Journal & Topics Media Group

Who’s That? Naming Area Stadiums


You have probably been to a stadium in the area and saw a name on the scoreboard or at the entrance and wondered, who is that?

The Journal is hoping to help out there by breaking down the people who the respective stadiums are named after.

While many schools have stadiums named after people, there are a number of Journal-area stadiums that are not dedicated to anyone. That list includes Stevenson (Stevenson Stadium), Maine East (Memorial Stadium), Maine West (Memorial Stadium), Leyden (West Leyden Stadium), St. Viator (Forest View Stadium) and Wheeling (Wheeling Stadium).

Here’s a look at the 13 Journal-area stadiums dedicated to people, plus one previous stadium:

 

Buffalo Grove

Stadium Name: Grant Blaney Stadium

Who was Grant Blaney?

Grant Robert Blaney, 86, was born Sept. 26, 1934 (Mount Pleasant, MI) and he died peacefully in his home Jan. 12, 2021. He played football, baseball and basketball (earning all-conference honors in all 3 sports) at Amundsen, before going off to college at Iowa State. He earned his master’s degree from Indiana University. Blaney was given the task of being the first head football coach at Buffalo Grove and he wasted little time turning the program into a winner. Blaney won his debut varsity game as head coach of the Bison in 1973, topping rival Prospect. He went on to coach the Bison from 1973-1989 and he still remains the most successful coach in program history. Buffalo Grove won the MSL North under Blaney in 1974, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1986 and 1989. Blaney led Buffalo Grove to a state runner-up finish in 1978 and then won the program and the MSL’s first football state championship in 1986 with a perfect 14-0 record. The 14 wins are a record that will never be broken. He started his coaching career at Amundsen as a volunteer, but his first official coaching job was at Thornridge High School. He was at Thornridge for 8.5 years, coaching sophomore football and basketball, along with varsity track and field. He then spent 5 years at Wheeling High School, coaching the sophomore football team and working as an assistant for the varsity football team. While at Wheeling, he also coached track and basketball. Outside of high school coaching, he also helped coach football in college at Lake Forest, Harper and North Central. The stadium in Buffalo Grove was dedicated in his honor Sept. 23, 2011. Unfortunately for the Bison, they lost 17-10 to Elk Grove in the first game after being dedicated to Blaney.

Former Buffalo Grove coach Grant Blaney addresses the BG team before they took the field against MSL foe Elk Grove in the newly renamed Grant Blaney Stadium.

 

Conant:

Stadium Name: Charles O. Feutz Field

Who was Charles Feutz?

Charles O. “Charlie” Feutz was the first athletic director for Conant, holding the position from 1964 when the school opened until 1985. Feutz, who was born March 25, 1922, had a long career that dealt with athletics, from being a player, coach and later administrator. He graduated from Oak Park High School in 1940, and was honored as an All-State football player and captain of his high school track and football teams. While playing for Oak Park, his teams went 38-0-1. He was part of a state champion relay team in track at Oak Park as well. He graduated from Dubuque University in Dubuque, Iowa, where he was a member of the football and track teams. Feutz earned his master’s degree from Northern Illinois University. He also served in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1946. He started coaching and teaching at Lake Park (IA), before moving over to Illinois. At Lake Park he helped coach football, basketball and baseball. He was hired by Palatine High School in 1952 as an English teacher and coach. He was hired as the freshman football coach for the 1952 season and then took over the head coaching job at Palatine from 1953-1963. Besides football, he was also an assistant coach for boys basketball, wrestling and track. Feutz went on to become the first athletic director at Conant, where he hired coaches such as Mike Fritz (baseball coach 1978-2004; 319 wins), Dick Redlinger (boys basketball 1969-80; 157-110 record), Jack Ary (cross country 1964-99) and Jim Cartwright (wrestling 1974-2000; 421-123-3 record), among others. He even hired Gerald “Chic” Anderson to coach boys basketball for three years. Anderson had an amazing career at Palatine and their stadium is named in his honor. Besides the boys athletics, he also helped kickstart the girls programs after Title IX. His most famous female sports coaching hire was Peggy Scholten, who would go on to coach and teach at Conant for 37 years. Feutz was inducted into the Palatine Athletic Hall of Fame and the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association (IWCOA) Hall of Fame. Feutz died Jan. 11, 2010 at the age of 87 due to complications from Alzheimer’s disease. Conant’s stadium was dedicated in his honor Sept. 27, 1985.

 

Elk Grove

Stadium Name: Robert E. Haskell Stadium

Who was Robert Haskell?

Elk Grove named their stadium after their early principal, Robert “Bob” Edward Haskell. In Jan. 1967, just a few months after the school opened, Haskell was named to succeed Donald Thomas as the head administrator at the school. Thomas took the position of Elk Grove District 59 superintendent. Haskell was an assistant principal at Forest View High School prior to getting the Elk Grove job. He was 42 and living in Mount Prospect, but was already in his 16th year of teaching when he was hired. Haskell was born Oct. 6, 1924 in Chicago Heights. He was the Forest View assistant principal for administrative services for three years. He graduated from magna cum laude in 1950 from Olivet Nazarene College and later earned his master’s degree from University of Chicago in 1962. He previously taught at elementary schools in Glenwood and Steger, before going to Forest View. He also spent one year as an acting assistant principal at Prospect. While at Elk Grove, he also taught United States history. His son Robert Earl Haskell taught math and coached basketball at Hoffman Estates High School. Sadly, Haskell died at age 50 of a heart attack Sunday, Nov. 3, 1974 while hunting near Barrington with a few of his sons. He served in the U.S. Army for 3 years during World War II, where he earned a bronze star. Elk Grove got unanimous approval from the District 214 board Dec. 9, 1974 to rename the stadium: “Robert E. Haskell Memorial Stadium.” The move was made official Sept. 5, 1975. Elk Grove lost the game that day to Larkin 28-6, but the Grenadiers have made many great memories on the field over the last 47 years.

 

Fremd

Stadium Name: Hale Hildebrandt Field

Who was Hale Hildebrandt?

One of the unique stadium namings, coming for a person who wasn’t even alive when Fremd became a four-year school. Fremd opened as a part of Palatine High School in the 1960s and at that time, Hale Hildebrandt was a well-known figure. Hildebrandt was not a teacher or a coach at Palatine, nor did he ever officially work for the school. A July 1964 article called him the No. 1 Palatine Pirate sports fan. For a little over 25 years, Hildebrandt was a super fan who did anything he could to help the athletic programs out. Football, basketball or track, it didn’t matter, Hildebrandt was there to support and uplift the athletes and coaches. Reporter G.A. McElroy said of Hildebrandt in 1964: “Probably no sports fan in Illinois knew more of the fine points of coaching and had a more positive influence for good in a school sports program than did Hildebrandt. His friendly disposition and cooperative attitude made him a friend and supporter of every varsity coach at Palatine in the past two decades.” He was a student at Palatine from 1937-41, serving as a manager to the seventh and eighth grade teams and later spent four years as an athletic manager for the Pirates high school teams. Hildebrandt went to University of Illinois for one year, before returning to Palatine. He was at the school daily when he wasn’t working at a part-time job. He had a deep love of track and helped with the Palatine Relays for over 15 years. “Hildebrandt has become a tradition at Palatine High,” McElroy said in a 1964 article. Sadly, Hildebrandt died unexpectedly at age 40 on July 18, 1964. He was born Nov. 28, 1923 in Palatine. The stadium was dedicated in his honor at Fremd April 24, 1965.

 

Glenbrook South

Stadium Name: John Davis Titan Stadium 

Who was John Davis?

John R. “Spud” Davis was a longtime track and field coach and teacher at Glenbrook South. Davis spent over 34 years at the school as a track coach, helping guide both the boys and girls teams in his tenure. He was also an assistant football coach for the Titans. He was inducted into the Illinois Track and Cross Country Association (ITCCA) Hall of Fame in 1987. He was also named to the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2001. Davis worked as an official in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta along with the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. His death was a big blow to Glenbrook South, but the Titans have done all they can to keep his memory alive. Not only is the stadium named in his honor, but GBS annually hosts the John R. Davis Titan Invitational named in his honor. Davis started the invite in the early 1970s and the event recently reached its 50th anniversary. Davis previously taught in Utica, NY, but moved over to Glenbrook South in 1967 and stayed until he passed. He was born Aug. 23, 1940 and died Feb. 6, 2001 of pancreatic cancer. 

John Davis Stadium at Glenbrook South in Glenview.

Hersey:

Stadium Name: Roland R. Goins Stadium

Who was Roland Goins?

Roland R. Goins was the first principal at John Hersey High School, getting named to the position a year before the school was even built in 1967. He served as the principal of the Arlington Heights school from 1968 until 1984. After a long, successful run at Hersey, he served as the director of special education for District 214 for a couple of years until his retirement in 1986. Goins, who was born Nov. 23, 1929 in Yorkville and graduated from Yorkville High School, was also a Veteran. He served in the Korean War with the U.S. Army from 1951-53. He graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University in 1951 and earned his master’s degree from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1955. He also attended Colorado State University for postgraduate studies. Before becoming a principal, he was a biology teacher. He taught at Arlington High School from 1955-63 and then became the assistant principal and head of the math and science department at Wheeling High School from 1963-67. He wasn’t a coach, but he loved Hersey athletics, especially the football team. When he was leaving Hersey in 1984 he was presented with a desk lamp made from a Hersey football helmet “because football is his favorite sport,” then Hersey senior Brent Felitto said in a 1984 article. He died Nov. 2, 1998 from a heart attack at age 68 just a few days after cheering on Hersey football at the stadium named in his honor, Roland R. Goins Stadium. The District 214 board unanimously approved naming the stadium after Groins and the stadium was officially dedicated in his honor Friday, Oct. 17, 1986.

Roland R. Goins Stadium at Hersey High School in Arlington Heights.

Loyola Academy

Stadium Name: Hoerster Field

Who was John Hoerster?

Before current head coach John Holecek became one of the top coaches in the state, John Hoerster was the most successful head coach in Loyola Academy football’s long history. Loyola had four 10-plus win seasons from 1909-1986, but Hoerster led the Ramblers to six 10-plus win seasons in a span of seven years. Hoerster only had one losing season in his 16 seasons. Overall, Hoerster led the Ramblers to a 133-57 record in 16 seasons from 1987-2002. His teams qualified for the IHSA state playoffs 12 times and the Ramblers earned two state trophies in his time as head coach. Loyola finished second at state in 1992 and won state in 1993. Hoerster, the athletic director and head football coach, was just about to start his 17th season on the sidelines, but he died from a heart attack at age 53 in August 2003 just days before the season started. To this day, he has the second most wins on the gridiron in program history out of the 24 coaches the program has had in 114 years. The 190 games coached are second most behind Holecek.

Hoerster Field at Loyola Academy in Wilmette.

Maine South

Stadium Name: Wilson Field

Who was Olan K. “Bus” Wilson?

Olan K. “Bus” Wilson had a long history in football and athletics as a whole. He graduated from Central City High School in Nebraska in 1926, where he was an All-State quarterback on the football team. He was a captain on the football and basketball teams. He attended college at University of Nebraska and later Nebraska Central College, where he picked up numerous accolades. He coached at Clay Center (NE) for 2 years and then 6 years (1935-41) at his alma mater, Central City. He then coached McCook Junior College football. He was the dean of students at Maine East for a number of years. He was selected to be the inaugural athletic director at Maine South in 1964 and he held the position until his retirement in 1972. Wilson also was the head of the physical education department upon his arrival to Maine South. He helped set the tone for the athletic program in its early years, hiring many great coaches along the way to set the standard early at the school. In his tenure as athletic director, he hired baseball coach Glen Van Proyen (led MS to state runner-up honors in program’s second season), basketball coach Bernie Brady (194-48 record in 10 years; 6 regionals, 1 sectional), boys soccer coach Jack Tilley (143-93-31 record in 16 years), wrestling coach Tom Ziemek (171-145-3 record in 23 years) and even the boys golf team finished third at state in their third season. Wilson is a member of the Central City Hall of Fame (selected in 1994) and Maine South Athletic Hall of Fame (selected in inaugural class in 1998). Outside of his duties with Maine South, he served as chairman of the Central Suburban League and was director of recreation for the Park Ridge Park District. 

Fans pack the stands at Wilson Field at Maine South in Park Ridge during a November playoff game in 2021.

The scoreboard at Wilson Field at Maine South in Park Ridge.

Niles Notre Dame

Stadium Name: Legends Field (for a group, not an individual)

Who are the legends?

The nine legends who the field was named after were Rev. George Wiskirchen, CSC, Joe Yonto, Jack Cole, Bill Casey, Tony Kozole, Francis “Fran” Willett, Jim Meyer, Mike Hennessey and Mike Jankowski. The field was dedicated Sept. 4, 2015.

Father Wiskirchen started teaching at Notre Dame when the school opened in 1955 and led the marching and jazz band until 1972. He died May 17, 2005 at the age of 77.

Yonto was Notre Dame’s first head football coach and he led the team through its first 7 seasons (1957-63), posting an impressive 42-18-5 record. He helped guide the Dons to Chicago Suburban Catholic League championships in 1960, 1961 and 1962. After coaching at Niles, he went to the University of Notre Dame to serve as an assistant coach. He helped the Fighting Irish win 3 national championships. Yonto died in August 2008.

Cole, a Maine Township (aka Maine East) alum, played college football at University of Kansas. Cole went on to serve in the United States Marine Corps. After serving his country, Cole went on to be a longtime assistant football and track and field coach at Niles Notre Dame. He helped establish the “Don Relays.” He was a physical education teacher at Notre Dame from 1957-94. Cole, an ESCC Hall of Fame inductee (2009), died Aug. 17, 1994, just days before he was to start his 38th year at Niles Notre Dame. 

Casey, who was born Emmet William Casey, was a teacher and longtime coach at Notre Dame from 1958-1994. He was the head swimming coach and later the head football coach. He also guided the Dons as athletic director from 1982 until his death from cancer in 1994, when he was just 57. Casey coached Notre Dame football to the playoffs in 1981. In his tenure as athletic director, the school expanded to 13 varsity sports.

Kozole, originally from Detroit, came to Niles in 1963 and taught social studies at the school until his retirement in 2006. In his long run at Notre Dame, he was head track coach and an assistant coach for football and basketball. He also served as the voice of the football and basketball teams for a number of years as the announcer. 

Willett, a resident of Des Plaines at the time, came to Notre Dame and became the head football coach and athletic director from 1964-75. In 12 seasons as the football coach, he led the Dons to a 75-34-4 record. Willett coached multiple undefeated teams and had win streaks of 21 and 14 games in his career. Willett left the football team in 1975, but became the Dons golf head coach in 1976. He would later become the Dons tennis head coach in 1990. Willett was also a freshman football coach in the mid-late 1980s. Just like a few others, he taught and coached at the school until his passing at age 71 on May 3, 1995. Willett was elected into the IHSA Coaches Hall of Fame in 1982.

Meyer joined Notre Dame in 1962 and had his hand in many of the sports programs. He served as head coach for cross country, track and ice hockey, with great success in each sport. He led Notre Dame to six consecutive Suburban Catholic Conference championships (1963-68) in track. Then in 1976 he led the hockey team to the varsity AHAI state championship. The hockey team ranked No. 7 in the nation. Meyer was also an assistant coach for basketball and baseball, along with the stat guy for football and basketball. 

Hennessey is still the head coach of the football team, a position he’s held since 1987. The longest tenured head football coach in the Journal-area, he has had an amazing career in 35 years. He led Notre Dame to a runner-up finish at state in 1989 (his third season), which still remains the best state finish in program history. He also led the Dons to a Prep Bowl championship in 2021. Hennessey is 194-167 overall in his career as of Wednesday, Sept. 28. He has served as the school’s athletic director since 1994, when Casey passed away. Hennessey is also a member of the ESCC Hall of Fame (2010) and Illinois High School Football Coaches Association (IHSFCA) Hall of Fame (2012). 

Jankowski started teaching and coaching at Notre Dame in 1992 and served as head coach for track and field for over 15 years. He won numerous conference titles on the varsity and F/S levels. He also coached cross country and was a longtime assistant coach for the football team. 

Those are the legends who make up Legends Field in Niles.

No matter the weather, fans still pack into Legends Field at Niles Notre Dame.

Niles West

Stadium Name: Mike Basrak Field

Who was Mike Basrak?

Niles West had a plaque just outside the field talking a little about the football program’s inaugural head coach. Mike Basrak was born Nov. 23, 1912 in Bellaire, OH and died Dec. 18, 1973 in Skokie at the age of 61. Basrak was inducted into the Niles West Athletic Hall of Fame posthumously. As the Niles West football coach, he went 71-33-1 overall, including an 8-0-1 season in 1971. He led West to a 5-3 record in 1973, but died in his home just a month or so after the season. He previously coached football at the now-shuttered Niles East. Before he was a coach, he was a stellar football player himself. He was an All-American football player (center) at Duquesne University (the program’s first ever All-American) and helped the team win the Orange Bowl in 1937 over Mississippi State. Later in 1937, he was selected No. 5 overall in the second annual NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates (now known as the Steelers). He was selected one spot ahead of NFL Hall of Famer Sammy Baugh. He played in the NFL from 1937-38. The stadium was named in his honor in 1974. Besides football, Basrak served in the U.S. Navy in World War II.

A plaque outside of the stadium named in Michael Basrak’s honor.

Mike Basrak Stadium at Niles West in Skokie.

Palatine

Stadium Name: Chic Anderson Stadium

Who was Chic Anderson?

Gerald J. “Chic” Anderson was the former athletic director at Palatine High School.

He was born Dec. 10, 1928 in Cambridge, IL and passed away Dec. 4, 2013 after battling Parkinson’s disease for 20 years. He graduated from Woodhull High School in 1946, Western Illinois in 1952 and finally earned his masters at Northern Illinois University. He served two years in the U.S. Army. He coached basketball at Somonauk in 1954-55, leading the team to a 21-5 record in his first season. From 1956-58 he coached multiple sports at Wyoming (IL) High School, before jumping to Palatine in 1958. He coached a few years there, before moving to the neighboring Fremd school for three years. Anderson jumped over to Conant (1965-69). He spent three seasons as the Cougars head coach, before making his return to Palatine HS in 1969. He served as the athletic director for the Pirates from 1969-88. He also served as an assistant coach for basketball, baseball and football at Palatine. In his tenure, Palatine went from seven sports to 22 sports. Among his many accolades are: Illinois Athletic Director’s Association Outstanding Athletic Director of the Year (1979), National HS Coaches Association Athletic Director of the Year (1982), Palatine Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Community Service Award (1982), Northwest Community Hospital Sportsman of the Year Award (1991), Illinois Athletic Director’s Association Hall of Fame (1998) and Palatine High School Hall of Fame (1999). After his retirement in 1988, Palatine named its stadium: Chic Anderson Stadium.

 

Prospect

Stadium Name: George Gattas Memorial Stadium

Who was George Gattas?

George Gattas was the athletic director at Prospect from 1962-84. Gattas was born Aug. 3, 1925 and he died Feb. 15, 1995 at the age of 69. He spent 32 years in education, including 22 years at Prospect. He started his career at Caney (KS) High School in 1952. He moved over to Marshall (Marshall, IL; not Chicago) and was the head football coach for a few seasons. He became the athletic director at Marshall for one year, while also serving as the head track coach. Gattas then moved to Prospect in 1962 and when he arrived Dick Kinneman was the athletic director. He was an assistant coach in football and track at Prospect from 1962-65, before becoming the new athletic director in 1965. He helped turn the school’s athletic department into one of the top ones in the area. Even after his retirement, his legacy lived on at Prospect before the stadium was dedicated to him. His grandson Bryon Gattas actually won 2 state championships with Prospect, coming in 2001 and 2002. The stadium was named after George Gattas Friday, Sept. 3, 2004.

George Gattas Memorial Stadium, home of the Prospect Knights, in Mount Prospect.

Rolling Meadows

Stadium Name: Robert A. Hoese Field

Who was Robert A. Hoese? 

Robert was the inaugural principal at Rolling Meadows High School in 1971 and held the post until his retirement in 1988. He helped the school find its first employees and the school colors and even the mascot, according to a newspaper article in 2001. Prior to joining Rolling Meadows, he was a teacher and assistant football and basketball coach at Prospect in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He also spent time at Arlington High School and was a dean and assistant principal at Forest View High School. While at Rolling Meadows, he received the Those Who Excel Educational Award in Illinois in 1983-84. 

The stadium was named in his honor in 1990.

Robert was married to Phyllis V. Hoese (née Francque) for nearly 47 years, before she passed away at age 69 in 1998. He died a few years later in January 2001 at the age of 73 from complications from a stroke. At the time of his passing, he was survived by his children, David Hoese and Robyn Havell (nee Hoese), along with his two grandchildren and three siblings.

Besides the stadium being named after him, his legacy lives on through his family. He was the uncle of Jeffrey Hoese, who is currently the Fulton Elementary School (Fulton, IL) Principal. 

 

Former Stadium:

 

East Leyden

Stadium Name: Dodge Field

Who are the Dodge’s?

Named after Harold and Ada Dodge, the original Dodge Field was built in 1935 and rebuilt in 1953-54. The stadium hosted East Leyden, including when they won state in 1977. East Leyden went 114-68-8 in Franklin Park from 1935-80. The final game at the stadium was Oct. 25, 1980 and the Eagles won 16-6 over Morton East. In 1981 the Leyden football team merged the East Leyden and West Leyden to become the program we know today as just Leyden. In 1981 the Eagles flew out of Dodge (Field) and started playing at West Leyden. Harold opened Franklin Park’s first physician’s office after moving to the town in 1893. Ada served on Leyden’s first board of education. Both were a huge part in getting Leyden off the ground in the early days. The field was torn down a couple years ago to make way for the expansion at East Leyden.

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