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A good fan of the Glory Days website, Mark Jurenga, provided the following information on the JCHS football program:
“All info from the book Hilltopper Pride: The Triumph & Tradition of Joliet Catholic Football. 2005. Mojo Media, Inc.
-In Coach John Carroll’s last year, 1934, JCHS played South Bend (St. Hedewig), IN at South Bend in Notre Dame Stadium.
1951 coach Cantwell comes to JCHS after playing and coaching for Frank Leahy at Notre Dame.
-First season JCHS plays Joliet (Twp.)
1953 first win (21-19) over Joliet (Twp.)
1954 Zaleski replaces Cantwell. Zaleski had played for Leahy at Notre Dame.
p. 13 in the book, talks about Gordie Gillespie’s “Most Memorable Games.”
1951- First Joliet (Twp.) vs. JCHS game
1976 vs. Rockford (Boylan) 8-7 win
1975 vs. Hillcrest 20-16 victory
1981 vs. Deerfield in state championship 8-7 win
1981 vs. Chicago (Mt. Carmel) 16-15 win
1965 vs. Niles?????? (Notre Dame) 19-10 win
“All of our games vs. Lockport.”
1977 state championship vs. LaSalle-Peru 30-6
1966 at Mundelein (Carmel) 26-20 win”
BASKETBALL
In its early days as DeLaSalle, the school built up a great program and won two National Catholic Invitational Basketball Tournaments (hosted by Loyola University) under John Carroll’s guidance. The school won another National title in its first year as Joliet Catholicm but did not join the IHSA until sometime in the late ‘40’s, and won seven regional titles, six of them in class AA. Catholic High returned to hoops prominence in the late 1970’s and 80’s under Mike Gillespie, son of the legendary football coach at the school. The better seasons of the Hilltoppers’ basketball seasons are listed below.
1933-34 30- 3 NATIONAL CHAMPS!! Coach John Carroll
1935-36 16- 4 (good record!) Coach John Carroll
1936-37 26- 4 (excellent record!) Coach Howard Bond
1937-38 15- 9 Coach Howard Bond
1940-41 20-11 Coach Frank Gaglione
1941-42 13- 9 Coach Frank Gaglione
1942-43 15- 6 Coach Frank Gaglione
1943-44 11- 9 Coach Owen Cote
1944-45 12- 7 Coach Owen Cote
1946-47 17-13 Coach Stan Sosnowski
1948-49 15- 8 Coach Bob White
1949-50 16- 7 Coach Bob White
1951-52 16-10 Coach Gordie Gillespie
1952-53 14-10 Coach John Goonen
1953-54 19- 5 (good record!) Coach John Goonen
1955-56 27- 3 REGIONAL CHAMPS!! Coach Leroy Lesile
1956-57 18- 9 Coach Leroy Lesile
1957-58 19- 9 Coach Leroy Lesile
1958-59 17-11 Coach Leroy Lesile
1961-62 13-10 Coach Don Berg
1962-63 18- 6 Coach Jim Gannon
1963-64 17- 9 Coach Jim Gannon
1965-66 15-10 Coach Jim Gannon
1966-67 13-12 Coach Jim Gannon
1967-68 21- 2 GREAT RECORD!! Coach Jim Gannon
1968-69 21- 4 GREAT RECORD!! Coach Jim Gannon
1973-74 15-10 REGIONAL CHAMPS!! Coach Dusty Rhodes
1974-75 17- 8 Coach Dusty Rhodes
1977-78 19- 7 Coach Mike Gillespie
1978-79 25- 5 REGIONAL CHAMPS!! Coach Mike Gillespie
SECTIONAL CHAMPS!!
Lost in Normal Super-Sectional to Quincy Sr. 47-46
1979-80 18-10 REGIONAL CHAMPS!! Coach Mike Gillespie
1980-81 20- 7 REGIONAL CHAMPS!! Coach Mike Gillespie
1981-82 17-10 Coach Mike Gillespie
1982-83 18- 9 REGIONAL CHAMPS!! Coach Mike Gillespie
1987-88 15-15 REGIONAL CHAMPS!! Coach Dan McCarthy
SECTIONAL CHAMPS!!
Lost in Aurora East Super-Sectional to Chicago Hts. Bloom Trail 58-56
EXCELLENT WORK BY THE JCHS HOOPSTERS!
BASEBALL
Joliet Catholic baseball has its place in Joliet sports history. The Hilltoppers qualified for the state tournament on five occasions, bringing home a second place trophy in the school’s final year of being an all-boys’ institution. The school also opened some eyes with its performances in the early ‘80s, which earned them a place in the IHSA record books (www.ihsa.org).
1952 District Champions Coach unknown
1957 Regional Champions Coach unknown
1959 Regional Champions Coach unknown
1960 Regional Champions Coach unknown
1977 26- 7 Regional Champions Coach Roger Gifford
Sectional Champions
State Tournament Qualifiers
Beat Canton in Quarterfinals 3-1
Lost to Glenbard East in Semifinals 2-1
1980 38- 9 Regional Champions Coach Jack Schimanski
Sectional Champions
AA State Tournament Qualifiers
Lost to Winnetka New Trier East 6-0 in Quarterfinals
1981 45- 9-1 Regional Champions Coach Jack Schimanski
Sectional Champions
AA State Tournament Qualifiers
Shutout Wauconda 4-0
Lost to Chicago Brother Rice in Semifinals 7-4
1982 Regional Champions Coach Jack Schimanski
1988 34- 6 Regional Champions Coach Jack Schimanski
Sectional Champions
AA State Tournament Qualifiers
Lost to Edwardsville 4-0 in quarterfinals
1990 25- 6 2nd in AA State Finals!! Coach Joe Rodeghero
Regional Champions
Sectional Champions
AA State Tournament Qualifiers
Beat Machesney Park Harlem 10-3 in quarterfinals
Edged Oak Park-River Forest 3-2 in semifinals
Lost to Edwardsville 4-1 in championship game
WELL DONE, HILLTOPPER BASEBALL!!!!
WRESTLING
The school competed on the mats and was represented by several grapplers who medalled at the state wrestling finals in Champaign.
Tom Creamens 1966 4th place 133 lbs
Pat Mudron 1966 4th place Heavyweight
Pat Mudron 1967 STATE CHAMPION!!!! Heavyweight
Fred Fey 1969 5th place 103 lbs
Scott Sheen 1985AA 6th place 126 lbs
Tony Marchio 1986AA 3rd place 126 lbs
GOLF
The Hilltoppers made their mark on the links, finishing in the top three of the state meet for four consecutive springs (1957-60, including the title in 1958) before the sport was switched the fall by the IHSA in 1974. Joliet Catholic qualified for the state meet 12 times before it merged with St. Francis Academy in 1990.
1935 Catholic League Champions coach unknown
1949 District Champions
Team finished 6th in State Coach unknown
1 Kewanee 648
2 Pekin 659
3 Highland Park Deerfield-Shields 668
4 Decatur 672
5 Rockford East 678
6 Joliet Catholic 687
7 Hinsdale Twp. 692
8 Centralia 694
9 Mt. Vernon 703
Chicago Schurz 703
1951 Individual Medalist
Joe Korst—-7th in State (shot 163)
1956 District Champions coach unknown
Qualified for State Tournament
1957 District Champions
Team finished 3rd in State coach unknown
1 Rockford East 648
2 Quincy Sr. 650
3 Joliet Catholic 650
4 Northbrook Glenbrook 655
5 Arlington 658
6 Kewanee 660
7 Peoria Central 661
8 Chicago Taft 662
9 West Frankfort 666
10 Champaign 670
INDIVIDUAL MEDALISTS
Jay Swardenski & Jack Thorington–tied for 9th (shot 159s)
1958 DISTRICT CHAMPIONS
STATE CHAMPIONS!!! Coach Rev. Berthold Fahey
1 Joliet Catholic 634
2 Highland Park 637
3 Waukegan 640
4 Winnetka New Trier 641
5 Barrington 642
6 Berwyn-Cicero Morton 646
7 Champaign 651
Peoria Central 651
9 Arlington 652
LaGrange Lyons 652
1959 DISTRICT CHAMPIONS
SECOND IN STATE FINALS!!!
1 Highland Park 637
2 Joliet Catholic 657
3 Arlington 661
4 Peoria Central 662
Urbana 662
6 Chicago Heights Bloom Twp. 665
7 Quincy Sr. 669
8 Rockford East 670
Joliet 670
10 Winnetka New Trier 672
INDIVIDUAL MEDALIST
Frank Mores—-4th in state (shot 152)
1960 DISTRICT CHAMPIONS
3RD IN STATE FINALS!!!
1 Peoria Richwoods 663
2 Urbana 666
3 Joliet Catholic 670
4 Downers Grove 677
Elgin 677
6 Wheaton Central 684
7 Galesburg 685
8 Evanston 689
9 Crystal Lake 693
10 Alton 694
1964 District Champions Coach unknown
Qualified for State Tournament
1965 District Champions Coach unknown
Qualified for State Tournament
1971 District Champions Coach unknown
1975 INDIVIDUAL MEDALIST
Mike Komar—5th in class AA meet (155 score)
1981 AA District Champions Coach unknown
1983 AA Regional Champions Coach unknown
Qualified for State Tournament
1985 10th in AA STATE FINALS Coach unknown
1 Rockford Guilford 602
2 Edwardsville 621
3 Pekin 629
4 Deerfield 631
5 St. Charles 631
6 Springfield H.S. 632
7 Rockford East 636
8 Lake Forest H.S. 637
9 Homewood-Flossmoor 640
10 Joliet Catholic 645
1986 AA Sectional Champions
Qualified for AA State Tournament
A TIP OF THE CAP TO THE HILLTOPPERS FOR SOME FINE GOLF!!!
SWIMMING
JCHS had several tankmen that came away with medals at the state finals, and even placed a team in the top ten standings in 1951.
1951 Team finished 8th in State Finals Coach unknown
Individual Medalist
(???) Talbot—3rd in 100 freestyle
1980 Individual Medalist
Dave Sims—3rd in 200 freestyle
STATE CHAMPION in 500 freestyle!!!!
1986 Individual Medalist
Michael Wiegand—9th in 200 freestyle
1987 Individual Medalist
John Rubocki—8th in 200 Individual Medley (IM)
1988 Individual Medalist
John Rubocki—11th in 200 IM
BOYS TENNIS
During the 1970’s, Joliet Catholic developed a reputation for having a solid program on the tennis courts, winning several district and sectional titles. The names of the coaches from these teams are unknown, so if there is anyone that has information, please let us know.
1972 District Champions
1974 District Champions
1976 District Champions
1977 District Champions
1980 District Champions
1982 District Champions
1983 Sectional Champions
1984 Sectional Champions
1990 Sectional Champions
TRACK & FIELD
The Hilltoppers offered this spring sport, even though they never had a track to really call their own to host meets…always going on the road. One Brown & Gold athlete represented the school and medalled at the state finals.
1983AA Individual Medalist
Kurt Schneider Discus—5th Place
INDIVIDUAL EVENTS
At one point in the late 1960’s and early ’70s, Joliet Catholic was competitive with other schools in speech, bringing home three district plaques and three more medals from individuals.
1970 District Champions
Individual Medalist
Jim Hickey After-dinner speaking—3rd place
1971 Individual Medalists
Jim Hickey After-dinner speaking—4th place
Larry Zinkiewicz Extemperaneous speaking—5th place
1972 District Champions
1973 District Champions
Memories regarding the speech program from Joseph Monshau, Class of 1969
“Under the inspired coaching of Father Cyprian Hibner, O.Carm., a number of us achieved notable success in I.H.S.A. speech competition. In addition to numerous distinctions earned by many of the team members at various invitational contests, in 1968, three of us, Frank Sanello, Paul Preston and Joseph Monshau, won medals at the district or regional levels of the I.H.S.A. State competition. In my case, Father Cyprian’s coaching laid the groundwork for the Ph.D. I earned eventually at Vanderbilt University in a closely-related discipline.”
SCHOLASTIC BOWL
Before merging with St. Francis Academy, the Hilltoppers made it to three consecutive state meets, placing within the Final Four each time out, including a second place finish in 1990.
1988 35- 9 Sectional Champions Coach Daniel Puetz
State Qualifier
Beat Charleston 395-247 in first round
Defeated Murphysboro 301-219 in quarterfinals
Lost to Quincy Sr. in semifinals 384-142
(Quincy Sr. eventual state champion)
1989 30- 8 Sectional Champions Coach Br. Tom Murphy
State Qualifier
Downed Evanston 316-234 in first round
Defeated Winnebago in quarterfinals 349-190
Lost to Aurora Illinois Math & Science Academy (IMSA) 451-205
(Aurora IMSA eventual state champion)
1990 41- 3 Sectional Champions Coach Br. Tom Murphy
State Qualifier
Defeated Taylor Ridge Rockridge 371-202 in first round
Edged Springfield Southeast 256-239 in quarterfinals
Beat Carlinville 334-227 in semifinals
Lost to Aurora IMSA in championship match 365-331
FAMOUS ALUMNI AND STUDENTS
There have been a number of students have walked the halls of DeLaSalle/Catholic High that went on to make their marks in the world, most of them in athletic endeavors.
George Mikan (1937-38) — Although he wound up becoming the first “big man” in the NBA, Mikan did not play prep basketball while enrolled at Joliet Catholic his freshman year. Mikan later transferred to Quigley Prep Seminary in downtown Chicago with the intention of becoming a priest, so he never did play in high school. However, DePaul coach Ray Meyer worked with him as a college freshman and turned the 6-10, 245 center into a household name. The bespectacled giant became an All-American his junior and senior years, and later went on to professional basketball where he played on four championship teams in his first six years with the Chicago Gears and Minneapolis Lakers. He was voted into the NBA Hall of Fame in 1959, and served as the first commissioner of the ABA from 1967-69.
Daniel (Rudy) Ruettiger (class of 1967) — As an undersized player, Rudy was a member of the 1965 football team that went 10-0. After a stint in the military and working back home in Joliet, he decided to follow his dreams and enroll at Notre Dame for a chance to try and play for the Fighting Irish. Even with some setbacks, he worked his way thru Holy Cross Junior College (next to the Notre Dame campus) to get into the Golden Dame, then continued the same type of ethic onto the practice squad at the school. In the final 27 seconds of the last game in 1975, Rudy got into the game and made the most of his opportunity, sacking the quarterback on the final play of the game before being carried off the field. Ruettiger graduated in 1976 from Notre Dame and his life was made into a movie in 1993, starring Sean Astin. Today, Rudy is in high demand as a motivational speaker and uses his real life experiences as proof that dreams can come true.
Terry Gannon (class of 1981) — Long before he became a fixture on ABC Sports’ coverage of figure skating, Little League baseball, college football and basketball, along with World Cup Soccer and many other sports, Terry was a star for the Hilltopper hoops program, leading his teams to regional championships in his junior and senior years. From there, Gannon attended North Carolina State University on scholarship, majoring in history while leading the Wolfpack to the 1983 NCAA Division I title. He set the school record for career free throw percentage at .854, and has the seasonal free throw percentage award named after him. Gannon also shot a school record .589 from three-point range during the 1982-83 season to set the single-season mark for the Wolfpack.
Bill Gullickson (class of 1977) — After leading his Hilltopper baseball team to its first-ever state tournament appearance, the Montreal Expos (now Washington Nationals) used the second pick overall to select him in the June 1977 amateur draft. He came up for good in 1980, recording a 10-5 mark that season, and was 7-9 the following season when the Expos made the playoffs for the only time in franchise history. Gullickson was 17-12 in 1983 during a stretch where he recorded 10 or more wins for seven consecutive seasons. Bill also pitched for Cincinnati, New York Yankees, Houston, and Detroit, along with two seasons in Tokyo before hanging up his spikes in 1994. Gullickson’s best season was 20-9 in 1991, and wound up with a 162-136 mark in MLB history with a 3.93 ERA.
Mark Grant (class of 1981) — Just like Gullickson, Grant was a first round pick in the MLB amateur draft, just days after leading his team to a state tournament. Mark was the 10th overall choice, taken by San Francisco, and worked his way thru the Giants’ farm system before getting called up in 1984 for a late-season appearance. Grant was later traded to San Diego and had his best season in 1989 with an 8-2 mark & 3.33 ERA. He also played for Atlanta, Houston, Colorado, and Seattle during his career before quitting in 1995. Grant is still involved in the game today as a broadcaster on the Padres television network.
Tom Thayer (class of 1979) — One of the key linemen in the 1977 & 1978 seasons that won a pair of 4A state championships, Thayer wound up at Notre Dame like Ruettiger and was an honorable mention All-America his senior year. Tom went on to play professionally with Chicago and Arizona of the former USFL from 1983-85, before joining the Bears in their Super Bowl season (staying until 1992) along with a season in Miami. Thayer still has ties to the Bears organization as a color commentator on their radio network, along with being a regular with long-time Chicago radio personality Steve Dahl on the latter’s afternoon show on radio station WCKG.
Elmer (Tippy) Madarik (class of 1939) — In a time when players went both ways for the entire game, Madarik was involved with Joliet Catholic football before enrolling at the University of Detroit prior to World War II. Tippy was versatile enough to play halfback, wingback, and tailback in the single-wing offense used in the 1930’s and ’40s before it was replaced by the T-formation. Madarik played with Detroit and Washington between 1945-48 before hanging up his spikes.
Mike Alstott (1988-1990) — As an up-and-coming football player who would later be an all-state fullback at Joliet Catholic Academy, as well as star for Purdue University and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers…making the Pro Bowl six times and starting for the Super Bowl XXXVII champions. Alstott saw action on the varsity football team as a sophomore durng JCHS’ final season, and wound up with 3,877 career rushing yards in three seasons. More about the “A-Train” can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Alstott,
Jack Perconte (Class of 1972) (From the Joliet Catholic Hall of Champions)Perconte played seven seasons in the major leagues with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians and Seattle Mariners, finishing up with the Chicago White Sox . His best season was .294 with 29 steals and 31 RBIs in 1984 with Seattle. A second baseman, he batted .270 for his career.
He played in college at Murray State University before being taken by the Dodgers in the 16th round of the 1976 amateur draft. He’s the author of two books on baseball and the website www.baseballcoachingtips.net.
Jack was a member of the first Hillmen baseball team to capture an Illini-8 Conference Title. In 1972 as a senior he finished second in the area in batting average (.434) and first in steals (13). He was a two-time All-Conference and All-Area nominee.
WE NEED MORE FROM YOU!!!!
We’re looking for more information about the history of Joliet Catholic High School, and we can certainly use your help. Items such as the school fight song (words and music), names of coaches and individuals, win-loss records, etc. of successful seasons, photos, and more are needed to tell the story of the school’s history prior to the merger with St. Francis Academy. Just send your information to us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net or by regular mail at:
Illinois High School Glory Days
6439 North Neva
Chicago, IL 60631
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