FOOTBALL

The Tiger gridders were successful in the late 60’s under coach Ray Klootwyk, going undefeated in 21 consecutive games and winning back-to-back Illini-8 Conference titles in 1968 & 1969. According to our conference guru and good friend Tom Sikorski, Joliet West never won more than five games in a season after 1969, and had only one conference finish above third when they took second in the SICA West in 1991. The Tigers’ only chance to make the IHSA playoffs came the following season, when they lost the final game of the season to Romeovillle, 21-17, in what would be the school’s final football game in its history. Three Joliet West players went on to sign professional contracts and dress in the NFL: John Arp, Gary Woolford, & Brent Snyder.

1964             First season                                       Coach Ray Klootwyk

1967    4-4-1                                                           Coach Ray Klootwyk

1968    9-0    ILLINI-8 CONFERENCE CHAMPS        Coach Ray Klootwyk

1969    7-1-1 ILLINI-8 CONFERENCE CHAMPS        Coach Ray Klootwyk

1970    5-2-1 4th Place Illini-8 Conference                  Coach Ray Klootwyk

1972    5-4                                                              Coach Ray Klootwyk

1975    5-3    3rd Place Illini-8 Conference                  Coach Frank Miller

1979    5-4                                                              Coach Dean Goldie

1983    5-4                                                              Coach Dale O’Connell

1991    5-4    2nd Place SICA West Conference         Coach Brett Kooi

1992    5-4                                                              Coach Alan Greenburg

SOFTBALL

Joliet West had several good seasons on the skinned infields of Joliet, including two that wound up at the state tournament finals. Just like Dale O’Connell, Jo Streit was successful as a coach of more than one sport at the school, taking the softball team towards the top of state’s best in addition to the girls’ basketball program.

1976              Regional Champions                        Coach unknown

1977  19- 4    Regional Champions                     Coach Jo Streit

                       Sectional Champions/Qualified for State Finals

                       Lost to Richton Park Rich South in quarterfinals 7-2

1978  20- 2    Regional Champions                     Coach Jo Streit

                       Sectional Champions/Qualified for State Finals

                       Lost to Winnetka New Trier East in quarterfinals 5-4

1993  19- 8     (good record)                                  Coach Dale O’Connell

BOYS’ TENNIS

As a team, the Tigers brought home hardware six times, taking three district titles and three regional plaques, and had a player place in the top eight of the state singles finals. We are in need of win-loss records and coaches’ names of these teams.

1973             District Champions

1978             District Champions

1979             District Champions

1987             Regional Champions

1988             Regional Champions

                      Individual Medalist—Mickey Chaudhuri--7th in Singles

1989             Regional Champions

GIRLS’ BOWLING

The Lady Tigers sent two individuals to the state meet and came back home with honors for placing in the top three of the state.

1988             Nicole Brandolino    STATE CHAMPION!!! (2,387 pins)

1989             Nicole Brandolino    2nd Place (2,262 pins)

                    Cathy Hoth               3rd Place (2,261 pins)

NOTE: The 1989 state champ wound up with 2,278 pins, so it was a tight finish!!!

BOYS’ CROSS-COUNTRY

Joliet West was competitive on the hills and dales of northeastern Illinois during the time that the school was open, just like the girls’ cross-country program. One of the boys’ teams came home with a district title, but the name of the coach is missing.

1974              District Champions                          Coach Roger Swank

GIRLS’ TENNIS

During the 1970’s, the Lady Tiger netters had success at the state meet level, taking four district championships in five years and had one player place in the top eight in singles. We are in need of the win-loss records and coaches’ names of those teams.

1974           District Champions    

1975           District Champions

1976           District Champions

1977          Individual Medalist---

                     Sandy Lesile                           7^th in Singles 

1978          District Champions

VOLLEYBALL

Joliet West competed and had some success in volleyball during the fall season with three plaques being added to the trophy case by the Lady Tiger spikers. Coaches’ names are missing, so we are hoping that a Joliet West alumnus might be able to tell us along with the win-loss records of these teams.

1978                   District Champions

1988  30 - 3         AA Regional Champions       Coach Traci Djerf 

1989  24 - 16       AA Regional Champions       Coach Traci Djerf

GYMNASTICS

Even the Lady Tigers competed on the uneven parallel bars, vault, balance beam, and in floor exercises along with all-around performance. They were competitive enough that they won one district title at the state level. Again, the name of the head coach and the win-loss record are unknown at this time.

1982           District Champions

DRAMA & THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT   

DRAMA

In its early years, Joliet West put its best foot forward to show the public that opening the school was a worthy choice, taking a first place in state competition in just its second year in operation, followed by a third place three years later.

1966      STATE CHAMPIONS!!!             Sponsor B.F. Johnston            

                SECTIONAL CHAMPIONS

                Performed “Camino Real”

              TEAM STANDINGS 

                1-JOLIET WEST

                2-Peoria Woodruff

                3-Northbrook Glenbrook North

                   Macomb Western

                   Urbana

                   East Alton-Wood River     

1969       3RD IN STATE                             Sponsor unknown

                Qualified for State Finals

               TEAM STANDINGS

                 1-Bensenville Fenton

                 2-Homewood-Flossmoor

                 3-JOLIET WEST

                    Deerfield

                    Freeport

                    Normal University

                    East Alton-Wood River

1974        District Champions                    Sponsor unknown

1976        District Champions                    Sponsor unknown

SPEECH

Again, the intellectual side of Joliet West was instrumental in providing success in the school’s first years, as the 1966 speech team was third at the IHSA state finals, and had a number of individuals place high in their specialty events.

1966     3rd IN STATE                               Sponsor unknown

              TEAM STANDINGS

                1-Peoria Woodruff                    14

                2-Pekin                                   12

                3-Joliet West                         11

                   Winnetka New Trier East       11

                5-Park Forest Rich East           10

                6-Bradley-Bourbonnais              9

                7-Highland Park                        8

                8-Aurora East                           6

                   Ottawa Township                   6

                   Macomb Western                  6

                   Northbrook Glenbrook North    6

              INDIVIDUAL MEDALIST

               Don Hagen                            Radio Speaking--6^th Place

1969       Arnold Tracy                           Comedy--2^nd Place

1970       Sami Porter                            Prose Reading--3^rd Place

1971       Scott Johnson                         Original Comedy--5^th Place

1976       Dean Hunter                           Dramatic Interpretation--5^th Place

1977       Deide McFadden                     Oratorical Declamation--2^nd Place

1978       Deide McFadden                   Verse Reading—STATE CHAMPION!!

1985       Mike Bryson                           Humorous Interpretation--5th Place

1986       Don Dees                               Radio Speaking--6^th Place

DEBATE

Joliet West showed its talents in trying to convince an audience with their debate team, winning one sectional title while the school was open.

1967-68   Sectional Champions            Sponsor unknown

INDIVIDUAL EVENTS & GROUP INTERPRETATION  

The Tigers won a district title in each category that is connected with the Speech team to add IHSA hardware to the school’s trophy case. We definitely would like to know more about these categories, so please contact us if you have information at the addresses listed below.

1969      Individual Events----------District Champions

1974      Group Interpretation------District Champions

Notable Joliet West Faculty & Alumni

--Ray Klootwyk---football coach, 1964-72. Klootwyk led the Tigers to their best seasons ever on the gridiron in 1968 & 1969 with conference championships and had a win-loss record of 41-33-6 in those nine seasons. As a tribute, the football field at Joliet West was named after him.

--Jo Streit---girls’ basketball & softball coach, 1976-78. In only two seasons, Streit’s teams went to the state tournament quarterfinals in each sport, winning the state girls’ basketball championship in just the second year of the IHSA’s history of having a tournament for the ladies. Her teams were 55-4 on the hardwood, and 39-6 on the softball diamond.

--Mike O'Connell-- boys' basketball coach, 1983-90. O'Connell's Tigers won three Class AA regionals, and advanced to the Sweet 16 twice, compiling a record of 112-77 in seven seasons.

--Bill Edwards--boys' basketball coach. 1968-72. Edwards took over a program that was just starting to take off when he replaced Leroy Lesile, and kept the winning tradition going with a 69-36 record in his four years at the helm of Joliet West hoops.

--Frank Miller--football coach and baseball coach (circa 1972-78). Twice during his coaching career as Tiger baseball mentor, Miller's teams went to state before bowing in the quarterfinals in 1973 & 1978. All told, Joliet West won three regionals under Miller, and won 20 games in 1976.

--Greg McCallum--wrestler, 1975-77. McCallum was the only Tiger wrestler to win two state championships, winning at 126 pounds in 1976, then following it up at 132 pounds the next season.

--Gary Woolford, John Arp, & Brett Snyder---football players. Each one of these Tiger gridiron stars wound playing in college and was on the roster of an NFL roster for at least part of one season. Woolford was drafted by Houston in 1977 out of Florida State, but got his NFL experience with the New York Giants in 1980 as a defensive back in 12 games. Arp was a member of the Chicago Bears in 1987 during a season where the regular players were on strike and the owners used replacement players in their place for two games. Since the Chicago Bears' website only has Arp listed as playing in two games, it could have possible he was a replacement player in those two games (thus, could he have been a "spare Bear?"). Snyder later spent time with the Bears in 1989 and 1990 as a practice squad member and dressed with the team for the final game of the 1989, but there is no record of statistics that showed that he got into the game.

--Cathy Boswell--basketball player, 1976-79. In a time when the Joliet area had some girls that could play basketball like Pam Gant at Joliet East and Chris Prieboy at Joliet Central, Boswell was a starter from freshman year and led her team to the first two state tournaments for girls' hoops. She was named to the all-tournament teams both years, and an all-stater three times by the Chicago Tribune. Boswell was also head and shoulders above her classmates in the class of 1980, graduating one year ahead of schedule and going to Illinois State University on scholarship. As a Lady Redbird, Boswell set the school career scoring mark (2,005) which still stands as of this writing in June 2006, set several other school records, was an All-American, led her team to post-season play each season from 1980-83, and was a member of the 1984 USA Olympic team that won the gold medal. Her jersey number at ISU (#44) is only one of two female basketball players to have her name retired at the school.

---Chris Crowther--Without question, she may be the most decorated athlete in Joliet West history, bringing home two gold medals from the 1982 state AA track finals, two seconds in 1980, two thirds in 1981, a fifth and a seventh in 1979 along with an eighth in 1980. She also was fourth in the state cross-country finals in 1979 and had an 11th in 1981. All told, Crowther received 11 medals at IHSA state finals.

--Carol Wiegand--swimmer, 1979-81. As a sophomore, Wiegand won the 100 backstroke in 1979, then followed it up with a win in the 100 butterfly finals at the 1980 IHSA state finals. She qualified for the finals in both events in 1981, taking second in the backstroke, and fifth in the butterfly. Wiegand was also part of the school's 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays that took second at state in 1979.

--Andy Dick---actor, comedian, class of 1984. Before becoming a cast regular of prime-time television comedy programs "Newsradio" and "Less Than Perfect," Dick was voted homecoming king during his senior year in 1983 and referred to as the class clown. After high school, he attended Columbia College in Chicago where he was later discovered as a comedian and led to his appearances on TV.

--John Barrowman---actor, musician, performer, class of 1985. Barrowman was similar to Dick as an actor, and acted in school plays. He is a British native, and came to Joliet when his father was transferred to a job at a Joliet industrial plant. Barrowman continues to perform, but back in Great Britain, where he still maintains a dual citizenship with both the US and Great Britain. 

WE’D LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

If you have additional information about Joliet West High School, photos of teams and individuals, or even the words and music to the school fight song, we could use your help. You can forward your items and comments to us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net or send it via USPS to:

Illinois High School Glory Days

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