| Football
The F-S-W grid iron boys had some real nice seasons in the late 1970s. Two teams from that era made it to the State Class 1A football playoffs. This is all that is known about the football program. Robert Cotter was the head coach of these two teams. Unfortunately the records and coaches names of other great teams are not available at this time. Please forward us this information if you have access to it so we can share it on this site.
Some of the better F-S-W Eskimoe records are listed below…thank you to Tom Sikorski for providing them.
1950 6 – 3 Coach Guy Gardner
1954 5 – 4 Coach Glenn Pickett
1955 5 – 2 – 2 Coach Glenn Pickett
1956 6 – 3 Coach Arnold Stahl
1957 5 – 4 Coach Arnold Stahl
1960 5 – 4 Coach Homer Barry
1964 8 – 1 Vermillion Valley Conference Champions Coach Dick Versace
(Yes, THAT Dick Versace – see below)
1965 8 – 0 Vermillion Valley Conference Co-Champs Coach Lew Reed
1966 6 – 2 Coach Lew Reed
1967 7 – 0 – 1 Vermillion Valley Conference Co-Champs Coach Lew Reed
1968 5 – 3 Coach Lew Reed
1969 8 – 0 Vermillion Valley Conference Champions Coach Lew Reed
1975 8 – 2 Class 1A Playoff Qualifier Coach Bob Cotter
Lost to Princeville in 1st Round 40 – 8
|
Forest-Strawn-Wing Football Team 1975 |
|
|
|
Submitted by Richard Savage (From IHSA State Playoff Program) |
1979 7 – 3 Vermillion Valley Conference Champions Coach Bob Cotter
Class 1A Playoff Qualifier
Lost to Argenta-Oreana in 1st Round 17 – 8
Players of note were All-Conference performers
(QB) Brad Crane, (RB) Paul Brown,
(RB) Dave Doran, (FB) Chris Crutcher
and many all-around athletes as support.
|
Vermilion Valley Conference Champions |
|
|
|
1979 Playoff Qualifier – 1979-80 School Year |
1982 6 – 3 Coach Dale Haab
1983 6 – 3 Coach Dale Haab
F-S-W last fielded a football team in 1984.
|
F-S-W Football Bleachers & Pressbox |
 |
|
Courtesy of Richard Soseman |
|
F-S-W Goal Post &Blocking Sled |
 |
|
Photo Taken By Richard Soseman |
ALL-STATE FOOTBALL PLAYERS:
Halfback Greg Dempsey and tackle Phil Knauer were named as members of the Illinois Little (small schools) All-State football team in 1964. Dempsey was named as part of the Chicago America Team and Knauer as a member of the Chicago Tribune Team. Dempsey followed this up returning for his senior season in 1965 and earned another spot on the Little All-State Football Team.
|
F-S-W Eskimos – 1956 Vermilion Valley Conf. Champs |
 |
|
Photo Courtesy of David Crouch |
Boys Basketball
The boys basketball team at Forrest-Stawn-Wing also had some good seasons. Only four of these seasons are listed on the IHSA website (www.ihsa.org). The Eskimos won two Regional titles during their existence. Two other seasons are listed from the early 1960s. If you have ingformation on other great teams please pass it on to us.
The website titled “Illinois Postseason Basketball Scores” lists Forrest HS as continuing to compete through the 1958-59 season. On the page for scores from 1959 the school is listed as Forrest-Strawn-Wing High School. Here are the scores for Forrest for the 1956-57 seasons and later as they are available.
1955-56 Fairbury Regional Tourney – 2nd Place Coach’s name & record needed.
Vermilion Valley Conf. Champs!
Beat Colfax Octavia 58-36
Beat Chenoa 49-44
Title game – Lost to Normal 66-56
1956-57 Regional Champions!! Coach’s name & record needed
Normal Regional Tourney
Beat El Paso 68-54
Beat Normal 77-51
Title Game – Beat Fairbury 79-60
Decatur Sectional Tourney
Lost to Warrensburg-Latham 76-68
Warrensburg-Latham lost title game
1957-58 Fairbury Regional Tourney – 2nd Place Coach’s name & record needed.
Beat Lexington 73-56
Beat Normal 66-61
Title game – Lost to Fairbury 69-66
Fairbury lost in 1st round of Sectional
All scores after 1958 listed as “Forrest-Strawn-Wing“.
1958-59 Normal Regional Tourney Coach’s name & record needed.
Beat Normal U-High 57-53
Semi-final – lost to Colfax Octavia 65-54
1959-60 Fairbury Regional Tourney Coach’s name & record needed.
Lost to Fairbury 58-52
1960-61 13 – 12 Normal Regional Tourney Coach Bill Barry
Lost to Normal 65-61
1961-62 17 – 8 Fairbury Regional Tourney Coach Bill Barry
Lost to Lexington 76-66
1962-63 13 – 12 Normal Regional Tourney Coach’s name & record needed.
Lost to Normal 75-56
1963-64 through1965-66 Postseason scores not available.
1965-66 17 – 5 Coach Lew Reed
1966-67 Paxton Regional Tourney Coach’s name & record needed.
Lost to Paxton 59-44
1967-68 Rantoul Regional Tourney Coach’s name & record needed.
Lost to Rantoul 64-63
1968-69 Gibson City Regional Tourney Coach’s name & record needed.
Lost to Rantoul 90-55
1969-70 Paxton Regional Tourney Coach’s name & record needed.
Lost to Rantoul 77-63
1970-71 Rantoul Regional Tourney Coach’s name & record needed.
Lost to Clifton Central 69-45
1971-72 Onarga Class ‘A’ Regional Tourney Coach’s name & record needed.
Lost to Roberts-Thawville 84-61
1972-73 through 1974-75 Postseason scores, records, & coaches names needed.
1975-76 Regional Champions! Coach’s name & record needed.
(Regional scores needed)
Danville Sectional Tourney
Lost to Fithian Oakwood 79-52
Oakwood lost in title game
1976-77 19 – 8 Vermilion Valley Tournament Champs Coach Dale Huff
1977-78 – through closing of school – Postseason scores, records, & coaches names needed.
Girls Basketball
The Lady Eskimos got a later start than the boys , however they matched them in Regional titles won. The girls brought home two Regional titles in the mid 1980s.
1983-84 Regional Champions
1984-85 Regional Champions
|
Girls Basketball – 1983-84 |
 |
|
Regional Champions |
|
Girls Basketball 1984-85 |
 |
|
Regional Champions (Note: Only 6 Players!) |
Boys Track
One Eskimo thinclad earned a medal at the IHSA State Track Meet. His excellent accomplishment is listed below.
1960-61 Jack Honegger Discus STATE CHAMPION!!!!!
(Jack’s winning distance at that time was one of the top
throws in IHSA history – over 166 feet!)
(remember, this was in a one-class system, great job JACK!)
Girls Track & Field
The girls track & field program for F-S-W officially began in the spring of 1974. F-S-W’s Tami Steidinger and three other girls went out for track that spring however there was no girls’ squad. Tami ran with the boys in a relay in one official meet making her the first female athlete in the area to compete in track. The spring of 1975 welcomed 10 girls to the newly formed F-S-W girls track program under the guidance of Coach Donald Collins.
|
Forest-Strawn-Wing 1st Girls Track Athlete Article |
|
|
|
F-S-W First Girl Track Athletes 1975 |
|
|
|
F-S-W First Official Girls’ Track Team |
|
|
Speech individual Competition
Two students won medals in the IHSA sponsored Speech Competition.
1982-83 Tracy Muir Humor Duet 5TH Place
Brendan Schrof Humor Duet 5TH Place
Theatre
The Illinois Theatre Festival is the largest, non-competetive high school theatre festival in the world. It was organized in 1976 by teachers from the Chicago suburbs. This festival is still going strong as they perform at the University of Illinois (Champaign-Urbana) and Illinois State University every other January. F-S-WHS particiated in this festival from 1979 to 1985.
Music
Memories from Ruth Ellen (Duckworth) Davis:
“I came across your newsletter while looking for someone who used to teach 2nd grade at the Wing Elementary School in the mid sixties.
My dad, Brad Duckworth, was the band director at FSW from 1965 – 1968. I attended 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade at Wing. Unfortunately, my dad passed away in November of 2009, so my memories are from a child’s perspective.”
Famous Coach
A young Dick Versace got his start in small town Illinois, right there at Forrest-Strawn-Wing High School. Coach Versace coached the 1964-65 football team to an 8 – 1 record and a Vermilion Valley Conference Championship. As his former player, Greg Dempsey mentions:
“Dick Versace went on to coach Bradley University, the Indiana Pacers, and is now general manager of the Minnesota Timberwolves.”
Searching For More Information
If you have ANY information to add (and there is a lot!) to the Forrest-Strawn-Wing High School lore please send it to us. There is a lot of unanswered questions regarding the history of the school and the many great teams which are not mentioned on the IHSA web site. We are also searching for a photo of the F-S-W high school building. You can e-mail items to us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net. You can also write to us at:
Illinois HS Glory Days
6439 N. Neva St.
Chicago, Il. 60631
|
F-S-W Varsity Cheerleaders 1974-75 |
|
|
|
Courtesy of D. Crocie |
|
Tami Steidinger – FSW’s 1st Female Track Athlete |
 |
|
