986 state tourney MVP who went on to star at Iowa and passed away unexpectedly late in 2020 at 52.

The success of the program had been building for years as Wilson and company had led Barrington to a third-place finish in the 1981 Little League World Series in Williamsport. The Broncos made their first trip to the high school state tourney in 1980 but lost in the quarterfinals. They expected to return in 1983 but were upset by Waukegan West in a sectional championship game.

“They felt they should have gone that year,” Stahmer said. “I remember going to it. Engle felt that was one that got away.”

Wilson’s arrival as a Barrington freshman the following school year helped set the stage for a remarkable run of success with a 1986 title and runner-up finishes in 1987 and 1988.

But the championship season had some early bumps in the road. A 21-9 loss to Libertyville stung a bit because of the old North Suburban Conference rivalry before Barrington joined the MSL in the fall of 1977. A 7-3 start to the season looked good on paper but included losses of 7-2 to Fremd and 19-5 to St. Viator.

“Kirby wasn’t happy with the way they were playing and they weren’t playing smart baseball,” Stahmer said. “He gathered the team down the left-field line at Barrington and went on a pretty significant rant. He called them socially suspect and left them alone.

“Craig Halborg said one of the players, Dave Barry, a part-time player and quieter guy said, ‘We’re better than this and let’s go out and do this.’”

They would lose only two more times and the last one - 10-1 to Hersey - was the MSL finale and had no impact on the regular-season standings. While the Broncos were renowned for their home-run power led by Noreen (12), Bradley (11), Levin (10), Wilson (9) and Wambach (7), the MSL title game against Hoffman Estates showed the precision all teams need to win a championship.

Wilson faced off against Hoffman Estates’ hard-throwing Stacey Olenick, who entered the game at 10-0, and they were tied 1-1 when Barrington loaded the bases with two outs in the fourth inning. Willis, who caught when Wilson pitched, dropped a perfect squeeze bunt down the third-base line and a wild throw cleared the bases in a 4-2 win. Olenick gave up only 2 hits and Wilson surrendered only 3.

“They hit the heck out of the ball but they also did the little things so well and in so many games that paid off,” Stahmer said. “Willis was one of best bunters on the team and with the bases loaded he gets a bunt down and Hoffman wasn’t expecting it.”

It was no different when Barrington got to Springfield for the state tourney after outscoring its five regional and sectional opponents 55-7. The opener was a tense battle with defending champion Oak Forest but Halborg made two big plays in left field. His catch and throw to Willis for a double play ended a bases-loaded threat in the first and his diving grab just before it hit the grass with runners at first and third was the final out of a 5-4 victory.

Sparesus also made a big first-inning play in the 6-2 semifinal win over Belleville East with a sprawling over-the-shoulder grab of a popup behind third base and a throw home to Wilson for a double play. The clinching run in the title-game win over Fenger didn’t come on a blast over the Lanphier Park fence but a delayed double steal by Bradley and Levin.

“The team wasn’t known for defense and that was overshadowed by its hitting,” Stahmer said. “Kirby was the last guy on the bus and stood up front and said something like, ‘I want you guys to know years from now you’re gonna remember the plays that Halborg and Sparesus made.’

“Then he broke down and started crying and no one on the team had ever seen him like this. That was a big moment. He recognized Halborg and Sparesus weren’t getting a lot of publicity and were unsung guys on the team like Jerry Willis.”

There was no shortage of acclaim for Wilson, who went on to star collegiately at Minnesota, became a member of the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame as a catcher and led the team to the 2025 AL West title and nearly the World Series as a manager. His schedule made it challenging to connect, but Stahmer had help from Engle and national baseball writer and broadcaster Jon Heyman, who worked with Stahmer at The Moline Dispatch in the Quad Cities in the early ‘80s.

Stahmer didn’t hear anything until mid-August of 2025 after the Mariners had played in Williamsport in MLB’s Little League showcase game.

“One day I saw a text on my phone from Dan Wilson. He said he had about 15 minutes and could talk later in the afternoon, do you have time,” Stahmer said. “A 15-minute interview wound up being 45 minutes.

“It made the book much better than it would have been without him. He still gives Kirby a lot of credit and said when he went to play college ball and pro ball it was like a refresher course because he had learned so much.”

Stahmer said one of the best interviews for the book was with Kirby Smith’s wife Sally.

“She talked about what it was like to be Kirby’s wife,” Stahmer said. “He left a job at Texaco to go into coaching and teaching with a significant pay cut at Oswego. She said, ‘I was totally supportive of that and he got to coach a couple of sports and that’s what he wanted to do.’

“She spoke very emotionally of how Kirby would help a lot of the players on the team even if they weren’t stars. Kirby knew of good D-II and D-III situations they could go to.”

And there was Stahmer’s long-time relationship with Kirby. If you’re talking about MSL baseball and have been around it for any length of time all you have to do is mention his first name and everyone knows who you’re talking about.

“When I interviewed Kirby he didn’t talk about that team too much but talked a lot about the preparation itself and all the work that went into it. He had to talk a little about himself but didn’t promote himself,” Stahmer said. “There were so many people who helped going all the way back to the ‘60s. They got the field in shape and improved the facilities and after he became head coach it really took off.

“He formed the template for what the school would do later on - getting lights in the football stadium in ‘87, Bob Carpenter wanted to get donations for it and got it done. A few years later Fields of Dreams was built with community donations and help. What Kirby and everybody who helped did with the baseball program formed the mindset for what would happen down the road

“He helped build participation and interest in baseball all the way up from Little League. He had has finger on everything.”

And Stahmer provided the pulse of what happened - from stories to statistics to “where are they now” - with “Forever Champions.”

“I owe it all to a lot of people,” Stahmer said.

To purchase “Forever Champions” for $19.95 (including shipping) contact Scott Stahmer at scottstahmer@bellsouth.net or (954) 292-4103.

Basketball

St. Viator made big news Thursday, July 30 when it announced the hiring of Al Biancalana as its new boys basketball coach. Biancalana, a 2015 inductee into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, brings a combination of high school and Division I coaching experience and will be an assistant dean and college and career advisor at the school.

Biancalana replaces Viator alum Mike O’Keeffe, who was 93-79 with 3 regional titles since taking over during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season. O’Keeffe’s teams won 24 and 21 games the last two seasons.

Biancalana was an assistant coach at St. Patrick under Mike Bailey and was part of the school’s third-place state finish in Class 3A in 2024-25.

We are excited to welcome Coach Biancalana to the Saint Viator family,” said Viator athletic director Nolan Dowling in a story on the school’s website. “His exceptional coaching experience, commitment to student development, and passion for mentoring young people make him an outstanding addition to our school community. We look forward to the positive impact he will have both on and off the court.”

Biancalana was high school head coach at Stagg, York, DeKalb and Glenbard East. He also spent 10 years as a Division I assistant coach at Bradley and UIC.

• Ex-Buffalo Grove star John Clancy was re-hired for a second year as an assistant coach at Ball State after a head coaching change from Michael Lewis to Chris Capko. Clancy’s college experience includes two years as an assistant at Western Illinois, two years as head coach and one as an assistant at Triton, one year as an assistant at John A. Logan and four years on staff at Southern Illinois.

• Christian Spandiary, who was the MSL West Player of the Year and Daily Herald All-Area captain in 2012 at Schaumburg, is the new head coach at Cary-Grove after Adam McCloud stepped down. Spandiary spent the last six years on Bryan Tucker’s staff at Barrington.

• The Tom McCormack head coaching tree grew again with Conant alum Garret Gatz taking over at Schaumburg. Gatz was an assistant coach with the Saxons.

• Jason Tucker is the new head coach at Harper College after three seasons as the head coach at Schaumburg.

• Bob Williams, who led Schaumburg to the Class AA state title in 2001, retired from head coaching after three seasons at Horizon High School in Scottsdale, Arizona. Williams was 347-153 at Schaumburg with a fourth-place AA finish in 1999 and an Elite Eight trip in 2006. He won 500-plus games that included stops at Niles West, Charleston (SC….) and Horizon.

• Tom McCormack as Conant’s head coach and Scott Hennig as a starter on Hoffman Estates’ 2003 Class AA sectional finalist were on opposite sides of one the MSL’s best basketball rivalries. But recently Hennig, now one of the Chicago area’s top coaches at Geneva, brought the retired McCormack out to talk to his team.

• It’s a homecoming for John Bowler as he returned to his alma mater Eastern Michigan as an assistant for new head coach Billy Donlon. Bowler, who starred at Notre Dame HS, led Parkland College in Champaign to a NJCAA Division II national title in 2026 and a runner-up finish in 2025 and was also an assistant at Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Donlon, who starred at Glenbrook North, has also been a head coach at Wright State and Missouri-Kansas City.

• Former Prospect standout Bob Reibel is making a job change to head boys basketball coach but is staying in the same place at Lake Park. Reibel led the Lancers’ girls to a program-record 28 victories and DuKane Conference and regional titles last season.

• Hoffman Estates will host its inaugural Hoffman Holiday Hoopfest on Dec. 23-30. As of April 10, it had 12 teams committed with Argo, Carmel, Elk Grove, Fenton, Huntley, Leyden, Maine East, Morton, Niles West, Round Lake and Vernon Hills. A number of the teams moved over from the disbanded Maine East tournament.

• Steve Raethz announced his retirement as a head coach this spring after building Huntley into one of the state’s premier girls programs. Raethz, who was a Daily Herald All-Area standout at Hoffman Estates for Bill Wandro, won more than 500 games and his 2013 (check) team finished fourth in the state in Class 4A.

• Alison Guth was hired as Northwestern’s Chief of Staff for new head coach Carla Berube. Guth, who helped lead Buffalo Grove to the 2000 Class AA state title, spent the last four years as head coach at Loyola. She was also the head coach at Yale for seven years and an assistant at Northwestern from 2012-15.

• Fremd and Harper College alum Paul Combs retired after three seasons as an assistant at Wisconsin-Stevens Point and more than 30 years in college coaching. He won 320-plus games in 24 years as a head coach at Carroll, Wayne State, Wisconsin-Platteville and Lakeland.

• Palatine career scoring leader Connor May transferred to Yale in the Ivy League from Division III power Washington University in St. Louis. May, who led Palatine to fourth place in the state in Class 4A in 2024, led Washington in scoring (17.3 ppg), rebounding (7.2), steals (37) and blocks (27) and was a National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) third-team All-American as a sophomore.

  

• Former Lake Park and Lake Zurich head coach Billy Pitcher has joined Andrew Schweitzer’s staff at Waubonsie Valley and will run the defense. Pitcher was 297-180 at Lake Park and Lake Zurich with 6 regional titles and a sectional crown and he was also an assistant coach at Elk Grove.

• Ex-Elk Grove standout Billy Hubly was promoted to an assistant coach at Pitt after three seasons as the program’s assistant athletic director for scouting. Hubly was also on the staffs at South Florida with Hersey grad Brian Gregory, East Carolina and Georgia Tech and was a three-time all-conference player at St. Francis in Joliet.

• Pat Ambrose, one of the state’s most successful high school coaches at Stevenson before retiring in 2023, was hired as a men’s assistant at Carthage College. Ambrose won 505 games and a Class 4A state title in 2015 with NBA and NCAA champion guard Jalen Brunson. Ambrose was also an assistant to Bill Wandro at Hoffman Estates.

Baseball

Longtime Hersey pitching coach Kevin Kelley and his son Danny discovered an unexpected connection during the NCAA baseball tournament. Kevin Kelley, who pitched for Larry Pohlman at Prospect at NIU, mentioned to his son that he was excited about NIU ending a 54-year drought between NCAA tournament appearances.

Danny Kelley, a 2008 Hersey grad who was recently named head baseball coach at Marcus High School in suburban Dallas-Fort Worth, told him that’s great but he was pulling for Kansas and one of his former players, pitcher Emerson McKnight. Kevin Kelley said he also had a former Hersey pitcher, Jeremy Allen, who was on the team.

Kevin Kelley texted Allen and discovered Allen and McKnight are roommates.

“What a small world that a couple of pitchers at the University of Kansas would both be coached by Kelleys, are from opposite ends of the country and turn out to be roommates,” Kevin Kelley said in a text.

Danny Kelley pitched for Bob Huber at Hersey and at Tennessee-Martin. He was in his second year as pitching coach at Marcus High School in Flower Mound and took over the team on an interim basis when the head coach resigned late in the season. Kelley led the team to the state semifinals and was named head coach in early July.

Kelley was also an assistant coach at two other programs, including Colleyville Heritage, which produced Kansas City Royals star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. Kelley is a science and special education inclusion teacher.

• A late-season non-conference game on May 23 between Hersey and South Elgin was also memorable for the Brownley family and brothers Wally and Brent, who played for Schaumburg. It was the first time they faced off in a varsity game as coaches with Wally leading Hersey and Brent as an assistant at South Elgin.
  
  Hersey won 6-4 and Brent wrote on Facebook, “Baseball has been such an important part of our lives — my very first memories are playing ball with my brothers. Really special having Mom and Dad there, too … and shout out to Aunty J for coming out. Love my family and love this game so much.”

• Former Elk Grove star and third-year NIU head coach Ryan Copeland was selected by the American Baseball Coaches Association as the ABCA/ATEC NCAA Division I Midwest Region Coach of the Year. NIU won a school-record 36 games, its first Mid-American Conference title and its first NCAA tournament game.
  “I am humbled and honored to be named the ABCA Midwest Region Coach of the Year,” Copeland said on the NIU website. “Our assistant coaches and support staff deserve this recognition far more than I do. The amount of time and effort they have put into developing our student-athletes this past year is remarkable. I’m proud to work alongside them each day.”

Honors and Awards

• Harper College celebrated its storied athletic history of nearly six decades by holding its inaugural Hall of Fame induction ceremony in mid-April. The inaugural class featured coaches John Eliasik (football and baseball) and Renee Zellner (track and field), coach-administrators Roger Bechtold and Martha Lynn Bolt and the first teams to win national championships in men’s sports (1994 wrestling) and women’s sports (2011 track and field).

• Prospect’s Nate Cichy and Elk Grove’s Julia Korzen received the District 214 Howard Lester Awards for 2026 that annually are presented to one of the top male and female student-athletes in the district. Cichy was a football and track and field standout who also scored 35 on the ACT and is playing football at Illinois. Korzen won back-to-back state championships in the IHSA wheelchair bowling tournament.

• Hoffman Estates’ athletic trainer Greg Garofalo won the Karen Hovorka Humanitarian Award from the Illinois Athletic Trainers Association (IATA). The award recognizes an IATA member who displays acts of kindness and service by volunteering to a charity/non-profit organization.

  

• Tauja Catchings, who helped lead Stevenson to consecutive girls basketball state titles in 1995-96, is part of the eight-member University of Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2026. Catchings was a two-time honorable mention All-America and a three-time all-Big Ten selection for the Fighting Illini.

Remembrances

• Ken Rundquist, who coached boys basketball and boys and girls tennis at Elk Grove, passed away March 7 at 85. Rundquist was an honors geometry teacher at Elk Grove from the school’s opening in 1966 until 2008 and was head basketball coach for five seasons (1988-93).

• Jim Swift, who coached track and cross country at Hoffman Estates and Schaumburg, passed away May 8 at 79. Swift also taught and coached at Shabbona and St. Edward and was a long-time meet starter in track and cross country.

• Cheryle Wilcox, who was Palatine’s first girls sports coordinator, passed away Feb. 21 at 81. Wilcox was a physical education and health teacher at Palatine and in 1984 began a 12-year tenure in charge of girls sports that resulted in 14 state titles and 31 state trophies.

Badminton

The Illinois Association of Badminton Coaches (IABC) announced its all-state teams with state runner-up Fremd represented by junior Sophia Lin and sophomore Kisheera Karthik in singles and seniors Catherine Qin, Riya Maligireddy and Sophie Zhou and freshman Emma Qin in doubles.

Schaumburg had five all-staters with senior Jhena Emance in singles and seniors Izzy Flores and Tori Bahrii and juniors Aarna Gopalan and Lily Yeung in doubles. Barrington had four doubles players in senior Alora Wu and juniors Ameera Afeef, Flora Shen and Vanessa Njam.

Buffalo Grove junior Maahi Jhala and senior Anastasyia Huida and Hoffman Estates seniors Audrey Hans and Hiba Ali also made the all-state doubles team. Hersey senior Teagan Rose was an all-state singles selection.

State champion Stevenson had four all-state doubles picks in seniors Katie Moy and Nivedya Nair, sophomore Charlotte Richards and freshman Kaitlyn Kim. Senior Veronica Ornatsky and freshman Srivarshini Badrinarayanan were all-state singles.

Football

• Dragan Teonic is taking over at Lake Zurich for Ron Planz, who left to become a teacher and assistant coach at Barrington. Teonic has 100 career head coaching victories at Harper College, Hersey, Larkin and South Elgin, where he was 51-9 in six seasons (2018-23).

• Former St. Viator head coach Dave Archibald is the new head coach at St. Edward. He will also be the school’s first Dean of Athletics. Archibald was 38-45 in nine seasons at Viator before he was replaced by Robbie Gould.

Miscellaneous

Mike Obsuszt and Bob Pieper are the interim athletic directors at Lake Zurich. Obsuszt was a head boys basketball coach and athletic director at Barrington and also did an interim stint as AD at St. Viator. His sons Kyle (football) and Tyler (basketball) and daughter Ashley (multiple sports) were also athletes at LZ.

Pieper was a head football coach and administrator at Glenbrook North and Crete-Monee.

All-MSL Football 1980-89

• Thanks to Forest View graduate Rob Mayer for providing the missing information on the Daily Herald 1982 All-Area football team that has been added to the 1982 MSL All-Conference team. Mayer was a first-team all-area and all-MSL defensive back for Fred Lussow’s Falcons, who finished 8-1 but incredibly did not make the six-class, 96-team playoff field.

Books like “Temporary Insanity” about the wacky life of baseball player/legendary prankster Jay Johnstone or the 2006 version of the Chicago White Sox encyclopedia by longtime team historian Rich Lindberg.

You can’t put a price on heartfelt notes and signatures from a mother who wanted to make sure her children got the most out of their gifts. In this case, it was a love of reading and writing that was fostered by Mary Maciaszek Steffens.

She liked sports but wasn’t crazy about them - occasionally interceding in silly sibling squabbles between my Cub fan sister Tracy and my brother Norm and I about the White Sox and who was better. Or, more accurately when we were growing up, who was worse.

We all understandably believe our mom is the best mom. And that’s true for us with our mom, who passed away on July 2 after 82 wonderful years. Sports are a big part of the many wonderful memories we have because it’s part of what she wanted for all of us in her extended family.

She thought Cardinals relief pitcher and closer Al Hrabosky, best-known in the 1970s as The Mad Hungarian for his fu manchu mustache and unconventional for the times act of trying to psych up himself and psych out hitters, was really cool. So we went to see him at Wrigley Field.

But she was the one who usually took us to a Cubs game or two every summer. Our dad was one of the “85 percenters,” to paraphrase former Cubs manager Lee Elia, so the idea of him taking a weekday afternoon off from work to go to Wrigley was not an option. So we would pile in the station wagon, park about four blocks and walk to the park with our hot dogs she made for us at home.

Then we’d get our Cubs “Official Program” for about 20 or 25 cents and wander down near the dugouts to try an get an autograph or two before getting shooed back to our grandstand seats by the Andy Frain ushers. Saw Johnny Bench hit a controversial home run that led the 1976 Big Red Machine from an early 10-1 deficit to a 13-10 extra inning win.

We were on the third-base side with a perfect view of Cesar Cedeno’s straight steal of home for the Astros. There was “The Steve Dillard Game” - wait, you don’t remember “The Steve Dillard Game?” - where the backup middle infielder hit 2 homers and came up just short of a third against the “We Are Family” Pirates of 1979 and ace lefty John “The Candy Man” Candelaria.

We were among the 33,313 in the park for the 1980 home opener of the Preston Gomez era when immortals Carlos Lezcano and Mike Tyson - not that Mike Tyson - homered in a 4-1 win. She never forgot how an injured Dave Kingman was a no-show for his own T-shirt day later that season.

Like many of our parents in the ‘70s and ‘80s, we had WGN and 720 AM on our radio dial at home or in the car. She really liked Roy Leonard so one Saturday morning he had a trivia question on who the Brewers’ first manager was to win four Golden Box tickets to a Brewers-Sox game at old Comiskey Park.

We managed to call in with the answer - Dave Bristol - and the payoff was seeing the end of the longest game in big-league history on May 9, 1984. Eight-plus hours over two days with a game-winning homer in the 25th inning by Harold Baines and two wins by Tom Seaver.

She was one of the world’s biggest Neil Diamond fans, which led to a memorable train trip to see him in concert in December 1977. That included seeing the Chiefs and Seahawks in a mostly unmemorable game at Arrowhead Stadium - the final home game for legendary linebackers Willie Lanier and Jim Lynch and a 102-yard interception by Gary Barbaro that is still the longest in Chiefs’ history.

The Seahawks’ 34-31 win also helped make me a fan of the exciting offense featuring Jim Zorn and Steve Largent. Naturally I wanted a Zorn No. 10 jersey for Christmas, and she did what she could to find one at a time when it wasn’t as simple as going on the internet and having it arrive on your doorstep a few days later.

And when a group of us from our fraternity wanted to get an autographed picture of Neil Diamond for the house we were living in during our senior year at Bradley University? She came through with one inscribed to “The Men of Sigma Nu” in all of his flamboyant glory.

Naturally, wanting to become a sportswriter was fully supported from the Elmhurst Press to the Peoria Journal Star and ultimately the Daily Herald. She kept a lot of clips of stories of mine and my wife Amy, who was covering and writing about much more serious news in the suburbs.

Mary Maciaszek Steffens was also a tremendous example of perseverance after losing her first husband Frank to brain cancer in 1986 and her second husband Dennis in his sleep in 2016. Her older brother Norman passed before he became a teenager because of respiratory problems.

Through it all there was never a “why me” or woe is me attitude. As difficult as it was, you picked yourself up and kept going because life goes on.

The same is true now after she decided to go out on her terms from some health problems rather than feel like she was a burden to others because she wouldn’t be able to keep living the way she or all of us wanted. Fortunately it gave family and friends our final chances to share many of these great stories and memories.

Memories that inspire various iterations of the quote, “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”

We realize it’s OK to do both with the people who matter most to us.

A lot of family and friends of 2016 Hersey grad Brett Harris might have penciled in this weekend as their chance to see him play big-league baseball in Chicago with the Athletics visiting the White Sox for a three-game series.

But the uncertain life of professional sports led to a whirlwind with Harris making his first appearance in a Major League uniform in his hometown at first base for the Boston Red Sox in Thursday afternoon’s 2-1 win over the Chicago White Sox. Harris started and went 0-for-2 and was hit by a pitch.

“It’s good to be here,” Harris told Sean McAdam of MassLive.com. “It kind of happened pretty quickly.”

Harris was designated for assignment by the A’s in late June and traded to the Red Sox on July 1 for Ben Hansen. Harris played five games at Triple-A Worcester and hit a grand slam Wednesday night.

It turned out to be a grand finale in Worcester for the time being. Harris found out he was flying to Chicago early Thursday morning because Red Sox starting first baseman Willson Contreras was injured after fouling a ball off his left foot, according to McAdam. Word also quickly spread among family and friends such as Bob Napoleon and Ron Cacini so they could get to Rate Field to see Harris play for the getaway day matinee.

MSL to MLB: They Made the Show

The Red Sox placed pitcher Ranger Suarez on the injured list to clear a roster spot for Harris. Contreras began serving a 5-game suspension Thursday for his involvement in a fracas last week. The Red Sox started a three-game series in New York against the Mets on Friday and Harris was sent back to Triple-A Worcester after Saturday’s game.

“Wherever they write me in I’ll be ready to go,” Harris told McAdam. “You just have to be ready to go at all times.”

Harris, a seventh-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft out of Gonzaga, was hitting .192 with 3 homers and 17 RBI in 182 big-league at-bats after Thursday’s game against the White Sox. He was 0-for-4 in 5 games with the A’s this year but had a slash line of .336/.441/.537 and an OPS of .978 with 5 homers, 13 doubles and 34 RBI in 37 games at Triple-A Las Vegas before the trade to Boston.

He told McAdam the Red Sox are a “world-class organization. Any team that makes you feel wanted, you want to be here. It’s a great opportunity for me. I’m excited to be here.”

Harris was a two-time all-Mid-Suburban League pick as a junior and senior. He had never played a regular-season game against the Cubs or White Sox prior to Thursday.

Feeling the Draft

The MLB Draft is this weekend and Brett Harris is the second-most recent player from the MSL to be selected. The last MSL player chosen was another Hersey grad, pitcher Quinn Gudaitis, by the Tigers in the 16th round in 2022 out of the University of Illinois Springfield.

The draft reduction to 20 rounds in 2021 has reduced the number of potential draft picks.

MSL/Area Draft History

For the Broncos, the return was almost immediate as it went to Springfield and won the league’s first state title behind future Seattle Mariners’ All-Star catcher and division-winning manager Dan Wilson. It was the crowning achievement in a program that would reach the title game the next two seasons and finish third in 1998 in the final season under Kirby Smith, who retired with the most wins of any baseball coach in MSL history at 539.

For the Saxons, their surprising first regional title under second-year head coach Paul Groot was a beginning. They would finish second in 1989 and win the league’s second title in 1997 in a dramatic 5-4 decision over Lockport on Brian Wojtanowski’s RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning at Geneva’s Elfstrom Stadium. Groot, who passed away just before Christmas in 2024, would become the winningest baseball coach in MSL history with 611 and a retirement trip to a Class 4A supersectional in 2012.

After Schaumburg’s title it would be 27 years until another MSL team reached a championship game as Conant and head coach Derek Fivelson finished second in the state in Class 4A.

Fremd was the MSL’s breakthrough team with the first of two Elite Eight trips under head coach Terry Gellinger in 1979. The Vikings won their tournament opener but unfortunately didn’t get a state trophy after losing in the semifinal because the IHSA did not play a third-place game until 1989.

This is a look at the state tournament history of MSL baseball. It includes scores of all games and team, individual and coaching records and information. The information was compiled from the ihsa.org website, the Daily Herald and the Springfield State Journal-Register.

Fivelson is one of three Hoffman Estates’ alums to take a team to the state finals with Ray Gawron at his alma mater in 1985 and Paul Belo at Fremd in 2000. Belo played on the 1985 team and is the only MSL product to reach the state finals as a player and coach. Groot (Wheeling), Prospect’s Ross Giusti (Arlington/Prospect) and Elk Grove’s Terry Beyna (Rolling Meadows) are the other MSL alums to lead a team to the state finals.

Sectional champions advanced directly to the Elite Eight until 2002 when supersectional games were added to determine the state tournament participants. The IHSA expanded from two classes to four for the 2008 season.

YEARLY STATE TOURNEY RESULTS

NOTE: Finish and overall record in parentheses; Q - Quarterfinals; S - Semifinals; Title - Championship game; Third - Third-place game.

CLASS AA

1979 - FREMD (DNP, 19-11)

Coach: Terry Gellinger

Q - Fremd 8, Clemente 5

S - Mt. Carmel (Ill.) 2, Fremd 0

No third-place game

1980 - BARRINGTON (DNP, 25-6)

Coach: Kirby Smith

Q - Bartonville Limestone 5, Barrington 3

1982 - ELK GROVE (DNP, 17-9)

Coach: Larry Peddy

Q - Edwardsville 1, Elk Grove 0

1984 - FREMD (DNP, 24-5)

Coach: Terry Gellinger

Q - Reavis 11, Fremd 0 (6 innings)

1985 - HOFFMAN ESTATES (DNP, 21-9)

Coach: Ray Gawron

Q - Belleville East 5, Hoffman Estates 1

1986 - BARRINGTON (1st, 33-5)

Coach: Kirby Smith

Q - Barrington 5, Oak Forest 4

S - Barrington 6, Belleville East 2

Title - Barrington 12, Fenger 2 (5 innings)

1987 - BARRINGTON (2nd, 31-5)

Coach: Kirby Smith

Q - Barrington 16, West Aurora 4

S - Barrington 6, St. Laurence 2

Title - Springfield Griffin 9, Barrington 1

1988 - BARRINGTON (2nd, 28-7)

Coach: Kirby Smith

Q - Barrington 17, Clemente 4 (5 innings)

S - Barrington 9, Edwardsville 6

Title - Galesburg 21, Barrington 4 (5 innings)

1989 - SCHAUMBURG (2nd, 25-11)

Coach: Paul Groot

Q - Schaumburg 3, New Trier 2

S - Schaumburg 7, Clemente 4

Title - Harrisburg 3, Schaumburg 2 (8 innings)

1995 - BARRINGTON (DNP, 34-7)

Coach: Kirby Smith

Q - Morris 8, Barrington 4

1996 - ROLLING MEADOWS (DNP, 31-6)

Coach: Bill Niedbala

Q - Moline 7, Rolling Meadows 4

1997 - SCHAUMBURG (1st, 32-5)

Coach: Paul Groot

Q: Schaumburg 3, Clemente 0

S: Schaumburg 11, Rock Island 0 (5 innings)

Title - Schaumburg 5, Lockport 4 (9 innings)

1998 - BARRINGTON (3rd, 34-9)

Coach: Kirby Smith

Q - Barrington 4, Lockport 1

S - Andrew 5, Barrington 2

Third - Barrington 12, Simeon 0 (5 innings)

2000 - FREMD (4th, 28-13)

Coach: Paul Belo

Q - Fremd 12, De La Salle 4

S - New Trier 12, Fremd 2 (5 innings)

Third - Moline 7, Fremd 6

2005 - BARRINGTON (3rd, 35-7)

Coach: Jim Hawrysko

Q - Barrington 10, Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin 8

S - Lockport 15, Barrington 1 (6 innings)

Third - Barrington 11, Bartonville Limestone 1 (5 innings)

2005 - SCHAUMBURG (DNP, 27-10)

Coach: Paul Groot

Q - Lockport 6, Schaumburg 2

2006 - ELK GROVE (DNP, 32-8)

Coach: Terry Beyna

Q - Naperville Central 1, Elk Grove 0

2007 - BUFFALO GROVE (DNP, 17-14)

Coach: John Wendell

Q - New Trier 8, Buffalo Grove 0

CLASS 4A

2011 - PROSPECT (3rd, 27-9)

Coach: Ross Giusti

S - Providence 9, Prospect 1

Third - Prospect 2, Mt. Carmel 1

2024 - CONANT (2nd, 30-8)

Coach: Derek Fivelson

S - Conant 1, York 0

Title - Providence 4, Conant 1

STATE TITLES

1 - Barrington (1986 AA)

1 - Schaumburg (1997 AA)

SECOND PLACE

2 - Barrington (1987 AA, 1988 AA)

1 - Schaumburg (1989 AA)

1 - Conant (2024 4A)

THIRD PLACE

2 - Barrington (1998 AA, 2005 AA)

1 - Prospect (2011 4A)

FOURTH PLACE

1 - Fremd (2000 AA)

TOP FOUR TROPHY FINISHES

5 - Barrington (1986 AA, 1987 AA, 1988 AA, 1998 AA, 2005 AA)

2 - Schaumburg (1989 AA, 1997 AA)

1 - Fremd (2000 AA)

1 - Prospect (2011 4A)

1 - Conant (2024 4A)

TOURNEY APPEARANCES

7 - Barrington (1980 AA, 1986 AA, 1987 AA, 1988 AA, 1995 AA, 1998 AA, 2005 AA)

3 - Schaumburg (1989 AA, 1997 AA, 2005 AA)

3 - Fremd (1979 AA, 1984 AA, 2000 AA)

2 - Elk Grove (1982 AA, 2006 AA)

1 - Conant (2024 4A)

1 - Prospect (2011 4A)

1 - Buffalo Grove (2007 AA)

1 - Rolling Meadows (1996 AA)

1 - Hoffman Estates (1985 AA)

SUPERSECTIONAL TITLES

1 - Conant (2024 4A)

1 - Prospect (2011 4A)

1 - Buffalo Grove (2007 AA)

1 - Elk Grove (2006 AA)

1 - Barrington (2005 AA)

1 - Schaumburg (2005 AA)

SECTIONAL TITLES

9 - Barrington (1980 AA, 1986 AA, 1987 AA, 1988 AA, 1995 AA, 1998 AA, 2005 AA, 2009 4A, 2026 4A)

5 - Schaumburg (1989 AA, 1997 AA, 2002 AA, 2005 AA, 2012 4A)

4 - Fremd (1979 AA, 1984 AA, 2000 AA, 2019 4A)

2 - Buffalo Grove (2007 AA, 2018 4A)

2 - Elk Grove (1982 AA, 2006 AA)

2 - Prospect (2011 4A, 2021 4A)

1 - Conant (2024 4A)

1 - Rolling Meadows (1996 AA)

1 - Hoffman Estates (1985 AA)

REGIONAL TITLES

24 - Barrington (1975, 1976, 1977, 1978 AA, 1980 AA, 1983 AA, 1986 AA, 1987 AA, 1988 AA, 1995 AA, 1997 AA, 1998 AA, 2003 AA, 2004 AA, 2005 AA, 2006 AA, 2009 4A, 2018 4A, 2019 4A, 2022 4A, 2023 4A, 2024 4A, 2025 4A, 2026 4A)

13 - Schaumburg (1986 AA, 1989 AA, 1992 AA, 1996 AA, 1997 AA, 1998 AA, 1999 AA, 2002 AA, 2004 AA, 2005 AA, 2007 AA, 2008 4A, 2012 4A)

11 - Fremd (1979 AA, 1981 AA, 1984 AA, 1991 AA, 1992 AA, 1999 AA, 2000 AA, 2002 AA, 2013 4A, 2019 4A, 2022 4A)

9 - Buffalo Grove (1984 AA, 1992 AA, 1999 AA, 2002 AA, 2007 AA, 2008 4A, 2017 4A, 2018 4A, 2026 4A)

8 - Prospect (1987 AA, 2006 AA, 2007 AA, 2011 4A, 2016 4A, 2021 4A, 2024 4A, 2025 4A)

7 - Elk Grove (1982 AA, 2003 AA, 2006 AA, 2013 4A, 2016 4A, 2019 4A, 2024 4A)

6 - Hersey (1980 AA, 1993 AA, 2002 AA, 2003 AA, 2004 AA, 2023 4A)

5 - Rolling Meadows (1983 AA, 1990 AA, 1994 AA, 1996 AA, 2005 AA)

4 - Conant (2007 AA, 2009 4A, 2017 4A, 2024 4A)

4 - Palatine (1988 AA, 2001 AA, 2011 4A, 2012 4A)

3 - Wheeling (1979 AA, 1995 AA, 2005 AA)

2 - Hoffman Estates (1985 AA, 2003 AA)

1 - Arlington (1977)

1 - Forest View (1974)

1 - Maine West (1964)

CONSECUTIVE TOP 4 FINISHES

3 - Barrington (1986 AA, 1987 AA, 1988 AA)

CONSECUTIVE SECTIONAL TITLES

3 - Barrington (1986 AA, 1987 AA, 1988 AA)

CONSECUTIVE REGIONAL TITLES

5 - Barrington (2022-26)

4 - Barrington (1975-78)

4 - Schaumburg (1996-99)

4 - Barrington (2003-06)

3 - Barrington (1986-88)

3 - Hersey (2002-04)

2 - Fremd (1991-92)

2 - Barrington (1997-98)

2 - Fremd (1999-2000)

2 - Schaumburg (2004-05)

2 - Prospect (2006-07)

2 - Schaumburg (2007-08)

2 - Buffalo Grove (2007-08)

2 - Palatine (2011-12)

2 - Buffalo Grove (2017-18)

2 - Barrington (2018-19)

2 - Prospect (2024-25)

TEAM STATISTICS

SINGLE GAME

MOST RUNS SCORED

17 - Barrington (1988 AA quarterfinals, d. Clemente 17-4, 5 innings)

16 - Barrington (1987 AA quarterfinals, d. West Aurora 16-4)

12 - Barrington (1986 AA title, d. Fenger 12-2, 5 innings)

12 - Barrington (1998 AA third, d. Simeon 12-0, 5 innings)

12 - Fremd (2000 AA quarterfinals, d. De La Salle 12-4)

11 - Schaumburg (1997 AA semifinal, d. Rock Island 11-0, 5 innings)

11 - Barrington (2005 AA third, d. Bartonville Limestone 11-1, 5 innings)

10 - Barrington (2005 AA semifinal, d. Springfield Grifin 10-8)

9 - Barrington (1988 AA semifinals, d. Edwardsville 9-6)

8 - Fremd (1979 AA quarterfinals, d. Clemente 8-5)

MOST RUNS ALLOWED

21 - Barrington (1988 AA title, l. 21-4 Galesburg, 5 innings)

15 - Barrington (2005 AA semifinal, l. 15-1 Lockport, 6 innings)

12 - Fremd (2000 AA semifinals, l. 12-2 New Trier, 5 innings)

11 - Fremd (1984 AA quarterfinals, l. 11-0 Reavis, 6 innings)

9 - Barrington (1987 AA title, l. 9-1 Springfield Griffin)

9 - Prospect (2011 4A semifinals, l. 9-1 to Providence)

8 - Barrington (1995 AA quarterfinals, l. 8-4 to Morris)

8 - Barrington (2005 AA quarterfinals, d. Springfield Griffin 10-8)

8 - Buffalo Grove (2007 AA quarterfinals, l. 8-0 New Trier)

MOST HITS

16 - Barrington (1988 AA quarterfinals vs. Clemente)

14 - Barrington (2005 AA quarterfinals vs. Springfield Griffin)

13 - Barrington (2005 AA third place vs. Bartonville Limestone)

13 - Barrington (1987 AA quarterfinal vs. West Aurora)

13 - Fremd (1979 AA quarterfinal vs. Clemente)

12 - Barrington (1998 AA third place vs. Simeon)

11 - Fremd (2000 AA quarterfinal vs. De La Salle)

11 - Schaumburg (1997 AA quarterfinal vs. Clemente)

11 - Barrington (1987 AA semifinal vs. St. Laurence)

10 - Fremd (2000 AA third place vs. Moline)

10 - Barrington (1995 AA quarterfinal vs. Morris)

10 - Barrington (1980 AA quarterfinal vs. Bartonville Limestone)

SHUTOUTS OF OPPONENTS

1997 - Schaumburg 3, Clemente 0 (AA quarterfinals)

1997 - Schaumburg 11, Rock Island 0 (AA quarterfinals, 5 innings)

1998 - Barrington 12, Simeon 0 (AA third place, 5 innings)

2024 - Conant 1, York 0 (4A semifinal)

SHUTOUTS BY OPPONENTS

1979 - Mt. Carmel (IL) 2, Fremd 0 (AA semifinal)

1982 - Edwardsville 1, Elk Grove 0 (AA quarterfinal)

1984 - Reavis 11, Fremd 0 (AA quarterfinal, 6 innings)

2006 - Naperville Central 1, Elk Grove 0 (AA quarterfinal)

2007- New Trier 8, Buffalo Grove 0 (AA quarterfinal)

LARGEST VICTORY MARGIN

13 - (1988 AA quarterfinal, Barrington 17, Clemente 4, 5 innings)

12 - (1987 AA quarterfinal, Barrington 16, West Aurora 4)

12 - (1998 AA third place, Barrington 12, Simeon 0, 5 innings)

11 - (1997 AA semifinal, Schaumburg 11, Rock Island 0, 5 innings)

10 - (1986 AA Title, Barrington 12, Fenger 2, 5 innings)

10 - (2005 AA third place, Barrington 11, Bartonville Limestone 1, 5 innings)

8 - (2000 AA quarterfinal, Fremd 12, De La Salle 4)

LARGEST MARGIN OF DEFEAT

17 - (1988 AA title, Galesburg 21, Barrington 4, 5 innings)

14 - (2005 AA semifinal, Lockport 15, Barrington 1, 6 innings)

11 - (1984 AA quarterfinal, Reavis 11, Fremd 0, 6 innings)

10 - (2000 AA semifinal, New Trier 12, Fremd 2, 5 innings)

8 - (1987 AA title, Springfield Griffin 9, Barrington 1)

8 - (2007 AA quarterfinal, New Trier 8, Buffalo Grove 0)

8 - (2011 4A semifinal, Providence 9, Prospect 1)

EXTRA-INNING GAMES

1989 AA Title - Harrisburg 3, Schaumburg 2 (8 innings)

1997 AA Title - Schaumburg 5, Lockport 4 (9 innings)

RUN-RULE GAMES

1984 AA Quarterfinal - Reavis 11, Fremd 0 (6 innings)

1986 AA Title - Barrington 12, Fenger 2 (5 innings)

1988 AA Quarterfinal - Barrington 17, Clemente 4 (5 innings)

1988 AA Title - Galesburg 21, Barrington 4 (5 innings)

1997 AA Semifinal - Schaumburg 11, Rock Island 0 (5 innings)

1998 AA Third Place - Barrington 12, Simeon 0 (5 innings)

2000 AA Semifinal - New Trier 12, Fremd 2 (5 innings)

2005 AA Semifinal - Lockport 15, Barrington 1 (6 innings)

2005 AA Third Place - Barrington 11, Bartonville Limestone 1 (5 innings)

INDIVIDUAL

PITCHING

VICTORIES

2 - Dan Wilson (Barrington, 1986-87), David Anderson (1987-88)

1 - Franklin Kirchner (Conant, 2024), Jack Landwehr (Prospect, 2011), Will Sherlock (Barrington, 2005), Eric Marshall (Barrington, 2005), Jeff Maitland (Fremd, 2000), John Austin (Barrington, 1998), Dan Pohlman (Barrington, 1998), Mike Nall (Schaumburg, 1997), Mark Belousek (Schaumburg, 1997), T.J. Nall (Schaumburg, 1997), Troy Smith (Schaumburg, 1989), Tom Gransinger (Schaumburg, 1989), Chris Schubbe (Barrington, 1988), Keith Noreen (Barrington, 1986), Peter Faith (Barrington, 1986), Pat Griffin (Fremd, 1979)

SAVES

1 - Brett Plaskas (Barrington, 1988), Keith Noreen (Barrington, 1986), Dan Wilson (Barrington, 1986)

STRIKEOUTS

ONE PITCHER

12 - Dave Otto (Elk Grove, 1982 AA quarterfinal)

10 - Dan Wilson (Barrington, 1987 AA quarterfinal)

9 - Stacey Olenick (Hoffman Estates, 1985 AA quarterfinals)

8 - Jeff Maitland (Fremd, 2000 AA quarterfinal)

8 - Rick Kirsten (Rolling Meadows, 1996 AA quarterfinal)

7 - Bryce Loerger (Conant, 2024 4A Title)

7 - Franklin Kirchner (Conant, 2024 4A Semifinal)

7 - Grant Monroe (Schaumburg, 2005 AA quarterfinal)

7 - David Anderson (Barrington, 1987 AA semifinal)

MULTIPLE PITCHERS

10 - Rick Kirsten/Steve Gagliano (Rolling Meadows, 1996 AA quarterfinal)

10 - Brian Coll/Chris Schubbe/Doug Sokulski/Brett Plaskas (Barrington, 1988 AA semifinal)

9 - Mark Belousek/Mike Nall/T.J. Nall (Schaumburg, 1997 AA title, 9 innings)

LOW-HIT GAMES

One Pitcher

NO-HITTER

1997 - Mike Nall (Schaumburg, AA quarterfinal)*

*Only baserunner reached on a 7th-inning leadoff walk

1-HITTER

NONE

2-HITTER

2024 - Franklin Kirchner (Conant, 4A semifinal)

3-HITTER

2006 - Ryan Copeland (Elk Grove, AA quarterfinal, 6-plus IP)

4-HITTER

1997 - Mark Belousek (Schaumburg, AA semifinal, 5 innings)

1982 - Dave Otto (Elk Grove, AA quarterfinal)

Combined

1-HITTER

1998 - Dan Pohlman/Brian Freese (Barrington, AA third place, 5 innings)

2-HITTER

2005 - Will Sherlock/Bobby Brignola (Barrington, AA third place, 5 innings)

3-HITTER

NONE

4-HITTER

1979 - Dave Manning/Pat Griffin (Fremd, AA semifinal)

SHUTOUTS

2024 - Franklin Kirchner (Conant, 4A semifinal d. York 1-0)

1997 - Mike Nall (Schaumburg, AA quarterfinal vs. Clemente 3-0)

1997 - Mark Belousek (Schaumburg, AA semifinal vs. Rock Island 11-0, 5 innings)

COMPLETE GAMES

2024 - Bryce Loerger (Conant, 4A title)

2024 - Franklin Kirchner (Conant, 4A semifinal)

2011 - Jack Landwehr (Prospect, 4A third place)

2006 - Ryan Copeland (Elk Grove, AA quarterfinal, 6-plus IP)

2005 - Grant Monroe (Schaumburg, AA quarterfinal)

2000 - Jeff Maitland (Fremd, AA quarterfinal)

1998 - John Austin (Barrington, AA quarterfinal)

1997 - Mike Nall (Schaumburg, AA quarterfinal)

1997 - Mark Belousek (Schaumburg, AA semifinal, 5 innings)

1989 - Troy Smith (Schaumburg, AA quarterfinal)

1989 - Tom Gransinger (Schaumburg, AA semifinal)

1989 - Rob Cerne (Schaumburg, AA title, 7⅔ innings)

1988 - David Anderson (Barrington, AA quarterfinal)

1987 - David Anderson (Barrington, AA semifinal)

1986 - Peter Faith (Barrington, AA quarterfinal)

1985 - Stacey Olenick (Hoffman Estates, AA quarterfinal)

1982 - Dave Otto (Elk Grove, AA quarterfinal)

1979 - Pat Griffin (Fremd, AA quarterfinal)

NO EARNED RUNS ALLOWED (not in shutout)

2024 - Bryce Loerger (Conant, 4A title, 4 runs in 7 IP)

2011 - Jack Landwehr (Prospect, 4A third place, 1 run in 7 IP)

HITTING

HOME RUNS

GRAND SLAM

1987 - Dan Wilson (Barrington, AA quarterfinal)

3-RUN

NONE

2-RUN

2000 - Justin Dotoli (Fremd, AA quarterfinal)

1998 - Dan Pohlman (Barrington, AA third place)

1986 - Keith Noreen (Barrington, AA semifinal)

SOLO

2024 - Matt Maize (Conant, 4A title)

2005 - Grant Monroe (Schaumburg, AA quarterfinal)

MULTIPLE HITS

4 HITS

Anthony DiMonte (Barrington, 2005 AA quarterfinal, 4-for-4)

Brett Plaskas (Barrington, 1987 AA title, 4-for-4)

3 HITS

Brian Bucciarelli (Fremd, 2000 AA third place, 3-for-4)

J.R. Hartanov (Fremd, 2000 AA third place, 3-for-4)

Mark Belousek (Schaumburg, 1997 AA semifinal, 3-for-3)

Ken Saveley (Barrington, 1995 AA quarterfinal, 3-for-4)

Jon Anderson (Barrington, 1995 AA quarterfinal, 3-for-4)

Byron Bradley (Barrington, 1988 AA quarterfinal, 3-for-4)

Marc Acerra (Barrington, 1988 AA quarterfinal, 3-for-3)

Jeff Skoczylas (Barrington, 1980 AA quarterfinal, 3-for-3)

2 HITS

Cooper Hanson (Conant, 2024 4A semifinal, 2-for-2)

Brian Bauer (Prospect, 2011 4A Third Place, 2-for-3)

Peter Bonahoom (Prospect, 2011 4A Semifinal, 2-for-3)

Patrick McKillen (Barrington, 2005 AA quarterfinal, 2-for-4)

Eric Marshall (Barrington, 2005 AA quarterfinal, 2-for-3)

Teddy Schell (Barrington, 2005 AA quarterfinal, 2-for-4)

Patrick McKillen (Barrington, 2005 AA semifinal, 2-for-3)

Sean Logue (Barrington, 2005 AA third place, 2-for-3)

Teddy Schell (Barrington, 2005 AA third place, 2-for-2)

Adam Coons (Barrington, 2005 AA third place, 2-for-3)

Ryan Murray (Barrington, 2005 AA third place, 2-for-2)

Michael Koenig (Fremd, 2000 AA quarterfinal, 2-for-4)

J.R. Hartanov (Fremd, 2000 AA quarterfinal, 2-for-4)

Justin Dotoli (Fremd, 2000 AA quarterfinal, 2-for-4)

Jeff Maitland (Fremd, 2000 AA quarterfinal, 2-for-4)

Brian Driscoll (Fremd, 2000 AA semifinal, 2-for-2)

Brian Duncan (Fremd, 2000 AA third place, 2-for-4)

Brady Tinkham (Barrington, 1998 AA quarterfinal, 2-for-3)

Mark Tapley (Barrington, 1998 AA quarterfinal, 2-for-3)

John Austin (Barrington, 1998 AA semifinal, 2-for-4)

Frank Favia (Barrington, 1998 AA semifinal, 2-for-4)

Dan Pohlman (Barrington, 1998 AA third place, 2-for-3)

Jess Sayre (Barrington, 1998 AA third place, 2-for-3)

Matt Mercer (Barrington, 1998 AA third place, 2-for-3)

Scott Theriault (Barrington, 1998 AA third place, 2-for-3)

Mike Nall (Schaumburg, 1997 AA quarterfinal, 2-for-3)

Kevin Gleeson (Schaumburg, 1997 AA quarterfinal, 2-for-3)

Paul Reuer (Schaumburg, 1997 AA quarterfinal, 2-for-4)

John Komacki (Schaumburg, 1997 AA quarterfinal, 2-for-4)

Tim Chambers (Schaumburg, 1997 AA quarterfinal, 2-for-4)

Brian Wojtanowski (Schaumburg, 1997 AA semifinal, 2-for-2)

Paul Reuer (Schaumburg, 1997 AA title, 2-for-3)

Brian Luna (Rolling Meadows, 1996 AA quarterfinal, 2-for-3)

Nick Badal (Rolling Meadows, 1996 AA quarterfinal, 2-for-3)

Bill Bey (Barrington, 1995 AA quarterfinal, 2-for-4)

Jeff Schultz (Schaumburg, 1989 AA title, 2-for-4)

Ryan McCoy (Schaumburg, 1989 AA semifinal, 2-for-3)

Jeff Schultz (Schaumburg, 1989 AA semifinal, 2-for-3)

Ryan McCoy (Schaumburg, 1989 AA quarterfinal, 2-for-3)

Adam Sobocienski (Barrington, 1988 AA title, 2-for-3)

Brett Plaskas (Barrington, 1988 AA semifinal, 2-for-4)

Tony Mensik (Barrington, 1988 AA semifinal, 2-for-4)

Adam Sobocienski (Barrington, 1988 AA semifinal, 2-for-4)

Brett Plaskas (Barrington, 1988 AA quarterfinal, 2-for-3)

Tony Mensik (Barrington, 1988 AA quarterfinal, 2-for-4)

Brian Coll (Barrington, 1988 AA quarterfinal, 2-for-2)

Doug Sokulski (Barrington, 1988 AA quarterfinal, 2-for-3)

Mike Bradley (Barrington, 1987 AA title, 2-for-3)

Brett Plaskas (Barrington, 1987 AA semifinal, 2-for-4)

Dan Wilson (Barrington, 1987 AA semifinal, 2-for-4)

Doug Raymond (Barrington, 1987 AA semifinal, 2-for-3)

Adam Sobocienski (Barrington, 1987 AA quarterfinal, 2-for-3)

Mark Levin (Barrington, 1986 AA title, 2-for-4)

Keith Noreen (Barrington, 1986 AA title, 2-for-3)

Mike Bradley (Barrington, 1986 AA title, 2-for-3)

Kurt Lageschulte (Barrington, 1986 AA title, 2-for-3)

Keith Noreen (Barrington, 1986 AA semifinal, 2-for-2)

Dan Wilson (Barrington, 1986 AA quarterfinal, 2-for-3)

Jerry Willis (Barrington, 1986 AA quarterfinal, 2-for-3)

James Wambach (Barrington, 1986 AA quarterfinal, 2-for-3)

Mike Enright (Elk Grove, 1982 AA quarterfinal, 2-for-3)

Larry Hernandez (Fremd, 1979 AA quarterfinal, 2-for-4)

Dino LaBello (Fremd, 1979 AA quarterfinal, 2-for-3)

Pat Griffin (Fremd, 1979 AA quarterfinal, 2-for-3)

Devin Fletcher (Fremd, 1979 AA quarterfinal, 2-for-4)

MULTIPLE MULTI-HIT GAMES

4 - Brett Plaskas (Barrington, 1987-88)

3 - Adam Sobocienski (Barrington, 1987-88)

2 - Patrick McKillen (Barrington, 2005), Teddy Schell (Barrington, 2005), J.R. Hartanov (Fremd, 2000), Paul Reuer (Schaumburg, 1997), Ryan McCoy (Schaumburg, 1989), Tony Mensik (Barrington, 1988), Dan Wilson (Barrington, 1986-87), Keith Noreen (Barrington, 1986)

MULTIPLE RBI

5

Mark Levin (Barrington, 1986 AA title)

4

Michael Koenig (Fremd, 2000 AA quarterfinal)

Dan Wilson (Barrington, 1987 AA quarterfinal)

3

Teddy Schell (Barrington, 2005 AA quarterfinal)

Dan Pohlman (Barrington, 1998 AA third place)

Brian Wojtanowski (Schaumburg, 1997 AA semifinal)

Juan Reyes (Schaumburg, 1989 AA semifinal)

Brian Coll (Barrington, 1988 AA quarterfinal)

Jason Schumaker (Barrington, 1988 AA quarterfinal)

Keith Noreen (Barrington, 1986 AA semifinal)

2

Sean Logue (Barrington, 2005 AA third place)

Anthony DiMonte (Barrington, 2005 AA third place)

Teddy Schell (Barrington, 2005 AA third place)

Justin Dotoli (Fremd, 2000 AA quarterfinal)

Brian Bucciarelli (Fremd, 2000 AA quarterfinal)

Matt Anaya (Fremd, 2000 AA quarterfinal)

Jeff Maitland (Fremd, 2000 AA third place)

Scott Theriault (Barrington, 1998 AA third place)

Mark Belousek (Schaumburg, 1997 AA semifinal)

Tim Chambers (Schaumburg, 1997 AA semifinal)

John Komacki (Schaumburg, 1997 AA title)

Adam Sobocienski (Barrington, 1988 AA quarterfinal)

Byron Bradley (Barrington, 1988 AA quarterfinal)

Doug Sokulski (Barrington, 1988 AA quarterfinal)

Marc Acerra (Barrington, 1988 AA quarterfinal)

Brett Plaskas (Barrington, 1988 AA semifinal)

Brian Coll (Barrington, 1988 AA semifinal)

Brett Plaskas (Barrington, 1987 AA quarterfinal)

Mike Bradley (Barrington, 1987 AA quarterfinal)

Jerry Willis (Barrington, 1986 AA quarterfinal)

Joe Kelsch (Barrington, 1980 AA quarterfinal)

Larry Hernandez (Fremd, 1979 AA quarterfinal)

Dino LaBello (Fremd, 1979 AA quarterfinal)

MULTIPLE EXTRA-BASE HITS

2

Anthony DiMonte (Barrington, 2005 AA third place, 2B, 3B)

Ryan Murray (Barrington, 2005 AA third place, 2 2B)

Brian Bucciarelli (Fremd, 2000 AA third place, 2 2B)

Brady Tinkham (Barrington, 1998 AA quarterfinal, 2 2B)

Mark Tapley (Barrington, 1998 AA quarterfinal, 2 2B)

Mike Nall (Schaumburg, 1997 AA quarterfinal, 2 2B)

Kevin Gleeson (Schaumburg, 1997 AA quarterfinal, 2B, 3B)

Mark Belousek (Schaumburg, 1997 AA semifinal, 2 2B)

COACHING

STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

1 - Kirby Smith (Barrington, 1986 AA), Paul Groot (Schaumburg, 1997 AA)

TOP FOUR TROPHY FINISHES

4 - Kirby Smith (Barrington, 1986 AA, 1987 AA, 1988 AA, 1998 AA)

2 - Paul Groot (Schaumburg, 1989 AA, 1997 AA)

1 - Paul Belo (Fremd, 2000 AA)

1 - Ross Giusti (Prospect, 2011 4A)

1 - Derek Fivelson (Conant, 2024 4A)

SECTIONAL TITLES

6 - Kirby Smith (Barrington), Paul Groot (Schaumburg)

2 - Jim Hawrysko (Barrington), Paul Belo (Fremd, Barrington), Terry Gellinger (Fremd), Ross Giusti (Prospect)

1 - Chris Piggott (Fremd), John Wendell (Buffalo Grove), Tim Miller (Buffalo Grove), Larry Peddy (Elk Grove), Terry Beyna (Elk Grove), Derek Fivelson (Conant), Bill Niedbala (Rolling Meadows), Ray Gawron (Hoffman Estates)

REGIONAL TITLES

13 - Paul Groot (Schaumburg)

9 - Kirby Smith (Barrington)

7 - Ross Giusti (Prospect)

6 - Paul Belo (Fremd, Palatine, Barrington), Pat Wire (Barrington)

5 - Jim Hawrysko (Barrington), John Wendell (Buffalo Grove), Terry Beyna (Elk Grove(

3 - Joe Plaskas (Barrington), Terry Gellinger (Fremd), Chris Piggott (Fremd), Bob Huber (Hersey)

2 - Mike Loring (Fremd), Tim Miller (Buffalo Grove), Derek Fivelson (Conant), Jerry Song (Conant), Bill Niedbala (Rolling Meadows), Jim Koller (Palatine)

1 - Bill Wurl (Buffalo Grove), Bill Montemayor (Buffalo Grove), Larry Peddy (Elk Grove), Steve Lesniak (Elk Grove), Larry Pohlman (Prospect), Ray Gawron (Hoffman Estates), Len Bending (Hersey), Harvey Foster (Hersey), Wally Brownley (Hersey), Al Otto (Rolling Meadows), Larry Tanaka (Rolling Meadows), Jim Lindeman (Rolling Meadows), Ron DeBolt (Wheeling), Tim Lazzarotto (Wheeling), Mike Tice (Wheeling), Todd Meador (Hoffman Estates), Fran Somers (Arlington), Tom Seidel (Forest View), Al Carstens (Maine West)

STATE VICTORIES

9 - Kirby Smith (Barrington)

5 - Paul Groot (Schaumburg)

2 - Jim Hawrysko (Barrington)

1 - Paul Belo (Fremd), Ross Giusti (Prospect), Derek Fivelson (Conant), Terry Gellinger (Fremd)

STATE TOURNAMENT OVERALL RECORD (Winning Percentage)

.714 - Paul Groot (Schaumburg, 5-2)

.643 - Kirby Smith (Barrington, 9-5)

.500 - Ross Giusti (Prospect, 1-1), Derek Fivelson (Conant, 1-1)

.333 - Terry Gellinger (Fremd, 1-2), Paul Belo (Fremd, 1-2)

.000 - Larry Peddy (Elk Grove, 0-1), Ray Gawron (Hoffman Estates, 0-1), Bill Niedbala (Rolling Meadows, 0-1), Terry Beyna (Elk Grove, 0-1), John Wendell (Buffalo Grove, 0-1)

STATE TITLE GAME RECORDS

.500 - Paul Groot (Schaumburg, 1-1)

.333 - Kirby Smith (Barrington, 1-2)

.000 - Derek Fivelson (Conant, 0-1)

NOTE: Information compiled from IHSA.com, the Daily Herald and Springfield State Journal-Register. For corrections or to submit photos contact Marty Maciaszek at marty.maciaszek@gmail.com.

The history of MSL girls soccer in the state tournament has the yearly results of each team that made the finals and a variety of lists of team, individual and coaching accomplishments. Individual statistical information came from box score information on IHSA.org and accounts in the Daily Herald.

The girls soccer state tournament was a one-class Elite Eight through 2001. The IHSA went to a two-class Elite Eight format from 2002-08 and adopted a four-class Final Four format starting in 2009. The 2020 season and state tournament was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The IHSA awarded sectional championship trophies from 1988-1995. Supersectionals were added in 1996 and regionals were added in 1997. We hope you enjoy the MSL girls state soccer history.

YEARLY STATE TOURNEY RESULTS

NOTE: Finish and overall record in parentheses. Q - quarterfinals; S - semifinals; 3rd - Third-place match; Title - Title match

ONE CLASS

1988 - PALATINE (3rd, 20-2-1)

Coach: Chris Norton

Q - Palatine 3, Hinsdale South 0

S - Maine South 2, Palatine 1

3rd - Palatine 2, Collinsville 1

1989 - SCHAUMBURG (4th, 19-7-2)

Coach: Paul Golisch

Q - Schaumburg 3, Collinsville 0

S - Palatine 4, Schaumburg 0

3rd - Hinsdale Central 3, Schaumburg 2

1989 - PALATINE (1st, 22-1-4)

Coach: Chris Norton

Q - Palatine 3, Naperville Central 1

S - Palatine 4, Schaumburg 0

Title - Palatine 3, Libertyville 0

1990 - HOFFMAN ESTATES (3rd, 19-2-4)

Coach: Angelo Testone

Q - Hoffman Estates 2, Collinsville 0

S - Libertyville 6, Hoffman Estates 0

3rd - Hoffman Estates 1, Palatine 0

1990 - PALATINE (4th, 18-7-3)

Coach: Chris Norton

Q - Palatine 3, Hinsdale South 0

S - St. Charles 2, Palatine 1 (3-0 PKs)

3rd - Hoffman Estates 1, Palatine 0

1991 - SCHAUMBURG (3rd, 20-4-2)

Coach: Paul Golisch

Q - Schaumburg 3, Rockford Boylan 1

S - Libertyville 1, Schaumburg 0

3rd - Schaumburg 2, Granite City 0

1992 - BUFFALO GROVE (2nd, 20-2-1)

Coach: Tom Ford

Q - Buffalo Grove 2, Lincoln-Way 1 (2 OT)

S - Buffalo Grove 2, Schaumburg 1

Title - St. Charles 4, Buffalo Grove 0

1992 - SCHAUMBURG (4th, 20-4-2)

Coach: Paul Golisch

Q - Schaumburg 4, Collinsville 0

S - Buffalo Grove 2, Schaumburg 1

3rd - Downers Grove South 2, Schaumburg 1

1993 - SCHAUMBURG (1st, 23-5-1)

Coach: Paul Golisch

Q - Schaumburg 2, Lincoln-Way 1

S - Schaumburg 3, Buffalo Grove 0

Title - Schaumburg 3, Downers Grove South 1

1993 - BUFFALO GROVE (4th, 20-3-2)

Coach: Tom Ford

Q - Buffalo Grove 1, Maine South 0

S - Schaumburg 3, Buffalo Grove 0

3rd - St. Charles 4, Buffalo Grove 0

1994 - PALATINE (3rd, 21-4-3)

Coach: Willie Filian

Q - Palatine 2, Rockford Boylan 0

S - St. Charles 4, Palatine 0

3rd - Palatine 3, Granite City 1

1995 - PALATINE (1st, 21-5-1)

Coach: Willie Filian

Q - Palatine 1, Springfield Griffin 0

S - Palatine 3, St. Charles 2

Title - Palatine 2, Naperville Central 1

1995 - BUFFALO GROVE (4th, 16-8-3)

Coach: Tom Ford

Q - Buffalo Grove 3, Lincoln-Way 1

S - Naperville Central 3, Buffalo Grove 1

3rd - St. Charles 3, Buffalo Grove 1

1996 - PALATINE (NP, 17-6-4)

Coach: Willie Filian

Q - St. Charles 3, Palatine 2

1997 - PALATINE (4th, 20-8-1)

Coach: Willie Filian

Q - Palatine 3, Granite City 1

S - St. Charles 3, Palatine 0

3rd - New Trier 2, Palatine 0

2000 - BARRINGTON (3rd, 22-4-1)

Coach: Jeff Muhr

Q - Barrington 10, Whitney Young 0

S - St. Charles 1, Barrington 0

3rd - Barrington 3, Quincy Notre Dame 2

CLASS AA

2002 - BARRINGTON (NP, 16-7-4)

Coach: Jeff Muhr

Q - Wheaton Warrenville South 2, Barrington 0

2005 - BARRINGTON (NP, 19-5-3)

Coach: Paul Keenan

Q - Neuqua Valley 5, Barrington 1

2006 - BARRINGTON (2nd, 24-2-4)

Coach: Scott Steib

Q - Barrington 3, Rockford Boylan 2

S - Barrington 1, Lyons 0

Title - New Trier 2, Barrington 1

2007 - FREMD (2nd, 22-5)

Coach: Steve Keller

Q - Fremd 1, Lyons 0

S - Fremd 2, Lincoln-Way Central 1

Title - Waubonsie Valley 4, Fremd 0

CLASS 3A

2009 - FREMD (2nd, 20-5-1)

Coach: Steve Keller

S - Fremd 2, Conant 1 (2 OT)

Title - Hinsdale Central 2, Fremd 1

2009 - CONANT (4th, 19-3-4)

Coach: Jason Franco

S - Fremd 2, Conant 1 (2 OT)

3rd - Sandburg 1, Conant 0

2011 - CONANT (3rd, 21-5)

Coach: Jason Franco

S - Naperville North 1, Conant 0

3rd - Conant 4, Fremd 2

2011 - FREMD (4th, 18-5-3)

Coach: Steve Keller

S - Granite City 1, Fremd 0

3rd - Conant 4, Fremd 2

2013 - BARRINGTON (3rd, 19-5-1)

Coach: Ryan Stengren

S - Hinsdale Central 1, Barrington 0

3rd - Barrington 2, Buffalo Grove 0

2013 - BUFFALO GROVE (4th, 25-4-1)

Coach: Pat Dudle

S - Naperville North 2, Buffalo Grove 0

3rd - Barrington 2, Buffalo Grove 0

2015 - BARRINGTON (3rd, 22-2-4)

Coach: Ryan Stengren

S - New Trier 1, Barrington 0 (2 OT)

3rd - Barrington 2, Collinsville 1

2017 - BARRINGTON (1st, 28-1)

Coach: Ryan Stengren

S - Barrington 1, Downers Grove North 0

Title - Barrington 1, New Trier 0 (3-0 PKs)

2018 - BARRINGTON (1st, 21-3-2)

Coach: Ryan Stengren

S - Barrington 1, Naperville North 0

Title - Barrington 2, New Trier 1 (3-2 PKs)

2019 - BARRINGTON (2nd, 22-2-1)

Coach: Ryan Stengren

S - Barrington 2, New Trier 1

Title - Naperville North 1, Barrington 0 (3-1 PKs)

2021 - BARRINGTON (4th, 17-3-2)

Coach: Ryan Stengren

S - Lyons 2, Barrington 1

Third - Libertyville 2, Barrington 1

2022 - BARRINGTON (2nd, 23-3)

Coach: Ryan Stengren

S - Barrington 2, Evanston 0

Title - Metea Valley 1, Barrington 0

2023 - BARRINGTON (2nd, 23-1-2)

Coach: Ryan Stengren

S - Barrington 5, Libertyville 0

Title - O’Fallon 1, Barrington 0 (2 OT)

2024 - FREMD (3rd, 17-5-4)

Coach: Steve Keller

S - St. Charles North 1, Fremd 0

3rd - Fremd 4, Edwardsville 2

2025 - BARRINGTON (3rd, 20-2-2)

Coach; Ryan Stengren

S - O’Fallon 2, Barrington 1

3rd - Barrington 2, Lane Tech 1

STATE TITLES

2 - Barrington (2017 3A, 2018 3A)

2 - Palatine (1989, 1995)

1 - Schaumburg (1993)

SECOND PLACE

4 - Barrington (2006 AA, 2019 3A, 2022 3A, 2023 3A)

2 - Fremd (2007 AA, 2009 3A)

1 - Buffalo Grove (1992)

THIRD PLACE

4 - Barrington (2000, 2013 3A, 2015 3A, 2025 3A)

1 - Fremd (2024 3A)

1 - Conant (2011 3A)

1 - Palatine (1994)

1 - Schaumburg (1991)

1 - Hoffman Estates (1990)

FOURTH PLACE

3 - Buffalo Grove (1993, 1995, 2013 3A)

2 - Palatine (1988, 1993)

2 - Schaumburg (1989, 1992)

1 - Barrington (2021 3A)

1 - Conant (2009 3A)

1 - Fremd (2011 3A)

TOP FOUR TROPHIES

11 - Barrington (2000 3rd, 2006 2nd AA, 2013 3rd 3A, 2015 3rd 3A, 2017 1st 3A, 2018 1st 3A, 2019 2nd 3A, 2021 4th 3A, 2022 2nd 3A, 2023 2nd 3A, 2025 3rd 3A)

6 - Palatine (1988 4th, 1989 1st, 1990 4th, 1994 3rd, 1995 1st, 1997 4th)

4 - Schaumburg (1989 4th, 1991 3rd, 1992 4th, 1993 1st)

4 - Buffalo Grove (1992 2nd, 1993 4th, 1995 4th, 2013 4th 3A)

4 - Fremd (2007 2nd AA, 2009 2nd 3A, 2011 4th 3A, 2024 3rd 3A)

2 - Conant (2009 4th 3A, 2011 3rd 3A)

1 - Hoffman Estates (1990 3rd)

STATE TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES

13 - Barrington (2000 3rd, 2002 EE, 2005 EE AA, 2006 2nd AA, 2013 3rd 3A, 2015 3rd 3A, 2017 1st 3A, 2018 1st 3A, 2019 2nd 3A, 2021 4th 3A, 2022 2nd 3A, 2023 2nd 3A, 2025 3rd 3A)

7 - Palatine (1988 4th, 1989 1st, 1990 4th, 1994 3rd, 1995 1st, 1996 EE, 1997 4th)

4 - Schaumburg (1989 4th, 1991 3rd, 1992 4th, 1993 1st)

4 - Buffalo Grove (1992 2nd, 1993 4th, 1995 4th, 2013 4th 3A)

4 - Fremd (2007 2nd AA, 2009 2nd 3A, 2011 4th 3A, 2024 3rd 3A)

2 - Conant (2009 4th 3A, 2011 3rd 3A)

1 - Hoffman Estates (1990 3rd)

SUPERSECTIONAL TITLES

11 - Barrington (2000, 2006 AA, 2013 3A, 2015 3A, 2017 3A, 2018 3A, 2019 3A, 2021 3A, 2022 3A, 2023 3A, 2025 3A)

4 - Fremd (2007 AA, 2009 3A, 2011 3A, 2024 3A)

2 - Conant (2009 3A, 2011 3A)

2 - Palatine (1996, 1997)

1 - Buffalo Grove (2013 3A)

SECTIONAL TITLES

20 - Barrington (2000, 2002 AA, 2005 AA, 2006 AA, 2009 3A, 2010 3A, 2011 3A, 2012 3A, 2013 3A, 2014 3A, 2015 3A, 2016 3A, 2017 3A, 2018 3A, 2019 3A, 2021 3A, 2022 3A, 2023 3A, 2024 3A, 2025 3A).

7 - Palatine (1988, 1989, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997).

6 - Fremd (1999, 2007 AA, 2009 3A, 2011 3A, 2024 3A, 2026 3A)

5 - Schaumburg (1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1998)

4 - Buffalo Grove (1992, 1993, 1995, 2013 3A)

3 - Conant (2009 3A, 2011 3A, 2015 3A)

1 - Hersey (2008 AA)

1 - Hoffman Estates (1990)

REGIONAL TITLES

26 - Barrington (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 AA, 2003 AA, 2005 AA, 2006 AA, 2009 3A, 2010 3A, 2011 3A, 2012 3A, 2013 3A, 2014 3A, 2015 3A, 2016 3A, 2017 3A, 2018 3A, 2019 3A, 2021 3A, 2022 3A, 2023 3A, 2024 3A, 2025 3A, 2026 3A)

19 - Fremd (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 AA, 2005 AA, 2006 AA, 2007 AA, 2008 AA, 2009 3A, 2010 3A, 2011 3A, 2016 3A, 2019 3A, 2022 3A, 2023 3A, 2024 3A, 2025 3A, 2026 3A)

13 - Conant (1999, 2001, 2007 AA, 2008 AA, 2009 3A, 2010 3A, 2011 3A, 2012 3A, 2013 3A, 2014 3A, 2015 3A, 2018 3A, 2019 3A).

10 - Palatine (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2006 AA, 2008 AA, 2011 3A, 2012 3A, 2018 3A).

8 - Buffalo Grove (1997, 2003 AA, 2004 AA, 2012 3A, 2013 3A, 2014 3A, 2015 3A, 2021 3A)

7 - Hersey (2008 AA, 2009 3A, 2010 3A, 2013 3A, 2015 3A, 2023 3A, 2025 3A)

6 - Schaumburg (1998, 2002 AA, 2005 AA, 2010 3A, 2011 3A, 2012 3A)

4 - Elk Grove (2000, 2002 AA, 2006 AA, 2007 AA).

2 - Hoffman Estates (1999, 2003 AA)

2 - Prospect (1998, 2007 AA)

2 - Rolling Meadows (2006 AA, 2007 AA)

CONSECUTIVE STATE TITLES

2 - Barrington (2017 3A, 2018 3A)

CONSECUTIVE TOP FOUR FINISHES

6 - Barrington (2017-23)*

3 - Palatine (1988-90)

3 - Schaumburg (1991-93)

2 - Palatine (1994-95)

2 - Buffalo Grove (1992-93)

2 - Barrington (2005-06)

*2020 Season Canceled Because of COVID-19 Pandemic

CONSECUTIVE SECTIONAL TITLES

17 - Barrington (2009-26)*

9 - Conant (2007-15)

7 - Fremd (2005-11)

5 - Palatine (1997-2001)

5 - Fremd (1998-2002)

5 - Fremd (2022-26)

4 - Buffalo Grove (2012-15)

3 - Hersey (2008-10)

3 - Schaumburg (2010-12)

*2020 Season Canceled Because of COVID-19 Pandemic

TEAM STATISTICS

All Matches

MOST GOALS SCORED

10 - Barrington (2000 quarterfinal, d. Whitney Young 10-0)

5 - Barrington (2023 3A semifinal, d. Libertyville 5-0)

4 - Palatine (1989 semifinal, d. Schaumburg 4-0)

4 - Schaumburg (1992 quarterfinal, d. Collinsville 4-0)

4 - Conant (2011 3A third-place, d. Fremd 4-2)

4 - Fremd (2024 3A third-place, d. Edwardsville 4-2)

MOST GOALS ALLOWED

6 - Hoffman Estates (1990 semifinal, lost 6-0 to Libertyville)

5 - Barrington (2005 AA quarterfinal, lost 5-1 to Neuqua Valley)

4 - Schaumburg (1989 semifinal, lost 4-0 to Palatine)

4 - Buffalo Grove (1992 title, lost 4-0 to St. Charles)

4 - Buffalo Grove (1993 third-place, lost 4-0 to St. Charles)

4 - Palatine (1994 semifinal, lost 4-0 to St. Charles)

4 - Fremd (2007 3A title, lost 4-0 to Waubonsie Valley)

4 - Fremd (2011 3A third-place, lost 4-2 to Conant)

SHUTOUTS

SINGLE CLASS

1988 - Palatine 3, Hinsdale South 0 (Quarterfinals)

1989 - Schaumburg 3, Collinsville 0 (Quarterfinals)

1989 - Palatine 4, Schaumburg 0 (Semifinals)

1989 - Palatine 3, Libertyville 0 (Title)

1990 - Hoffman Estates 2, Collinsville 0 (Quarterfinals)

1990 - Palatine 3, Hinsdale South 0 (Quarterfinals)

1990 - Hoffman Estates 1, Palatine 0 (Third Place)

1991 - Schaumburg 2, Granite City 0 (Third Place)

1992 - Schaumburg 4, Collinsville 0 (Quarterfinals)

1993 - Buffalo Grove 1, Maine South 0 (Quarterfinals)

1993 - Schaumburg 3, Buffalo Grove 0 (Semifinals)

1994 - Palatine 2, Rockford Boylan 0 (Quarterfinals)

1995 - Palatine 1, Springfield Griffin 0 (Quarterfinals)

2000 - Barrington 10, Whitney Young 0 (Quarterfinals)

CLASS AA

2006 - Barrington 1, Lyons 0 (Semifinals)

2007 - Fremd 1, Lyons 0 (Quarterfinals)

CLASS 3A

2013 - Barrington 2, Buffalo Grove 0 (Third Place)

2017 - Barrington 1, Downers Grove North 0 (Semifinals)

2017 - Barrington 1, New Trier 0 (Title, PKs)

2018 - Barrington 1, Naperville North 0 (Semifinals)

2022 - Barrington 2, Evanston 0 (Semifinals)

2023 - Barrington 5, Libertyville 0 (Semifinals)

LARGEST MARGIN OF VICTORY

10 - Barrington 10, Whitney Young 0 (2000 quarterfinals)

5 - Barrington 5, Libertyville 0 (2024 3A semifinals)

4 - Palatine 4, Schaumburg 0 (1989 semifinals)

3 - Palatine 3, Hinsdale South (1988 quarterfinals)

3 - Schaumburg 3, Collinsville (1989 quarterfinals)

3 - Palatine 3, Libertyville 0 (1989 championship)

3 - Palatine 3, Hinsdale South 0 (1990 quarterfinals)

3 - Schaumburg 3, Buffalo Grove 0 (1993 semifinals)

LARGEST MARGIN OF DEFEAT

6 - Libertyville 6, Hoffman Estates 0 (1990 semifinals)

4 - Palatine 4, Schaumburg 0 (1989 semifinals)

4 - St. Charles 4, Buffalo Grove 0 (1992 championship)

4 - St. Charles 4, Buffalo Grove 0 (1993 third place)

4 - St. Charles 4, Palatine 0 (1994 semifinals)

4 - Neuqua Valley 5, Barrington 1 (2005 AA quarterfinals)

4 - Waubonsie Valley 4, Fremd 0 (2007 AA championship)

3 - St. Charles 3, Palatine 0 (1997 semifinals)

PENALTY KICK MATCHES

1990 - St. Charles 2, Palatine 1 (semifinals, 3-0 PK)

2017 - Barrington 1, New Trier 0 (3A championship, 3-0 PK)

2018 - Barrington 2, New Trier 1 (3A championship, 3-2 PK)

2019 - Naperville North 1, Barrington 0 (3A championship, 3-1 PK)

OVERTIME MATCHES

1992 - Buffalo Grove 2, Lincoln-Way 1 (2 OT, quarterfinals)

2009 - Fremd 2, Conant 1 (2 OT, 3A semifinals)

2014 - New Trier 1, Barrington 0 (2 OT, 3A semifinals)

2023 - O’Fallon 1, Barrington 0 (2 OT, 3A championship)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

SINGLE MATCH

GOALS

3 - HAT TRICK

Jenny Solberg (Barrington, 2002 quarterfinal)

Kim Grodek (Barrington, 2000 quarterfinal)

2

Gemma Gillespie (Fremd, 2024 3A third-place)

Brooke Brown (Barrington, 2023 3A semifinal)

Ann Marie Niro (Barrington, 2015 3A third-place)

Jenna Szczesny (Barrington, 2013 3A third-place)

Sammi van de Linde (Conant, 2011, 3A third-place)

Suzanne Ternes (Palatine, 1995 championship)

Patty Sharapata (Palatine, 1995 semifinal)

Keri Nelson (Palatine, 1994 third-place)

Kristin Lester (Schaumburg, 1993 championship)

Kristin Lester (Schaumburg, 1993 semifinal)

Cindy Reyes (Schaumburg, 1993 quarterfinal)

Megan McBride (Buffalo Grove, 1992 quarterfinal)

Kristin Lester (Schaumburg, 1992 quarterfinal)

Cindy Reyes (Schaumburg, 1991 quarterfinal)

Susie Bachmann (Palatine 1989 quarterfinal)

Shannon O’Toole (Schaumburg, 1989 quarterfinal)

Jenny Mulhern (Palatine, 1989 third-place)

ASSISTS

3

Harley Koch (Barrington, 2000 quarterfinal)

2

Jenna Szczesny (Barrington, 2015 3A third-place)

Betsy Dowling (Barrington, 2000 quarterfinal)

Diane Markus (Palatine, 1995 championship)

Michelle Prusko (Schaumburg, 1992 quarterfinal)

Karla Knutson (Palatine, 1989 quarterfinal)

SHUTOUTS

One Goalkeeper

Abby Raynor (Barrington, 2022 3A semifinal)

Samantha Schmitz (Barrington, 2018 3A semifinal)

Samantha Schmitz (Barrington, 2017 3A championship)

Samantha Schmitz (Barrington, 2017 3A semifinal)

Sarah Bollman (Fremd, 2007 AA quarterfinal)

Jessica Prassel (Barrington, 2006 AA quarterfinal)

Iwa Buchi (Barrington, 2000 quarterfinal)

Erin Ekeberg (Palatine, 1995 quarterfinal)

Erin Ekeberg (Palatine, 1994 quarterfinal)

Jenny Spalla (Schaumburg, 1993 semifinal)

Laura Sandt (Buffalo Grove, 1993 quarterfinal)

Jenny Spalla (Schaumburg, 1992 quarterfinal)

Julie Ciasnocha (Schaumburg, 1991 third-place)

Alyson Stevens (Hoffman Estates, 1990 quarterfinal)

Harold (Palatine, 1990 quarterfinal)

Mary Freeh (Palatine, 1989 championship)

Mary Freeh (Palatine, 1989 semifinal)

Jenna Mamda (Schaumburg, 1989 quarterfinal)

Mary Freeh (Palatine, 1988 quarterfinal)

Combined

Megan Holland/Abby Raynor (Barrington, 2023 3A semifinal)

Hannah Luedke/Alexa Dargis (Barrington, 2013 3A third-place)

Alyson Stevens/Tina Zodda (Hoffman Estates, 1990 third-place)

NO GOALS ALLOWED BEFORE PENALTY KICKS

Abby Raynor (Barrington, 2022 3A championship)

Leah Eisenbarth (Barrington, 2019 3A championship)

CAREER

GOALS

6 - Kristin Lester (Schaumburg, 1992-93)

4 - Kim Grodek (Barrington, 2000), Suzanne Ternes (Palatine, 1995-97), Cindy Reyes (Schaumburg, 1991, 1993), Nancy Reyes (Schaumburg, 1989, 1991-92), Tasha Strawbridge (Palatine, 1988-90), Susie Bachmann (Palatine, 1988-89)

3 - Jenny Solberg (Barrington, 2006), Patty Sharapata (Palatine, 1994-95), Shay Feilen (Schaumburg, 1991, 1993), Megan McBride (Buffalo Grove, 1992-93), Jenny Mulhern (Palatine, 1988)

2- Gemma Gillespie (Fremd, 2024), Brooke Brown (Barrington, 2023), Skye Lundy (Barrington, 2023, 2025), Michayla Herr (Barrington, 2017-18), Ann Marie Niro (Barrington, 2015) Jenna Szczesny (Barrington, 2013), Sammi van de Linde (Conant, 2011), Katie Schager (Palatine, 1996-97), Keri Nelson (Palatine, 1994), Kristen Armstrong (Schaumburg, 1992-93), Jenny Miguel (Palatine, 1989-90), Holly Nay (Palatine, 1989)

ASSISTS

4 - Karla Knutson (Palatine, 1988-89)

3 - Harley Koch (Barrington, 2000), Betsy Dowling (Barrington, 2000)

2 - Jenna Szczesny (Barrington, 2015), Diane Markus (Palatine, 1995), Rachel Smith (Buffalo Grove, 1995), Jamie Zemla (Palatine, 1994), Jamie Adkins (Schaumburg, 1993), Michelle Prusko (Schaumburg, 1992), Holly Nay (Palatine, 1988-89), Jenny Mulhern (Palatine, 1988), Jenny Miguel (Palatine, 1989)

SHUTOUTS

3 - Mary Freeh (Palatine, 1988-89), Samantha Schmitz (Barrington, 2017-18)

2 - Jenny Spalla (Schaumburg, 1992-93), Erin Ekeberg (Palatine, 1994-95)

COACHING

STATE TITLES

2 - Ryan Stengren (Barrington)

1 - Chris Norton (Palatine), Willie Filian (Palatine), Paul Golisch (Schaumburg)

TOP FOUR TROPHY FINISHES

9 - Ryan Stengren (Barrington)

4 - Paul Golisch (Schaumburg), Steve Keller (Fremd)

3 - Chris Norton (Palatine), Willie Filian (Palatine), Tom Ford (Buffalo Grove)

2 - Jason Franco (Conant)

1 - Angelo Testone (Hoffman Estates), Jeff Muhr (Barrington), Scott Steib (Barrington), Pat Dudle (Buffalo Grove)

SECTIONAL TITLES

16 - Ryan Stengren (Barrington)

5 - Steve Keller (Fremd)

4 - Willie Filian (Palatine), Paul Golisch (Schaumburg)

3 - Tom Ford (Buffalo Grove), Jason Franco (Conant), Chris Norton (Palatine)

2 - Jeff Muhr (Barrington)

1 - Brad Abel (Hersey), Paul Keenan (Barrington), Scott Steib (Barrington), Pat Dudle (Buffalo Grove), Angelo Testone (Hoffman Estates), Don Balk (Fremd), Greg Charvat (Schaumburg)

REGIONAL TITLES

17 - Ryan Stengren (Barrington)

15 - Steve Keller (Fremd)

11 - Jason Franco (Conant)

10 - Willie Filian (Palatine)

6 - Jeff Muhr (Barrington), Greg Charvat (Schaumburg)

5 - Pat Dudle (Buffalo Grove)

4 - Brad Abel (Hersey)

3 - Don Balk (Fremd), Dan Klaus (Elk Grove)

2 - Michael Rusniak (Hersey), Paul Keenan (Barrington), Angelo Testone (Hoffman Estates), Jeff Adkins (Rolling Meadows), Laura Wardle (Buffalo Grove), Brian Fairwood (Conant)

1 - Scott Steib (Barrington), Diane Baldwin (Buffalo Grove), Tony Kees (Elk Grove), Darren Llewellyn (Hersey), Skip Ray (Prospect), Tom Froats (Prospect)

STATE FINALS TOURNAMENT VICTORIES

10 - Ryan Stengren (Barrington)

7 - Paul Golisch (Schaumburg)

6 - Chris Norton (Palatine), Willie Filian (Palatine)

4 - Tom Ford (Buffalo Grove), Steve Keller (Fremd)

2 - Angelo Testone (Hoffman Estates), Jeff Muhr (Barrington), Scott Steib (Barrington)

1 - Jason Franco (Conant)

STATE FINALS TOURNAMENT RECORDS

.667 - Chris Norton (Palatine, 6-3), Angelo Testone (Hoffman Estates, 2-1), Scott Steib (Barrington, 2-1)

.600 - Willie Filian (Palatine, 6-4)

.583 - Paul Golisch (Schaumburg, 7-5)

.556 - Ryan Stengren (Barrington, 10-8)

.500 - Jeff Muhr (Barrington, 2-2)

.444 - Tom Ford (Buffalo Grove, 4-5), Steve Keller (Fremd, 4-5)

.250 - Jason Franco (Conant, 1-3)

.000 - Paul Keenan (Palatine, 0-1), Pat Dudle (Buffalo Grove, 0-2)

STATE TITLE GAME RECORDS

1.000 - Chris Norton (Palatine, 1-0), Paul Golisch (Schaumburg, 1-0), Willie Filian (Palatine, 1-0)

.400 - Ryan Stengren (Barrington, 2-3)

.000 - Tom Ford (Buffalo Grove, 0-1), Scott Steib (Barrington, 0-1), Steve Keller (Fremd, 0-1)

NOTE: Information compiled from IHSA.com and the Daily Herald. For corrections or to submit photos contact Marty Maciaszek at marty.maciaszek@gmail.com.

The 6-foot-8 Perry had come from a brief tour with the San Diego (soon-to-be Houston) Rockets of the NBA to play for the ill-fated Northwest/Chicagoland Travelers of the Continental Basketball Association. The Travelers were the Northwest suburban basketball equivalent of Major League Baseball’s Seattle Pilots, who lasted only for the 1969 season before moving to Milwaukee.

The Travelers were only around one season and Perry played in only 4 of their 19 games. But that short stint in Mount Prospect would be the springboard to a solid eight-year NBA career where he averaged 9.5 points and 8.8 rebounds in 480 games.

Perry’s second-to-last of 52 career postseason games included a prominent role in what is still regarded a half-century later as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, game in league history. Even the Basketball Reference box score features a small tagline that says “The Greatest Game Ever Played.”

Perry had gone from playing in front of a few hundred fans in the CBA five years earlier to playing for the Phoenix Suns before millions of fans on national TV and a packed house at the iconic Boston Garden in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. Perry was crucial in pushing the drama-filled matchup to a third overtime on June 4, 1976 before the Celtics pulled out a 128-126 victory and went on to win the series in six games.

Perry was one of the game’s seven 20-point scorers with 23 on 10-for-20 shooting that included a tough baseline jumper off his own miss for a 110-109 lead with five seconds left in the second overtime. He was one of five to play 50-plus minutes (52), had the second-most rebounds at 15 and 1 of his 6 assists was his midcourt inbound pass for Garfield Heard’s dramatic turnaround jumper at the buzzer to force a third overtime at 112-112.

Bob Ryan, arguably the best basketball writer ever, led his phenomenal 25th anniversary Boston Globe recollection of the game with a quote from Perry.

““People say to me, ‘What’s the best game you ever saw?’” Perry told Ryan, “And I say, “Well there was this night in June, back in Boston …’”

Getting there was far from easy for the Washington, D.C. native and included a handful of games in CBA locales such as Mount Prospect and Decatur. His averages of 24.4 points and 17.1 rebounds as a senior at Southwest Missouri State (now Missouri State) and small-college All-America status led to the fledgling Rockets bringing him to San Diego with the 36th overall pick in the NBA draft.

Playing time was scarce for Perry under Alex Hannum in the Rockets’ fourth and final season in San Diego. Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes and future all-star Rudy Tomjanovich were among the front liners and Perry averaged only 2.9 points, 1.7 rebounds and 5.6 minutes in 18 games.

“What was frustrating was I had come to camp that year ready to play,” Perry told Roger Jaynes of the Rockford Morning Star in January 1972. “I did play some at first, and the funny thing was I got benched when I was going the best.

“So, I sat and watched everyone else play. There’s not much you can do to improve yourself that way. One night I’d play six seconds, the next week get in for six minutes. It’s frustrating and it got to me pretty fast.”

In late January, the Rockets sent Perry to a first-year team originally called the Northwest Travelers and changed around the time he arrived to the Chicagoland Travelers. This version of the Continental Basketball Association, which lasted from 1969-74, had eight teams that also included Milwaukee, Peoria, Rockford, Grand Rapids, Waukegan and Waukesha. The latter from suburban Milwaukee didn’t complete the 1969-70 season.

The Travelers were started by a local group headed by insurance man Ron Wittmeyer and included former Arlington High and Northern Illinois basketball star George Bork, who played in the CFL and passed away in late May, and Fr. John Smyth of Maryville Academy. Successful local realtor and businessman Jack Whisler was also a key figure, which longtime Daily Herald columnist and sportswriter Jim O’Donnell shared in a 2021 column after Whisler’s passing.

The goal was to provide a low-cost option for quality basketball and entertainment that didn’t require a trip to Chicago to see a NBA game. The Travelers did have two players who combined to play 16 games for the still relatively baby Bulls in 1970-71 in 6-10 Paul Ruffner, who led the CBA in scoring at 35.5 points a game, and A.W. Holt. One of the biggest supporters of the new team was legendary Daily Herald prep writer Bob Frisk, who covered the team religiously and clearly wanted to see the venture succeed.

On the 10th anniversary of the Travelers, Frisk wrote in his column, “they still talk about this very peculiar combination of has-beens, never-weres and maybe laters.” One of them in the middle category, Dennis Dickens, showed up at the old Herald offices on West Campbell Street in downtown Arlington Heights with a suitcase and asked, “I came here to play with some team called the Travelers. Where do I sleep?”

Perry’s Travelers’ debut at Rockford wasn’t a lot to write home with 9 points although he grabbed 21 rebounds. Frisk did write about Perry in his “Kickin’ it Around” column the following Friday and shared how he wasn’t all basketball.

“Curtis has a refreshing attitude,” Frisk wrote. “He’s not just a basketball player, a guy who confines his conversations to how Jerry West shoots a jump shot or how Walt Frazier works an opponent.”

Frisk shared how Perry had worked as a supply clerk and security guard during high school summers at the Pentagon. He was helping set up a clinic for the mentally challenged in his college home of Springfield, Missouri. Perry was also a jazz music aficionado and liked to write poetry.

But he also talked about developing his game on the Washington, D.C. playgrounds with future NBA All-Star Austin Carr.

“Austin is a good friend, and we came from that area where those games on the playgrounds were really something,” Perry told Frisk. “I had to be able to jump because there were 5-10 guys on those playgrounds in Washington who could knock it back on you if you didn’t.”

Perry admired the all-around team game of the Knicks with Frazier, Willis Reed, Bill Bradley, Dave DeBusschere and future Bulls coach Phil Jackson of that era as opposed to the Rockets making Hayes, aka “The Big E,” the big man.

“Although he only scored 9 points last Sunday in Rockford, you could tell he’s had some NBA experience just some of the subtle things, the moves, positioning, trying to set up a teammate,” Frisk wrote. “He had trouble finding a handle on the ball, but he’d been through a hectic week of travel, of basketball transition.

“This is only a short visit. But you’ll like him while he’s here.”

Which he put on full display in his first home game at the Prospect Field House, which now carries venerable status as the most unique gym in the MSL. In a 138-127 win over Waukegan, Perry had 23 points, 27 rebounds, 9 assists and 7 blocked shots.

“What more could you ask?” Frisk wrote. “Now you know why he’s on the San Diego NBA roster.”

Perry had 19 points and 23 rebounds in a loss at Decatur and local fans got one more glimpse of what Perry could do when he had 30 points and 22 rebounds in a loss to Rockford. He didn’t play in what turned out to be the final two games and losses of the Travelers’ maiden and only voyage because of testing for the National Guard, according to a Herald report, and averaged 20.3 points and 23.3 rebounds in his 4 games.

“On a good night, the team might draw 1,200 or so,” O’Donnell wrote in 2021. “More common, the live gate was closer to 500.

“In the end, the Travelers scored a lot of points, captured a few hearts and seldom won any games. Frisk was relentlessly positive. Whisler, Wittmeyer and associates did their part. But the initiative was one-and-done.”

Perry’s basketball odyssey was far from over, however. He started the 1971-72 season with the Rockets, who had relocated to their permanent home in Houston, but was still languishing and played in 25 games when he got his big break in a trade to the reigning NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks.

He thrived for two-plus years alongside basketball royalty in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson. Head coach Larry Costello loved Perry’s selflessness and willingness to help Kareem on the boards.

“The best part is playing with guys like Oscar Robertson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,” Perry told Jaynes. “With Kareem and Oscar, the sky’s the limit. Oscar has made my game better without a doubt, teaching me little things on defense and rebounding. That’s what my job is - defense and rebounding.”

They also had something Perry desperately craved as he averaged 8.5 points and 9.2 rebounds in 198 games with the Bucks.

“Everybody on this team has a championship ring except for me,” Perry said with a laugh to Jaynes. “And I want one. That’s my goal … to be able to look at my hand and see one of those rings glittering. If I ever get down at all, I think about what it means to wear a ring like that.”

Perry came close twice. The Celtics were in the way both times and won the 1973-74 NBA Finals in 7 games over the Bucks.

After the season, Perry was taken by the New Orleans Jazz in the NBA’s expansion draft. But a trade to Phoenix just before the 1974-75 season led to his greatest individual success and moments in basketball.

Perry had averages of 13.4 and 13.3 points and 11.9 and 9.6 rebounds in his first two seasons with the Suns and the rebuilding project of head coach John MacLeod. The 1975-76 team finished just 42-40 in the regular season but upset defending NBA champion Golden State and star Rick Barry in 7 games in the Western Conference Finals to set up a surprise engagement with the Celtics.

The Celtics won the first two games without much trouble at the Garden before the Suns countered with wins at Veterans Memorial Coliseum to send the series back to Boston for Game 5. The Celtics led by 3 points when Dick Van Arsdale hit a baseline jumper for the Suns with 15 seconds left.

Jim Ard, who starred on Thornton’s 1966 state championship team, threw a hurried inbound that was stolen by Paul Westphal in the corner and saved to Van Arsdale, who passed to Perry for a jumper left of the free-throw line that missed. But the long rebound went off John Havlicek’s fingertips back to Perry, who corralled the ball in the corner, pump-faked Havlicek and swished the long jumper with five seconds to go.

“The pump fake for some reason enabled me to get my rhythm. The shot was easy,” Perry told Ryan.

“And the biggest basket of Curtis Perry’s career right there,” said Barry, who was the color analyst on the CBS telecast with Brent Musburger.

“We’ve got five seconds. I don’t believe it. I don’t believe what I just saw down here,” Musburger exclaimed after the sequence unfolded. “110-109, five seconds, again, that was incredible.”

Then everything really went off the rails. Boston inbounded at midcourt after a timeout and Havlicek banked in a running 15-footer with approximately two seconds left. Not surprisingly, the Boston Garden timer didn’t stop the clock after the made basket and Celtics fans stormed the court to celebrate what they believed was a 111-110 victory.

One overexuberant fan physically attacked referee Richie Powers. Perry made another big play by pulling the fan off Powers. Now came time to clear the court of the fans as one second was put back on the clock and Phoenix had no timeouts left to advance the ball to midcourt.

So, under the rules of the time, Westphal called a timeout and took a technical foul. The Celtics got only one shot which Jo Jo White made and the Suns got the ball at midcourt. Perry had the inbound pass, which he lofted over Ard to Garfield Heard, who turned and nailed a high-arcing jumper over Don Nelson from the right of the key.

“Gar’s Aurora borealis shot,” Perry told Ryan.

“It’s good. It’s tied again. I don’t believe it,” Musburger shouted. “Garfield Heard at the buzzer threw one in outside, we’ve got a third overtime in the Boston Garden.”

But out of that third overtime was born the legend of reserve guard Glenn McDonald as he led the Celtics to a 128-126 victory. They wrapped up the 13th of their NBA-record 18 titles with an 87-80 win in Phoenix.

Perry played for two more years and retired. And those four games with the Northwest/Chicagoloand Travelers - including two at Prospect - set him up for success.

“The excuse they gave me for going to the Travelers for a month was to get in shape for the playoffs,” Perry told Jaynes in 1972. “Well, I wondered, first of all, why I’d be playing in the playoffs if I hadn’t been playing during the season.

“But, anyhow, I went to Arlington Heights to get in shape for the playoffs we weren’t going to be in anyway. I enjoyed the month with the Travelers. I played every game, got my confidence, scored and rebounded in double figures. Mainly, I was glad because it gave me the chance to play.”

Frase’s draft call came after he started at shortstop and NIU won the Midwestern Conference baseball title in 1972 and advanced to the NCAA tournament for the first time. And the only time until the 2026 team led by Elk Grove grad Ryan Copeland won the Mid-American Conference crown and finished 1-2 in the Tallahassee Regional hosted by Florida State.

But it wasn’t the Cubs or White Sox calling Frase after the June 1972 draft with the exciting news he would be starting a professional career in some small minor-league outpost.

It was the U.S. Army. Frase’s number was up for one of the final drafts of the Vietnam War.

“I certainly didn’t plan on going into the Army when I went off to college,” Frase told legendary Daily Herald prep sportswriter Keith Reinhard for a March 1987 column before the old Kinneman Cage Classic alumni basketball tournament. “But just after I had completed my first year, in June of ‘72, I got my draft notice. I really didn’t have much of a choice.

“I had a pretty good freshman season at NIU so the Army call was somewhat of a disappointment. It did have a positive side, though, because they stationed me at Fort Knox, Kentucky and that’s where I met my wife Bev.”

Frase missed two seasons while serving in the Army before returning to NIU to play three more years and get his degree. During his first season back in DeKalb in 1975, he shared some of his experience with Tom Enlund of the Daily Chronicle.

“I was a court reporter in the Army. I used to take down every word that was said in the court martial trials by speaking into what they called a steno-mike,” Frase told Enlund. “Then I’d listen to the tape and type it all out. They sent me to school for that. I could type about 60 words a minute so I guess they thought it was a good job for me.”

Frase said he played a 30-game baseball schedule for a team that won the fort championship.

“It kept me in shape,” Frase told Enlund.

Even though Frase was only 5-foot-9 he was in good shape preparation-wise for college athletics. He came from a large and prominent athletic family and had significant success in Hersey’s early years.

He was a three-time all-Mid-Suburban League shortstop and an all-MSL and Herald All-Area running back and defensive back. Frase also was an all-MSL basketball guard as a senior alongside the big-man duo of Andy Pancratz and freshman and future NBA player Dave Corzine. Frase scored a team-high 21 points in an 84-81 loss to Prospect the first league title game in 1971.

Frase played on the freshman basketball team at NIU as a walk-on but stepped right in with the varsity on a baseball team coming off a 24-15 season but also a change in leadership. Second-year coach Dave Mason took a sabbatical to get his doctorate degree so Wayne Franke stepped in as the interim head coach.

The Huskies, in only their fifth year of Division I competition, were led by third baseman and NIU Athletics Hall of Famer Tom Wittum. The Round Lake High School graduate is the only player in school history to be drafted in two sports as he was picked by the White Sox in baseball’s fifth round in 1968 and was taken by the 49ers in the NFL’s eighth round as a punter in 1972.

Wittum, who would make two Pro Bowls and lead the NFC in punting average at 43.7 yards in 1973, is still the NIU career leader in slugging at .620 and third in average at .367. The general feeling was putting Frase at shortstop could move Randy Kersten from shortstop to second base and Bob Jackson from second base to outfield to strengthen the defense for the pitching staff led by Bob Mestek and Lee Hansen, who both went 8-1.

Jackson led the team in hitting (.426) and Wittum led in homers (7) and RBI (33). The 1972 team, which is also in the NIU Athletics Hall of Fame, still hle the single-season school records for hitting (.326) and slugging percentage (.501).

Frase had 6 hits and 7 RBI in a late-season 3-game series with Ball State. The Huskies clinched the Midwestern Conference title with a 12-4 win over Illinois State and future MLB first baseman Dave Bergman (Maine South) as Frase went 2-for-4 with a 3-run homer and a suicide squeeze bunt.

A sweep of ISU and taking 2 of 3 in an earlier series against Southern Illinois, which finished second in the College World Series a year earlier, cemented a bid to the tournament for the 24-6 Huskies. They headed to Bowling Green for tournament play with high hopes they could be one of the eight to make the CWS.

But the bats went silent in the tourney as Frase had 1 of 7 hits in a 2-0 loss to Bowling Green. An 8-1 loss to Iowa ended the Huskies’ fantastic season and in August, Frase went to the Army.

The irony is Frase told Reinhard he considered following in the footsteps of his father who served in the Navy in World War II. Frase couldn’t accept a Naval appointment because of poor eyesight and went NIU instead.

After he graduated from NIU, he opted for a military career with the U.S. Army with stops that included Illinois, Hawaii and the South Pacific.

“I had majored in PE but I didn’t see much of a career there at the time because so many kids had gone to college ahead of me just to stay out of the Vietnam War and a lot of them were in teaching,” Frase told Reinhard. “And there wasn’t much hope for a baseball opportunity, either. I was already 24 by my senior year and I knew they were looking for other people.”

NIU head coaches Dave Mason and Walt Owens were glad to have the versatile Frase back for his final three years of eligibility. He started at every infield position and played some catcher.

Before his senior year, Chronicle sports editor Roger Farrell said the 5-9 Frase was “no Boog Powell out there” in reference to the 6-4, 230-pound star of the great Orioles teams of the 1960s and early 1970s. Similar to Powell, however, Frase was a key part of winning teams. The 1977 Huskies had one of the best seasons in program history by finishing 26-13-2 and 8-5-1 in the Mid-American Conference.

“I never felt that I had any great athletic abilities,” Frase said to Reinhard. “I think dedication and concentration can really help just about anyone reach his potential in athletics. I always had a lot of support from my family, too.”

There’s no question Bruce Frase had many significant athletic achievements at Hersey and with Northern Illinois baseball.

Bork’s athletic exploits, particularly in football but also in basketball, brought significant attention to the school in the early 1960s. The three-sport star from Arlington High School even drew Gil Brandt, one of the architects of the Dallas Cowboys becoming “America’s Team,” to DeKalb in a story legendary NIU sports information director and alum Mike Korcek recounted in a Kane County Chronicle column in 2011.

Korcek accompanied star NIU running back Garrett Wolfe to a Playboy magazine All-America team photo shoot in 2006 and struck up a conversation with Brandt.

“Mike,” Brandt asked, “how long have you been at Northern Illinois?”

“A long time,” Korcek told Brandt.

“What was the name of that great quarterback they [NIU] had in the early 1960s? Bork? Yeah, George Bork. Great passer, that kid,” Brandt said of the first to surpass 3,000 yards in a season at any level of college football in 1963. “I can still remember driving to DeKalb from Chicago in August to see him in two-a-days. It was a two-lane road surrounded by seven-foot corn stalks on both sides. Has that changed?”

“Thankfully, no, except for I-88,” Korcek said to Brandt.

Bork’s road after NIU took him to a 3½-year stint in the Canadian Football League and back home to Prospect where he became a teacher and coached the boys golf team to the school’s first team state title in 1976. Sadly, he won’t see the official dedication of “George Bork Way” on the west side of Huskie Stadium this fall because he passed away at 84, which the school announced on social media and its athletics website Thursday afternoon.

“George Bork is one of the most accomplished student-athletes in NIU Athletics’ 126-year history, and his contributions to the university are immeasurable,” said NIU President Dr. Lisa C. Freeman in a May 13 release from the school with the “George Bork Way” announcement. “In addition to his incredible legacy on the field, he has long exemplified integrity and humility in all he does.”

There were volumes of accomplishments that Bork let speak for themselves such as his 1959-60 senior year at Arlington. In football he quarterbacked the Cardinals to their best finish in their 15 seasons in the rugged West Suburban Conference at 6-2 overall and 5-2 in the league and earned all-WSC honors.

In basketball, Bork led Arlington to a sectional title game for the first time, was a repeat all-WSC pick and won the league’s scoring title by 5 points over future pro tennis star Marty Riessen of Hinsdale. Bork was also on the baseball team, with future New York Yankees All-Star lefty and 20-game winner Fritz Peterson, that finished just 1 game behind powerhouse Maine East for the WSC crown.

Then it was on to Northern Illinois, where Bork’s feats led to his induction into the NIU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1983 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999. He passed for 6,782 yards and 60 TDs in his NIU career.

In 1963, Bork became the first collegiate 3,000-yard passer at 3,077 with 32 TDs to earn first-team Little All-America honors and become the first NIU player to receive Heisman Trophy votes. The Huskies finished 10-0 and won the Mineral Water Bowl and NAIA college division national title.

The 6-foot-1 Bork also scored 1,114 points in basketball, was a two-time team MVP and received NAIA honorable mention All-America status. He was named to the school’s All-Century teams in football and basketball and had his No. 11 retired in 1966.

His success is still regarded as the reason for the construction of Huskie Stadium, also known as “The House that Bork Built,” and NIU’s moves into full NCAA Division I status in 1969 and the Mid-American Conference in 1973.

“The naming of a street on campus, right outside the stadium known as ‘The House That Bork Built,’ is a fitting and permanent honor for a revered NIU alum of exemplary character whose exploits on the field ignited NIU’s ascension to national prominence,” said NIU Vice President/Director of Athletics and Recreation Sean T. Frazier after the mid-May street announcement.

While Bork piqued the interest of NFL people such as Brandt he went undrafted because of concerns about his size. The Raiders’ Al Davis of the American Football League was intrigued after a strong showing in a postseason all-star game.

Bork instead opted to go north of the border to play in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the Montreal Alouettes from 1964-67. He completed 51.7 percent of his passes for 2,593 yards with 12 touchdowns and 27 interceptions and was voted one of the team’s most popular players after the 1966 season.

A coaching change and arm trouble led to him getting cut by Montreal midway through the 1967 season. He finished up with the Montreal Beavers of the Continental Football League and was invited to Toronto’s CFL training camp in 1968. He returned home to begin teaching and coaching at Prospect while playing for two years with the semi-pro Chicago Owls of the Continental League.

MSL to CFL

It was on the golf course where Bork would find tremendous high school coaching success. His 1976 boys team led by Paul Moats (6th place), Mike Dee (tied for 7th place) and Dave Farina (tied for 10th place) became the first champion for Prospect in any team sport and for the MSL in boys golf. Bork’s team finished 5 shots ahead of Homewood-Flossmoor in the Class AA tournament at the University of Illinois Golf Course in Savoy.

“Considering the (weather) conditions, the kids put on a fantastic performance,” Bork told the Daily Herald’s Keith Reinhard. “I think it was a lot of little things that won it for us rather than one key person or incident.”

MSL Boys Golf Tourney History

Bork’s 7 overall MSL boys golf titles, combining regular-season and tournament results, is tied for second-most by a coach with his successor, Tom Martindale. Barrington’s Jeff Blessman and Mike Kallenbach each won 11 titles. Bork retired as the Knights’ head golf coach after the 2002 season.

Information about a celebration of life for George Bork will be announced, according to the NIU athletic department.

Nine different champions in the first nine years of the Mid-Suburban League softball championship games gave no indication of any type of dynasty brewing. But it’s been a different story since 1994 with Barrington and head coach Perry Peterson winning 16 of its MSL-record 18 crowns.

Barrington won its first title in 1983 under Pam Devins and also got the first no-hitter in the league showcase from Steff Spooner. Conant won the first title in 1974 under legendary girls sports pioneer Barb Bostian, and fitting for a team that is 5-0 in title games - with the last four coached by CathyAnn Smith - it also produced the only perfect game from Sara Neuman in 2016.

All-time IHSA softball victory leader Ken Grams of Elk Grove and Peterson both have 1,000-plus career wins so it’s no surprise they have been fixtures in the MSL title game. But 1985-90 was the MSL softball version of Yankees-Dodgers as Hersey and Prospect split their six consecutive league-title meetings. Nancy (Sullivan) Holmgren, another of the early girls sports coaching pioneers, won six titles for Hersey.

This is a look at the MSL softball title game history by the numbers. Included are all the champions, title-game scores and, as usual, plenty of other historic leader lists for teams, coaches and players.

One of the unique aspects to the MSL title history is in 1978 and 1979 a best-of-three series format was used to determine the league champion. The regularly scheduled division crossover was regarded as the first game in the best-of-three format. In 1978, Arlington avenged a regular-season loss to beat Forest View twice for its only title. For purposes of individual and team records here, I am including Game 2 statistics in the series that went to three games for records because a championship was at stake. The division crossover games in that format were not considered for statistics here because there was no certainty of championship implications.

The division realignment in the 2025-26 school year based on “success factor” criteria also provided some new twists. Division champions are now determined by the 10 in-division games with crossovers no longer counting and the winner of each division plays the second-place team from the other division to determine who plays for the championship.

Much of the gathered here was from Daily Herald game accounts from John Leusch, who has covered the sport and event for 40-plus years, along with Don Friske, Al Pakaski, Dorothy O’Sullivan, Joe Kusek, Allen Cone, Mike Bambach, Barry Rozner, Dan Bickley and John Bumbales. If you can provide additional information that is missing for believe there is an error please contact me at marty.maciaszek@gmail.com.

A big thank you to Barrington coach Perry Peterson for helping fill in some information gaps!

MSL Title Game History

NORTH VS. SOUTH (North 13-12)

1974 - Conant 6, Wheeling 5

1975 - Hersey 15, Prospect 13

1976 - Hoffman Estates 9, Fremd 4

1977 - Prospect 3, Buffalo Grove 1

1978 - Arlington d. Forest View 2 games to 1 (FV won regular-season 13-4; Arlington won 11-9, 12-6)

1979 - Schaumburg d. Hersey 2 games to 0 (Schaumburg 3, Hersey 0 for title)

1980 - Forest View 8, Buffalo Grove 5

1981 - Barrington 9, Elk Grove 1

1982 - Elk Grove 4, Barrington 3 (9 innings)

1983 - Barrington 1, Rolling Meadows 0

1984 - Rolling Meadows 16, Arlington 8

1985 - Hersey 7, Prospect 1

1986 - Prospect 8, Hersey 0

1987 - Prospect 2, Hersey 1 (9 innings)

1988 - Hersey 5, Prospect 4

1989 - Hersey 5, Prospect 0

1990 - Prospect 5, Hersey 1

1991 - Elk Grove 6, Barrington 1

1992 - Hersey 6, Elk Grove 1

1993 - Elk Grove 4, Barrington 2

1994 - Barrington 3, Prospect 1

1995 - Hersey 2, Elk Grove 1

1996 - Barrington 1, Schaumburg 0

1997 - Barrington 13, Elk Grove 3

1998 - Buffalo Grove 9, Prospect 0

EAST vs. WEST (West 22-4)

1999 - Buffalo Grove 3, Fremd 0

2000 - Fremd 1, Elk Grove 0 (11 innings)

2001 - Elk Grove 1, Fremd 0

2002 - Fremd 3, Elk Grove 2 (8 innings)

2003 - Barrington 2, Elk Grove 0

2004 - Barrington 5, Elk Grove 0

2005 - Barrington 3, Elk Grove 1

2006 - Barrington 5, Elk Grove 1

2007 - Barrington 1, Prospect 0

2008 - Barrington 4, Elk Grove 2

2009 - Elk Grove 3, Barrington 0

2010 - Fremd 1, Elk Grove 0

2011 - Conant 5, Elk Grove 1

2012 - Conant 5, Elk Grove 3

2013 - Barrington 13, Buffalo Grove 1 (6 innings)

2014 - Conant 3, Buffalo Grove 0

2015 - Schaumburg 9, Elk Grove 1

2016 - Conant 1, Elk Grove 0

2017 - Barrington 12, Hersey 1 (5 innings)

2018 - Barrington 12, Hersey 2 (6 innings)

2019 - Palatine 4, Hersey 2

2020 - Season canceled for COVID-19 pandemic

2021 - Barrington 12, Prospect 1 (6 innings)

2022 - Barrington 8, Buffalo Grove 4

2023 - Buffalo Grove 7, Barrington 5

2024 - Fremd 13, Hersey 3 (5 innings)

2025 - Barrington 13, Hersey 5

SUCCESS-FACTOR DIVISION FORMAT

2026 - Barrington 5, Fremd 3

TEAM

MSL TITLE-GAME VICTORIES

18 - Barrington (1981, 1983, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2025, 2026)

6 - Hersey (1975, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1995)

5 - Conant (1974, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016)

5 - Elk Grove (1982, 1991, 1993, 2001, 2009)

4 - Prospect (1977, 1986, 1987, 1990)

4 - Fremd (2000, 2002, 2010, 2024)

3 - Buffalo Grove (1998, 1999, 2023)

2 - Schaumburg (1979, 2015)

1 - Hoffman Estates (1976)

1 - Arlington (1978)

1 - Forest View (1980)

1 - Rolling Meadows (1984)

1 - Palatine (2019)

MSL TITLE-GAME APPEARANCES

23 - Barrington (1981, 1982, 1983, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025, 2026)

21 - Elk Grove (1981, 1982, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016)

15 - Hersey (1975, 1979, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1995, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2024, 2025)

12 - Prospect (1975, 1977, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2007, 2021)

8 - Buffalo Grove (1977, 1980, 1998, 1999, 2013, 2014, 2022, 2023)

8 - Fremd (1976, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2010, 2025, 2026)

5 - Conant (1974, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016)

3 - Schaumburg (1979, 1996, 2015)

2 - Arlington (1978, 1984)

2 - Forest View (1978, 1980)

2 - Rolling Meadows (1983, 1984)

1 - Wheeling (1974)

1 - Hoffman Estates (1976)

1 - Palatine (2019)

MSL TITLE-GAME RECORDS

1.000 - Conant (5-0), Palatine (1-0), Hoffman Estates (1-0)

.783 - Barrington (18-5)

.667 - Schaumburg (2-1)

.500 - Fremd (4-4), Arlington (1-1), Forest View (1-1), Rolling Meadows (1-1)

.400 - Hersey (6-9)

.375 - Buffalo Grove (3-5)

.333 - Prospect (4-8)

.238 - Elk Grove (5-16)

.000 - Wheeling (0-1)

EXTRA-INNING GAMES

1982 - Elk Grove 4, Barrington 3 (9 innings)

1987 - Prospect 2, Hersey 1 (9 innings)

2000 - Fremd 1, Elk Grove 0 (11 innings)

2002 - Fremd 3, Elk Grove 2 (8 innings)

10-RUN RULE GAMES

2013 - Barrington 13, Buffalo Grove 1 (6 innings)

2017 - Barrington 12, Hersey 1 (5 innings)

2018 - Barrington 12, Hersey 2 (6 innings)

2021 - Barrington 12, Prospect 1 (6 innings)

2024 - Fremd 13, Hersey 3 (5 innings)

SHUTOUTS

1979 - Schaumburg 3, Hersey 0

1983 - Barrington 1, Rolling Meadows 0

1986 - Prospect 8, Hersey 0

1989 - Hersey 5, Prospect 0

1996 - Barrington 1, Schaumburg 0

1998 - Buffalo Grove 9, Prospect 0

1999 - Buffalo Grove 3, Fremd 0

2000 - Fremd 1, Elk Grove 0 (11 innings)

2001 - Elk Grove 1, Fremd 0

2003 - Barrington 2, Elk Grove 0

2004 - Barrington 5, Elk Grove 0

2007 - Barrington 1, Prospect 0

2009 - Elk Grove 3, Barrington 0

2010 - Fremd 1, Elk Grove 0

2014 - Conant 3, Buffalo Grove 0

2016 - Conant 1, Elk Grove 0

1-0 GAMES

1983 - Barrington 1, Rolling Meadows 0

1996 - Barrington 1, Schaumburg 0

2000 - Fremd 1, Elk Grove 0 (11 innings)

2001 - Elk Grove 1, Fremd 0

2007 - Barrington 1, Prospect 0

2010 - Fremd 1, Elk Grove 0

2016 - Conant 1, Elk Grove 0

1-RUN GAMES

1974 - Conant 6, Wheeling 5

1982 - Elk Grove 4, Barrington 3 (9 innings)

1983 - Barrington 1, Rolling Meadows 0

1987 - Prospect 2, Hersey 1 (9 innings)

1988 - Hersey 5, Prospect 4

1995 - Hersey 2, Elk Grove 1

1996 - Barrington 1, Schaumburg 0

2000 - Fremd 1, Elk Grove 0 (11 innings)

2001 - Elk Grove 1, Fremd 0

2002 - Fremd 3, Elk Grove 2 (8 innings)

2007 - Barrington 1, Prospect 0

2010 - Fremd 1, Elk Grove 0

2016 - Conant 1, Elk Grove 0

CONSECUTIVE MSL TITLE VICTORIES

6 - Barrington (2003-09)

2 - Prospect (1986, 1987)

2 - Hersey (1988, 1989)

2 - Barrington (1996, 1997)

2 - Buffalo Grove (1998, 1999)

2 - Conant (2011-12)

2 - Barrington (2017-18)

2 - Barrington (2021-22)

2 - Barrington (2025-26)

CONSECUTIVE MSL TITLE GAME APPEARANCES

7 - Elk Grove (2000-06)

7 - Barrington (2003-09)

6 - Hersey (1985-90)

6 - Prospect (1985-90)

5 - Elk Grove (2008-12)

4 - Fremd (1999-2002)

3 - Barrington (1981-83)

3 - Elk Grove (1991-93)

3 - Hersey (2017-19)

3 - Barrington (2021-23)

2 - Elk Grove (1981-82)

2 - Rolling Meadows (1983-84)

2 - Barrington (1993-94)

2 - Barrington (1996-97)

2 - Buffalo Grove (1998-99)

2 - Conant (2011-12)

2 - Buffalo Grove (2013-14)

2 - Elk Grove (2015-16)

2 - Barrington (2017-18)

2 - Buffalo Grove (2022-23)

2 - Hersey (2024-25)

2 - Barrington (2025-26)

REPEAT TITLE GAME MEETINGS

6 - Hersey vs. Prospect (1985-90)

4 - Barrington vs. Elk Grove (2003-06)

3 - Elk Grove vs. Fremd (2000-02)

2 - Barrington vs. Elk Grove (1981-82)

2 - Barrington vs. Elk Grove (2008-09)

2 - Conant vs. Elk Grove (2011-12)

2 - Barrington vs. Hersey (2017-18)

2 - Barrington vs. Buffalo Grove (2022-23)

TEAM STATS

MOST RUNS - ONE TEAM

16 - Rolling Meadows (1984 vs. Arlington)

15 - Hersey (1975 vs. Prospect)

13 - Prospect (1975 vs. Hersey)

13 - Barrington (1997 vs. Elk Grove)

13 - Barrington (2013 vs. Buffalo Grove)

13 - Fremd (2024 vs. Hersey)

13 - Barrington (2025 vs. Hersey)

12 - Barrington (2017 vs. Hersey, 5 innings)

12 - Barrington (2018 vs. Hersey, 6 innings)

12 - Barrington (2021 vs. Prospect)

11 - Barrington (2018 vs. Hersey)

MOST RUNS - COMBINED

28 - Hersey 15, Prospect 13 (1975)

24 - Rolling Meadows 16, Arlington 8 (1984)

18 - Barrington 13, Hersey 5 (2025)

16 - Barrington 13, Elk Grove 3 (1997)

16 - Fremd 13, Hersey 3 (2024)

MOST HITS - ONE TEAM

18 - Hersey (1975 vs. Prospect)

17 - Hoffman Estates (1976 vs. Fremd)

16 - Prospect (1975 vs. Hersey)

15 - Barrington (2018 vs. Hersey)

14 - Barrington (2025 vs. Hersey)

13 - Rolling Meadows (1984 vs. Arlington)

13 - Schaumburg (2015 vs. Elk Grove0

12 - Hersey (1988 vs. Prospect)

12 - Hersey (1989 vs. Prospect)

12 - Conant (2012 vs. Elk Grove)

11 - Barrington (1997 vs. Elk Grove)

10 - Forest View (1978 vs. Arlington, Game 2 of 3-game series)

10 - Arlington (1978 vs. Forest View, Game 2 of 3-game series)

10 - Arlington (1978 vs. Forest View, Game 3 of 3-game series)

10 - Hersey (1985 vs. Prospect)

10 - Buffalo Grove (1998 vs. Prospect)

10 - Conant (2011 vs. Elk Grove)

10 - Barrington (2013 vs. Buffalo Grove)

10 - Barrington (2017 vs. Hersey)

10 - Barrington (2021 vs. Prospect)*

MOST HITS - COMBINED

34 - Hersey 18, Prospect 16 (1975)

23 - Barrington 14, Hersey 9 (2025)

22 - Rolling Meadows 13, Arlington 9 (1984)

21 - Hoffman Estates 17, Fremd 4 (1976)

20 - Forest View 10, Arlington 10 (1978, Game 2 of 3-game series)

19 - Barrington 15, Hersey 4 (2018, 6 innings)

18 - Barrington 11, Elk Grove 7 (1997)

17 - Arlington 10, Forest View 7 (1978, Game 3 of 3-game series)

17 - Hersey 10, Prospect 7 (1985)

17 - Conant 11, Elk Grove 6 (2012)

17 - Schaumburg 13, Elk Grove 4 (2015)

16 - Elk Grove 8, Barrington 8 (1982, 9 innings)

LARGEST VICTORY MARGINS

12 - Barrington 13, Buffalo Grove 1 (2013, 6 innings)

11 - Barrington 12, Hersey 1 (2017, 5 innings)

11 - Barrington 12, Prospect 1 (2021, 6 innings

10 - Barrington 13, Elk Grove 3 (1997)

10 - Barrington 12, Hersey 2 (2018, 6 innings)

10 - Fremd 13, Hersey 3 (2024, 5 innings)

9 - Buffalo Grove 9, Prospect 0 (1998)

9 - Barrington 11, Hersey 2 (2018)

8 - Barrington 9, Elk Grove 1 (1981)

8 - Rolling Meadows 16, Arlington 8 (1984)

8 - Prospect 8, Hersey 0 (1986)

8 - Schaumburg 9, Elk Grove 1 (2015)

8 - Barrington 13, Hersey 5 (2025)

MOST HOME RUNS - ONE TEAM

6 - Barrington (2013 vs. Buffalo Grove)

5 - Schaumburg (2015 vs. Elk Grove)

3 - Barrington (1997 vs. Elk Grove)

2 - Conant (2011 vs. Elk Grove)

2 - Elk Grove (2012 vs. Conant)

2 - Barrington (2021 vs. Prospect)

2 - Buffalo Grove (2022 vs. Barrington)

2 - Barrington (2022 vs. Buffalo Grove)

2 - Barrington (2023 vs. Buffalo Grove)

2 - Fremd (2024 vs. Hersey)

2 - Barrington (2025 vs. Hersey)

2 - Hersey (2025 vs. Barrington)

MOST HOME RUNS - COMBINED

6 - Barrington 6, Buffalo Grove 0 (2013)

5 - Schaumburg 5, Elk Grove 0 (2015)

4 - Barrington 2, Buffalo Grove 2 (2022)

4 - Barrington 2, Hersey 2 (2025)

3 - Barrington 2, Buffalo Grove 1 (2023)

3 - Elk Grove 2, Conant 1 (2012)

3 - Barrington 3, Elk Grove 0 (1997)

COACHING

MSL TITLE GAME VICTORIES

16 - Perry Peterson (Barrington)

6 - Nancy (Sullivan) Holmgren (Hersey)

4 - Ken Grams (Elk Grove), CathyAnn Smith (Conant)

2 - Pam Devins (Barrington), Bruce Bazsali (Prospect), Laura Stock (Buffalo Grove), Jim Weaver (Fremd)

1 - Barb Bostian (Conant), Nancy Dallia (Prospect), Donna Korda (Hoffman Estates), Mary Welpton (Arlington), Al Beard (Forest View), Diane Burkhardt (Schaumburg), Ken Grams/Doug Millstone (Elk Grove), Greg Benes (Rolling Meadows), Bob Genzen (Prospect), Rob Harris (Fremd), Ellen Abreu (Schaumburg), Nicole Capalbo (Palatine), Martha Kelly (Buffalo Grove), Josh Teschner (Fremd)

MSL TITLE GAME APPEARANCES

19 - Ken Grams (Elk Grove), Perry Peterson (Barrington)

9 - Nancy (Sullivan) Holmgren (Hersey)

5 - Molly Freeman (Hersey)

4 - Pam Devins (Barrington), Bruce Bazsali (Prospect), CathyAnn Smith (Conant)

3 - Rob Harris (Fremd), Al Beard (Forest View/Hersey)

2 - Nancy Dallia (Prospect), Paula Von Gerichten (Buffalo Grove), Mary Welpton (Arlington), Ken Grams/Doug Millstone (Elk Grove), Greg Benes (Rolling Meadows), Bob Genzen (Prospect), Laura Stock (Buffalo Grove), Jim Weaver (Fremd), Jamie Paul (Buffalo Grove), Josh Teschner (Fremd)

1 - Barb Bostian (Conant), Donna Korda (Hoffman Estates), Carol Plodzien (Fremd), Diane Burkhardt (Schaumburg), Dave Jacobson (Prospect), Kay Winkelhake (Schaumburg), Larry Tanaka (Prospect), Brenda Martin (Prospect), Ellen Abreu (Schaumburg), Nicole Capalbo (Palatine), Krystina Mackowiak (Prospect), Caitlyn Carpenter (Buffalo Grove), Martha Kelly (Buffalo Grove)

NOTE: Need Wheeling head coach in 1974

TITLE-GAME COACHING RECORDS

1.000 - CathyAnn Smith (Conant, 4-0), Laura Stock (Buffalo Grove, 2-0), Jim Weaver (Fremd, 2-0), Barb Bostian (Conant, 1-0), Donna Korda (Hoffman Estates, 1-0), Diane Burkhardt (Schaumburg, 1-0), Ellen Abreu (Schaumburg, 1-0), Nicole Capalbo (Palatine, 1-0)

.842 - Perry Peterson (Barrington, 16-3)

.667 - Nancy (Sullivan) Holmgren (Hersey, 6-3)

.500 - Pam Devins (Barrington, 2-2), Bruce Bazsali (Prospect, 2-2), Nancy Dallia (Prospect, 1-1), Mary Welpton (Arlington, 1-1), Ken Grams/Doug Millstone (Elk Grove, 1-1), Greg Benes (Rolling Meadows, 1-1), Bob Genzen (Prospect, 1-1), Josh Teschner (Fremd, 1-1)

.333 - Rob Harris (Fremd, 1-2), Al Beard (Forest View/Hersey, 1-2)

.211 - Ken Grams (Elk Grove, 4-15)

.000 - Carol Plodzien (Fremd, 0-1), Dave Jacobson (Prospect, 0-1), Kay Winkelhake (Schaumburg, 0-1), Larry Tanaka (Prospect, 0-1), Brenda Martin (Prospect, 0-1), Krystina Mackowiak (Prospect, 0-1), Caitlin Carpenter (Buffalo Grove, 0-1), Paula Von Gerichten (Buffalo Grove, 0-2), Jamie Paul (Buffalo Grove, 0-2), Molly Freeman (Hersey, 0-5)

TITLE-GAME COACHING RECORDS

Includes 1978 3-game series

1.000 - CathyAnn Smith (Conant, 4-0), Laura Stock (Buffalo Grove, 2-0), Jim Weaver (Fremd, 2-0), Barb Bostian (Conant, 1-0), Donna Korda (Hoffman Estates, 1-0), Diane Burkhardt (Schaumburg, 1-0), Ellen Abreu (Schaumburg, 1-0), Nicole Capalbo (Palatine, 1-0)

.842 - Perry Peterson (Barrington, 16-3)

.667 - Nancy (Sullivan) Holmgren (Hersey, 6-3), Mary Welpton (Arlington, 2-1)

.500 - Pam Devins (Barrington, 2-2), Bruce Bazsali (Prospect, 2-2), Nancy Dallia (Prospect, 1-1), Ken Grams/Doug Millstone (Elk Grove, 1-1), Greg Benes (Rolling Meadows, 1-1), Bob Genzen (Prospect, 1-1), Josh Teschner (Fremd, 1-1)

.333 - Rob Harris (Fremd, 1-2)

.250 - Al Beard (Forest View/Hersey, 1-3)

.211 - Ken Grams (Elk Grove, 4-15)

.000 - Carol Plodzien (Fremd, 0-1), Dave Jacobson (Prospect, 0-1), Kay Winkelhake (Schaumburg, 0-1), Larry Tanaka (Prospect, 0-1), Brenda Martin (Prospect, 0-1), Krystina Mackowiak (Prospect, 0-1), Caitlin Carpenter (Buffalo Grove, 0-1), Paula Von Gerichten (Buffalo Grove, 0-2), Jamie Paul (Buffalo Grove, 0-2), Molly Freeman (Hersey, 0-5)

MSL ALUMS COACHING TITLE GAME

School coached at in parentheses

Laura Stock - Prospect (Buffalo Grove)

Ellen (Stoddard) Abreu - Fremd (Schaumburg)

Nicole (Pauly) Capalbo - Palatine (Palatine)

Perry Peterson - Prospect (Barrington)

Ken Grams - Arlington (Elk Grove)

Josh Teschner - Hoffman Estates (Fremd)

Brenda Martin - Schaumburg (Prospect)

Krystina (Leazer) Mackowiak - Elk Grove (Prospect)

Molly Freeman - Fremd (Hersey)

CathyAnn Smith - Schaumburg (Conant)

INDIVIDUAL PITCHING

MULTIPLE VICTORIES

2

Laura Stock (Prospect, 1986-87)

Debbie Gerdes (Hersey, 1988-89)

Christine Pedersen (Barrington, 1996-97)

Kim Czapla (Buffalo Grove, 1998-99)

Abby Reed (Barrington, 2003-04)

Claire Voris (Barrington, 2006-07)

Briana Cavin (Conant, 2011-12)

Allie Goodwin (Barrington, 2021-22)

Katie Taraschewsky (Barrington, 2025-26)

MULTIPLE SHUTOUTS

2

Kim Czapla (Buffalo Grove, 1998-99)

Abby Reed (Barrington, 2003-04)

Claire Voris (Barrington, 2006-07)

SINGLE-GAME STRIKEOUTS

ONE PITCHER

13 - Pam Mache (Prospect, 1977 vs. Buffalo Grove)

13 - Ellen Stoddard (Fremd, 2000 vs. Elk Grove, 11 innings)

10 - Megan Huitink (Elk Grove, 2002 vs. Fremd, 8 innings)

10 - Claire Voris (Barrington, 2007 vs. Prospect)

10 - Lena Brottman (Fremd, 2010 vs. Elk Grove)

9 - Allie Goodwin (Barrington, 2022 vs. Buffalo Grove)

8 - Christine Pedersen (Barrington, 1996 vs. Schaumburg)

8 - Megan Huitink (Elk Grove, 2001 vs. Fremd)

8 - Abby Reed (Barrington, 2003 vs. Elk Grove)

8 - Briana Cavin (Conant, 2011 vs. Elk Grove)

8 - Rhiann Dick (Palatine, 2019 vs. Hersey)

LOW-HIT GAMES

PERFECT GAMES

2016 - Sara Neuman (Conant vs. Elk Grove)

NO-HITTERS

1983 - Steff Spooner (Barrington vs. Rolling Meadows)

1-HITTERS

1986 - Laura Stock (Prospect vs. Hersey)

1987 - Laura Stock (Prospect vs. Hersey, 9 innings)

2001 - Megan Huitink (Elk Grove vs. Fremd)

2-HITTERS

1988 - Debbie Gerdes (Hersey vs. Prospect)

1999 - Kim Czapla (Buffalo Grove vs. Fremd)

2000 - Laura Ingram (Elk Grove vs. Fremd, 11 innings, no-hitter for 10⅓)

2006 - Claire Voris (Barrington vs. Elk Grove)

2007 - Kiley Lythberg (Prospect vs. Barrington)

2016 - Kylie Thomsen (Elk Grove vs. Conant)

3-HITTERS

1977 - Pam Mache (Prospect vs. Buffalo Grove)

1979 - Vickki Borys (Schaumburg vs. Hersey)

1989 - Debbie Gerdes (Prospect vs. Hersey)

2000 - Ellen Stoddard (Fremd vs. Elk Grove, 11 innings)

2010 - Lena Brottman (Fremd vs. Elk Grove)

2021 - Jackie Albrecht (Barrington vs. Prospect)

2026 - Katie Taraschewsky (Barrington vs. Fremd)

4-HITTERS

1983 - Dodie Jones (Rolling Meadows vs. Barrington)

1990 - Jennifer Hernet (Prospect vs. Hersey)

1990 - Debbie Gerdes (Hersey vs. Prospect)

1991 - Karen White (Elk Grove vs. Barrington)

1992 - Natalie Quinn (Hersey vs. Elk Grove)

1999 - Kelsey Hake (Fremd vs. Buffalo Grove)

2001 - Ellen Stoddard (Fremd vs. Elk Grove)

2003 - Abby Reed (Barrington vs. Elk Grove)

2004 - Abby Reed (Barrington vs. Elk Grove)

2011 - Briana Cavin (Conant vs. Elk Grove)

2015 - Paige Alt (Schaumburg vs. Elk Grove)

2017 - Catherine McMahon (Barrington vs. Hersey, 5 innings)

COMBINED

2-HITTERS

2009 - Stephanie Maday, Dani Goranson (Elk Grove vs. Barrington)

3-HITTERS

1981 - Denise Daniels, Sue Bear (Barrington vs. Elk Grove)

2010 - Stephanie Maday, Dani Goranson (Elk Grove vs. Fremd)

2013 - Keenan Dolezal, Cassidy Kramer (Barrington vs. Buffalo Grove, 6 innings)

4-HITTERS

2002 - Ellen Stoddard, Dominique Pacini, Rachel Pardo (Fremd vs. Elk Grove, 9 innings)

SHUTOUTS

1979 - Vickki Borys (Schaumburg vs. Hersey)

1983 - Steff Spooner (Barrington vs. Rolling Meadows)

1986 - Laura Stock (Prospect vs. Hersey)

1989 - Debbie Gerdes (Hersey vs. Prospect)

1996 - Christine Pedersen (Barrington vs. Schaumburg)

1998 - Kim Czapla (Buffalo Grove vs. Prospect)

1999 - Kim Czapla (Buffalo Grove vs. Fremd)

2000 - Ellen Stoddard (Fremd vs. Elk Grove, 11 innings)

2001 - Megan Huitink (Elk Grove vs. Fremd)

2003 - Abby Reed (Barrington vs. Elk Grove)

2004 - Abby Reed (Barrington vs. Elk Grove)

2006 - Claire Voris (Barrington vs. Prospect)

2007 - Claire Voris (Barrington vs. Elk Grove)

2010 - Lena Brottman (Fremd vs. Elk Grove)

2014 - Kali Schumacher (Conant vs. Buffalo Grove)

2016 - Sara Neuman (Conant vs. Elk Grove)

COMBINED SHUTOUTS

2009 - Stephanie Maday, Dani Goranson (Elk Grove vs. Barrington)

COMPLETE GAME - NO EARNED RUNS ALLOWED

1977 - Pam Mache (Prospect, 1 UER vs. Buffalo Grove, 7 innings)

2000 - Laura Ingram (Elk Grove, 1 UER vs. Fremd, 10⅔ innings)

2016 - Kylie Thomsen (Elk Grove, 1 UER vs. Conant, 7 innings)

INDIVIDUAL HITTING

MOST HITS ONE GAME

At-bats listed where available

4 HITS

1976 - Lorrie Kountz (Hoffman Estates vs. Fremd, 4-for-5)

1984 - Ericka Bonelli (Rolling Meadows vs. Arlington, 4-for-4)

2015 - Christina Candotti (Schaumburg vs. Elk Grove, 4-for-4)

2025 - Mimi Cline (Barrington vs. Hersey, 4-for-5)

3 HITS

1974 - Barb Thomas (Conant vs. Wheeling)

1975 - Dorothy Nee (Prospect vs. Hersey)

1975 - Carol Weadley (Hersey vs. Prospect)

1975 - Terry Ciffone (Hersey vs. Prospect)

1976 - Claire Dowling (Hoffman Estates vs. Fremd, 3-for-4)

1988 - Laura Belz (Hersey vs. Prospect, 3-for-4)

1994 - Amy Feit (Barrington vs. Prospect, 3-for-3)

1997 - Natalie Sokolowski (Barrington vs. Elk Grove, 3-for-5)

1998 - Lindsey Hamma (Buffalo Grove vs. Prospect, 3-for-3)

2008 - Jessica McGurn (Barrington vs. Elk Grove, 3-for-3)

2011 - Hilary O’Donnell (Conant vs. Elk Grove, 3-for-4)

2012 - Barb Linderman (Conant vs. Elk Grove, 3-for-3)

2013 - Morgan Olszewski (Barrington vs. Buffalo Grove, 3-for-3)

2015 - Paige Alt (Schaumburg vs. Elk Grove, 3-for-4)

2017 - Rachel Mori (Barrington vs. Hersey, 3-for-3)

2017 - Abbey Jacobsen (Barrington vs. Hersey, 3-for-4)

2018 - Kendall Peterson (Barrington vs. Hersey, 3-for-4)

2018 - Abbey Jacobsen (Barrington vs. Hersey, 3-for-4)

2019 - Rhiann Dick (Palatine vs. Hersey, 3-for-4)

2021 - Allie Goodwin (Barrington vs. Prospect, 3-for-4)

2021 - Ainsley Muno (Barrington vs. Prospect, 3-for-5)

2022 - Kim Stuercke (Buffalo Grove vs. Barrington, 3-for-3)

2023 - Allie Goodwin (Barrington vs. Buffalo Grove, 3-for-4)

2025 - Grace Grabowy (Hersey vs. Barrington, 3-for-4)

2026 - Nina Brebach (Barrington vs. Fremd, 3-for-3)

MOST RBI ONE GAME

5

2015 - Christina Candotti (Schaumburg vs. Elk Grove)

2024 - Josie Weber (Fremd vs. Hersey)

4

1975 - Carol Weadley (Hersey vs. Prospect)

1992 - Carrie Hixson (Hersey vs. Elk Grove)

1997 - Kristi Webb (Barrington vs. Elk Grove)

2013 - Morgan Olszewski (Barrington vs. Buffalo Grove)

2013 - Loren Krzysko (Barrington vs. Buffalo Grove)

2017 - Leyden Atlas (Barrington vs. Hersey)

2022 - Kim Stuercke (Buffalo Grove vs. Barrington)

2025 - Mimi Cline (Barrington vs. Hersey)

3

1975 - Dorothy Nee (Prospect vs. Hersey)

1985 - Jill Popovich (Hersey vs. Prospect)

1997 - Robin Martin (Barrington vs. Elk Grove)

1998 - Lindsey Hamma (Buffalo Grove vs. Prospect)

2023 - Hannah Hull (Buffalo Grove vs. Barrington)

HOME RUNS

GRAND SLAMS

1997 - Kristi Webb (Barrington vs. Elk Grove)

2018 - Leyden Atlas (Barrington vs. Hersey)

3-RUN

1984 - Debbi Nordland (Rolling Meadows vs. Arlington)

1984 - Peggy Ellsworth (Arlington vs. Rolling Meadows)

1997 - Robin Martin (Barrington vs. Elk Grove)

2013 - Morgan Olszewski (Barrington vs. Buffalo Grove)

2015 - Christina Candotti (Schaumburg vs. Elk Grove)

2023 - Hannah Hull (Buffalo Grove vs. Barrington)

2-RUN

1975 - Terry Ciffone (Hersey vs. Prospect)

1997 - Christine Lindberg (Barrington vs. Elk Grove)

2011 - Paige Ward (Conant vs. Elk Grove)

2012 - Briana Cavin (Conant vs. Elk Grove)

2012 - Dani Goranson (Elk Grove vs. Conant)

2013 - Sam Rosenfeld (Barrington vs. Buffalo Grove)

2013 - Loren Krzysko (Barrington vs. Buffalo Grove)

2022 - Emma Kavanaugh (Barrington vs. Buffalo Grove)

2024 - Taylor Piento (Fremd vs. Hersey)

2025 - Mimi Cline (Barrington vs. Hersey)

SOLO

2003 - Alison Twite (Barrington vs. Elk Grove)

2007 - Sammie Bloomfield (Barrington vs. Prospect)

2009 - Jessica Balzano (Elk Grove vs. Fremd)

2011 - Hilary O’Donnell (Conant vs. Elk Grove)

2012 - Andrea Starr (Elk Grove vs. Conant)

2013 - Tess Bolger (Barrington vs. Buffalo Grove)

2013 - Loren Krzysko (Barrington vs. Buffalo Grove)

2013 - Morgan Olszewski (Barrington vs. Buffalo Grove)

2015 - Christina Candotti (Schaumburg vs. Elk Grove)

2015 - Michelle Birkholz (Schaumburg vs. Elk Grove)

2015 - Paige Alt (Schaumburg vs. Elk Grove)

2021 - Emma Kavanaugh (Barrington vs. Prospect)

2021 - Allie Goodwin (Barrington vs. Prospect)

2022 - Kim Stuercke 2 (Buffalo Grove vs. Barrington)

2023 - Allie Goodwin 2 (Barrington vs. Buffalo Grove)

2024 - Avery Sadorf (Fremd vs. Hersey)

2025 - Mimi Cline (Barrington vs. Hersey)

2025 - Grace Grabowy (Hersey vs. Barrington)

UNDETERMINED

1975 - Dorothy Nee 2 (Prospect vs. Hersey)

2015 - Elaine Walker (Schaumburg vs. Elk Grove)

MULTI-HOMER GAMES

2 HR

1975 - Dorothy Nee (Prospect vs. Hersey)

2013 - Loren Krzysko (Barrington vs. Buffalo Grove)

2013 - Morgan Olszewski (Barrington vs. Buffalo Grove)

2015 - Christina Candotti (Schaumburg vs. Elk Grove)

2022 - Kim Stuercke (Buffalo Grove vs. Barrington)

2023 - Allie Goodwin (Barrington vs. Buffalo Grove)

2025 - Mimi Cline (Barrington vs. Hersey)

INSIDE THE PARK

UNAVAILABLE

EXTRA INNINGS

NONE

EXTRA-BASE HITS ONE GAME

3 XBH

2025 - Mimi Cline (Barrington vs. Hersey, 2 HR, 2B)

2 XBH

1975 - Dorothy Nee (Prospect vs. Hersey, 2 HR)

1975 - Carol Weadley (Hersey vs. Prospect, 2B, 3B)

1985 - Julie Liljeberg (Hersey vs. Prospect, 2B, 3B)

1986 - Traci Kostak (Prospect vs. Hersey, 2B, 3B)

1998 - Erin Bravo (Buffalo Grove vs. Prospect, 2 2B)

2004 - Sarah Todd (Barrington vs. Elk Grove, 2 2B)

2008 - Jessica McGurn (Barrington vs. Elk Grove, 2 2B)

2011 - Hilary O’Donnell (Conant vs. Elk Grove, 2B, HR)

2013 - Morgan Olszewski (Barrington vs. Buffalo Grove, 2 HR)

2015 - Christina Candotti (Schaumburg vs. Elk Grove, 2 HR)

2017 - Rachel Mori (Barrington vs. Hersey, 2 2B)

2022 - Kim Stuercke (Buffalo Grove vs. Barrington, 2 HR)

2023 - Allie Goodwin (Barrington vs. Buffalo Grove, 2 HR)

2024 - Josie Weber (Fremd vs. Hersey. 2 2B)

2025 - Grace Grabowy (Hersey vs. Fremd, 2B, HR)

MISCELLANEOUS

WINNING PITCHER/HIT HOME RUN SAME GAME

2012 - Briana Cavin (Conant vs. Elk Grove)

2015 - Paige Alt (Schaumburg vs. Elk Grove)

2021 - Allie Goodwin (Barrington vs. Prospect)

To submit corrections, photos or additional information please contact Marty Maciaszek at marty.maciaszek@gmail.com.

As a pitcher at Illinois State University and as a first-time head coach at the University of Illinois Springfield.

And now as the third-year head coach in the best story in NCAA Division I baseball this year at Northern Illinois. Copeland transformed a 10-win program he inherited into record-setting champions of the Mid-American Conference tournament and a trip to the NCAA tournament for the first time in 54 years.

The remarkable turnaround was completed Saturday evening in Avon, Ohio when lefty Max Vaisvila (Willowbrook) snagged a comebacker and tossed it to first baseman Gavin Baldwin to start the celebration of a 5-1 win over Toledo in the championship game. If you’ve followed NIU sports for a while you could almost hear the booming voice of legendary retired broadcaster Bill Baker shouting “Goodbye Toledo!”

The program-record 35th victory in 52 games was a fantastic farewell to MAC competition for the school as it shifts to the Mountain West Conference for football and the Horizon League for all other sports. Tremendous pitching of 4 innings apiece by Blake Gaskey and winner Cooper Cohn (McHenry), the big bat of Baldwin with a homer and 2-run single and flawless defense capped a 4-0 run in the MAC tourney.

Vaisvila, who threw a 7-inning shutout in the tourney opener and the scoreless ninth against Toledo, earned MVP honors. Baldwin, from Nashville in southern Illinois, hit 3 homers in 4 games and joined Vaisvila, Cohn, pitcher Carter Cox and second baseman Cole Smith on the all-tourney team.

“Our guys believe. They really believe in each other. They believe in our program and we believe in them,” Copeland said in the postgame TV interview on ESPN Plus. “I just can’t say enough about the journey that started in Greensboro, North Carolina three or four months ago.

“I thought we were good. I can’t say I thought I’d be standing here but it’s just such a fun journey. I love these guys so much.

“There’s a lot of people in our program, alums that are really proud of NIU and I hope they understand this is for all of them. It’s not just for the guys on the field, it’s for everybody, and I hope people enjoy watching us play baseball.”

Now they’ll get to enjoy watching where the Huskies play next during the ESPN selection show at 11 a.m. Central on Monday. As of Sunday morning, Baseball America projected them as a No. 3 seed in the Alabama regional with the top-seeded hosts from the SEC, No. 2 Coastal Carolina, which lost last year’s College World Series championship to LSU, and No. 4 North Alabama.

Could these Huskies pull off a memorable stunner in Tuscaloosa like the 2003 football team that toppled the Crimson Tide 19-16?

“We gotta be able to find a way to win every type of game,” Copeland said on ESPN Plus. “That’s something we stress in recruiting, we stress it in practice and I think we’re so dangerous because we can win any kind of game in front of us.

“It just felt like today was going to be that type of game. Relentless at-bats, played great defense and pitched the heck out of it.”

And the possibility of NIU winning a regional game is a reality few could have envisioned three years ago.

NIU was 10-43 in 2023 and 40-121 in the three seasons before Copeland arrived after building UIS into one of the country’s top Division II programs. He has been a humbly confident winner everywhere he’s been since he led Elk Grove’s 2006 team to a Mid-Suburban League title, a program-record 32 wins and a trip to the Class AA Elite Eight.

Copeland was a first-team all-Missouri Valley Conference pitcher in 2010 as ISU was in the early stages of a nice run of success. A solid beginning in the St. Louis Cardinals system as a pitcher was derailed by an arm injury, but it led him to a place where he could fully use the uncommon knowledge he had for the game at a young age.

Terry Beyna, now the head coach at St. Viator, saw it for four years in the early years of Elk Grove’s turnaround into one of the MSL’s premier programs.

“Physically he does things very well,” Beyna told me in 2006 for the Daily Herald story on Copeland being named the Cook County All-Area captain. “The intangible is he knows the game probably as well as any player I’ve ever had.

“To have your best player bring that to the table also takes him to another level. He’s always the kid who says, ‘Hey, did you see that last night?’”

Copeland was at UIS for eight years - the last four as head coach with a 131-38 record and a D-II Elite Eight tourney appearance. He saw Ralph McKinzie Field as a diamond in the rough where the program’s last winning season was in 2011 (30-27), it hadn’t won a league title since 1996 in the Midwestern Collegiate Conference and was 4-51-1 with a 36-game losing streak in 1999. Not only that, NIU baseball ceased to exist from 1983-90 before being resurrected.

He said he had a simple recruiting philosophy when we talked shortly after he was hired at NIU.

“Just try. You try hard and if you have a kid you really, really like you try to get him and make the kid tell you no,” he said. “We’re going to blanket the state of Illinois and Midwest and every kid we think can help us win the MAC championship and play in an NCAA regional we’re going to reach out to.

“If we’re doing our job we’ll be told no a lot more than we’re told yes. You build relationships with kids at a higher level and you’re not settling. You need high-level talent and need to convince them they can be part of the foundation at Northern Illinois. The relationships with travel coaches, high school coaches and scouts are already there so not much has to change in that regard.”

One of the players who believed was Cohn, who helped lead McHenry to fourth place in Class 4A as a junior in 2022 and originally committed to play for Copeland at UIS. Cohn’s dad Mike, who was a two-time all-region catcher at Augustana in 1999-2000 for former Fremd star and pro pitcher John Benedetti, said he was so impressed with Copeland he wanted to play for him.

Cooper Cohn followed Copeland to NIU and for his first two seasons and well into this one was primarily a starting catcher, outfielder and designated hitter. But early in this season Copeland also gave him a couple of brief relief pitching stints. Then a month ago, Cohn threw 2 innings of 1-hit relief to get a win at UIC, which is playing today for the Missouri Valley Conference title.

Copeland’s belief that Cohn could be a key contributor out of the bullpen paid off bigger than anyone could have envisioned with a 2-0 record, 1 save and an ERA of 0.00 in 17⅔ innings over 12 appearances. He has allowed only 13 hits and 2 unearned runs with 6 walks and 18 strikeouts.

And what a relief he was this week in two high-leverage, pressure-packed situations. In a 6-5 second-round win over top-seed Miami in 15 innings, Cohn allowed only 2 hits in the 10th through 13th innings where one mistake would have dropped NIU into the loser’s bracket.

Then on Saturday against Toledo, after Gaskey gave up 1 run in the first 4 innings, Cohn came in to protect a 2-1 lead and surrendered just 2 hits and 1 walk with 5 strikeouts in 4 innings.

“We’ve talked about this all year, and to be able to get this done is amazing,” Cohn said in the postgame recap on NIU’s website. “I just want to embrace the moment on the mound. It’s the will to compete. I left everything I had out there this week.

“Coach came in and said ‘forget what people say about NIU. We win here.’ Top to bottom, we all believe in what he’s done.”

Now the Huskies get the chance to make some believers nationally. Vaisvila, a first-team all-MAC pick, improved to 8-0 and lowered his ERA to 3.04 after beating Western Michigan 11-0 in 7 innings in the tourney opener.

MAC second-teamers and transfers Smith from Bradley and Caden Robertson from Central Oklahoma have been instrumental offensively. Smith leads NIU in OPS (1.025) and is second in batting average (.364) and Robertson is first in RBI (58) and second in homers (14) to Baldwin’s 15. Danny Cihocki, a junior who went to high school at Princeton just west of the LaSalle-Peru area, made the MAC all-defensive team and is one of the top three starters with Vaisvila and Cox.

Starting junior center fielder Charlie Parcell (Maine West) could have made a case for all-defensive honors with no errors in 122 chances. He’s hitting .231 but his bunt single led to the first run against Toledo and his 17 stolen bases in 20 attempts are second on the team to Marcus Romero’s 23.

Freshman outfielder Wyatt Wawro (Downers Grove South) leads the Huskies in hitting (.374) and on-base percentage (.507). Third baseman Vinny Spotofora (Joliet Catholic) is fourth on the team in RBI (34), catcher Ivan Dahlberg (Minooka) is third in homers with 8 and Romero (.338) and Nolan Sandee (.300) give the offense another pair of solid bats.

And it’s no fluke what Copeland and his staff of Peoria-area natives Joe Kelch and Calvin Peacock have put together this year after starting their tenure with a pair of 21-win seasons. The Huskies swept regular-season champ Miami in March and took 2 of 3 from runner-up Kent State in April and were tied for the league lead with 4 games to play.

Then they stumbled to end the regular season with a home loss to Ball State and getting swept in a 3-game series at Western Michigan. They responded with the biggest 4-game winning streak in program history.

“I know how our guys are and how tough they are,” Copeland said on the NIU website after beating Western Michigan in the tourney opener. “Every time we’ve hit a little bit of adversity this year, we’ve come out and played our best game of the year.”

That’s why there is no better story in Division I baseball than what’s taken place in DeKalb this spring.

Fremd’s Mark Wicklund and Hersey’s Mark Leonhard delivered impressive shutouts in the first two Mid-Suburban League championship baseball games in 1971 and 1972. Fast-forward more than 50 years and Hersey’s Jeremy Allen and Conant’s Bryce Loeger fired 1-hit shutouts in the league’s showcase event in 2023 and 2024.

While Barrington sophomore Jack Postma didn’t get a shutout, he did author a historic performance in 2026 with the first title-game no-hitter in a 5-1 victory over Prospect. The closest anyone had previously come to a no-hitter was Barrington’s Nate Holler in 2019, who retired the first 19 hitters before giving up a home run in a 2-1 victory over Elk Grove.

Barrington also moved into a tie with Rolling Meadows for most titles at 12 and Paul Belo became the first head coach to win MSL baseball titles at two schools. Belo also won a title at Fremd in 2001.

There have been no shortage of memorable moments in the game to decide the league champion. Schaumburg’s Grant Monroe might have the best individual performance when he threw a shutout with 11 strikeouts and hit a pair of homers in 2007. His dad Larry, who pitched for the White Sox, has two of the top strikeout games for Forest View with a title-game record 14 in 1973 and 12 in 1974.

This is a look at the MSL baseball title game history by the numbers. Included are all the champions, title-game scores and, as usual, plenty of other historic leader lists for teams, coaches and players.

One of the unique aspects to the MSL title history is from 1974-83 a best-of-three series format was used to determine the league champion. The regularly scheduled division crossover was regarded as the first game in the best-of-three format. On four occasions the series went to a third game to determine the MSL champion. For purposes of individual and team records here, I am including Game 2 statistics in a series that went to three games for records because a championship was at stake. The division crossover games in that format were not considered for statistics here because there was no certainty of championship implications.

The division realignment in the 2025-26 school year based on “success factor” criteria also provided some new twists. Division champions are now determined by the 10 in-division games with crossovers no longer counting and the winner of each division plays the second-place team from the other division to determine who plays for the championship.

The other unique part came in 1984 in what was supposed to be a return to a one-game winner-take-all MSL title. Fremd and Prospect were unable to play because of weather issues, scheduling conflicts, Fremd’s run to the Class AA Elite Eight and IHSA rules not allowing teams to play after the state tournament was completed. It is the only shared title in MSL history including pre-division play.

The information was gathered here from Daily Herald game accounts by sportswriters Keith Reinhard, Dave Jacobson, Phil Brozynski, Marty Stengle, Bob Gordon, Mike Brown, Marty Maciaszek and Dick Quagliano. If you believe there is factual information missing or in error please contact me at marty.maciaszek@gmail.com.

MSL Title History

Pre-Division Era Champions

1964 - Maine West

1965 - Maine West

1966 - Maine West

1967 - Maine West

1968 - Elk Grove

1969 - Wheeling

1970 - Wheeling

Division Era Champions

NORTH VS. SOUTH (South 14-13, 1 uncontested)

SINGLE-GAME FORMAT

1971 - Fremd 5, Conant 0

1972 - Hersey 2, Forest View 0

1973 - Forest View 4, Fremd 1

BEST-OF-3 FORMAT

RS - Regular Season

1974 - Fremd d. Forest View 2 games to 0
Fremd d. Forest View 6-3 (RS), 3-1

1975 - Rolling Meadows d. Arlington 2 games to 1
Rolling Meadows d. Arlington 12-0 (RS), lost 4-3 in in 8 inn., won 2-1

1976 - Rolling Meadows d. Arlington 2 games to 1
Rolling Meadows d Arlington 6-3 (RS), lost 1-0, won 2-1

1977 - Buffalo Grove d. Prospect 2 games to 0
Buffalo Grove d. Prospect 5-1 (RS), 13-8

1978 - Barrington d. Prospect 2 games to 1
Barrington d. Prospect 10-7 (RS), lost 17-9, won 9-5

1979 - Rolling Meadows d. Barrington 2 games to 0
Rolling Meadows d. Barrington 8-4 (RS), 5-3

1980 - Prospect d. Barrington 2 games to 0
Prospect d. Barrington 1-0 (RS), 1-0

1981 - Rolling Meadows d. Fremd 2 games to 0
Rolling Meadows d. Fremd 9-3 (RS), 4-0

1982 - Rolling Meadows d. Wheeling 2 games to 1
Rolling Meadows d. Wheeling 12-6 (RS), lost 4-1, won 8-2

1983 - Barrington d. Prospect 2 games to 0
Barrington d. Prospect 4-3 (RS), 12-4

SINGLE-GAME FORMAT

1984 - Fremd and Prospect unable to play, shared title

1985 - Rolling Meadows 5, Barrington 1

1986 - Barrington 4, Hoffman Estates 2

1987 - Barrington 3, Rolling Meadows 2

1988 - Hoffman Estates 5, Barrington 2

1989 - Hoffman Estates 6, Barrington 3

1990 - Palatine 3, Hoffman Estates 1

1991 - Rolling Meadows 5, Barrington 3

1992 - Hersey 2, Schaumburg 1

1993 - Barrington 8, Schaumburg 3

1994 - Rolling Meadows 1, Buffalo Grove 0 (8 inn.)

1995 - Barrington 6, Schaumburg 3

1996 - Rolling Meadows 9, Barrington 3

1997 - Schaumburg 9, Barrington 4

1998 - Barrington 9, Schaumburg 6

EAST VS. WEST (East 15-11)

1999 - Conant 3, Rolling Meadows 2

2000 - Rolling Meadows 7, Fremd 1

2001 - Fremd 7, Hersey 6

2002 - Schaumburg 8, Buffalo Grove 3

2003 - Prospect 12, Schaumburg 1 (5 inn.)

2004 - Barrington 4, Hersey 1

2005 - Barrington 5, Hersey 1

2006 - Elk Grove 3, Palatine 2 (8 inn.)

2007 - Schaumburg 9, Prospect 0

2008 - Schaumburg 11, Rolling Meadows 1 (5 inn.)

2009 - Rolling Meadows 5, Fremd 0

2010 - Fremd 1, Hersey 0

2011 - Prospect 8, Palatine 7 (8 inn.)

2012 - Hersey 3, Fremd 1

2013 - Rolling Meadows 11, Barrington 6

2014 - Elk Grove 4, Schaumburg 0 (9 inn.)

2015 - Elk Grove 8, Barrington 3

2016 - Elk Grove 1, Barrington 0

2017 - Barrington 8, Prospect 2

2018 - Buffalo Grove 6, Barrington 2

2019 - Barrington 2, Elk Grove 1

2020 - SEASON CANCELED - COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS

2021 - Buffalo Grove 4, Barrington 3

2022 - Buffalo Grove 3, Barrington 2

2023 - Hersey 1, Barrington 0

2024 - Conant 5, Buffalo Grove 0

2025 - Hersey 3, Fremd 2

SUCCESS-FACTOR DIVISION FORMAT

2026 - Barrington 5, Prospect 1

1984 Note: In the first year of return to one MSL title game, it was unable to be played because of schedule and weather issues, Fremd advancing to the Class AA Elite Eight and IHSA rules prohibiting game competition after the state tournament finished.

TEAM

OVERALL MSL TITLES - OUTRIGHT AND SHARED

INCLUDES PRE-DIVISION TITLES

12 - Rolling Meadows (1975, 1976, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1991, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2009, 2013)

12 - Barrington (1978, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1995, 1998, 2004, 2005, 2017, 2019, 2026)

5 - Hersey (1972, 1992, 2012, 2023, 2025)

5 - Elk Grove (1968, 2006, 2014, 2015, 2016)

5 - Fremd (1971, 1974, 1984T, 2001, 2010)

4 - Buffalo Grove (1977, 2018, 2021, 2022)

4 - Schaumburg (1997, 2002, 2007, 2008)

4 - Maine West (1964, 1965, 1966, 1967)

4 - Prospect (1980, 1984T, 2003, 2011)

2 - Conant (1999, 2024)

2 - Hoffman Estates (1988, 1989)

2 - Wheeling (1969, 1970)

1 - Forest View (1973)

1 - Palatine (1990)

OVERALL MSL TITLES - OUTRIGHT

INCLUDES PRE-DIVISION TITLES

12 - Rolling Meadows (1975, 1976, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1991, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2009, 2013)

12 - Barrington (1978, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1995, 1998, 2004, 2005, 2017, 2019, 2026)

5 - Hersey (1972, 1992, 2012, 2023, 2025)

5 - Elk Grove (1968, 2006, 2014, 2015, 2016)

4 - Fremd (1971, 1974, 2001, 2010)

4 - Buffalo Grove (1977, 2018, 2021, 2022)

4 - Schaumburg (1997, 2002, 2007, 2008)

4 - Maine West (1964, 1965, 1966, 1967)

3 - Prospect (1980, 2003, 2011)

2 - Conant (1999, 2024)

2 - Hoffman Estates (1988, 1989)

2 - Wheeling (1969, 1970)

1 - Forest View (1973)

1 - Palatine (1990)

MSL TITLES (TITLE-GAME VICTORIES)

12 - Rolling Meadows (1975, 1976, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1991, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2009, 2013)

12 - Barrington (1978, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1995, 1998, 2004, 2005, 2017, 2019, 2026)

5 - Hersey (1972, 1992, 2012, 2023, 2025)

4 - Elk Grove (2006, 2014, 2015, 2016)

4 - Fremd (1971, 1974, 2001, 2010)

4 - Buffalo Grove (1977, 2018, 2021, 2022)

4 - Schaumburg (1997, 2002, 2007, 2008)

3 - Prospect (1980, 2003, 2011)

2 - Conant (1999, 2024)

2 - Hoffman Estates (1988, 1989)

1 - Forest View (1973)

1 - Palatine (1990)

MSL TITLE-GAME APPEARANCES

27 - Barrington (1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2004, 2005, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2026)

15 - Rolling Meadows (1975, 1976, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1991, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2008, 2009, 2013)

10 - Fremd (1971, 1973, 1974, 1981, 2000, 2001, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2025)

10 - Schaumburg (1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2014)

9 - Hersey (1972, 1992, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2010, 2012, 2023, 2025)

9 - Prospect (1977, 1978, 1980, 1983, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2017, 2026)

7 - Buffalo Grove (1977, 1994, 2002, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2024)

5 - Elk Grove (2006, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019)

4 - Hoffman Estates (1986, 1988, 1989, 1990)

3 - Forest View (1972, 1973, 1974)

3 - Palatine (1990, 2006, 2011)

3 - Conant (1971, 1999, 2024)

2 - Arlington (1975, 1976)

1 - Wheeling (1982)

MSL TITLE-GAME RECORDS

INCLUDES GAMES THAT RESULTED IN TITLE ONLY

.800 - Elk Grove (4-1)

.750 - Rolling Meadows (12-4)

.667 - Conant (2-1)

.571 - Buffalo Grove (4-3)

.556 - Hersey (5-4)

.500 - Hoffman Estates (2-2)

.444 - Barrington (12-15)

.400 - Fremd (4-6), Schaumburg (4-6)

.333 - Forest View (1-2), Palatine (1-2), Prospect (3-6)

.000 - Arlington (0-2), Wheeling (0-1)

MSL TITLE-GAME RECORDS

INCLUDING MIDDLE GAMES OF SERIES THAT WENT TO 3 GAMES

.800 - Elk Grove (4-1)

.667 - Conant (2-1)

.632 - Rolling Meadows (12-7)

.571 - Buffalo Grove (4-3)

.556 - Hersey (5-4)

.500 - Hoffman Estates (2-2), Arlington (2-2), Wheeling (1-1)

.429 - Barrington (12-16)

.400 - Fremd (4-6), Schaumburg (4-6), Prospect (4-6)

.333 - Forest View (1-2), Palatine (1-2)

EXTRA-INNING GAMES

1975 - Arlington 4, Rolling Meadows 3 (8 innings, 2nd of 3-game series)

1994 - Rolling Meadows 1, Buffalo Grove 0 (8 innings)

2006 - Elk Grove 3, Palatine 2 (8 innings)

2011 - Prospect 8, Palatine 7 (8 innings)

2014 - Elk Grove 4, Schaumburg 0 (9 innings)

10-RUN RULE GAMES

2003 - Prospect 12, Schaumburg 1 (5 innings)

2008 - Schaumburg 11, Rolling Meadows 1 (5 innings)

SHUTOUTS

1971 - Fremd 5, Conant 0

1972 - Hersey 2, Forest View 0

1976 - Arlington 1, Rolling Meadows 0 (2nd of 3-game series)

1980 - Prospect 1, Barrington 0

1981 - Rolling Meadows 4, Fremd 0

1994 - Rolling Meadows 1, Buffalo Grove 0 (8 innings)

2007 - Schaumburg 9, Prospect 0

2009 - Rolling Meadows 5, Fremd 0

2010 - Fremd 1, Hersey 0

2014 - Elk Grove 4, Schaumburg 0 (9 innings)

2016 - Elk Grove 1, Barrington 0

2023 - Hersey 1, Barrington 0

2024 - Conant 5, Buffalo Grove 0

1-0 GAMES

1976 - Arlington 1, Rolling Meadows 0 (2nd of 3-game series)

1980 - Prospect 1, Barrington 0

1994 - Rolling Meadows 1, Buffalo Grove 0 (8 innings)

2010 - Fremd 1, Hersey 0

2016 - Elk Grove 1, Barrington 0

2023 - Hersey 1, Barrington 0

1-RUN GAMES

1975 - Arlington 4, Rolling Meadows 3 (8 innings, 2nd game of 3-game series)

1975 - Rolling Meadows 2, Arlington 1 (Final game of 3-game series)

1976 - Arlington 1, Rolling Meadows 0 (2nd game of 3-game series)

1976 - Rolling Meadows 2, Arlington 1 (Final game of 3-game series)

1980 - Prospect 1, Barrington 0

1983 - Barrington 4, Prospect 3

1987 - Barrington 3, Rolling Meadows 2

1992 - Hersey 2, Schaumburg 1

1994 - Rolling Meadows 1, Buffalo Grove 0 (8 innings)

1999 - Conant 3, Rolling Meadows 2

2001 - Fremd 7, Hersey 6

2006 - Elk Grove 3, Palatine 2 (8 innings)

2010 - Fremd 1, Hersey 0

2011 - Prospect 8, Palatine 7 (8 innings)

2016 - Elk Grove 1, Barrington 0

2019 - Barrington 2, Elk Grove 1

2021 - Buffalo Grove 4, Barrington 3

2022 - Buffalo Grove 3, Barrington 2

2023 - Hersey 1, Barrington 0

2025 - Hersey 3, Fremd 2

CONSECUTIVE MSL TITLES

4 - Maine West (1964-67)

3 - Elk Grove (2014-16)

2 - Wheeling (1969-70), Rolling Meadows (1975-76, 1981-82), Barrington (1986-87, 2004-05), Hoffman Estates (1988-89), Schaumburg (2007-08), Buffalo Grove (2021-22)

CONSECUTIVE MSL TITLE-GAME VICTORIES

3 - Elk Grove (2014-16)

2 - Rolling Meadows (1975-76, 1981-82), Barrington (1986-87, 2004-05), Hoffman Estates (1988-89), Schaumburg (2007-08), Buffalo Grove (2021-22)

CONSECUTIVE MSL TITLE-GAME APPEARANCES

8 - Barrington (2015-23)*

5 - Barrington (1985-89)

4 - Barrington (1995-98)

3 - Forest View (1972-74), Barrington (1978-80), Hoffman Estates (1988-90), Elk Grove (2014-16)

2 - Fremd (1973-74, 2000-01, 2009-10), Arlington (1975-76), Rolling Meadows (1975-76, 1981-82, 1999-2000), Prospect (1977-78), Schaumburg (1992-93, 1997-98, 2002-03, 2007-08), Barrington (2004-05), Hersey (2004-05), Buffalo Grove (2021-22)

*No 2020 season because of COVID-19 restrictions

REPEAT TITLE-GAME MEETINGS

1973-74 - Fremd vs. Forest View

1975-76 - Arlington vs. Rolling Meadows

1988-89 - Hoffman Estates vs. Barrington

1997-98 - Barrington vs. Schaumburg

2004-05 - Barrington vs. Hersey

2015-16 - Barrington vs. Elk Grove

2021-22 - Buffalo Grove vs. Barrington

TEAM STATISTICS

MOST RUNS SCORED - ONE TEAM

13 - Buffalo Grove 13, Prospect 8 (1977)

12 - Prospect 12, Schaumburg 1 (2003, 5 innings)

11 - Schaumburg 11, Rolling Meadows 1 (2008, 5 innings)

11 - Rolling Meadows 11, Barrington 6 (2013)

MOST RUNS SCORED - BOTH TEAMS

26 - Prospect 17, Barrington 9 (1978 - second game of 3-game series)

21 - Buffalo Grove 13, Prospect 8 (1977)

17 - Rolling Meadows 11, Barrington 6 (2013)

15 - Barrington 9, Schaumburg 6 (1998)

15 - Prospect 8, Palatine 7 (2011, 8 innings)

14 - Barrington 9, Prospect 5 (1978)

13 - Prospect 12, Schaumburg 1 (2003, 5 innings)

13 - Schaumburg 9, Barrington 4 (1997)

13 - Fremd 7, Hersey 6 (2001)

12 - Schaumburg 11, Rolling Meadows 1 (2008, 5 innings)

12 - Rolling Meadows 8, Barrington 4 (1979)

12 - Barrington 9, Schaumburg 3 (1996)

MOST HITS - ONE TEAM

17 - Schaumburg (2007 vs. Prospect)

15 - Barrington (1978 vs. Prospect - Final game of 3-game series)

15 - Elk Grove (2015 vs. Barrington)

14 - Prospect (2011 vs. Palatine, 8 innings)

12 - Buffalo Grove (1977 vs. Prospect)

12 - Barrington (1978 vs. Prospect - Second game of 3-game series)

12 - Rolling Meadows (1979 vs. Barrington)

12 - Rolling Meadows (2013 vs. Barrington)

11 - Rolling Meadows (1982 vs. Wheeling - Final game of 3-game series)

11 - Barrington (1995 vs. Schaumburg)

11 - Barrington (1997 vs. Schaumburg)

11 - Rolling Meadows (2000 vs. Fremd)

11 - Rolling Meadows (2009 vs. Fremd)

11 - Palatine (2001 vs. Prospect, 8 innings)

10 - Prospect (1978 vs. Barrington - Second game of 3-game series)

10 - Barrington (1993 vs. Schaumburg)

10 - Schaumburg (1997 vs. Barrington)

10 - Barrington (1998 vs. Schaumburg)

10 - Fremd (2001 vs. Hersey)

10 - Barrington (2005 vs. Hersey)

10 - Barrington (2013 vs. Rolling Meadows)

MOST HITS - BOTH TEAMS

25 - Prospect 14, Palatine 11 (2011, 8 innings)

23 - Barrington 15, Prospect 8 (1978 - Final game of 3-game series)

22 - Barrington 12, Prospect 10 (1978 - Second game of 3-game series)

22 - Rolling Meadows 12, Barrington 10 (2013)

22 - Elk Grove 15, Barrington 7 (2015)

21 - Buffalo Grove 12, Prospect 9 (1977)

21 - Barrington 11, Schaumburg 10 (1997)

21 - Schaumburg 17, Prospect 4 (2007)

19 - Rolling Meadows 11, Barrington 8 (1996)

18 - Rolling Meadows 12, Barrington 6 (1979)

18 - Rolling Meadows 11, Fremd 7 (2009)

17 - Rolling Meadows 11, Wheeling 6 (1982 - Final game of 3-game series)

17 - Barrington 11, Schaumburg 6 (1995)

17 - Fremd 10, Hersey 7 (2001)

16 - Barrington 10, Schaumburg 6 (1993)

16 - Barrington 10, Schaumburg 6 (1998)

LARGEST VICTORY MARGINS

11 - Prospect 12, Schaumburg 1 (2003, 5 innings)

10 - Schaumburg 11, Rolling Meadows 1 (2008, 5 innings)

9 - Schaumburg 9, Prospect 0 (2007)

6 - Rolling Meadows 8, Wheeling 2 (1982)

6 - Rolling Meadows 9, Barrington 3 (1996)

6 - Rolling Meadows 7, Fremd 1 (2000)

6 - Barrington 8, Prospect 2 (2016)

MOST HOME RUNS - ONE TEAM

4 - Schaumburg (2007 vs. Prospect)

3 - Barrington (1989 vs. Hoffman Estates)

MOST HOME RUNS - BOTH TEAMS

4 - Schaumburg 4, Prospect 0 (2007)

3 - Buffalo Grove 2, Prospect 1 (1977)

3 - Barrington 3, Hoffman Estates 0 (1989)

COACHING

MSL TITLES - OUTRIGHT OR SHARED

7 - Kirby Smith (Barrington)

6 - Al Otto (Rolling Meadows)

4 - Al Carstens (Maine West), Terry Beyna (Elk Grove), Paul Groot (Schaumburg)

3 - Terry Gellinger (Fremd), Bill Niedbala (Rolling Meadows)

2 - Ron DeBolt (Wheeling), Wally Brownley (Hersey), Bill Montemayor (Buffalo Grove), Jim Hawrysko (Barrington), Larry Pohlman (Prospect), Ross Giusti (Prospect), Ray Gawron (Hoffman Estates), Jim Lindeman (Rolling Meadows), Pat Wire (Barrington), Paul Belo (Fremd/Barrington)

1 - Larry Peddy (Elk Grove), Chris Piggott (Fremd), Steve Chernicky (Hersey), Harvey Foster (Hersey), Bob Huber (Hersey), Tom Seidel (Forest View), Larry Tanaka (Rolling Meadows), Fred Van Iten (Buffalo Grove), Tim Miller (Buffalo Grove), Jim Koller (Palatine), Mike Fritz (Conant), Derek Fivelson (Conant)

MSL TITLES - OUTRIGHT

7 - Kirby Smith (Barrington)

6 - Al Otto (Rolling Meadows)

4 - Al Carstens (Maine West), Terry Beyna (Elk Grove), Paul Groot (Schaumburg)

3 - Bill Niedbala (Rolling Meadows)

2 - Ron DeBolt (Wheeling), Wally Brownley (Hersey), Bill Montemayor (Buffalo Grove), Jim Hawrysko (Barrington), Ross Giusti (Prospect), Ray Gawron (Hoffman Estates), Terry Gellinger (Fremd), Jim Lindeman (Rolling Meadows), Pat Wire (Barrington), Paul Belo (Fremd/Barrington)

1 - Larry Peddy (Elk Grove), Chris Piggott (Fremd), Steve Chernicky (Hersey), Harvey Foster (Hersey), Bob Huber (Hersey), Tom Seidel (Forest View), Larry Tanaka (Rolling Meadows), Fred Van Iten (Buffalo Grove), Tim Miller (Buffalo Grove), Jim Koller (Palatine), Mike Fritz (Conant), Derek Fivelson (Conant), Larry Pohlman (Prospect)

MSL TITLE-GAME VICTORIES

7 - Kirby Smith (Barrington)

6 - Al Otto (Rolling Meadows)

4 - Terry Beyna (Elk Grove), Paul Groot (Schaumburg)

3 - Bill Niedbala (Rolling Meadows)

2 - Wally Brownley (Hersey), Bill Montemayor (Buffalo Grove), Jim Hawrysko (Barrington), Ross Giusti (Prospect), Ray Gawron (Hoffman Estates), Terry Gellinger (Fremd), Jim Lindeman (Rolling Meadows), Pat Wire (Barrington), Paul Belo (Fremd/Barrington)

1 - Chris Piggott (Fremd), Steve Chernicky (Hersey), Harvey Foster (Hersey), Bob Huber (Hersey), Tom Seidel (Forest View), Larry Tanaka (Rolling Meadows), Fred Van Iten (Buffalo Grove), Tim Miller (Buffalo Grove), Jim Koller (Palatine), Mike Fritz (Conant), Derek Fivelson (Conant), Larry Pohlman (Prospect)

MSL TITLE-GAME APPEARANCES

15 - Kirby Smith (Barrington)

9 - Pat Wire (Barrington), Paul Groot (Schaumburg)

7 - Al Otto (Rolling Meadows)

5 - Terry Beyna (Elk Grove), Bob Huber (Hersey), Paul Belo (Fremd/Palatine/Barrington)

4 - Terry Gellinger (Fremd), Chris Piggott (Fremd), Bill Niedbala (Rolling Meadows), Larry Pohlman (Prospect), Ross Giusti (Prospect), Ray Gawron (Hoffman Estates)

3 - Tom Seidel (Forest View), Jim Lindeman (Rolling Meadows), Bill Montemayor (Buffalo Grove)

2 - Wally Brownley (Hersey), John Wendell (Buffalo Grove), Jim Hawrysko (Barrington), Fran Somers (Arlington)

1 - Ron DeBolt (Wheeling), Steve Chernicky (Hersey), Harvey Foster (Hersey), Larry Tanaka (Rolling Meadows), Fred Van Iten (Buffalo Grove), Tim Miller (Buffalo Grove), Jim Koller (Palatine), Calvin Seely (Schaumburg), Jerry Cunningham (Conant), Mike Fritz (Conant), Derek Fivelson (Conant), Chris Hoffmann (Prospect)

TITLE-GAME COACHING RECORDS

GAMES THAT RESULTED IN CHAMPIONSHIP

1.000 - Wally Brownley (Hersey, 2-0), Jim Hawrysko (Barrington, 2-0), Steve Chernicky (Hersey, 1-0), Harvey Foster (Hersey, 1-0), Larry Tanaka (Rolling Meadows, 1-0), Fred Van Iten (Buffalo Grove, 1-0), Tim Miller (Buffalo Grove, 1-0), Jim Koller (Palatine, 1-0), Mike Fritz (Conant, 1-0), Derek Fivelson (Conant, 1-0)

.857 - Al Otto (Rolling Meadows, 6-1)

.800 - Terry Beyna (Elk Grove, 4-1)

.750 - Bill Niedbala (Rolling Meadows, 3-1)

.667 - Bill Montemayor (Buffalo Grove, 2-1)

.500 - Terry Gellinger (Fremd, 2-2), Ross Giusti (Prospect, 2-2), Ray Gawron (Hoffman Estates, 2-2), Jim Lindeman (Rolling Meadows, 2-2)

.467 - Kirby Smith (Barrington, 7-8)

.444 - Paul Groot (Schaumburg, 4-5)

.400 - Paul Belo (Fremd/Palatine/Barrington, 2-3)

.333 - Tom Seidel (Forest View, 1-2)

.250 - Pat Wire (Barrington, 2-6), Chris Piggott (Fremd, 1-3), Larry Pohlman (Prospect, 1-3)

.200 - Bob Huber (Hersey, 1-4)

.000 - Ron DeBolt (Wheeling, 0-1), Calvin Seely (Schaumburg, 0-1), Jerry Cunningham (Conant, 0-1), Chris Hoffmann (Prospect, 0-1), John Wendell (Buffalo Grove, 0-2), Fran Somers (Arlington, 0-2)

TITLE-GAME COACHING RECORDS

INCLUDES SECOND GAMES THAT WERE PART OF 3-GAME SERIES

1.000 - Wally Brownley (Hersey, 2-0), Jim Hawrysko (Barrington, 2-0), Steve Chernicky (Hersey, 1-0), Harvey Foster (Hersey, 1-0), Larry Tanaka (Rolling Meadows, 1-0), Fred Van Iten (Buffalo Grove, 1-0), Tim Miller (Buffalo Grove, 1-0), Jim Koller (Palatine, 1-0), Mike Fritz (Conant, 1-0), Derek Fivelson (Conant, 1-0)

.800 - Terry Beyna (Elk Grove, 4-1)

.750 - Bill Niedbala (Rolling Meadows, 3-1)

.667 - Bill Montemayor (Buffalo Grove, 2-1)

.600 - Al Otto (Rolling Meadows, 6-4)

.500 - Terry Gellinger (Fremd, 2-2), Ross Giusti (Prospect, 2-2), Ray Gawron (Hoffman Estates, 2-2), Jim Lindeman (Rolling Meadows, 2-2), Fran Somers (Arlington, 2-2), Ron DeBolt (Wheeling, 1-1)

.444 - Paul Groot (Schaumburg, 4-5)

.438 - Kirby Smith (Barrington, 7-9)

.400 - Larry Pohlman (Prospect, 2-3), Paul Belo (Fremd/Palatine/Barrington, 2-3)

.333 - Tom Seidel (Forest View, 1-2)

.250 - Pat Wire (Barrington, 2-6), Chris Piggott (Fremd, 1-3)

.200 - Bob Huber (Hersey, 1-4)

.000 - Calvin Seely (Schaumburg, 0-1), Jerry Cunningham (Conant, 0-1), Chris Hoffmann (Prospect, 0-1), John Wendell (Buffalo Grove, 0-2)

MSL ALUMS WHO COACHED IN TITLE GAMES

Paul Belo - Hoffman Estates (Fremd/Palatine/Barrington)

Terry Beyna - Rolling Meadows (Elk Grove)

Wally Brownley - Schaumburg (Hersey)

Derek Fivelson - Hoffman Estates (Conant)

Ray Gawron - Hoffman Estates (Hoffman Estates)

Ross Giusti - Arlington/Prospect (Prospect)

Paul Groot - Wheeling (Schaumburg)

Bob Huber - Hersey (Hersey)

Tim Miller - Elk Grove (Buffalo Grove)

Bill Montemayor - Elk Grove (Buffalo Grove)

Calvin Seely - Hoffman Estates (Schaumburg)

INDIVIDUAL PITCHING

MULTIPLE VICTORIES

2 WINS

Clark Stalker (Prospect, 1978, 1980 - 1978 Game 2 of 3-game series)

Dan Wilson (Barrington, 1986-87)

Eric Marshall (Barrington, 2004-05)

Christian Camacho (Elk Grove, 2015-16)

Jackson Alport (Buffalo Grove, 2021-22)

SINGLE-GAME STRIKEOUTS

ONE PITCHER

14 - Larry Monroe (Forest View, 1973 vs. Fremd)

13 - Mark Leonhard (Hersey, 1972 vs. Forest View)

13 - Jeff Maitland (Fremd, 2001 vs. Hersey)

13 - Ryan Copeland (Elk Grove, 2006 vs. Palatine, 8 innings)

12 - Larry Monroe (Forest View, 1974 vs. Fremd)

12 - Jeremy Engle (Barrington, 1993 vs. Schaumburg)

11 - Dan Pohlman (Barrington, 1998 vs. Schaumburg)

11 - Grant Monroe (Schaumburg, 2007 vs. Prospect)

9 - Jon Carlson (Rolling Meadows, 2009 vs. Fremd)

9 - Nate Holler (Barrington, 2019 vs. Elk Grove)

9 - Bryce Loerger (Conant, 2024 vs. Buffalo Grove)

8 - Steve Isbrandt (Wheeling, 1982 vs. Rolling Meadows - Game 2 of 3-game series)

8 - Frank Messina (Rolling Meadows, 1982 vs. Wheeling - Game 2 of 3-game series)

8 - Clint Terry (Fremd, 2010 vs. Hersey)

8 - Matt Dennis (Rolling Meadows, 2013 vs. Barrington)

8 - Christian Camacho (Elk Grove, 2016 vs. Barrington)

MULTIPLE PITCHERS

11 - Eric Marshall, Bobby Brignola (Barrington, 2005 vs. Hersey)

10 - John Hummel, John McGowan (Schaumburg, 2002 vs. Buffalo Grove)

10 - Keegan Luxem, Riley Blackwell, Lincoln Causero (Hersey, 2025 vs. Fremd)

9 - Don Spaniak, Dave Liberio (Rolling Meadows, 1991 vs. Barrington)

LOW-HIT GAMES

ONE PITCHER

NO-HITTERS

2026 - Jack Postma (Barrington vs. Prospect)

1-HITTERS

2019 - Nate Holler (Barrington vs. Elk Grove)

2023 - Jeremy Allen (Hersey vs. Barrington)

2024 - Bryce Loerger (Conant vs. Buffalo Grove)

2-HITTERS

1971 - Mark Wicklund (Fremd vs. Conant)

1972 - Mark Leonhard (Hersey vs. Forest View)

1974 - Mitch Gullett (Fremd vs. Forest View)

1975 - John Mertins (Arlington vs. Rolling Meadows - 2nd game of 3-game series)

1976 - John Mertins (Arlington vs. Rolling Meadows - 2nd game of 3-game series)

1982 - Steve Isbrandt (Wheeling vs. Rolling Meadows - 2nd game of 3-game series)

1985 - Ken Huseby (Rolling Meadows vs. Barrington)

1986 - Stacey Olenick (Hoffman Estates vs. Barrington, 6 inning CG)

1989 - Chris Schubbe (Barrington vs. Hoffman Estates)

1990 - John Bimmerle (Palatine vs. Hoffman Estates)

2010 - Steve Danielak (Hersey vs. Fremd)

2023 - Nick Lacson (Barrington vs. Hersey)

3-HITTERS

1973 - Larry Monroe (Forest View vs. Fremd)

1989 - Paul Chovanec (Hoffman Estates vs. Barrington)

2000 - Charlie Hahn (Rolling Meadows vs. Fremd)

2010 - Clint Terry (Fremd vs. Hersey)

2016 - Christian Camacho (Elk Grove vs. Barrington)

4-HITTERS

2006 - Ryan Copeland (Elk Grove vs. Palatine, 8 innings)

2007 - Grant Monroe (Schaumburg vs. Prospect)

2008 - George Kalousek (Schaumburg vs. Rolling Meadows, 5 innings)

2014 - Brendan Beck (Schaumburg vs. Elk Grove, 9 innings)

MULTIPLE PITCHERS

1-HITTERS

2002 - John Hummel, John McGowan (Schaumburg vs. Buffalo Grove)

2-HITTERS

NONE

3-HITTERS

1986 - Dan Wilson, Keith Noreen (Barrington vs. Hoffman Estates)

2014 - Ty Lawson, Adam O’Malley (Elk Grove vs. Schaumburg, 9 innings)

2017 - Brooks Gosswein, Will Yorton (Barrington vs. Prospect)

2019 - Ryne Singsank, Xander Rojahn (Elk Grove)

4-HITTERS

2004 - Todd Lorenz, Scott Kelley (Hersey vs. Barrington)

SHUTOUTS

1971 - Mark Wicklund (Fremd vs. Conant)

1972 - Mark Leonhard (Hersey vs. Forest View)

1980 - Clark Stalker (Prospect vs. Barrington)

1981 - Frank Messina (Rolling Meadows vs. Fremd)

1994 - Brian O’Grady (Rolling Meadows vs. Buffalo Grove, 8 innings)

2007 - Grant Monroe (Schaumburg vs. Prospect)

2009 - Jon Carlson (Rolling Meadows vs. Fremd)

2010 - Clint Terry (Fremd vs. Hersey)

2016 - Christian Camacho (Elk Grove vs. Barrington)

2023 - Jeremy Allen (Hersey vs. Barrington)

2024 - Bryce Loerger (Conant vs. Buffalo Grove)

COMBINED

2014 - Ty Lawson, Adam O’Malley (Elk Grove vs. Schaumburg, 9 innings)

COMPLETE GAME - NO EARNED RUNS ALLOWED

UER - UNEARNED RUNS ALLOWED

1994 - Kyle Garifo (Buffalo Grove vs. Rolling Meadows, 1 UER, 8 innings)

2000 - J.R. Hartanov (Fremd vs. Rolling Meadows, 7 UER, 7 innings)

2010 - Steve Danielak (Hersey vs. Fremd, 1 UER, 6 innings CG)

2019 - Ryne Singsank, Xander Rojahn (Elk Grove vs. Barrington, 1 UER, 7 innings)

2026 - Jack Postma (Barrington vs. Prospect, 1 UER, 7 innings)

INDIVIDUAL HITTING

MOST HITS ONE GAME

AT-BATS LISTED WHERE AVAILABLE

4 HITS

1978 - Steve Peterson (Barrington vs. Prospect, 4-for-5 - Final game of 3-game series)

1995 - Ken Saveley (Barrington vs. Schaumburg, 4-for-4)

2003 - George Whitten (Prospect vs. Schaumburg, 4-for-4, 5 innings)

2011 - Jack Landwehr (Prospect vs. Palatine, 4-for-5, 8 innings)

3 HITS

1974 - Bob Burke (Fremd vs. Forest View, 3-for-4)

1978 - Mike Jennings (Prospect vs. Barrington - Game 2 of 3-game series)

1983 - Derek Hopkins (Barrington vs. Prospect)

1990 - John Becque (Palatine vs. Hoffman Estates)

1991 - Jason Armetta (Barrington vs. Rolling Meadows, 3-for-4)

1993 - Oscar Contreras (Barrington vs. Schaumburg, 3-for-4)

1995 - Eric Alley (Barrington vs. Schaumburg, 3-for-4)

1996 - Brian Luna (Rolling Meadows vs. Barrington, 3-for-3)

1997 - George Allendorph (Barrington vs. Schaumburg, 3-for-3)

2000 - Matt Brandt (Rolling Meadows vs. Fremd, 3-for-4)

2005 - Derek Maropis (Barrington vs. Hersey, 3-for-3)

2007 - Dan Launhardt (Schaumburg vs. Prospect, 3-for-4)

2011 - Cody Bobbit (Palatine vs. Prospect, 3-for-5, 8 innings)

2011 - Brian Bauer (Prospect vs. Palatine, 3-for-4, 8 innings)

2013 - Dan Hendricks (Rolling Meadows vs. Barrington)

2014 - A.J. Lorenz (Elk Grove vs. Schaumburg)

2015 - Chuck Fleming (Elk Grove vs. Barrington)

2021 - Kyle Brosnahan (Buffalo Grove vs. Barrington)

2021 - J.D. Swarbrick (Barrington vs. Buffalo Grove)

MOST RBI ONE GAME

5 RBI

1978 - Mike Jennings (Prospect vs. Barrington - Game 2 of 3-game series)

4 RBI

1977 - Phil Czosnyka (Buffalo Grove vs. Prospect)

1978 - Brian DeValk (Prospect vs. Barrington - Game 2 of 3-game series)

1983 - Derek Hopkins (Barrington vs. Prospect)

2003 - Tom Catomer (Prospect vs. Schaumburg, 5 innings)

2013 - Matt Dennis (Rolling Meadows vs. Barrington)

3 RBI

1971 - Mark Wicklund (Fremd vs. Conant)

1974 - Bob Burke (Fremd vs. Forest View)

1977 - Mike Ledna (Buffalo Grove vs. Prospect)

1977 - Brian DeValk (Prospect vs. Buffalo Grove)

1978 - Brian DeValk (Prospect vs. Barrington - Final game of 3-game series)

1978 - Steve Petersen (Barrington vs. Prospect - Final game of 3-game series)

1985 - Rick Baker (Rolling Meadows vs. Barrington)

1993 - Oscar Contreras (Barrington vs. Schaumburg)

1997 - Tim Chambers (Schaumburg vs. Barrington)

1998 - Dan Pohlman (Barrington vs. Schaumburg)

2002 - Dan Maro (Buffalo Grove vs. Schaumburg)

2002 - Brad Christoff (Schaumburg vs. Buffalo Grove)

2011 - Cody Bobbit (Palatine vs. Prospect, 8 innings)

2013 - Dan Hendricks (Rolling Meadows vs. Barrington)

2017 - Will Kozlowski (Barrington vs. Prospect)

HOME RUNS

GRAND SLAMS

2003 - Tom Catomer (Prospect vs. Schaumburg)

3-RUN

1977 - Phil Czosnyka (Buffalo Grove vs. Prospect)

1977 - Brian DeValk (Prospect vs. Buffalo Grove)

1978 - Steve Petersen (Barrington vs. Prospect)

1997 - Tim Chambers (Schaumburg vs. Barrington)

2002 - Dan Maro (Buffalo Grove vs. Schaumburg)

2011 - Cody Bobbit (Palatine vs. Prospect)

2017 - Will Kozlowski (Barrington vs. Prospect)

2-RUN

1978 - Eric Shellenback (Barrington vs. Prospect)

1982 - Mike Rucinski (Wheeling vs. Rolling Meadows)

1983 - John Vogt (Prospect vs. Barrington)

1987 - John Valentin (Rolling Meadows vs. Barrington)

1996 - Nick Rengel (Barrington vs. Rolling Meadows)

1997 - Mike Nall (Schaumburg vs. Barrington)

1998 - Matt Mercer (Barrington vs. Schaumburg)

2001 - Matt Anaya (Fremd vs. Hersey, inside the park)

2004 - Matt Over (Barrington vs. Hersey)

2006 - Chad Treutler (Palatine vs. Elk Grove)

2007 - George Kalousek (Schaumburg vs. Prospect)

2013 - Matt Dennis (Rolling Meadows vs. Barrington)

2021 - Ryan Jenkins (Barrington vs. Buffalo Grove)

SOLO

1973 - Rick Haaning (Fremd vs. Forest View)

1977 - Dave Martin (Buffalo Grove vs. Prospect)

1979 - Mike Zell 2 (Rolling Meadows vs. Barrington)

1981 - Dan Johnson (Rolling Meadows vs. Fremd)

1983 - Derek Hopkins (Barrington vs. Prospect)

1985 - Rick Baker (Rolling Meadows vs. Barrington)

1986 - Stacey Olenick (Hoffman Estates vs. Barrington)

1986 - Mark Levin (Barrington vs. Hoffman Estates)

1989 - Kevin Minchk (Barrington vs. Hoffman Estates)

1989 - Eric Slagle (Barrington vs. Hoffman Estates)

1989 - Matt Kraus (Barrington vs. Hoffman Estates)

1991 - Ryan Huddlestun (Barrington vs. Rolling Meadows)

1993 - Darin Schmalz (Barrington vs. Schaumburg)

1995 - Nick Franzese (Barrington vs. Schaumburg)

1999 - Chris Maggio (Rolling Meadows vs. Conant)

2000 - Brian Bucciarelli (Fremd vs. Rolling Meadows)

2005 - Scott Kelley (Hersey vs. Barrington)

2006 - Pat Guido (Elk Grove vs. Palatine, 8th inning)

2007 - Grant Monroe 2 (Schaumburg vs. Prospect)

2007 - Steve Mahler (Schaumburg vs. Prospect)

2011 - Matt Molini (Prospect vs. Palatine)

2019 - Zach Schwartz (Elk Grove vs. Barrington)

MULTI-HOMER GAMES

2 HR

1979 - Mike Zell (Roling Meadows vs. Barrington)

2007 - Grant Monroe (Schaumburg vs. Prospect)

INSIDE-THE-PARK

2001 - Matt Anaya (Fremd vs. Hersey)

EXTRA INNINGS

2006 - Pat Guido (Elk Grove vs. Palatine, 8th inning)

MOST EXTRA-BASE HITS ONE GAME

2 XBH

1973 - Bob Burke (Fremd vs. Forest View, 2 2B)

1978 - Brian DeValk (Prospect vs. Barrington, 2 2B) - A

1979 - Mike Zell (Rolling Meadows vs. Barrington, 2 HR)

1982 - Mike Rucinski (Wheeling vs. Rolling Meadows, 2B & HR - Final game of 3-game series)

1982 - Tim Nolan (Rolling Meadows vs. Wheeling, 2B & 3B - Final game of 3-game series)

1983 - Derek Hopkins (Barrington vs. Prospect, 3B & HR)

1993 - Oscar Contreras (Barrington vs. Schaumburg, 2 2B)

1996 - Brian Luna (Rolling Meadows vs. Barrington, 2 2B)

2002 - Brad Christoff (Schaumburg vs. Buffalo Grove, 2 2B)

2004 - Matt Over (Barrington vs. Hersey, 2B & HR)

2007 - Grant Monroe (Schaumburg vs. Prospect, 2 HR)

2011 - Brian Bauer (Prospect vs. Palatine, 2 2B, 8 innings)

2011 - Cody Bobbit (Palatine vs. Prospect, 2B & HR, 8 innings)

2013 - Matt Dennis (Rolling Meadows vs. Barrington, 2B & HR)

MISCELLANEOUS

WINNING PITCHER/HIT HOME RUN SAME GAME

1977 - Phil Czosnyka (Buffalo Grove vs. Prospect)

1995 - Nick Franzese (Barrington vs. Schaumburg)

1997 - Mike Nall (Schaumburg vs. Barrington)

2007 - Grant Monroe 2 (Schaumburg vs. Prospect)

2013 - Matt Dennis (Rolling Meadows vs. Barrington)

To submit corrections, photos or additional information please contact Marty Maciaszek at marty.maciaszek@gmail.com.

There was some chatter among various draft experts that Sobkowicz might get a late-round call Saturday during the three-day NFL Draft extravaganza in Pittsburgh. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., mentioned Sobkowicz as a possibility during the fall.

But that didn’t happen and around 7:30 p.m., Sobkowicz signed with the Texans, per a report on X from Prairie State Pigskin (which covers the Illinois FCS Schools like a blanket) via Illinois State University.

Sobkowicz, who helped Illinois State nearly win the FCS national championship in January, will now try to take the undrafted road from the Mid-Suburban League to the NFL that saw seven players get more than just a proverbial cup of coffee at the highest level of football. The most recent is Prospect’s Alex Palczewski, who went from Illinois to a key contributor on the offensive line in his third NFL season as the Denver Broncos won the AFC West division title.

Undrafted Route from MSL to NFL

It’s a path that worked out well for special teams standouts Jim Schwantz (Fremd) and Tim Tyrrell (Conant and Harper College), linebacker Tom McManus (Wheeling), wide receiver Andre Holmes (Conant), quarterback and current New Orleans Saints quarterbacks coach Scott Tolzien (Fremd) and defensive back and current Hersey head coach Tom Nelson at his alma mater.

Taking the road to success less traveled is nothing new for the 6-foot-3, 205-pound Sobkowicz as he walked on at Illinois State after earning Daily Herald All-Area honors as a senior in the COVID-shortened spring 2021 season. Former head coaches Matt Mishler and Sam Baker said in the fall the only Division I schools to express much interest in Sobkowicz were ISU and Northern Illinois.

Sobkowicz was also an all-area honorable mention basketball player alongside future NBA players Max and Cameron Christie on Meadows’ MSL championship team that went 15-0 in a COVID-shortened season.

In four years with ISU, Sobkowicz caught a program record 41 career touchdown passes with 262 catches for 3,559 yards. He was a first-team all-Missouri Valley Football Conference pick last season (83 catches, 1,141 yards, 19 TDs) and a second-team all-MVFC pick as a sophomore and junior.

No "Sob" Story

The Texans won their last 9 regular-season games to finish 12-5 and beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-6 in a wild card playoff game before losing 28-16 to the New England Patriots in the divisional round. Quarterback C.J. Stroud (Ohio State) threw for 3,041 yards and 19 TDs and Nico Collins (Michigan) has been their leading receiver the last three years with 71, 68 and 80 catches and 21 total touchdowns.

Houston GM Nick Caserio said after the second day of the NFL Draft that Collins will not be traded, according to a report from ESPN.

Former Antioch star quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis of Rutgers was taken in the seventh round and 223rd pick overall by Washington. Kaliakmanis played for Conant alum Brian Glashagel at Antioch.

Kaliakmanis played three seasons at Minnesota for P.J. Fleck before going to Rutgers. He threw 38 touchdowns and 14 interceptions and started 25 games for the Scarlet Knights.