Chicago St. Gregory High School “Greyhounds”

Posted on by kpericht in Uncategorized
Chicago St. Gregory Catholic High School
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The History of Chicago St. Gregory High School

         

Chicago (population: 2.8 million people) is the third largest city in the United States, located on the shores of Lake Michigan in northeastern Illinois. It was the fastest growing city in the US during the second half of the 19th Century, even with a great fire in 1871 that wiped out a good portion of the city. Chicago also grew by annexing numerous communities such as Woodlawn, Roseland, Englewood, Lake, Rogers Park, Humboldt Park, Forrestville, and Pilsen who are all titled “neighborhoods” in the city limits of Chicago.

Interstates 55, 57, 90, and 94 will take you to the city, along with other highways with state and US designations. Train service, and air travel to/from O’Hare International Airport as well as Midway Airport, both of which serve many travelers daily are also transportation means to and from the city. As the city grew, Chicago became a melting pot of cultures and people with countless nationalities showing representation in the “Windy City.”

Chicago St. Gregory the Great High School was started in 1938. The school is named after Gregory the Great who lived during the 6th century. He builit many monestaries on his land and was a true supporter of the God and church. He is known as the patron saint of music. St. Gregory the Great died in 604AD. For more information regarding St. Gregory the Great check out this web address:

http://www.stgregory.org/st-gregory-the-great/

Chicago St. Gregory the Great High School was built on Chicago’s north side at 1677 W. Bryn Mawr Avenue. A Chicago Tribune newspaper article states the school had some “glory days” of its own in enrollment, In the 1980s enrollment was steady at above 500 students. As recently as the early 2000s enrollment had leveled at around 300. However recent years brought a greater decline to the point where there were just above 100 students enrolled for the past few years. Financial strife and enrollment led to the decision to close the school at the end of the 2012-13 school year.

(http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-st-gregory-catholic-high-school-in-edgewater-closing-20121209,0,1311989.story )

The Tribune article states that at one time nearly every Catholic parish in Chicago had a high school. At one time there over 100 Catholic high schools in the area, today there are about 40. The fate of the St Gregory High School building is needed. If you have any further information on the school’s history please contact us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net .

     

Chicago St. Gregory High School Quick Facts

Year opened:                                     1938

Year closed:                                      2013

Consolidated to:                                (closed)

Address:                                           1677 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.

Chicago St. Gregory HS mascot:        “Greyhounds”

Chicago St. Gregory HS team colors:  Royal Blue, Red, Gray, & White

Chicago St. Gregory HS fight song:     (information needed)
ATHLETICS

Str. Gregory High School was a coeducational facility offering sports to both boys and girls. We are in need of the conference affiliation, season records, coaches’ names, school fight song, and other information regarding the Greyhound athletic program.

BOYS BASKETBALL

Information found on the IHSA website (www.ihsa.org) was limited. Several season records are needed. We do know that the St. Gregory “Greyhounds” won a total of SIX Regional Championship titles over the years! Please contact us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net if you have any further information about these or any other seasons in St. Gregory’s basketball history.

1982-83                   Regional Champions!                        Coach Jon Bongiomo

                 Season record & Regional scores needed

Aurora Class ‘A’ Sectional

                               Semi-final lost to Aurora Cent Cath,.75-70

ACC lost in title game

            

1983-84 Coach’s name & record needed

1984-85    18 – 8                                                                 Coach Mike Bailey

        

1985-86    22 – 6       Regional Champions!                        Coach Mike Bailey

                               Regional scores needed

                               Lemont Class ‘A’ Sectional

                               Semi-final lost to Westmont 59-55

Westmont won Sectional title     

1986-87 through 1992-93 Coaches names & records needed

1993-94                   Regional Champions!                        Coach’s name & record needed

Record & Postseason scores needed

            

1994-95                   Regional Champions!                        Coach’s name & record needed

Record & Postseason scores needed

             

1995-96                   Regional Champions!                        Coach’s name & record needed

Record & Postseason scores needed

1996-97 & 1997-98 Coach’s names & records needed.

1998-99                   Regional Champions!                        Coach’s name & record needed

Record and Regional scores needed

Sectional Tourney

Semi-final lost to Providence St. Mel 77-36

St. Mel won Sectional title

1999-00    14 – 8                                                                 Coach Lewis Thorpe

2000-01 through 2003-04 Coach’s names & records needed

2004-05    record needed                                                     Coach Matt Rollins

2005-06 through 2010-11 Coaches names & records needed.

2011-12              Regional Tournament                                 Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd Lost to Villa Park Islamic  Found. 44-33

Villa Park lost in semi-final round

2012-13              Regional Tournament                                 Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd Beat Chicago Holy Trinity 58-54

                          **Semi-final lost to Chicago Luther North 53-45

Luther North lost title game

**Final boys basketball game ever played for Chicago St. Gregory High School.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

The St. Gregory High School Lady Greyhounds had some wonderful seasons as well. In fact, the girls of 1985-86 advanced the furthest in the IHSA State Tournament of any St. Gregory team! The Lady Greyhounds won a total of SIX Regional titles and brought home one Sectional championship! Postseason scores of these games and nearly all of the season records and coaches’ names are needed.

          

1984-85                      Regional Champions!                    Coach;s name & record needed

1985-86    28 – 1          Sweet 16 Finalist!!                         Coach Tom Gattuso

                                  Regional Champions

                                  (scores needed)

Sectional Champions

(scores needed)

Super-Sectional Finalist

                                  Lost to Elgin St. Edwards 68-59

St. Edwards placed 3rd in state finals

1986-87 & 1987-88  Coach’s names & records needed

1988-89                      Regional Champions!                    Coach;s name & record needed

1989-90                      Regional Champions!                    Coach;s name & record needed

1990-91 Coach’s name & records needed.

1991-92                      Regional Champions!                    Coach;s name & record needed

1992-93                      Regional Champions!                    Coach;s name & record needed

1993-94 through 1999-00 Coach’s names & records needed

2000-01      2 – 25                                                              Coach’s name needed

2001-02 through 2003-04 Coach’s names & records needed

2004-05    record needed                                                    Coach Matt Mayer

              

2005-06 through 2007-08 Coach’s names & records needed

2008-09    10 – 10                                                               Coach Titus Redmond

2009-10 & 2010-11  Coach’s names & records needed

2011-12           Regional Tournament                                   Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd. Lost to Evanston Roycemore 23-14

Roycemore lost in semi-final round

2012-13 Coach’s name & record needed

               

GIRLS TRACK & FIELD

One St. Gregory athlete proved she could run like the school’s mascot. Regina George won a total of SIX individual medals at the IHSA State Track Meet bringing home three medals each in back to back seasons! Included in Regina’s medal count were a STATE CHAMPION title in the 200 Meter Dash and two second place finishes in other events. Regiina’s efforts led the team to an 8th Place finish in the IHSA Class ‘A’ track meet in 2008-09!

2007-08                 IHSA Class ‘A’ Individual Medalist        Coach’s name needed

                          Regina George  –  800 Meter Run  –  2nd Place!

                                                       400 Meter Dash –  4th Place

                                                       200 Meter Dash –  6th Place

2008-09    2 – 2       IHSA Class ‘A’ Individual Medalist        Coach’s name needed

                          Regina George  –  200 Meter Run  –  STATE CHAMPION!

                                                       400 Meter Dash –  2nd Place

                                                       High Jump        –  3rd Place

                

                          Team placed 8th overall with 24 1/2 points –

                          all earned by Regina George!!

                      

FOOTBALL

            

The Greyhounds had some excellent football seasons over the years, however we are currently unable to locate them via the internet. The records listed below were found on the IHSA website (www.ihsa.org).

1993-94    1 – 6                                                                    Coach Paul Tomasiewicz

                         First Football Team in School History

                         1st Win – Beat North Shore Country Day 22-6

Chicago St. Gregory Football Team 1993-94
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First Football Team in School History

1994-95    1 – 8                                                                    Coach Paul Tomasiewicz

1995-96    0 – 9                                                                    Coach’s name needed

1996-97    1 – 8                                                                    Coach’s name needed

1997-98    0 – 9                                                                    Coach Joseph Cicero

BOYS SOCCER

The boys soccer team was very competitive in the later years of St. Gregory High School. The team of 2011-12 ended the season with a record of 5 – 3. Other season records and coaches’ names are needed.

2011-12    5 – 3                                                                Coaches Tom Shively & Jimmy Valdez

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

St. Gregory competed in girls volleyball. The only record listed on the IHSA website is from the 2011-12 season.

2011-12     1 – 9                                                                 Coach Jack Malone

EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

St. Gregory High School offered many different activities for the students to participate in. Band, Chorus, student government and other activities were likely a big part of the St. Gregory High School experience.

TEAM CHESS

St. Gregory High School competed in the IHSA sanctioned event of competitive chess.

1979-80              Team competed in Class ‘A’

DO YOU HAVE FURTHER INFORMATION TO SHARE?

If you have any further information to share regarding St. Gregory the Great High School please contact us via the following means:

E-Mail:   ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net

Postal Service:   IHSGD Website

                         6439 N. Neva Ave

                         Chicago, Il.   60631
  


  1. Oh my goodness. The info posted here reflects only the last years of a once great school. You are missing so much of the history of this wonderful neighborhood Catholic school. It changed so much in the final years of operation that it was barely recognizable as the St Gregory High School of old. Football was not traditionally a St Gregory sport–for the first 45 years, basketball was our game, with baseball a close second. There were no girls sports teams at St Gregory’s for many years (the high school conference league we belonged to did not allow it at the time–only the boys could play team sports if we wanted to remain in the league–much to the dismay of the longtime girl’s gym teacher, Miss Dapkus)..

    The traditional St. Gregory High School (note: there was no “the Great” in the title at the time) operated from 1938 until the early 1980s. After that, it became a different school with a different focus–a “second chance” school for kids who were struggling academically, who came from diverse areas of the city or different countries, or who were having a hard time adjusting in other schools and needed a smaller class environment. The nuns who had taught at the school for decades (the Sisters of Christian Charity, and then the Sisters of the Living Word, who split from the Sisters of Christian Charity to start a new order) had basically left by then. Lay administrative leadership at the school changed more than once. The school lost it’s neighborhood recruitment base, as St Gregory Grammar School closed, and many kids who grew up in St Gregory parish either decided to go to bigger high schools that offered expanded curriculums with a focus on college prep, or their families moved out of the parish altogether. It’s too bad you don’t have any data from the earlier years when “the little school that could” was well known on the far north side of Chicago.

    And the school song? As I remember it, here you go…

    “Faithful and true hearted, let us cheer St. Gregory High. We revere her and defend her, and her colors proudly fly. We will stand for her, united; of her deeds we’ll gladly tell. Her colors streaming, glad faces beaming–so here’s a cheer for her, that we all love so well…Joyous and ever loyal, let us cheer St Gregory High! Let every heart sing, let every voice ring, there’s no time to grieve or sigh. It’s ever onward, our course pursuing–let defeat ne’er our ardor cool–but united we will cheer for her, St. Gregory High!”

    Reply

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