Brad Bickett • Eric Bryant • Larry Corrigan • Carlton Fay • Mark Haberkorn
Don Hamel • Tom Henderson • Torie (Bunzell) Kueker • Bob Prusator
1966 Ottawa Football Team • 1990 Princeton Volleyball Team
Kevin Hieronymus - Distinguished Media Award • Bron Bacevich - Legacy Award
1951-52 DePue Boys Basketball Team - Legacy Award
1953 Hall Football Team - Legacy Award
John Pocivasek - Lanny Slevin Lifetime Achievement Award
On behalf of Shaw Media’s Illinois Valley Sports Hall of Fame, welcome to the official induction ceremony for the Class of 2023. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome our next class of inductees!
A lot of time, effort and thought have gone into this hall of fame magazine and the honoree banquet, so we hope you enjoy it and treat it like it is — a celebration. We want to honor, reflect and have a good time acknowledging the best of the best in the Illinois Valley’s athletic history. This event could not have been made possible without the tireless effort of so many wonderful and hardworking people.
Thank you to our committee. These men and women from across the Illinois Valley helped select our Class of 2023. Without their time, effort and dedication, none of this would be possible.
Thank you to our sponsors, without whom this event would not be possible. Your willingness and excitement for this event has been unbelievable, and your dedication to supporting area athletics has been remarkable.
Thank you to everyone at Shaw Media who helped make this event possible. To the advertising staff as well as the marketing and niche design teams, your dedication has been amazing and is so greatly appreciated.
Finally, thank you to everyone who participates in the hall of fame. Whether you are a sponsor, participated in this magazine, commented on our Facebook page (@NTIVSportsHOF), read all our inductee announcements or stories or even discussed or debated it with your friends and family, thank you. Your participation in this endeavor — whatever it may be — is vital to the success of this hall of fame.
Inside you will find photos and stories about our Class of 2023 inductees and the many businesses that wanted to join us in honoring them and more. We hope you enjoy this magazine, and we look forward to bringing you future classes of Shaw Media’s Illinois Valley Sports Hall of Fame.
Thank you,
Jeanette Smith Regional Advertising Director Shaw Media
Jared Bell, Kurt Bruno, Kevin Chlum, Bea Coats, Tom Dobrich, Dan Eilts, Kevin Hieronymus, Larry Johnson, Carol Pratt, Rick Sipovic, Lanny Slevin, Jeanette Smith, Ed Swingle, Gene Vogelgesang and Ken Wilcoxen. They took on the task of choosing these inductees from hundreds of nominations. We currently have an extensive list of deserving athletes that will be used to select
future classes, but we are always looking for more.
IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO YOU WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE FOR THE SHAW MEDIA’S ILLINOIS VALLEY SPORTS HALL OF FAME:
To be considered, the nominee must have lived locally during their sports accomplishment and/ or graduated from IVCC or one of the following high schools: La
Salle-Peru, St. Bede, Hall, Putnam County, DePue, Mendota, Ottawa, Marquette, Streator, Princeton, Bureau Valley, LaMoille, Ohio, Earlville, Henry, Fieldcrest or their predecessors. The athlete must be out of high school for at least five years.
The Voice of the Valley for four decades, Slevin broadcasted numerous sporting events in the Illinois Valley and positively impacted the lives of many during his broadcast career. The true definition of dedication, Slevin has given so much of his time and passion to area athletics and has brought joy to many. For all he has given to our area — both on air and behind the scenes — the Lifetime Achievement Award is named in his honor.
• A legendary broadcaster, Slevin enjoyed a 40-year career at WLPO where he broadcast games, provided sports updates and more
• Estimated he broadcast somewhere between 3,5004,000 events in his career
• Hosted the state-wide IHSA Sports Report for nearly six years and broadcast the IHSA boys basketball state tournaments for nearly 30 years starting in 1972
• Hosted Chalk Talk on WLPO every Saturday morning during the school year for nearly three decades
• Member of the IBCA Hall of Fame, St. Bede Hall of Fame, IVCC Hall of Fame and National Junior College Association Hall of Fame; Inaugural recipient of the IHSA Distinguished Media Service Award
Thursday, June 8, 2023
The Auditorium Ballroom, La Salle
Emcee: Lanny Slevin
Doors Open ......................................................................... 5 p.m.
Dinner ................................................................................... 6 p.m.
Induction Ceremony ....................................... following Dinner
Order of Inductees
• Legacy Award, Team: 1953 Hall Football Team
• Bob Prusator, Tiskilwa
• Legacy Award, Team: 1951-52 DePue Boys Basketball Team
• Torie (Bunzell) Kueker, La Salle-Peru
• Brad Bickett, Ohio/Bureau Valley
• Legacy Award, Individual: Bron Bacevich, St. Bede/Marquette
• Larry Corrigan, Mendota
• 1966 Ottawa Football Team
• Distinguished Media Award: Kevin Hieronymus, Shaw Media
• Carlton Fay, Putnam County
• Tom Henderson, Ottawa
• Don Hamel, Mendota
• Mark Haberkorn, La Salle-Peru
• Lanny Slevin Lifetime Achievement Award: John Pocivasek, Marquette
• 1990 Princeton Volleyball Team
• Eric Bryant, DePue/IVCC/Hall/
Conclusion & Thank You
• Finished an undefeated 9-0, led by first-team all-state running back Bill McAdams
• Outscored opponents 20854 (23.11 ppg scored vs. 6 ppg against), shutout three opponents & allowed a TD to four other opponents
• Won North Central Illinois Conference title
• Defeated Normal, Mendota, DeKalb, Princeton, Ottawa, Dixon, Sterling, St. Bede & Ottawa Marquette
By Brandon LaChanceThe last football team Tony Panizzi and Roger Bruno played on was the 1953 Hall Red Devils. Although the squad hasn’t played together in 70 years and only six of the 32 players are alive in 2023, Panizzi and Bruno can’t forget the best team they played for and one of the best times of their lifetimes.
“At left end was Clifford Peart, left tackle was Jack Podowicz, left guard was Eugene Weberski, center was Joe Cinotto, right guard was Richard Demichelis, right tackle was Tony Panizzi, right end was Roger Bruno, Dick Schweickert was our QB, Bill McAdams was our running back who ran the ball, Bob Savage was our blocking running back and Dick Beecham was our fullback,” Panizzi rattled off.
The 1953 Hall football team has quite the resume to grant its induction into Shaw Media’s Illinois Valley Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2023.
The Red Devils finished 9-0 behind McAdams – an all-state running back – a line on both sides of the ball littered with eventual college players and head coach Richard Nesti, who is a Class of 2022 inductee into the IV Sports HOF.
“It started in 1951,” Bruno said. “We were a bunch of young guys who thought we could play football. We found out we couldn’t. It was a pretty rough going. We took our knocks. We had Nesti, who knew how to get the best out of you. Along came a defensive coach, John Roach, who said we had a lot of enthusiasm, but we didn’t know how to play our position. He said he’d show us. We listened, and he did.
“Tony and I had a game plan by our junior year. We talked to each other, we cross blocked and, by the time we were seniors, we finally figured out where we were on the football field, what down it was and started to think about what the other team may try to do to get a first down.”
See HALL page 10
FROM PAGE 8
Bruno and Panizzi can tell you highlights or moments of every game in 1953.
Normal was good, but Hall won 12-0.
Mendota, which featured IV Sports Hall of Famer and NFL star running back Bill Brown, was the toughest opponent of the season in terms of score, but Hall prevailed 14-12.
DeKalb (33-0) and Princeton (33-14) were blowouts even though Princeton scored the most points against Hall in the 1953 season.
Ottawa was tough and had big guys, but the Red Devils edged the Pirates 7-0.
The last four opponents –Dixon, Sterling, St. Bede and Marquette – all scored seven points apiece. However, Hall’s offense was far superior, scoring 26, 32, 24 and 27 points.
“We had fun,” Panizzi said. “We had a great coach in Richard Nesti. We beat everyone. We had a great season and had a lot of fun doing it. Nobody scored on us too
much at all. Our defense was outstanding. All of our linemen were wonderful. We were so-so our junior year, but we really stepped up as seniors.”
The team also sent many players into the collegiate ranks.
McAdams played at the University of Iowa, while Peart was all-state and played
four years at Northwestern. Podowicz was all-state and also played at Iowa, Cinotto played at Iowa State and Schweickert was all-state and attended college.
The lessons the Red Devils learned in 1953 helped it succeed on the football field and beyond.
“Tony and I went to grade school together,” Bruno said. “I had no idea that we would be the only two guys left out of the first 11 (starters from freshman to senior year). The rest are all deceased. I remember those guys like it was yesterday. We learned a lot about life playing football. No one said playing football was easy. No one said life was easy. But you learn how to pick yourself up and get back in there. That’s what football did for us. The last game of the season against Marquette at Hall, I had tears in my eyes because I knew it was over.
“Every time I’m going through a tough situation in life, I think about the 1953 football team and how we just got back up and got through it.”
• Legendary basketball coach at Tiskilwa where he compiled a 531-199 record from 1958-86
• During his 27 seasons, teams won 14 conference titles, seven regionals, one sectional, and one super sectional
• Coached 1982-83 squad to Class A State Tournament
• Also coached football for nine seasons, was school’s AD; Member of the IBCA, Kewanee High School Hall of Fame
• One of three area boys basketball coaches with more than 500 career wins at one school
By Bobby NarangIncredible.
That’s an accurate description to describe Bob Prusator’s prolific 27-year basketball coaching career at rural Tiskilwa High School from 1958-86.
Prusator was a highly-decorated basketball coach who won 14 conference championships, seven regional titles, a sectional crown and led the 1982-83 team to the Class A state tournament.
Also a successful football coach for nine seasons, too, the legendary coach is a Class of 2023 inductee for Shaw Media’s Illinois Valley Sports Hall of Fame.
Prusator, 88, earned a reputation as a tough-as-nails coach who demanded precision and perfection from his players. Thus, it’s not surprising he mentioned several times “incredible” in describing his illustrious career.
Under Prusator’s guidance, Tiskilwa had an epic nine-year run in basketball that people still recall today.
“It was a great career,” Prusator said. “I was blessed to have outstanding athletes who were committed, and they didn’t want to let the team down before them. It was an incredible run. I’m so thankful that many of my players seemed to cherish it as much as I did.”
Born in Kewanee, Prusator started his lengthy sports journey by playing football, basketball and baseball at Kewanee High School. Basketball was the sport that most appealed to Prusator, leading him on a lifetime journey full of memorable memories and accomplishments.
Prusator, who was elected to the Kewanee High School Hall of Fame as a distinguished alumni, admitted he realized at a young age what he wanted to do in his life. He taught social studies and history and, after his coaching career, became a principal and a superintendent.
See PRUSATOR page 12
FROM PAGE 11
“I liked baseball, but I liked basketball even more,” he said. “I was one of those guys who my heroes were the former players. Even in high school, I always knew I wanted to coach. I was even tempted to coach after I retired.”
Prusator said he kept his coaching philosophy simple. He was highly focused on fundamentals, prompting his players to constantly do drills in order to do them perfectly. That focus and desire led to some historic Tiskilwa teams in the tiny village south of Princeton that has less than 1,000 residents.
“I insisted our players to do things correctly,” he said. “We played good defense, walked the ball up the floor and didn’t make a mistake or turn the ball over. It’s a style of play some people don’t like.”
All three of Prusator’s sons – Jeff, Todd and Bob – played basketball for him at Tiskilwa. Jeff Prusator said his dad pushed his sons and players to achieve perfection in drills.
“He was uncompromising and you were going to do it his way,” Jeff said. “We had to do it right 10 times out of 10 times. As far as his expectations on the basketball court, you had to work hard and we had to have a great attention to detail. When you made it through his basketball program, I think you were prepared for anything for the rest of your future.”
The Prusator Way was definitely the right way after looking at his impressive resume and number of talented athletes in his nearly three-decade run.
Starting in his first season in 1958-59, Prusator built a legacy of winning.
In all, he won 38 tournament championships and 14 conference titles. In a 27-year basketball coaching career, he recorded a 531-199 record.
“We were very disciplined on offense,” Jeff said. “He would preach certain parts of the game you can control, like shot selection, how hard you play on defense and rebounding. Somethings you can’t control in the game, but you have some things you can
control. We were year in and year out one of the best teams defensively.”
From 1977-85, Tiskilwa was among the best in the state. Tiskilwa, which was annexed into the Princeton school district nearly 30 years ago, compiled an impressive 222-17 record, with nine of the losses coming in the postseason. The team posted nine consecutive 20-plus winning seasons, compiling a 93 percent winning percentage.
Bob Prusator, a member of the Illinois Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame, said he recently moved, but during the process he unearthed several newspaper clippings and items that reminded him of his glorious teams.
“That’s incredible,” Prusator said of the historic nine-year run. “We won 222 games. It was incredible. I had good talent. You can’t win without talent. It was a great run. I’m very proud of their effort. We always knew we would play harder than anybody else.”
His success wasn’t limited to the hardwood as Prusator’s coaching principles and philosophies led to an unprecedented nine-year period of success in football at Tiskilwa, where he notched a 57-16 record.
“In three of my nine years, we lost only one game,” he said. “We were undefeated in two of the years, and another year we lost just two games. I didn’t lose many. I was proud of those football teams. I had some great players and great teams.”
Still sharp as a tack, Prusator can quickly recall numerous players and go in great details about some of his best teams, including a few losses to rival Princeton.
But Prusator said he’s most fond of the friendships and memories he created with his players. He cherished a “We Are Tiskilwa” reunion last fall that brought former athletes from all over the country, including Florida, Minnesota and Texas.
“I think we had someone there from all 27 (basketball) teams,” Prusator said. “We had some special teams, but coaching my sons was one of the most exciting things. My wife was my No. 1 fan. She did a great job with our sons.”
• Under coach Gaston Freeman, finished 28-3 (90.32 winning percentage), the second most wins in a single season in school history
• Reached as high as No. 5 in one-class AP Poll, regular season losses were to Hall and Alleman
• In the St. Bede Regional, defeated Mendota (76-50), Hall (55-40) and La SallePeru (58-55) – the final of four straight regional titles
• At the La Salle-Peru Sectional, rallied for a 66-61 semifinal win over Lexington before losing to Ottawa 59-55 in final
By Brandon LaChanceWhen people think of DePue, one of the first thoughts is, “DePue is a small town.”
But in the 1950s, the mind would have gone straight to the basketball court – especially in 1951-52.
“We used to get big-time Chicago coverage,” said Bob Booker, a starting junior on the 1951-52 squad. “We were on the back page of the Chicago Sun-Times quite a bit because we played teams such as Lockport, Brookfield, LaGrange and Freeport. We played against pretty good ballclubs. We demolished the teams we played locally, so we went out of our league a lot.
“You couldn’t get a ticket for a DePue game. You had to be somebody to get a ticket because we were sold out all the time. Back then, we could have scalped tickets. We drew big crowds.”
Booker was joined by Lupe Rios, Chuck Abbott, Mickey Leonard and Don Talbot in the starting lineup, while Ron Chiesi, Joe Franco, Chips Giovanine, Rich Hoffert, Roger Marple, Charles Marroquin, Frank Montez and Gene Suarez came off the bench.
Gaston Freeman was the coach who led the Little Giants to a 28-3 record, team records at the time for points in a season (2,177), points in a single game (105 against Putnam County on Dec. 7,1951), and average points per game (70.2) as well as a fourth consecutive regional title, a No. 5 ranking in the state when there was only one class, and a trip to the sectional final where DePue lost to Ottawa 59-55.
See DEPUE page 14
FROM PAGE 13
These are just a few of the accomplishments warranting an induction into this year’s Shaw Media Illinois Valley Sports Hall of Fame.
“We won four regionals in a row. We beat La Salle-Peru, St. Bede and all the local teams,” Booker said. “I was a junior on this team, and the ‘51-52 team was our best ballclub in that era. Hebron won the state title. They compared our four common opponents that season and our margins were better.”
Freeman, a World War II infantryman who passed away in 2007 at 85, left DePue with a 99-18 record in four seasons (1948-52) and retired with 569 total wins.
“Gaston Freeman was a great coach,” Booker said. “He coached us for four seasons and then left to coach Streator after the 1951-
52 season. Freeman also coached in the suburbs, and Talbot was his assistant.”
Montez, who was Rios’ backup, didn’t get to play too much as Rios was the team’s leading scorer with 533 points on the season, Talbot was second with 488 and Abbott was third with 431.
However, at 90 years old, Montez remembers the fast
breaks, the full-court press, the coach, the teammates, the fans and the triumph of defeating schools bigger than DePue.
“We played the game together. We practiced together. We went to school together. And we just wanted to play basketball after school. We were all good friends off the court,” said Montez, who
joined the Army and was deployed to Germany during the Korean War. “We always had a full gym and a lot of people watching us. When we had a game out of town, we always had fans in the gym no matter where we were.
“It was fun being able to beat the other local teams, especially La Salle-Peru. They didn’t want to play us. Gaston Freeman tried to get regular season games against La Salle-Peru, but they didn’t want to because DePue was too small. When we beat them for the regional championship, oh jeez. I was a reserve and they put me in against L-P. One of their best players went up for a rebound. I was a little bit shorter than he was and when I went up for the rebound, I hit him in the knee, and he was out for the rest of the game. I didn’t mean to. The L-P player was related to Talbot, so I saw him from time to time, and he always reminded me of the game.”
“We played the game together. We practiced together. We went to school together. And we just wanted to play basketball after school. We were all good friends off the court.”
Frank Montez
• 2007 graduate was a fouryear ace for the L-P softball team & 2007 NewsTribune Softball Player of the Year
• Finished senior season 18-1 with a 0.55 ERA, 270 strikeouts & just 27 hits in 127 innings
• Starred at Quincy University, where she struck out 1,539 batters, which was at the time an NCAA Division II record
• Holds QU career records for wins (95), innings pitched (930 2/3) & shutouts (46); single-season records for strikeouts (524), wins (30), innings pitched (307 1/3) & shutouts (14); threw 10 nohitters, three perfect games & had 1.14 career ERA
• Two-Time Great Lakes Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year, two-time GLVC’s top female athlete and member of GLVC HOF
• Recipient of Richard F. Scharf Paragon Award, given to top GLVC student-athlete
By Andy TavegiaWhen looking at Torie (Bunzell) Kueker’s gaudy numbers from La Salle-Peru High School and later Quincy University, you would think she warmed up to the idea of pitching at a very young age.
But that wasn’t necessarily the case.
As a youngster growing up, she spent quite a bit of time at the beloved catcher spot and later shortstop. She certainly pitched, just not as much as eventually would be the case during a decorated high school and collegiate career.
But come her early years as a teenager, Ottawa native Rob Smeets, a softball pitching coach, changed everything.
“He got me kind of started and always found the next person I could contact or the next VHS video from the Olympic pitching coach,” Kueker said. “He was always finding the next thing for me and looking for the next opportunity to get my name out there.
“He had a really good eye. He just had a way of coaching that I really took to.”
See BUNZELL page 16
FROM PAGE 15
What developed was one of the most dominating and overpowering softball players in the history of the Illinois Valley.
From her senior year at L-P to Quincy University, hitters found it extremely difficult to handle Kueker, a major reason she is an inductee to Shaw Media’s Illinois Valley Sports Hall of Fame this year.
With Kueker as the driving force, L-P went 29-4 her senior season and won a Class AA regional title – the last season of Illinois having a two-class system. The run was stopped only by eventual state champion Normal Community in the sectional semifinals.
During that season in which she had 19 decisions in 33 total games, Kueker had 10 times as many strikeouts as she gave up hits.
“We had fun; it was just fun,” she said of her senior season. “The moment and
the adrenaline, I remember that. It was so much fun.”
After such domination in high school, Kueker said there was a bit of an adjustment heading to Division II Quincy. She said there certainly was also an adjustment period between herself and pitching coach Tom Obert.
But in her sophomore season, the two became ac-
climated and things took off for both Kueker and QU in a big way.
Behind her pitching and head coach Char Obert, Quincy made consecutive Division II NCAA tournament appearances, the first two D-II tournament appearances in program history.
She wound up throwing three perfect games and 10 no-hitters and holds numerous
school records.
“When we won and we kept going, that momentum and that adrenaline was awesome,” she said. “We had a great team and everybody got along. But as we had more success and I got more comfortable in the circle, you could definitely feel the pressure.”
Throughout all her years, Kueker gives the biggest assist to her support staff. In addition to pitching coaches the level of Smeets and Obert, she also noted her dad, a catcher in his own right, as well as some talented coaches and catchers with which she has worked.
“I was always pretty lucky to have them throughout the years I played,” she said. “I had either a defense or a coach who could take the ins and outs of the game and do the strategic thinking. That way I could just focus on this next pitch and this next batter. That was always a lucky thing I had.”
Kueker now lives in Breese, Ill., along with her husband and two children.
“When we won and we kept going, that momentum and that adrenaline was awesome. We had a great team and everybody got along. But as we had more success and I got more comfortable in the circle, you could definitely feel the pressure.”
Tori (Bunzell) Kueker
• Star player on the 1985-86 Ohio Class A state runner-up basketball team that was inducted into Shaw Media’s Illinois Valley Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2020-21
• Remains all-time leading scorer at Ohio HS (1983-86) with 2,177 points
• Legendary boys basketball coach BV, where he led three BV teams (1999-2002) to third-place finishes in Class A, nine regional titles in 15 seasons
By Bobby Narang
Brad Bickett never lost sight of his athletic gifts. Nor did his parents.
Growing up in a rural area tucked away in a tiny township in Bureau County, Bickett said his family was heavily involved in the farming business. Athletics, in Bickett’s case, eventually led him down a different path in his life rather than helping out his family on the farm.
“We lived in a rural area and farmed,” Bickett said. “I could’ve done more for my family farm, but my parents understood school came first. Coming from a farming background, I always thought I would farm, coach and teach a little bit.”
Sprouting to 6-foot-2 in high school, Bickett did more than just coach and teach a little bit.
His wide-ranging impact playing and coaching basketball in Bureau County made a lasting impact that has spanned four-plus decades. His success vaulted him among the all-time greats in the rich history of Illinois basketball.
In 2016, Bickett was among 37 players and coaches from the Chicago area to be named to the Illinois High School Association’s list of 100 Legends of the boys basketball tournament. Bickett is one of only seven of the 37 Chicago area players to be named as a player and a coach.
“For a small-town rural kid that’s pretty crazy to think I’ve accomplished something like that as a player and a coach,” said Bickett, the current athletic director at Bureau Valley.
His decorated career puts him among the athletic legends hailing from Bureau County. Bickett, who is one of 16 inductees to be named to the Class of 2023 for Shaw Media’s Illinois Valley Sports Hall of Fame, is considered one of the best player/coach basketball players in the state of Illinois.
After an illustrious four-year varsity career at Ohio High School, Bickett was a standout guard/forward for Eureka College.
He was named to the Illinois Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame as a player, scoring 2,177 points at Ohio. He helped lead the small-school Bulldogs to a second-place finish in Class A in 1985-86.
Bickett, who has coached basketball at Buda Western, Bureau Valley and Rock Falls, compiled a 493-313 record in nearly three decades of coaching. He guided Bureau Valley to a historic three consecutive Class A third-place state trophies from 1999 to 2002.
“It’s meaningful,” Bickett said of the Hall of Fame induction. “That area has meant a lot to me. I grew up in Bureau County, right near the Illinois Valley area. I’ve always been appreciated by the people in the Illinois Valley because of my work ethic, passion and enthusiasm. I think they appreciated the way I coached the
• Career record of 493-313 in 30 seasons
• Only person to ever play in IHSA Boys Basketball Class A State Title Game and coach a team in the Class A State Tournament
game. I coached kids hard, and I worked hard. People in the Illinois Valley area are hard-working and passionate type.”
Kevin Hieronymus, the sports editor for the Bureau County Republican since 1986, pointed out Bickett’s unrelenting desire to compete and win.
“He was a highly-competitive/talented player and took that will to win and spirit over to his coaching career,” Hieronymus said. “He absolutely got the most out of all of his teams, and his record speaks for itself. His teams played hard-nosed ... Brad’s three straight third-place state finishes are unprecedented. I researched it 20 years ago, and he was the only player to have played in the Class A state championship game and then to come back to coach a team in the Class A state tournament. A remarkable playing and coaching career.”
Bickett prided himself on playing multiple positions to help his team win in high school. Bickett and all-state point guard Lance Harris helped to guide Ohio to a
runner-up finish in the Class A state tournament in 1986. The team was a Class of 202021 inductee into the IV Sports Hall of Fame.
“It was just fun for me, fun for the school and our community,” Bickett said of the epic state run. “My parents sacrificed a lot for me to play basketball. I could’ve done more for the family farm. It was gratifying to work hard.
“We had a great run. It was pretty awesome to represent a small town of 500 people with a school of 70 students and put that little town and rural county in Bureau County on the map. Going to the state tournament was the pinnacle of my career.”
After a stellar career playing for Eureka College, Bickett started gaining accolades in the coaching profession. His lengthy and diverse coaching background – numerous schools, along with stints also coaching track and football – impacted numerous kids to succeed in athletics and life.
Bickett, the all-time leading scorer in Ohio High School program history with 2,177
points, had an old-school approach to coaching.
“Being a coach is just so gratifying,” Bickett said. “I love it and am very passionate about the game of basketball. I’m super competitive. That’s why I like to coach. The relationships you develop with kids are special. I was known as a disciplinarian and a fiery coach, but the kids would run through a wall for me and appreciated what I brought to the table. I held them accountable and had high expectations for them.”
Bickett said his competitive nature extends to his wife and four kids. Despite nearing retirement, Bickett said he’s not afraid to test himself.
“The whole family is super competitive in everything we do, even ping pong,” he said. “Our family value is built around athletic competition and being good people. Finishing my career at Bureau Valley is special. Bureau Valley is a special place for me. My four kids went there, and I met so many great coaches and teachers.”
• Legendary football coach –among other sports – who had great success across Illinois and Ohio
• Head football coach at SBA from 1933-48 with a 12018-5 record; coached 1944 baseball team to state
• Also coached at University of Illinois in 1932; Marquette in 1949; Quincy College in 1950-51; Peoria Manual in 1952; Kankakee in 1953 & Roger Bacon HS in Cincinnati from 1954-73
• Five-time Hall of Fame inductee, including the SBA Hall of Fame
• Bron Bacevich Memorial Stadium in Cincinnati was named in his honor in 1996
By Brandon LaChanceWinning and coach Bron Bacevich were synonymous. For 44 years. In three different sports.
Across three states.
At six high schools and three colleges.
His accomplishments have made him an easy selection for five halls of fame – and now a sixth – as he is being inducted as the Class of 2023 recipient of the Legacy Individual Award for Shaw Media’s Illinois Valley Sports Hall of Fame.
Born Sept. 19, 1906, Bacevich graduated from Washington High School in East Chicago, Ind., in 1924. He advanced his education to North Central College (graduated in 1930), University of Illinois (1932) and Purdue University.
While attending North Central and U of I, Bacevich was an assistant football coach. He began his head coaching career in 1930 at Hudson High School (Mich.), where he went 8-2.
Bacevich, his wife Helen, and son Bernard lived in Peru in the
1930s, 1940s and the beginning of 1950s as he coached at St. Bede from 1933-48.
The coach led the Bruins’ basketball team from 1933-45 and again from 1946-49, the baseball team advanced to the state tournament in 1944, and led the football team from 1933-48 where he amassed a 120-18-5 record and had just one losing season.
In 1949-50, he coached Marquette to an 8-4 baseball record, basketball to a 5-18 mark and the football team to a 6-3 record.
Bacevich made his third and final college stop at Quincy College (1950-51) where the football team went 12-6 in two seasons.
Jumping back into the high school football ranks, he led Peoria Manual High School to a 7-2 season in 1952, and Kankakee High School to an 8-1 record in 1953.
In 1954, he found his new home for the next 20 years (1954-73) at Roger Bacon High School in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Bacevich helped garner seven Greater Catholic League titles and had a 150-
39-8 record. The Spartans were unbeaten in four seasons during Bacevich’s tenure.
The legendary coach’s 31270-13 career mark assisted him in being named Coach of the Year (by different conferences and organizations) in 1937, 1938, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1957, 1967 and 1973. He was the head man on all-star game rosters in 1959, 1963 and 1974.
Besides this year’s induction into Shaw Media’s Illinois Valley Sports Hall of Fame, Bacevich was inducted into the Ohio Football Coaches HOF in 1975, National High School Football Coaches HOF in 1976, Cincinnati High School Sports HOF in 1978, Roger Bacon High School HOF in 1979, and the St. Bede HOF in 2001.
After Bron Bacevich passed away in 1993 at age 87, he received another honor and a tribute of respect in 1996 when Roger Bacon HS renamed their football field and its surroundings the Bron Bacevich Memorial Stadium.
And every year, Roger Bacon HS awards a male and female athlete the Bron Bacevich Award.
Host Brandon LaChance discusses, jokes, reflects on everything sports and life with a local guest every single episode!
Website: rss.com/podcasts/ edgeofyourseatpodcast
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• A 1968 Mendota graduate who later played baseball at Iowa State
• Helped Cyclones to Big Eight titles in 1970 & 1971, earning All-American honors both years as a pitcher & catcher
• Drafted by the LA Dodgers in the fourth round of the 1972 MLB Draft, played six minor league seasons for the Dodgers and Minnesota Twins
• After a coaching career –including being head coach at Iowa State – became a legendary baseball scout for the Oakland A’s, Twins, Pittsburgh Pirates and LA Angels
• Member of the Iowa State Hall of Fame, Professional Scouts Hall of Fame and was Midwest Scout of the Year in 2016
By Brandon LaChanceLarry Corrigan may not be able to hit a home run anymore.
Or strike a hitter out.
Or catch a 90-mile-per-hour fastball thrown by a teammate. However, to this day, he smiles and says, “I’ve had a great life,” while his mind races through the memories of hitting home runs, striking out batters and catching any pitch his pitcher threw his way.
“One of the most memorable moments of my life was when I played for the Anchorage Glacier Pilots (a college summer baseball team) in 1971,” Corrigan said. “I happened to get the big hit to win the game off (MLB Hall of Famer) Dave Winfield.
“Our pitcher was Randy Jones (Cy Young Award winner in 1976 for the San Diego Padres) and I was catching. The bases were loaded. Jones threw a pitch to Duane Larson, who I know and he became a scout. He hit a one hopper that hit the left-handed pitcher’s right knee. The ball ricocheted back to me in front of home plate. I got the ball and dove to home plate to save the rally. We went on to win the tournament.”
A 1968 Mendota graduate, Corrigan remembers playing baseball when his age was still in single digits.
With his father, Bill, and his brother, Billy, sharing a love for baseball, every summer consisted of nothing but the ballpark.
“When I was 8, I played baseball for the Giants. We won the championship. When I was in Little League (ages 9-12), we won the championship every year,” Corrigan said. “We won Pony League and the Colt League. From the age of 9 until I was 21, I played on a winning team.”
At the ballpark, Corrigan was in one of two places when his team took the field – either on the mound or in catcher’s gear behind home plate.
His expertise garnered interest from different colleges. It wasn’t his first choice, but he landed at Iowa State University.
“It was the first year that Iowa State had money for scholarships,” Corrigan said. “I visited Illinois State, who had just won the national championship in NCAA Division II. I went down to Illinois State and they didn’t have a dorm room for me.
“I called my parents and they were visiting my sister
in Kansas. I asked them to go to Iowa State and see if I should go there. They went and visited the coaches. The next day, we drove to Ames, Iowa, and I became a college student and a baseball player.”
Corrigan earned All-America honors in 1970 and 1971 as both a pitcher and catcher as the Cyclones won Big Eight Conference titles in both seasons.
This led the Mendota native to being drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fourth round of the 1972 Major League Baseball Draft. He played six minor leagues for the Dodgers and the Minnesota Twins.
“At that period of time, there weren’t many jobs with the Dodgers. They had their infield in place for about 12 years,” Corrigan said. “If you were an infielder coming up the ranks, you weren’t going to get a very good opportunity. Pitching-wise, they needed a left-handed reliever every once in a while, but
that didn’t work for us righthanded pitchers.”
After his playing days were over due to an Ulnar Nerve replacement surgery in his right elbow, he became the head coach at Iowa State and, eventually, a national scout for the Twins, Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates and the Los Angeles Angels.
He spent more than 30 years with the Twins, including being part of the organization during two of their three World Series campaigns in 1987 and 1991.
“If they were a good player, I scouted him,” Corrigan said. ‘‘I was a national person, so I went and saw the best players in Connecticut, New York, Florida and so on. I was always watching the best players. Every year at the top of the draft, I had seen all of them.
“I saw Chuck Knoblauch out in Fresno, Calif. I liked him and told Terry Ryan (scout who got Corrigan involved) he was good.
Knoblauch was only a sophomore and not eligible for the draft, but I was watching him play and got excited about how he was doing things, his production and his baseball IQ.
“The club’s manager and Terry told me Knoblauch wasn’t the guy. They thought I had lost my rocker. The next year, we took him in the first round, and he was a member of the 1991 World Series team and the AL Rookie of the Year.”
In the 1978 World Series between the Dodgers and the New York Yankees, Dodgers’ pitcher Bobby Welsh epically struck out Reggie Jackson, a legendary icon. The glove Welsh was wearing was actually Corrigan’s glove.
As he would say, “I never played in the World Series, but my glove did.”
For all of his baseball love, impact and memories, Corrigan is a member of Shaw Media’s Illinois Valley Hall of Fame Class of 2023.
• Led by Shaw Media’s Illinois Valley Sports Hall of Fame coach Bill Novak, squad went 9-0
• Outscored opponents 380-19 (42.2 ppg scored, 2.1 ppg allowed), had six shutouts
• Won NCIC Northeast title
• Had several players play collegiately at Illinois, Iowa, Southern Illinois, Montana and Valparaiso
By Andy TavegiaBetween 1960 and 1971, Ottawa football was the mecca of Illinois high school football.
With 98 wins in 108 games played, you would think it would be hard to pinpoint the very best of that Bill Novak-led era. But when you dive deep into the numbers of the 1966 Pirates team that is being inducted into Shaw Media’s Illinois Valley Sports Hall of Fame, you realize it’s not that hard at all.
Those Pirates typified the “root, hog, or die” spirit, something that Kerry Novak, left tackle on that team and son of coach Bill Novak, would attest.
“We put in a lot of hard work,” he said. “There was a lot of speed and size in the backfield, and we had a pretty darn good coach and coaching staff. My dad had an amazing knack of getting everyone fired up and getting the best out of everybody. There were a lot of factors that came together and made for a nice, successful season.”
Things came together fairly quickly for Ottawa that season and never fell apart with the Pirates winning by an average of 41.1 points per game. Only Marquette –coached by another IV Sports Hall of Fame inductee this year in John Pocivasek – came within 20 points of Ottawa in 1966 – a 21-6 Pirates’ victory in the season finale.
Marquette’s one touchdown was the only touchdown given up by the first-string defense that season.
That was one of two victories that stand out, the other being a lopsided 48-0 win over rival La Salle-Peru in the third game of the season. That win meant a great deal to the Pirates, not only because it was a long-time rival but also because the Cavaliers gave Ottawa its only blemish the previous season – a tie. That tie was the only thing separating Ottawa from a win streak of
See OTTAWA page 28more than 35 games from 1965 through the middle of 1968.
offensively and defensively, for the opponent. And we had confidence and, as you know, half of athletic performance is confidence.”
FROM PAGE 27 2023
“We had one Saturday practice in all the years I was at Ottawa High School, and it was the Saturday before the La Salle game,” said starting quarterback Bob Burns. “It was a game the coaches were looking forward to, and we certainly were looking forward to. … And that victory kind of set us up for the rest of the year.”
Burns gave a lot of credit to a tremendous coaching staff led not only by the great Novak, but also outstanding assistants.
“The team believed in the coaches,” Burns said. “And that goes back to the expectations. We expected No. 1 that we would be prepared, both
The coaches certainly were aided by some incredible weapons on both sides of the ball. The team had a bit of everything from the All-American quarterback who went on to play at the University of Illinois in Burns (1,567 yards passing, 19 TDs) to the sensational all-around athlete in Steve Sipula and the guy Burns called the best football player on the team in Jeff Hale (873 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns).
It all added up to quite a compliment given by coach Novak to the Ottawa Daily Republican Times in 1966.
“I have said this before and I will say it again,” Bill Novak said at the time, “This is the finest football team I have ever coached at Ottawa High School.”
It has been a privilege to highlight your athletic accomplishments... especially one of our own!
Congratulations Kevin, we are honored you are part of our team!
“To play football, one has to be smart enough to understand the game, and dumb enough to think it’s important.”
During one fall in 1966 in a small Illinois Valley community, a team of Ottawa Pirates excelled at both! ROOT
• Sports Editor of the Bureau County Republican since November 1986
• Covered seven state championship teams, hundreds of individual state champions and placers, thousands of athletes and hundreds of coaches
• A 2021 inductee of the IBCA Hall of Fame as a media member
• Estimated to have covered 4,000 events during his 38year media career
By Bobby NarangIn many ways, Kevin Hieronymus’ destiny was always to be a sports writer. Despite his attempts to become a teacher and a coach, Hieronymus kept getting steered toward writing.
The first inkling came via his hometown, Atlanta, Ill.
The tiny town of roughly 1,600 people is a haven for talented sports writers with several highly-esteemed Hall of Famer writers hailing from a small pocket located in central Illinois, including legendary national writer Dave Kindred.
The second occurrence came via an advertisement in the Illinois State University school newspaper for a sports writer. Hieronymus, who played baseball and basketball at Olympia High School in Stanford, Ill., planned to become a teacher and a coach until sheer happenstance – or luck, in his case – veered his career path in a different direction.
“That advertisement for a sports writer peaked my interest,” said Hieronymus, a 1979 Olympia graduate. “I had taken a journalism class my senior year of high school, so I applied for the job. I was assigned to a rugby match. I knew nothing about the sport, which was probably good because I had to ask a lot of questions with the players and coach. I’ve always said I either did a good enough job or the paper was desperate because I got hired and worked there for all four years.”
After that chance encounter and first experience covering a rugby game, Hieronymus changed his career path and became a renowned sports writer who would write thousands of stories and become part of the fabric of the Bureau County area.
Hieronymus, the sports editor of the Bureau County Republican since November 1986, was a 2021 inductee in the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame as a media member. Now he is the 2023 Distinguished Media Award recipient in Shaw Media’s Illinois Valley Sports Hall of Fame.
Hieronymus, a lifelong fan of the St. Louis Cardinals who has covered several World Series and major events, said he never expected sports writing to take on a wild and joy-filled ride for almost four decades.
See HIERONYMUS page 30
“I’ve never used my teaching degree other than substituting,” Hieronymus said. “It’s certainly been a joyous ride in my career. I’ve met a lot of great people and great coaches that I’ve been very good friends with. I’ve met a lot of great kids that I’ve covered and got to know them as adults. I’ve been lucky to have people who have taken me into their homes and read my articles for two or three times a week. It’s been a pleasure to write for this community. I’ve always tried to provide a personal touch.”
As Hieronymus, 61, is reaching the dawn of his illustrious writing career, he can’t help but have a sentimental spin on his inspiring career that has included covering seven state championship teams, countless individual state champions and placers and thousands of athletes across many sports – and even families. Hieronymus estimates he has covered 4,000 games in his distin-
guished 38-year career.
He has spent countless weekends away from his family, enduring too many rainy and cold spring days at events, even escaping a near fire in the press box at a Hall football game and outran a tornado in his car following a basketball game.
Also, in an odd twist for a sports writer, Hieronymus takes pride in becoming a local coach of several sports in his community, even after his kids stopped playing sports.
“I’ve been blessed to be able to experience my love of sports by coaching youth, high school and junior high sports nearly all of my time here, about 35 years,” he said. “I’ve had the best of both worlds – writing and coaching. I’ve always wished to have won more games, of course. But it was always more than wins and losses. I coached because I wanted to share my love for the game and light kids’ fire for sports and help make them better people.”
Spencer Davis has a unique relationship with Hieronymus that has spanned several decades and five children.
A 1993 Manlius graduate, Davis said he grew up reading Hieronymus’ stories, has coached against him in youth league games, watched him cover all five of his children – Drake, Wyatt, Cael, Teegan and Keighley – over the years and been interviewed by Hieronymus as the head football coach at Bureau Valley. Davis, the 1993 BCR Football Player of the Year, said Hieronymus is more than just a sports writer to his family and the Illinois Valley area.
“When I was growing up, every Saturday morning we would read the articles from Friday night football, including my brother,” Davis said. “I used to appreciate the articles and what they meant to the community. Kevin is extremely deserving of this honor. He’s been around a long time. He put in his time and effort. He’s definitely an area sports junkie.
“Kevin even covered me while I was in high school. I’ve known Kevin a long time. I’ve always appreciated the fact that he’s so knowledgeable about the area. We’re lucky to have him.
I’ve gotten to know him on a lot of different levels. He’s a community guy. I played basketball against him. What you see is what you get with him. He’s very knowledgeable about the kids who have come through the area. He’s also very passionate.”
Hieronymus calls his wife Kami “his Hall of Famer” for allowing him to spin his craft and indulge the readers in the surrounding towns with his talents. Hieronymus, who has two daughters, said sports writing has been a roller-coaster ride with too many highs to count.
Just think, Hieronymus’ career could’ve taken a different path if not for that faithful ad in the Illinois State student newspaper that completely changed his life.
“It’s largely been a wonderful experience,” he said. “Princeton and Bureau County is a great community to live and raise your family. My dad used to always say things happen for a reason. I met my wife here, got married and had two girls. It’s been a pleasure to write for this community.”
• Star basketball player who helped lead team to 2007 Class A state tournament
• Named IHSA All-Tournament, First Team AP All State, IBCA All-State his senior season
• All-time leading scorer (2,129 points) and rebounder (1,125 rebounds) in PC history
• Three-time NewsTribune Boys Basketball Player of the Year, finished fourth for Mr. Basketball in Illinois in 2007
• Played basketball at Southern Illinois University, played professionally for Iowa Energy in NBA D-League and Sauk Valley Predators, was assistant coach at SIU
By Bobby NarangCarlton Fay’s life changed midway through his high school career. Early in his basketball career at Putnam County, Fay displayed next-level promise on the court. His height, athleticism, toughness, ability to score on all three levels and dedication caught the eye of varsity coach John Slingsby. But something was missing.
Fay found the missing piece, almost by accident.
“I probably had a flashpoint going into my sophomore year,” he said. “I saw a flyer for a camp at Bradley. It was at their old field house, on an elevated floor. It was super cool. I went there and that’s where I got hooked up with an AAU team, the Wolves.
“I played well in that showcase. I got invited to play with the Wolves for a couple of weeks, to see what would happen. I was playing with and against some really good players. I continued to play well going into school.”
The Illinois Wolves, founded by Mike Mullins in 1999, is widely considered one of the top AAU programs in the Midwest, producing countless college and NBA players through the years.
Mullins called it sheer luck that Fay and his coaches were attending the same event in Peoria. Fay would eventually play AAU games against several future NBA players, including Derrick Rose, Eric Gordon and James Harden, Mullins said.
“I was out of town, but we had some other coaches down there and they saw him,” Mullins said. “We had most of our group picked for the next year. We had a really special top national group, but we were looking for somebody who could play inside and out and had some toughness and skills and worked hard.
See FAY page 32
FROM PAGE 31
“I didn’t even know where Putnam County was located, so we were fortunate to get him. Carlton was a quick learner, worked hard and was competitive as heck. We were able to give him a platform to play with some high-major guys who had phenomenal college careers, as did Carlton.”
Calton’s father, Harold, called the move to the Illinois Wolves a key development stage for his oldest of three boys.
“He was gone every weekend starting in the spring, playing in tournaments and getting to see quite a bit of the United States while playing very good basketball,” said Harold Fay, the current boys basketball coach at Putnam County. “He got quicker and learned how to play a lot faster and be more physical. He realized how good you have to be. Coming from a small area, you sometimes think you are special, but going to the play for the Illinois Wolves really helped him. Every night, even in practices, was just a great experience and great to watch. He worked hard and he got locked in.”
After playing against elite competition, Fay’s basketball career trajectory – and life –
changed. It also helped him become a Class of 2023 inductee into Shaw Media’s Illinois Valley Sports of Fame.
“When I was growing up, all I wanted to do was play basketball,” said Fay, a 2007 PC graduate who later played at Southern Illinois University. “I got hooked up and started playing with some great players and traveling and seeing some of the country. I met some great basketball minds and really great people who helped me along the way. I’ve had some incredible experiences that I wouldn’t have gotten if I was doing something else. I’ve played in some of the best arenas that brought me all around the world, including South America and China. It’s something I would not have experienced if not for basketball.”
His final two seasons at Putnam County put his name on the map.
The 6-foot-8 forward guided the Panthers to the 2007 Class A state tournament after he scored 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds in a thrilling 43-30 victory over Byron in a super sectional at Northern Illinois University.
It advanced PC to state for just the third time, reeling off an epic run of 17-straight victories that galvanized before losing to North Lawndale in
See FAY page 34
FROM PAGE 32
a state quarterfinal.
Named First-Team Associated Press All-State in 200607, Fay is the all-time leading scorer (2,129) and rebounder (1,125) in program history. A three-time NewsTribune Boys Basketball Player of the Year, Fay finished fourth in the Mr. Basketball voting in Illinois in 2007. He averaged 23.6 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Panthers to a 30-3 record.
Fay, who had a nickname of “Big Country” in high school, said beating Bryon in the 2007 Class A super sectional remains his favorite high school memory.
“When we won super sectional my senior year to go to state, that was a really good game,” he said. “We were down at halftime, close to double digits. We came back in the second half.
At the end of the day, playing in PC was always a special for Fay.
“Putnam County is a pretty cool place to grow up,” he
said. “They have some huge sports fans. It was so fun for us as kids to play in front of a packed house every night, to see all of our fans come together along with our friends and family and make that state run, it was really cool to see.”
At Southern Illinois, Fay
concluded his career ranked 27th in scoring with 1,165 points. He averaged 12.7 points and 4 rebounds in his senior season.
Highlights included when he scored 16 points and hit a jumper with two seconds left to defeat Northern Iowa, and the time he exploded for 33
points against Illinois State, both in his senior year.
Fay is now a lawyer who works for the Disparti Law Group in Chicago.
“Southern Illinois was a lot of fun,” Fay said. “We had some really good players, especially in my freshman year, when we played in the NIT.”
• Legendary boys and girls tennis coach at OTHS who coached the sport at the school from 1958 to 2000
• Under his 41 years as coach, boys program won 36 district/sectional titles, including 16 consecutive from 1960-75; program had nine consecutive top 10 finishes at state
• Girls program won 23 district/sectional titles in a 26-year span; finished in the top 10 at state twice
• Member of Ottawa HS Hall of Fame, IHSA Tennis Coaches Hall of Fame, Illinois State University Athletic Hall of Fame and recipient of Illinois High School Tennis Coaches Association Lifetime Achievement Award
By Andy TavegiaJust outside the courts that now don his name, there is a sign that shows the impact Tom Henderson had on the Ottawa tennis program. It shows the numerous sectional championships and state top 10 finishes, many of which were under the watchful eye of Ottawa’s legendary coach from 1958 through 2000.
And that’s just the team finishes.
It doesn’t show the countless doubles and singles entries that have medaled in state competition.
Ask his son, who himself played for one of this year’s inductees into Shaw Media’s Illinois Valley Sports Hall of Fame, how Tom Henderson was able to accomplish this and the answer is pretty simple. He knew how to get the very best out of each and every player, be it the state title contender or the No. 3 doubles team.
“He had high goals,” said Tom Henderson Jr. “My personal story with that is that he made goals for me that when he made them, I thought, ‘You’ve gotta be kidding me. Are you crazy or something?’ And the other thing is he was committed to those goals. He worked with you, and he talked with you. He motivated you to pursue those goals. I think he was really good about that, whether it was ‘Don Harris and Brad Riley, you guys are going to win state and this is why I think you can do it.’ He would just keep coming up and coming up and talking
See HENDERSON page 36
FROM PAGE 35
about it, motivating you.”
“How I would describe it is in your mind and in your dreams you are capable of X, and he would take it just one step higher than X.”
Don Harris, who teamed with Brad Riley to place third in Illinois doubles during the 1970 season and second the following year, recalled a perfect instance of this in a story written by Brian Hoxsey of The Times in 2021.
Prior to the 1971 season, Tom Henderson had a meeting with a talented Pirates squad.
“He told us he’s already had teams before go undefeated, win the NCIC, win districts and finish in the top five in the state, but he’s never had a team accomplish all four in the same season. He thought we could do it, and that was our goal.”
He was so accomplished that he is just one of three individuals to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Illinois Tennis Coaches Association and also is a member of that hall of fame.
But there was something else about Henderson that may have been even more important than state hardware or wins and losses. It’s the impact he had on individuals.
This was illustrated so perfectly by Bill Jansen in a story Jansen told Tom Henderson Jr. after his dad’s memorial service in 2021.
Years before Jansen’s son, Jeff, took third as the best
singles finisher in Pirates history, Bill was a young son of a single mom with a 9-to-5 job that didn’t pay much living on Ottawa’s west side. He didn’t have much until Tom Henderson saw him playing tennis at a park as a freshman and asked him to come out for the tennis team.
Bill said Tom Henderson would make a special effort to make sure he was doing OK.
He even paid his way into summer tennis tournaments and got him a new racquet when his broke, something he couldn’t afford otherwise.
As a senior, Bill said his coach spoke to the players about going to college, something that was not at all on the family’s radar due to the financial commitment. Tom went out of his way to get him a scholarship to play tennis, something he used to get his degree in radiology. He now is a radiologist in Ottawa.
“That’s just one individual my dad took under his wing and went out of his way to change the trajectory of his life from where it probably would’ve gone had he not done that,” Tom Henderson Jr. said of the story. “That was a real touching story.”
The lessons of Tom Henderson and assistant Lyle Guenther – for whom the tennis courts were named in 2021 – still continue to this day through the likes of coaches like Steve Johnson and Matt Gross. In fact, it was Johnson and Gross who pushed for the courts to be named in their honor.
“He had high goals. My personal story with that is that he made goals for me that when he made them, I thought, ‘You’ve gotta be kidding me. Are you crazy or something?’ And the other thing is he was committed to those goals. He worked with you, and he talked with you. He motivated you to pursue those goals.”
Tom Henderson Jr.
Congratulation
John Pocivasek, Tom Henderson,
the 1966 Ottawa High School Football Team and All Class of 2023 Inductees
from Ottawa Mayor Robert Hasty and Ottawa City Council Members
Wayne A Eichelkraut, Jr.
Thomas G. Ganiere
Marla K. Pearson
Brent F. Barron
cityofottawa.org
• A 1969 Mendota graduate, was a three-time all NCIC selection and led conference in scoring three times
• All-time leading scorer in Mendota history (2,158 points), All-State player senior season, honorable mention for All-American status
• Played basketball at Northern Illinois University for three seasons
• Coached boys basketball at MHS for 1982-83 season, won regional title
• Member of the IBCA Hall of Fame and Northern Illinois University Hall of Fame
By Brandon LaChanceWhen Don Hamel looks out a window of his Hallettsville, Texas, home in January and doesn’t see snow or frost, he doesn’t think about Mendota.
But when he is asked about his playing days or has flashbacks, Mendota and the Illinois Valley can’t be blocked or avoided.
Hamel, a 1969 Mendota High School graduate, became synonymous with basketball excellence in the area as he scored 2,158 points in his prep career, which remains the all-time scoring record at MHS.
“I just shot a lot,” Hamel said. “Coach Bob Beals never told me not to shoot. He always encouraged me to shoot. We ran and pressed, so that helped, too. When you came to Mendota, the gym was always about 95 degrees. We were used to it, so we ran and pressed, and wore everyone down.
“We used it as a home-court advantage. We were sold out all the time. It was rocking and rolling. It was a great place to grow up and play basketball. We had great fans and a great following.”
Hamel attributes his record, his skill and his love for athletics to the people around him and his era.
If it wasn’t raining or miserably cold, Hamel and the boys were playing something.
“On my senior year team, we had Jerry Pohl and Rick Jacobs starting as sophomores and they went on to be a part of the great
Mendota team in 1971,” Hamel said. “We had several young great players playing with us, and my class was pretty good also. We were good because we never stopped playing.
“Back then we lived and died on the basketball court. We didn’t have laptops and cell phones. We lived in the gym. We were gym rats. We played basketball all the time. If you didn’t, you were playing baseball or getting a football game together. We never sat in the house. We had so many athletes because so many were participating.”
Hamel could have been a Class of 2023 inductee into Shaw Media’s Illinois Valley Sports Hall of Fame with his MHS career alone as he also was a football player and was a member of the track and field team.
However, the HOF resume was enhanced when he played basketball at Northern Illinois University.
“I really enjoyed NIU,” Hamel said. “Again, I played with excellent people. Our team is in the NIU Hall of Fame. Local guys were
there such as Putnam County’s Jerry Zielinski and Art Rohlman from Ottawa Marquette. I played with the great Jim Bradley (1975 ABA champion) and Billy Harris (drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 1973).
“It was awesome. It was a fun team. We ran and pressed there also, which is what I liked to do. We were very successful, had excellent seasons and a great following. We were sold out all the time. It’s hard not to get pumped up for that.”
After NIU, Hamel coached the MHS boys basketball team to a regional title during the 1982-83 season.
Afterward, he moved to Hallettsville, where he has resided for 46 years.
He retired in May 2022 after 42 years of coaching and teaching. The last 20 years were at Rice Consolidated High School in Altair, Texas.
The school still sees Mr. or Coach Hamel as he drives a school bus in the morning, helps with power lifting and assists at track meets.
However, he’s not seen on
a full-time basis these days because the golf course calls his name a little more frequently.
“I’ve enjoyed everything that I’ve done. I would still be coaching and teaching, but they added more duties and what you’re expected to be doing above and beyond the teaching aspect,” Hamel said. “I knew there would be a time and day when I’d say, ‘That’s enough.’ I reached that point and walked away.”
Hamel is one of two Mendota inductees in the Class
of 2023.
“It was a nice surprise when I was told I was being inducted into the Hall of Fame,” Hamel said. “I wasn’t really expecting anything. Willie Hanson, who is a great friend of mine, was inducted last year and there are several great people who are in the Hall of Fame. Larry Corrigan, who is going in this year, was one of my best friends in school. He was a great athlete and baseball player and became a great coach.”
Sledding. FarmersMarkets. NightHikes. Campfires.Fishing. Tournaments. Pickleball.Acoustic Nights. Wine &CheeseSocial. Road Rally. Golf Outing.5K/3K. HauntedHouse.Canoing Anything That Floats. Horseshoes. PettingZoo.Wagon Rides. Aqua Zumba. Playgrounds. Karaoke.FamilyFun Night. Coffee Hour.Clubs. DJs. ScavengerHunts. Kayaking.Etc
• Legendary volleyball coach at L-P and Lostant who also coached girls basketball
• Has more than 1,000 career wins in volleyball, 19 regional titles and four sectional titles
• Led Cavaliers to three state trophies in 33 seasons (fourth in 1990, second in 2013, fourth in 2015), 14 of his 33 seasons his team has won 30 or more games
• Fifth coach in state history to reach 1,000 wins, third to do it at a public school
• Inaugural member of Illinois High School Volleyball Coaches Hall of Fame
By Brandon LaChanceTo this day, Mark Haberkorn has always been involved in sports.
Whether he is watching, playing or coaching, a day hasn’t gone by in his life where something athletic was done, viewed or advised.
“I like watching sports. I like playing sports. I like coaching sports. Sports are something I’ve always liked, and in different ways,” said Haberkorn, whose nickname is Habs. “I don’t have a lot of hobbies. I really enjoy coaching, and it’s still something that I have a passion for every season.
“When I lose the desire or the enthusiasm, then it will be time for me to retire. Right now, I’m still enjoying the coaching aspect of volleyball year in and year out.”
For 33 seasons and counting, Habs’ love for competition has been shown on the court and in the record books as the La Salle-Peru volleyball coach.
This past season, Haberkorn became the fifth coach in Illinois and the third at a public school to reach 1,000 career wins.
Each match the Cavaliers won put the legendary coach one step closer to becoming a member of Shaw Media’s Illinois Valley Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2023.
“I think our tradition of 34 straight winning seasons played a major role in how we maintain success,” Haberkorn said. “Winning becomes a habit. Tradition brings expectation and motivation for future volleyball squads to maintain the winning streak. I think our volleyball tradition brings an attitude, confidence and challenge to continue leaving a positive legacy.
“We have an unbelievable number of players who have gone on and played volleyball at the college level. We had great teams. We’ve had 14 seasons with 30 or more wins. We’ve had excellent coaches. All of our assistant coaches have played varsity volleyball and some have played in college.
“Awards and honors such as being named to a hall of fame are not a one-person accomplishment. It’s a program achievement. It’s all the players and all of the coaches that have been involved in the program throughout the years. I may be the one getting the award, but they should realize it’s because of them, too.”
Every time Habs begins a new season, he views the team the same as he did the previous year.
There are no goals to win a regional title or sectional title.
“Make it to state” isn’t written on a dry erase board.
The only expectation he has is for every player on his team to become a better
HABERKORN page 42
FROM PAGE 41
volleyball player with every practice and every match.
This mentality, the great players and the accomplished assistant coaches mixed with Haberkorn have led to 19 regional titles, four sectional titles and three trips to the IHSA State Tournament (1990, 2013, 2015).
“When asked about the state teams and why we got to the state tournament, I always say, ‘Right place, right time,’” Haberkorn said. “I think there are three things that contribute to those runs and making it far into the postseason. You have to be healthy, have to be playing your best volleyball and there has to be some luck involved where you get a break here and a break there that could be a difference between winning and losing.
“I can’t say there is any one real reason why we went to state with those teams
and not the others. It was the right place and the right time. It was our turn. We’ve had a lot of great teams. We’ve also ran into great teams that it was their turn for it to be their year.”
Besides the trust he instills in his players to become better volleyball players every day, Haberkorn also expects them to take academics just as serious as athletics.
Actually, the coach may put student as a higher priority than athlete just as the term student-athlete orders the titles.
It comes back to tradition and Haberkorn pushing the Cavs to success.
“Not only am I proud of the success we’ve had on the court, I’m just as proud of our achievements in the classroom. Both are very important to our program,” Haberkorn said. “Our varsity team earned the IHSA Academic Honors for the 17th straight year. Our grade point average this year was 3.76.”
The City of Peru is proud of our community’s outstanding athletes.
We salute this year’s inductees and their contribution to local sports and beyond.
Mayor: Ken Kolowski
City Clerk: Dave Bartley
Treasurer: Jackson Powell
1ST WARD ALDERMEN: Jeff Ballard
2ND WARD ALDERMEN: Tom Payton
3RD WARD ALDERMEN: Mike Sapienza
4TH WARD ALDERMEN: Jim Lukosus
Bob Tieman
Jason Edgcomb
Rick O’Sadnick
Andy Moreno
• After a star prep career at SBA, he was a legendary figure who was a multi-sport coach & AD at Marquette for 38 years
• Coached football, basketball, baseball, track and field & golf at varsity and underclassmen levels
• Served as AD from 1956-75 & 1981-90; also ran Marquette Holiday Tournament for two decades
• Marquette Hall of Fame was named in his honor in 1988 –John Pocivasek Hall of Fame
• Member of the Illinois Football Coaches Hall of Fame, IBCA Hall of Fame & St. Bede Hall of Fame
By Andy TavegiaThere’s a reason John Pocivasek is called “Mr. Marquette.”
A man with more than six decades of playing, coaching and teaching in the Illinois Valley, this year’s honoree of the Lanny Slevin Lifetime Achievement Award in the Shaw Media’s Illinois Valley Sports Hall of Fame found his hands involved in just about every sport.
Sure, he may be most known as the Crusaders football coach for 14 years in the 1950s and 60s or as the school’s athletic director during two different stints, but that’s just the beginning. Be it football, baseball, basketball or even track and field, Mr. Marquette plugged holes where Marquette and its students needed it most.
Take for instance one of the brightest eras of Marquette basketball.
The 1970s under legendary coach Bob Strickland served as a golden era for Crusaders hoops. The program had seven seasons of 20 wins or more with three sectional titles, eight regional titles and a second-place finish in Class A during the 1973-74 season.
However, one of the most memorable of those teams can give partial credit to Pocivasek.
During the 1972-73 season, Strickland had a heart attack early in the season. He returned to the bench only to be hospitalized again with the flu in mid-January.
While Strickland managed to return to coach Marquette to the super sectional for the first time in school history, Pocivasek kept the Crusaders on the right course during an amazing 28-2 season.
“He really wound up doing a great job,” said Marty Brown, a starter on that squad. “We knew we had a good team, but when your coach has a heart attack, that can play with your mind a little bit. But he kept us focused and on the right track. He helped save the season for us.”
Such devotion is why in 1988 former AD Jeff Johnson decided to name
the school’s athletic hall of fame in Pocivasek’s honor — John Pocivasek Athletic Hall of Fame.
Pocivasek’s imprint on the Illinois Valley began before Marquette, however. He was a decorated athlete at St. Bede during the 1930s and began surfacing as early as 1946 in game programs and yearbooks as an assistant at St. Bede to Bron Bacevich, also a Class of 2023 inductee for the IV Sports HOF.
Tom Pocivasek, one of John’s six children, said his father learned quite a bit from Bacevich, lessons he carried with him over to Marquette beginning in 1953 as both the baseball and football coach.
That was the beginning of a match made in heaven, according to Tom.
The answer as to why was simple to Pat Whalen, a 1970 Marquette graduate who knew Pocivasek for many years and had him both as a teacher and also as a baseball coach.
“He was very caring of his students,” Whalen said. “He
was disciplined. You had to be disciplined, but kids just believed in him and would go through a wall for him.
“He really believed in the school and in catholic education. He was tough and stern, but he really cared for kids.”
His legacy was evident upon his passing in 2009. Tom said there was a line out the back door of St. Columba Church of those from St. Bede, Marquette and city of Ottawa wanting to pay their respects to “Mr. Marquette.”
“It was a never-ending and winding line through the church,” Tom said. “I don’t know how many people, but we were there a long time. Everybody had a story about him. All ages, all walks of life. That’s when you really realize how many lives he touched. How many wakes do you go to where people are in their 90s? You might have immediate family and some close friends, and that’s all you have in there. I knew there would be a lot of people. I just had that feeling, and I was right.”
• Won Class A state title under legendary coach Rita Placek
• Squad finished 36-2-1, beating Breese Mater Dei in state quarterfinal, Colchester in state semifinal & Huntley in state title game
• Remains only team state championship in PHS history, one of two female state championships in area history
By Brandon LaChanceThis may just look like a list of names.
But in the history books and now Shaw Media’s Illinois Valley Sports Hall of Fame with their induction into the Class of 2023, Rita Placek, Nicole Coates, Rachael Longman, Tina Forth, Karen Flaherty, Kerry Sluis, Shannon Sapp, Stephanie Windt, Ann Gillespie, Tonya Gewin, Marnie Swanson, Sacha Esme, Marla Wood, Jennifer Segerstrom, Michelle Goodwin, Kim Norell, Melissa Maile and the 1990 Princeton volleyball team symbolize much more than consonants and vowels.
“We’re really excited about it. It’s nice to be able to reminisce,” said Nicole (Coates) Schaefbauer, who went on to play volleyball at the University of Notre Dame and has been with the Illinois Elementary School Association for the last 25 years, including the last two as the executive director. “It has created an opportunity for all of us old teammates to reconnect. We’re all looking forward to seeing each other.
“For all of us who were on the team, it was always the thought of, ‘One game at a time,’ and we really just had so much fun being together. I don’t know if we ever had a thought of us winning the state championship. When we were playing it was, ‘Hey, let’s keep going, enjoy going as far as we
See PRINCETON page 48
can, and see what we can do.’ It’s nice to look back at it now and see the impact that the team had and the accomplishment that it was.”
The Tigresses finished 1990 with a 36-2-1 record and won the IHSA Class A State Championship after defeating Breese Mater Dei in the state tournament quarterfinal, Colchester in the semifinal and Huntley in the championship.
Although the 1990 team became epic, legendary coach Rita Placek saw the pieces being put together as far back as 1987.
“By 1990, I was starting my 18th season, so I had quite a few years under my belt already and had some success leading up to this team as we had made the super sectional in 1987, 1988 and 1989,” said Placek, who held the reins of Princeton volleyball from 1973-98. “The 1990
team had four returning starters from the 1989 team, and they worked very well together by that time. All of the starters were highly skilled, very competitive, extremely smart on and off of the court, had a lot of confidence, hardworking and willing to be coached. They were just a great group of kids to work with.”
Not only did Placek have players with experience, she had depth as every player on the roster played a part.
Placek, Schaefbauer and Tina (Forth) Heller all said each player was deserving of a state title.
“It was quite an amazing year for all of us and a lot of the Princetonites,” said Heller, who went on to play volleyball, basketball and softball at Monmouth College after joining Scheafbauer and Karen (Flaherty) Corey (played at the Naval Academy) on the IHSA AllState Team. “It started at the beginning of the year. Coach had us visualize where we saw ourselves at the end of the year. We
talked about our goals aloud. It was a unanimous goal to make it to the state tournament and win. We had really awesome, dedicated athletes that were at the top of their game when they needed to be at their peak. We had strong hitters, back-row specialists, and we were very fortunate to have it all covered.
“We were close-knit. We believed in each other. We believed each teammate was going to do their job. When someone was struggling, we would tell them to brush it off and we’d get back to it. We didn’t fester in negative attitudes.”
Placek also made the 1990 schedule different than the previous volleyball calendars.
“We were starting to get noticed since we had played in three straight super sectionals. Since I knew I had all of these starters coming back, I beefed up our schedule,” Placek said. “Looking back at that time, eight teams in the NCIC were Class AA schools. We
opened against Metamora and then we were in the Montini tournament where we beat Glenbard East, which was state ranked in AA. Then we were in the Chicago Latin tournament, which was great because we got exposure to a lot of Chicago schools and it was the first tournament where we stayed overnight. We did what we could to get tougher teams on the schedule to help us get better.”
Between the packed gym during every home match, the closeness of the teammates, the hard work at every practice, the studying on the bus toward a match, snores on the bus ride home, the state championship, the parade and the community support, each Tigress remembers 1990 fondly.
“It’s really hard to believe that we are one of the few that have experienced the wonder of a state championship,” Placek said. “It’s very, very special. Sometimes we still have to pinch ourselves to make sure that it really happened.”
• After a standout playing career at DePue and IVCC, he became a legendary basketball coach
• Coached DePue boys basketball from 1974-78 & 1979-84, finished with a record of 145-90, won two regionals and a sectional
• Coached basketball at Hall where he compiled a 277238 record in 19 seasons, including two straight Class A runner-up finishes in 199697 and 1997-98
• Was ranked No. 1 in 1997-98, won their first 32 games before falling in the state title game.
By Brandon LaChance
There is a story Eric Bryant has never forgotten. Others like to hear it, but it brings up bad memories. “I got a brand-new outdoor basketball for Christmas when I was in the fourth grade,” Bryant recalls. “I couldn’t wait to get to the blacktop and bring the ball to show the guys because I knew it was going to be a big hit. They picked teams, and I didn’t get picked. But they used my ball.
“I told my dad and he said, ‘Well, you just have to get better, kid.’ I like to think I got better.”
Bryant, a 1966 DePue High School graduate, improved his skills on the basketball court every season and became a standout, not only for DePue but for the entire Illinois Valley.
The motivation and drive led him to playing at IVCC and then transferring to Western State Colorado University on a full scholarship. Bryant played with his older brother, Leonard “Lenny” Bryant, at both IVCC and Western State.
“I heard I was a standout several times, but I don’t know. I just played basketball because I loved it,” Eric Bryant said. “I ended up playing rugby and softball, too, because of the love for sports. I grew up in an era with a lot of great guys.
• At Hall, had 10 winning seasons, six regional titles, three sectional titles and the two state appearances, won the school’s first NCIC championship
• Member of the IBCA Hall of Fame, Hall High School Hall of Fame
“Basketball was my favorite sport. I used to leave my house at 8:30 a.m. with a gallon jug of water and sometimes I’d take a sandwich with me or I’d come home for a little break for a sandwich. We spent the entire day playing ball.”
Eric Bryant’s playing days are part of the reason he is a Class of 2023 inductee into Shaw Media’s Illinois Valley Sports Hall of Fame, but not solely as he became a legendary high school boys basketball coach.
See BRYANT page 50
Before he graduated college, Bryant received a call from then-DePue superintendent, Bob Davis, who offered him the varsity coaching job.
Bryant led DePue to a 145-90 record, two regional titles and a sectional during his two coaching stints from 1974-78 and 1979-84.
The player turned coach led Wenona in 1978-79 and found a new home at Hall High School when he left DePue in 1984.
“We were the smallest school in the North Central Illinois Conference. There were 14 teams in the conference at the time, and we were the smallest,” Bryant said. “It was competitive, but I really think playing strong teams made us better.
“As my father always said, ‘You don’t get stronger by picking up sticks.’”
The Red Devils were eventually able to pick up boulders.
Bryant coached Hall to a 277-238 record in 19 seasons and led the 1996-97 and 1997-98 teams to runner-up finishes in the IHSA Class A State Tournament.
In 1997-98, the Red Devils went 32-1 with the one loss being the state title game.
“It was an exciting time for Hall High School,” Bryant said. “Shawn Jeppson was on
those teams. A lot of people don’t remember, but in the 1998 championship game the cameraman got in there a little too close. When the starting lineup was being announced, the sixth man went to the end of the line and the starters would run out and bump his chest. When Shawn came out and bumped the sixth man’s chest, he put his
arms out, hit the camera because it was too close, and he had a slice between his index finger and his middle finger. It was bleeding and he had to come out of the game a lot in the first half. At halftime, he was given three stitches. He was given Novocain and it didn’t work out for feeling in his hand and his shooting.”
Although he is proud of his athletic and coaching accomplishments, Bryant is proud of the home life he maintained throughout the years.
Bryant and his wife Annabelle had five children in Christian, Bernadette (taught in Ottawa), Leonard, Eric (the current Hall athletic director who was on the two Red Devil state teams), and Carolyn.
The support of his family was instrumental through the journey.
“I am honored to be in the Hall of Fame. I was surprised at first,” Bryant said. “My wife, Annabelle, was there when I was told I was being inducted into the Illinois Valley Hall of Fame. It’s a great honor.”
• In 1967-68, Eric averaged 18 points and 9 rebounds on the 19-win, 3-loss Apaches
• With running mates Dennis Teeters and brother Lenny Bryant, IVCC averaged 94 points a game and was ranked No. 1 in the state and 7th in the nation
• Apaches head coach in 1973
Village of DePue
DePue Men’s Club
Happ Family Foundation
Hall High School
La Salle-Peru High School
McDonald’s - Spring Valley, Mendota & Princeton
State Farm - Kurt Bruno
Marquette Academy
Maze Lumber
Grassers Plumbing & Heating
Ottawa High School
Mendota Booster Club
Sullivan’s Foods – Mendota & Princeton
Princeton High School/Princeton Tiger Athletic Booster Club
Ohio Community Schools
Eureka Savings Bank
St. Bede Academy
Judd Construction
The Locker Room
1961 Undefeated Tiskilwa Football Team
Prescott Brothers
Joe Rutgens, La Salle-Peru
Eric Siebert, La Salle-Peru
J.A. Happ, St. Bede
Shawn Jeppson, Hall
Kailey Klein, Hall
Steve Safranski, Putnam County
Bill Brown, Mendota
Nicole (Coates) Schaefbauer, Princeton
Gil Love, Ottawa
Bill Novak, Ottawa
Bob Guyette, Marquette
Doug Dieken, Streator
Chuck Rolinski, Toluca
1979 IVCC Football Team
1995 Hall Football Team
Louis Rios, Lanny Slevin Lifetime Achievement Award
1925 La Salle-Peru Football Team, Legacy Team
Leo Cahill, La Salle-Peru
John Skibinski, La Salle-Peru
Jim Mini, St. Bede
Gary Vicini, Hall
Carol Pratt, Fieldcrest/Putnam County
Willie Hanson, Mendota
Donald “Rusty” Wells, Ottawa
Lew Flinn, Princeton
Vince McMahon, IVCC
Gerald “Chips” Giovanine, Bureau, Western, La Salle-Peru
1988 St. Bede Baseball Team
1983 Streator Softball Team
Robert “Bo” Windy, Lanny Slevin Lifetime Achievement Award
Howard Fellows, La Salle-Peru, Legacy Award - Individual
Richard Nesti, Hall, Legacy Award - Individual
Mike Goff, La Salle-Peru
Gary Novak, La Salle-Peru
Ken Gorgal, St. Bede
D.J. Glynn, Hall
Jerry Zielinski, Putnam County
Ron Zagar, DePue
Ray Jauch, Mendota
Joe Ruklick, Princeton
Dean Riley, Ottawa/IVCC
Zami (Mogill) Hay, Streator
1985-86 Ohio Boys Basketball Team
Mary Dagraedt, Lanny Slevin Lifetime Achievement Award
Art Kimball, Distinguished Media Award
Lowell “Pops” Dale, Legacy Award - Individual
1945 Walnut Football Team, Legacy Award - Team
