Football
The Walnut Blue Raiders were known for their excellent football teams, especially in the late 1970s and throughout the
1980s. The WHS football teams qualified for the IHSA state playoffs an incredible 10 straight seasons (1979-88),
a streak in which they went 98 - 17!. The highlight of Walnut High School sports occurred during the 1982
football season when the Blue Raiders finished second in the IHSA State Football Playoffs for Class 1A.
As pointed out by Clay Haurberg, the Blue Raiders won 14 Blackhawk Conference Championships and 9 Indian
Valley Conference Championships!! Below are listed some of the greatest of the Walnut Blue Raider football seasons.
1922 6 - 2
Coach Julius Steffen
1928 6 - 1 - 2
Coach J.R. Ingels
1938 6 - 1 - 1
Coach Noel Mosher
1943
Blackhawk Conference Champs
1945
Blackhawk Conference Champs
1946
Blackhawk Conference Co-Champs
1948
Blackhawk Conference Champs
1949 6 - 0 Blackhawk Conference
Champs Coach Steven LaRussa
1950 7 - 0 - 1 Blackhawk Conference Champs Coach
Steven LaRussa
1951 7 - 1 Blackhawk Conference
Champs Coach Steven LaRussa
1952 8 - 0 Blackhawk Conference
Champs Coach Steven LaRussa
1953 6 - 1 - 1 Blackhawk Conference Champs Coach
Steven LaRussa
1954 4 - 3 Blackhawk Conf.
3rd Place
Coach Steven LaRussa
1959 8 - 0 Blackhawk Conference
Champs Coach Charles Vail
1962 8 - 1 Blackhawk Conference
Champs Coach Bob Johns
1965 9 - 0 Blackhawk Conference
Champs Coach Charles Lane
1968 8 - 1 Blackhawk Conference
Champs Coach Charles Lane
1979 8 - 2
Indian Valley Conference East Champs Coach Charles Lane
IHSA Class 1A Playoff Qualifier
Lost to Alexis 28 - 6
1980 8 - 2
Indian Valley Conference East Champs Coach Kim Courtwright
IHSA Class 1A Playoff Qualifier
Lost to Freeport Aquin 19 - 6
Aquin lost
in Final 4 Rd.
1981 9 - 2
Indian Valley Conference East Champs Coach Kim Courtwright
IHSA Class 1A Quarterfinalist
Beat
Annawan 21 - 13
Lost to Freeport Aquin 38 - 0
Aquin won State Championship
1982 12 - 1 Indian
Valley Conference East Champs Coach Kim Courtwright
IHSA CLASS 1A RUNNER-UP!!
Beat Stockton 24 - 6
Beat Durand 16 - 13
Beat Kewanee Wethersfield 19 - 14
Lost Championship game
7 - 6 to Zeigler-Royalton
1983 11 - 1 Indian
Valley Conference East Champs Coach Kim Courtwright
IHSA Class 1A Semi-Finalist
Beat Alexis 27 - 3
Beat Mt. Carroll 25 - 0
Lost to Maroa Forsyth 9 - 6
Maroa-Forsyth fiinished 2nd
1984 9 - 2
Indian Valley Conference East Champs Coach Mick Peterson
IHSA Class 1A Quarterfinalist
Beat Bradford 21 - 0
Lost to Carthage 52 - 19
Carthage finished 2nd
1985 11 - 1 Indian
Valley Conference East Champs Coach Mick Peterson
IHSA Class 1A Quarterfinalist
Beat Annawan 20 - 6
Beat Milledgeville 24-21
Lost to Durand 30 - 6
Durand Finished 2nd
1986 10 - 2 IHSA
Class 1A Quarterfinalist
Coach Mick Peterson
Beat Mooseheart 24 - 17
Beat LaMoille 14 - 7
Lost
to Freeport Aquin 24 - 13
Aquin Won State Championship
1987 10 - 2 Indian
Valley Conference East Champs Coach Mick Peterson
IHSA Class 1A Quarterfinalist
Beat Manlius 7 - 0
Beat LaMoille 26 - 0
Lost to Freeport Aquin 27 - 8
Aquin
lost in Final 4 Rd.
1988 10 - 2 Indian
Valley Conference East Champs Coach Mick Peterson
IHSA Class 1A Quarterfinalist
Beat Rockford Lutheran 34 - 6
Beat Marseilles 20 - 8
Lost to Orangeville 22 - 14
Orangeville lost in Final 4 Rd.
As part of the Walnut/LaMoille Co-op Team:
1993 6 - 4
IHSA Class 1A Qualifier
Coach John McKenzie
Lost to Cambridge 20 - 14 (O/T)
Blue Raider Football Stats By The Numbers:
-34 - Yardage accumulated by the DePue offense against the strong Blue Raider defense in 1987.
4 - Touchdowns scored on reception by Jay Payne against Manlius in 1985.
20 - Total interceptions by Walnut-LaMoille's Brett Thompson in his career from 1989-1991, which is good
for tenth in Illinois H.S. Football history.
99 - Yards ran by Chuck Woolley after recoving a fumble going all the way for a touchdown against Tampico in 1981,
fifth longest in Illinois H.S. Football history.
2,137 - Total passing yardage thrown by the Walnut offense in 1985.
Boys Basketball
1936-37
IHSA District Champs Coach's
name & record needed
District Scores Needed
Dixon Regional Qualifier
1st Rd lost to Amboy 30-16
Sterling beat Prophetstown in title game
1937-38 Princeton
Regional Runner-Up Coach's
name & record needed
Early Rd Scores Needed
Title Game lost to Princeton 35-30
Top 2 Teams of Regional Advance to Sectional
Moline Sectional Qualifier
1st Rd Lost to Fulton 46-36
Fulton lost to Rock Island in title game
1940-41
Bureau County Tournament third place finishers
Defeated Bureau Township H.S. for third place
1950-51 Blackhawk
Conference Champs
1952-53 17 - 10 Blackhawk Conference Co-Champs
1954-55 14 - 12 Blackhawk Conference Co-Champs Coach
Charles Vail
1958-59 18 - 6 Blackhawk Conference Champs Coach
Charles Vail
1959-60 26 - 3 Blackhawk Conference Champs Coach
Charles Vail
(Best Record in School History)
1961-62 18 - 10 Peru Regional Runner-Up Coach
Charles Vail
1st Rd Beat St. Bede 76-66
Semi-final Beat Princeton 56-51
Title Game lost to Mendota 94-74
1977-78 17 - 8
Coach Dave McFadden
1981-82 18 - 8
Coach Dave McFadden
1982-83 18 - 8 Indian Valley Conf. Tourney Champs
Coach Dave McFadden
1984-85 14 - 11 Prophetstown Regional Runner-up Coach Dave
McFadden
1st
Rd Beat Atkinson 51-50 (O/T)
Semi-final Beat Erie 65-59
Title Game lost to Annawan 55-51
1990-91 19 - 7 Indian Valley Conference Runner-Up Coach
Dave McFadden
1991-92 20 - 6 Indian Valley Conf. Tourney Champs
Coach Dave McFadden
In a March 7, 1957 Regional Tournament game against Mendota, the Blue Raiders scored on 33 straight free-throw
attempts and finished 45-for-53 overall in the game. That is a state record! Ronnie Gloden scored 22 of the
45 made.
Girls Track and Field
The Blue Raider girls faired well in track and field during the early 1980s bringing home 6 medals from the IHSA
State Track Meet. Their accomplishments are listed below.
1980 Michele Perino 400 Meter Run
7th Place
1981 Mitzi Perino 400 Meter Run 7th
Place
1981 Team Relay 800 Meter Med. Relay
8th Place
1882 Mitzi Perino 400 Meter Run
8th Place
1982 Team Relay 800 Meter Med. Relay 8th
Place
1984 Teri Atwell 200 Meter Run 4th
Place
Girls Basketball
1991-92 N.R.A. Regional
Champs Coach John DeMay
Girl's Bowling
1976-77 N.R.A. District Champs Coach
Marcia (Swanson) Glaser
State
Meet Qualifier
1978-79 N.R.A. District Champs
Coach Marcia (Swanson) Glaser
State Meet Qualifier
Boy's Golf
1979-80 N.R.A. District Champs
Coach Roger Schule
Boy's XC
Although there are no team results available at this time, we know that one athlete made his mark with the team by medaling
at the State Meet:
1992-93
Joel Eckberg State 25th Place
1993-94 State
17th Place
Boys Baseball
Walnut's Blackhawk Conference baseball championship teams are listed below from research conducted by John Ballentine.
1958-59 9 - 1 Blackhawk Conference Champs
Coach Lyle Bruss
1966-67 Blackhawk
Conference Champs
1967-68 Blackhawk
Conference Champs
1968-69 Blackhawk
Conference Champs
1969-70 Blackhawk
Conference Champs
1970-71 Blackhawk
Conference Co-Champs
1971-72 Blackhawk
Conference Co-Champs
1974-75 Blackhawk
Conference Champs
1975-76 Blackhawk
Conference Champs
Boys Track and Field
Conference championship teams of the Walnut HS thinclads are listed below as provided by John Ballentiine:
1950-51 Blackhawk
Conference Champs
1951-52 Blackhawk
Conference Champs
1952-53 Blackhawk
Conference Champs
1955-56 Blackhawk
Conference Champs
1958-59 Blackhawk
Conference Champs
1961-62 Blackhawk
Conference Champs
Great Players
Dan Kolb Major League Baseball Pitcher MLB American
League All-Star - 1994 Milwaukee Brewers
Currently pitching for the Atlanta Braves (2004)
Ron Bohm National Football League St. Louis/Arizona Cardinals - 1987
Great Coaches
Steven LaRussa Football 1949 - 56 41
- 11 - 2
Charles Vail Football 1958
- 61 28 - 6
Charles Lane Football 1965 - 79 75
- 45 - 1
Kim Courtwright Football 1980 - 83 40
- 6
Mick Peterson Football 1984 - 88 50
- 9
Dave McFadden Basketball 1970 - 94 292
wins
Extra-curricular Acivities
Walnut had an excellent music program within the school, as it's program won the
Class D championship in the IHSA Music Sweestakes in 1995, their final year of existance.
Seeking Further Information
If you have any more information you would like to share regarding the Walnut High School Blue Raiders, please complete a
message at
ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net .. You may also write us at:
Illinois HS Glory Days
6439 N. Neva St.
Chicago, Il. 60631