I will say football only-players and coaches. MC's is rough. Obviously Lenti for starters. Maybe Elmer Angsman. Furjanic perhaps. Too difficult.
Who is on Your School's Football Mt. Rushmore?
- Thread starter DeanOfSelection
- Start date
Dennis Moran
Phil Reed
Tim Racki
Julian Love
I mean there's basically two eras to choose from and a coach and player from each seems appropriate.
Phil Reed
Tim Racki
Julian Love
I mean there's basically two eras to choose from and a coach and player from each seems appropriate.
I will say Lenti and Brennan (later ND HC and at helm ending Oklahoma 47 game winning streak)) (but then u do leave Maloney, Carey, Fromhart, Barz out). I really do not know what modern era player to put on there. I will Lenti, Brennan for sure. Maybe Simeon Rice as he was on 5A winners in 90 91 and won SB w Buccaneer shoulda been the MVP
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Great player, but I would say probably no based on high school career alone. Only played in one state championship game. As a high school running back, I would put JRZ in front of him for sure.
I was thinking him..he was a few years before my time, but he is regarded as one of the best LB's ever there. Pretty sure he started on 3 state championship teams. Jeske and Goolsby also come to mind on defense.
I sound like a moron for suggesting that an All-Pro NFL QB would not be included. But I actually think McGrew was better at MC under Lenti's system. Though I was a soph at SR when McNabb played one of the best games i've ever seen when 8-0 MC beat 8-0 SR in 93 at Gately.
I will say: Mel Brosseau (scored game winner '27 Prep Bowl over buried scapular-hence the tradition that continues today), Brennan , Lenti, and then one of Furjanic, Rice, Angsman,
35-20. MC was 7-1 though NcNabb and Clifford huge games. Very cold night at Gately.
who did MC lose to in the regular season? DeLaSalle upset them in the playoffs that year, true? DeLaSalle had a couple big D-1 recruits on that team if i remember correctly.
MC lost week 1 at JC 27-24 blowing a 24-13 lead with like 4 mins left. That was last year of Wed playoff game so week 9 played Rita then Wed then Sat again v DLS. McNabb could barely walk and RT was out.
Those MC v JCA games in the early 90s were awesome.
As a student, LOVED the Wed playoff games. But they were unsafe and unfair. I still blame it in part for SR's loss in 89 vs. CVS
For JC, if coaches included:
Gordie (started it all)
Dan Sharp (6-time state champ as coach....resurrected the program)
John Piazza (starter on 3 state champions at LB)
JR Zwiersynski (key contributor as a soph on state championship team, then the featured back on 2 other state champions)
Gordie (started it all)
Dan Sharp (6-time state champ as coach....resurrected the program)
John Piazza (starter on 3 state champions at LB)
JR Zwiersynski (key contributor as a soph on state championship team, then the featured back on 2 other state champions)
If you include players AND coaches, it's sort of apples and oranges. The challenge is that coaches are usually around for so much longer than players who typically have just one or two years of true greatness. Therefore, a coach's long term impact on the school is going to be greater.
Here is my attempt for Loyola:
Lennie Sachs
Tim Foley
John Hoerster
John Holecek
Not surprisingly, the three Loyola coaches listed are the head coaches with the three longest coaching tenures in Loyola football history.
That may be the first of few instances that the John Potocki-CVS strategy of tanking the Week 9 CPS playoff game actually paid off.
I will remove coaches not because they aren't deserving, their impact has been monumental at Naz but rather for arguments sake I think it should have players.
Julian Love
Phil Reed
LaSteven McKinney
Those 3 seem like no brainers the others are a bit harder.
Lyron Brooks
Bart Cason
Tom O'Brien (transfer back and forth and injuries limited him)
Andrew Winiecki
John Hemmesch (injury SR year hurt him)
Jack Shutack
Michael Owens
Are all names that came up when I asked some Naz people. The 4th would be tough.
Maine South
1. Matt Perez
2. Sean Price
3. Jason Loerzel
4. Matt Alviti/Charlie Goro/Tyler Knight/Tyler Benz/Mark Ori/Dave Butz
If coach included top 3 and Dave Inserra
Can't choose #4
1. Matt Perez
2. Sean Price
3. Jason Loerzel
4. Matt Alviti/Charlie Goro/Tyler Knight/Tyler Benz/Mark Ori/Dave Butz
If coach included top 3 and Dave Inserra
Can't choose #4
Maybe add Jack Byrne from the 63 national championship team. Scored 36 points vs a good CVS team.
Or Billy Marek and Dennis Lick.
Frank Pinn '53. Played on three City Championship teams and held the career rushing record for 47 years.
Driscoll....
Turner
Schwabe
Tranchatella
Arils
Campanella
Kenders
Coaches
Racki
Burzawa
Nudo
Loci
Turner
Schwabe
Tranchatella
Arils
Campanella
Kenders
Coaches
Racki
Burzawa
Nudo
Loci
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Montini....
Westerkamp
Goebel
Thompson
Borsellino
Fugger
Coaches...
Coach A
Bu
Borsellino family
and more coming
Westerkamp
Goebel
Thompson
Borsellino
Fugger
Coaches...
Coach A
Bu
Borsellino family
and more coming
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Jason Aspito over half of those kids, interesting looking Mt Rushmore though.
I'd throw Mike Donato or either of the Cannon brothers into contention for that 4th spot. Curtis Cannon was huge in leading Nazareth's first QF team.
Don't see any way that Donato or Lawrence Cannon belong on that list. Solid players but no where near the resume for something like this. Curtis was huge on that team and a very very good player but overshadowed by McKinney. I honestly don't think they are even guys that belong in this conversation.
Probably not worthy of Mt Rushmore, but it would a discredit to the program to overlook the contribution of Cantwell and Zaleski in the immediate years before Gordie took things to new heights. On the practice field in 1978, Gordie stopped practice and had the team huddle so he could introduce Phil Cantwell (visiting the Chicago area) to the team. Gordie credited him with being instrumental to his success. Cantwell thanked Gordie and told the team that they were fortunate to be playing for the best HS Football coach in the nation. Cantwell's success post JC in California is legendary. He had been the pipeline for talented Catholic boys from Southern California to Notre Dame. John McKay broke the pipeline. I believe in his final years of coaching before leaving for the business world, he coached Pat Haden and JK McKay. Haden lived with the McKay's his Senior year of High School as his father had been transferred. Haden agonized over the decision of going to Notre Dame or USC and USC was his choice.
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Need to include Fr. Dave Dillon. He saved Mt. Carmel from closing in the 70's. After he saved the school, the football program came back to life and became what it is today. If not for Fr. Dave, there is no MC.
What happened in the 70s...........Neighborhood too dangerous? Closing (declining enrollment) of traditional feeder grammar schools in the neighborhoods around MC?
Curtis was the best player in that QF team. Remember that was McKinney's So year still. If a guy like Hemmesch is in the conversation, I'd say Curtis on his level. Different types of players, but both very good. True, as you said Hemmesch had the injury and lost most of his senior year, but those factors need to go into it.
Anyways, as the original thread included coaches, I'll leave my original list as is.