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===Water Polo===
===Water Polo===
'''State Champions'''<ref name="IHSA Boys Water Polo Champs & Runners Up">[http://www.ihsa.org/activity/wpb/records/team1-2.htm Boys Water Polo Champions & Runners-Up, @ ihsa.org; accessed 7 October 2008]</ref>
'''State Champions'''<ref name="IHSA Boys Water Polo Champs & Runners Up">[http://www.ihsa.org/activity/wpb/records/team1-2.htm Boys Water Polo Champions & Runners-Up, @ ihsa.org; accessed 7 October 2008]</ref>
ISA State Champions <ref>[http://www.illinoiswaterpolo.net/2007.pdf Illinois Water Polo] at Illinois Water Polo 2007 All-State Banquet. Retrieved 18 September 2008.</ref>
* 1974 - Fenwick
* 1975 - Mount Carmel
* 1976 - Fenwick
* 1977 - Fenwick
* 1978 - Loyola
* 1980 - Brother Rice
* 1981 - Brother Rice
* 1982 - Brother Rice
* 1983 - Brother Rice
* 1984 - Brother Rice
* 1985 - Brother Rice
* 1986 - Brother Rice
* 1987 - St. Laurence
* 1988 - Brother Rice
* 1989 - Brother Rice
* 1990 - Fenwick
* 1991 - Fenwick
* 1992 - Fenwick
* 1993 - Fenwick
* 1994 - Brother Rice
* 1995 - Brother Rice
* 1996 - Brother Rice
* 1997 - St. Patrick
* 1998 - Brother Rice
* 1999 - Fenwick
* 2000 - Fenwick
IHSA State Champions
* 2001&ndash;02 - Fenwick
* 2001&ndash;02 - Fenwick
* 2002&ndash;03 - Brother Rice
* 2002&ndash;03 - Brother Rice

Revision as of 21:41, 2 January 2009

The Chicago Catholic League (CCL) is a high school athletic conference based in Chicago, Illinois, USA. All of the schools are currently part of the Illinois High School Association, the governing body for Illinois scholastic sports. While some of the schools are coeducational institutions, the conference only supports athletics for male teams.

The CCL is perhaps best known for its dominance in football, water polo, and wrestling. Since the IHSA began a state football tournament in 1974, the CCL has placed first or second more than any conference or league in the state. Since 2002 when the IHSA first sponsored a state tournament in water polo, the CCL has not failed to win the state title for boys. Since 1984, when the IHSA moved to a dual team state series in wrestling (previously, the team champion was based on the advancement of individuals in the individual state tournament), the CCL has also finished first or second more than any conference or league.

The conference is also noteworthy for some of its alumni which include stars of the past like Cy Young Award winning pitcher Denny McLain and Basketball Hall of Fame member Moose Krause. It also includes more contemporary athletes such as NBA star Corey Maggette and All-Pro quarterback Donovan McNabb. Perhaps the conference's most accomplished alum is Duke University mens basketball coach, Mike Krzyzewski.

History

The Chicago Catholic League was formed in 1912 as a way to give the all-male Catholic schools of the area interscholastic competition. The move to form the league was precipitated when the dominant high school league in the metropolitan area, the Cook County High School League, rejected the application of two Catholic high schools. Early in the fall of 1912 St. Ignatius Academy and DePaul Academy applied to join the Cook County League, and found that their applications were subject to a “delay.” The Catholic schools could smell a whiff of anti-Catholicism in the league’s rejection, and a movement began in early October to form a football league. They gathered eight schools for the groundbreaking meeting—DePaul Academy, St Ignatius Academy, St Rita’s College, St. Cyril’s College (which would become Mount Carmel), Cathedral High, St. Philips High, Loyola Academy,, and De la Salle Institute—but could not get together on the particulars of the league to form a football league.

Finally, in the third week of November, the schools managed to form a league and drew up a schedule of games in basketball and indoor baseball. The founding members of the league were St. Stanislaus, De la Salle, DePaul, St. Ignatius, St. Cyril, St. Philips, and Cathedral. Loyola Academy did not initially join. By the spring when a baseball schedule was drawn up, Holy Trinity and Loyola had joined the league, but Cathedral dropped out, leaving an eight-team circuit. In the fall of 1913, the league introduced football. By the following year, league champion DePaul, felt feisty enough to invite St. John’s Preparatory from Danvers, Massachusetts, to Chicago to engage in an intersectional contest. DePaul narrowly lost the game, but it demonstrated to the league that its program was thriving. More schools joined the circuit before the decade was up, St. Patrick in 1913, and St. Mel in 1918.

Because the Catholic school population relative to the mainstream public secondary schools and the private school was more an immigrant and working class population, the sports that the league initially sponsored reflected this demographic makeup. For example, during the first four years of the league’s existence, only baseball, basketball, indoor baseball, and football were offered. Basketball was the most robust sport, as the league not only provided for heavyweight and lightweight schedules, but also bantamweight (added in 1919) and flyweight competition (added in the early 1920s). The Chicago Public High School League and Suburban League offered basketball only in the heavyweight and lightweight classes, after experimenting only a few years with a bantamweight class. The Catholic League added track and field in 1917, but it was not until 1924 that three “country club” sports were added to the league’s schedule—golf, tennis, and swimming. The addition of these sports brought the league up to the level of offerings by the Chicago and Suburban public leagues, which helped raise in the Catholic minds anyway that they were fully American, and fully worthy of being treated as equals. The 1920s also saw the addition of more schools to the league—St. George, Joliet De la Salle, and Fenwick.

Some of the schools that formed the league are still around today and have enjoyed great athletic and academic success. Some of the charter schools that remain as of the end of the 2006-07 school year include Chicago Mt. Carmel, St. Rita of Cascia, De La Salle HS, and St. Ignatius College Prep. Prior to 1974, when the Illinois state football playoffs began, other schools that participated in the league but have since left or have closed include Holy Trinity of Chicago, St. Mel's of Chicago, St. George HS of Evanston, St. Phillip HS of Chicago, and De Paul Academy. Also, Mendel Catholic Prep School was a long time member of the CCL until a name change in the 1990s turned it into St Martin de Porres HS; that campus is now under Chicago Public League auspices as Gwendolyn Brooks Prep. Archbishop Weber (originally St. Stanislaus) was also a long time member of the CCL until shutting down for good before the 1998 school year. St. Francis de Sales of Chicago, Hales Franciscan HS and Seton Prep are also members of the league.

Member schools

Top finishes at the IHSA state tournament

Baseball

State Champions[1]

  • 1975–76 • Brother Rice (Class AA)
  • 1977–78 • Providence Catholic (Class A)
  • 1981–82 • Providence Catholic (Class A)

State Runner-up[1]

  • 1980–81 • Brother Rice (Class AA)
  • 1988–89 • Bishop McNamara (Class A)
  • 2004–05 • Mount Carmel (Class AA)

Basketball

State Champions[2]

  • 1978–79 • Providence Catholic (Class A)
  • 1984–85 • Providence-St. Mel (Class A)
  • 1984–85 • Mount Carmel (Class AA)
  • 2002–03 • Hales Franciscan (Class A)
  • 2003–04 • Leo (Class A)

State Runner-up[2]

  • 1981–82 • Mendel Catholic (Class AA)
  • 1987–88 • St. Francis De Sales (Class AA)
  • 1989–90 • Gordon Tech (Class AA)
  • 1992–93 • Hales Franciscan (Class A)

The 2004–05 Class A title was stripped from Hales Franciscan after it was determined that the school had not been approved by the Illinois State Board of Education between 2003 and 2005.[3][4]

Cross country

State Runner-up[5]

  • 1982–83 • St. Ignatius (Class AA)

Football

The Chicago Catholic League is divided into a Blue, a White, and Green divisions. The Blue includes Brother Rice, Loyola, Mount Carmel, St. Rita, and Providence. The White includes DeLaSalle, (Oak Park) Fenwick, St. Ignatius, (Kankakee) Bishop McNamara, and (Burbank) St. Laurence. The Green includes (River Grove) Guerin Prep, Gordon Tech, St. Francis de Sales, (South Holland) Seton Academy, Hales Franciscan, and Leo.

Prep Bowl
The Prep Bowl is a contest played between the Chicago Catholic League and the Chicago Public League and is played at Chicago's Soldier Field. It was established in 1927 and was the premier high school football event in Illinois until the IHSA formed the state championship football playoffs in 1974. Thereafter the Prep Bowl was a contest of also-rans in the Catholic and Public school leagues. It is traditionally played on the Friday after Thanksgiving, which is the same day which the IHSA plays its smaller school state championships in football.

State Champions[6]

  • 1976–77 • St. Laurence (Class 5A)
  • 1978–79 • St. Rita (Class 5A)
  • 1980–81 • Gordon Tech (Class 6A)
  • 1980–81 • Mt. Carmel (Class 5A)
  • 1981–82 • Brother Rice (Class 6A)
  • 1982–83 • Bishop McNamara (Class 3A)
  • 1985–86 • Bishop McNamara (Class 3A)
  • 1986–87 • Bishop McNamara (Class 3A)
  • 1987–88 • Providence Catholic (Class 4A)
  • 1987–88 • Bishop McNamara (Class 3A)
  • 1988–89 • Mt. Carmel (Class 6A)
  • 1989–90 • Mt. Carmel (Class 5A)
  • 1990–91 • Mt. Carmel (Class 5A)
  • 1991–92 • Mt. Carmel (Class 5A)
  • 1991–92 • Providence Catholic (Class 4A)
  • 1993–94 • Loyola Academy (Class 6A)
  • 1994–95 • Providence Catholic (Class 5A)
  • 1995–96 • Providence Catholic (Class 4A)
  • 1996–97 • Mt. Carmel (Class 5A)
  • 1996–97 • Providence Catholic (Class 4A)
  • 1997–98 • Providence Catholic (Class 4A)
  • 1998–99 • Mt. Carmel (Class 5A)
  • 1999–2000 • Mt. Carmel (Class 5A)
  • 2000–01 • Mt. Carmel (Class 5A)
  • 2001–02 • Providence Catholic (Class 6A)
  • 2002–03 • Mt. Carmel (Class 6A)
  • 2002–03 • Providence Catholic (Class 5A)
  • 2004–05 • Providence Catholic (Class 6A)
  • 2006–07 • St. Rita (Class 7A)

State Runner-up[6]

  • 1978–79 • Bishop McNamara (Class 3A)
  • 1979–80 • St. Laurence (Class 5A)
  • 1981–82 • Bishop McNamara (Class 3A)
  • 1985–86 • Brother Rice (Class 6A)
  • 1986–87 • Mt. Carmel (Class 5A)
  • 1992–93 • Loyola Academy (Class 6A)
  • 1995–96 • Mt. Carmel (Class 5A)
  • 1998–99 • Providence Catholic (Class 5A)
  • 1998–99 • Bishop McNamara (Class 4A)
  • 2000–01 • Providence Catholic (Class 5A)
  • 2006–07 • Mt. Carmel (Class 8A)
  • 2007–08 • Mt. Carmel (Class 7A)

From 1980–2000, Class 6A was the largest (by school population) class in Illinois high school football. Class 7A and 8A were added in 2001. From 1974–79, Class 5A was the class for the largest schools.[6]

Golf

State Champions[7]

  • 1986–87 • Loyola Academy (Class AA)
  • 1992–93 • Bishop McNamara (Class A)
  • 1996–97 • Loyola Academy (Class AA)
  • 2000–01 • Loyola Academy (Class AA)
  • 2000–01 • Bishop McNamara (Class A)
  • 2001–02 • Loyola Academy (Class AA)

State Runner-up[7]

  • 1977–78 • Bishop McNamara (Class A)
  • 1988–89 • Bishop McNamara (Class A)
  • 1989–90 • Bishop McNamara (Class A)
  • 1990–91 • Bishop McNamara (Class A)
  • 1991–92 • Loyola Academy (Class AA)
  • 1991–92 • Bishop McNamara (Class A)

Soccer

State Runner-up[8]

  • 2002–03 • Providence Catholic (Class A)

Swimming and diving

State Champions[9]

  • 1989–90 • Fenwick
  • 1990–91 • Fenwick
  • 1991–92 • Fenwick

State Runner-up[9]

  • 1974–75 • Fenwick
  • 1976–77 • Fenwick
  • 1977–78 • Fenwick
  • 1981–82 • Fenwick
  • 1984–85 • Fenwick
  • 1988–89 • Loyola Academy
  • 1992–93 • Fenwick

Tennis

No team has ever placed first or second in the state in tennis.

Track and Field

State Champions[10]

  • 1980–81 • Leo (Class A)
  • 1994–95 • Leo (Class AA)
  • 1997–98 • Leo (Class A Co-Champions)
  • 2001–02 • Leo (Class A)
  • 2002–03 • Leo (Class A)

State Runner-up[10]

  • 1977–1978 • Brother Rice (Class AA)
  • 1999–2000 • Leo (Class A)
  • 2003–04 • Leo (Class A)

Volleyball

Providence Catholic AA(2)

Water Polo

State Champions[11] ISA State Champions [12]

  • 1974 - Fenwick
  • 1975 - Mount Carmel
  • 1976 - Fenwick
  • 1977 - Fenwick
  • 1978 - Loyola
  • 1980 - Brother Rice
  • 1981 - Brother Rice
  • 1982 - Brother Rice
  • 1983 - Brother Rice
  • 1984 - Brother Rice
  • 1985 - Brother Rice
  • 1986 - Brother Rice
  • 1987 - St. Laurence
  • 1988 - Brother Rice
  • 1989 - Brother Rice
  • 1990 - Fenwick
  • 1991 - Fenwick
  • 1992 - Fenwick
  • 1993 - Fenwick
  • 1994 - Brother Rice
  • 1995 - Brother Rice
  • 1996 - Brother Rice
  • 1997 - St. Patrick
  • 1998 - Brother Rice
  • 1999 - Fenwick
  • 2000 - Fenwick

IHSA State Champions

  • 2001–02 - Fenwick
  • 2002–03 - Brother Rice
  • 2003–04 - Fenwick
  • 2004–05 - Fenwick
  • 2005–06 - Fenwick
  • 2006–07 - Fenwick
  • 2007–08 - Fenwick

State Runner-up[11]

  • 2001–02 - Brother Rice

Wrestling

State Champions[13]

  • 1977–78 • Providence Catholic (Class A)
  • 1980–81 • Providence Catholic (Class A)
  • 1987–88 • Providence Catholic (Class AA)
  • 1988–89 • Providence Catholic (Class AA)
  • 1989–90 • St. Laurence (Class AA)
  • 1991–92 • Mount Carmel (Class AA)
  • 1992–93 • Mount Carmel (Class AA)
  • 1993–94 • Mount Carmel (Class AA)
  • 1996–97 • Providence Catholic (Class AA)
  • 1997–98 • Providence Catholic (Class AA)
  • 1998–99 • Providence Catholic (Class AA)
  • 1999–2000 • Providence Catholic (Class AA)
  • 2000–01 • Providence Catholic (Class AA)
  • 2001–02 • Providence Catholic (Class AA)
  • 2002–03 • St. Rita (Class AA)
  • 2003–04 • St. Rita (Class AA)

State Runner-up[13]

  • 1979–80 • Providence Catholic (Class A)
  • 1981–82 • Providence Catholic (Class A)
  • 1989–90 • Providence Catholic (Class AA)
  • 1997–98 • Mount Carmel (Class AA)
  • 2001–02 • Mount Carmel (Class AA)
  • 2002–03 • Providence Catholic (Class AA)
  • 2003–04 • Providence Catholic (Class AA)
  • 2005–06 • St. Rita (Class AA)
  • 2007–08 • Providence Catholic (Class AA)

Notable alumni

Brother Rice

DeLaSalle

Fenwick

Gordon Tech

Hales Franciscan

Holy Cross

Leo

Loyola Academy

Mount Carmel

St. Laurence

St. Rita

  • Chuck Brodnicki - Played RB for the Brooklyn Dodgers
  • Dennis Lick - Former Chicago Bears OL.
  • Tony Simmons - Former University of Wisconsin and NFL wide receiver
  • Ahmad Merritt - NFL wide receiver (Arizona Cardinals), former Chicago Bears and Chicago Rush (Arena League) player
  • Ed Farmer - Former MLB pitcher and current play-by-play voice of the Chicago White Sox
  • Tom Flaherty - Played MLB for the Cincinnati Bengals
  • Nick Etten - Former MLB All-Star first baseman
  • Jim Clancy - Former MLB All-Star pitcher
  • Ron Weissenhofer - Played LB for the New Orleans Saints
  • Bob Zimny - Played tackle for the Chicago Cardinals


Providence Catholic

  • Pete Bercich NFL Linebacker (1995–98, 2000) Minnesota Vikings.
  • Brad Guzan is a goalkeeper who has played for Chivas USA, the US National Team, and for Aston Villa of the English Premier League. Starting goalkeeper for the 2008 U.S. olympic team.
  • Carmen Pignatiello is a Major League Baseball pitcher who has pitched for the Chicago Cubs (2008)
  • Bryan Rekar was a Major League Baseball pitcher (1995–2002).
  • Eric Steinbach - NFL Offensive lineman

Weber

References

  1. ^ a b Boys Baseball Champions and Runners-Up, @ ihsa.org; accessed 7 October 2008
  2. ^ a b Boys Basketball Championship Games, @ ihsa.org; accessed 7 October 2008
  3. ^ IHSA Announcement:Board Approves Class Expansion in 2007-08, Penalizes Hales Franciscan, 11 January 2006; accessed 7 October 2008
  4. ^ IHSA Announcement: Hales Franciscan High School Suspended From IHSA Membership, 23 November 2005; accessed 7 October 2008
  5. ^ Boys Cross Country Team Champions, @ ihsa.org; accessed 7 October 2008
  6. ^ a b c Boys Football Champions and Runners-Up, @ ihsa.org; accessed 7 October 2008
  7. ^ a b Boys Golf Team Champions and Runners-Up, @ ihsa.org; accessed 7 October 2008
  8. ^ Boys Soccer Champions and Runners-Up, @ ihsa.org; accessed 7 October 2008
  9. ^ a b Boys Swimming & Diving Team Champions and Runners-Up, @ ihsa.org; accessed 7 October 2008
  10. ^ a b http://www.ihsa.org/activity/trb/records/team1-2.htm Boys Track & Field Team Champions and Runners-Up, @ ihsa.org; accessed 7 October 2008]
  11. ^ a b Boys Water Polo Champions & Runners-Up, @ ihsa.org; accessed 7 October 2008
  12. ^ Illinois Water Polo at Illinois Water Polo 2007 All-State Banquet. Retrieved 18 September 2008.
  13. ^ a b Boys Wrestling Champions & Runners-Up, @ ihsa.org; accessed 7 October 2008
  14. ^ Mexican wrestler Langowski a true Chicago story, 1 August 2008, Beacon News; accessed 24 August 2008
  15. ^ Couch, Greg, Mexico's one-man gang, 1 August 2008, Chicago Sun-Times; accessed 24 August 2008
  16. ^ Robert Meschbach bio @FCUnitedPremiere.com
  17. ^ IHSA individual all-time boys soccer records
  18. ^ Jitim Young bio @nba.com (dleague)
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