1978AA Relay Placer 1-mile
relay--6th place
1979AA 10th in AA State Finals
coach unknown
1
East St. Louis Lincoln
64
10 Chicago
Calumet
17
Relay Placers 1-mile relay 3rd place
880-yd medley relay 7th place
880-yd relay 8th place
Individual Placers
Lorraine Wellington
880-yd run--4th place
Gretchen Grier
880-yd run--6th place
BOYS' CROSS-COUNTRY
Calumet had a hill-and-dale team during the fall of the school year, with one individual state title coming
from Steve Murphy in 1950 to help suppliment his two track championships in the one-mile run, and two teams qualified for
the state finals during the 1980's.
1950 Individual Placer
Steve Murphy
STATE CHAMPION!!! (9:47.6)
1981 Team qualifer for state meet coach unknown
1985 Team qualifer for state meet coach unknown
FOOTBALL
The Indian gridders were involved in many Public League battles, involved in two Prep Bowls in back-to-back
seasons, and went to the IHSA state playoffs in 1995. Here's a look back at some of these seasons:
1927 3-2-1 (first winning record)
Coach Ed Dygert
1930 5-2-1 Coach
Ed Dygert
1943 7-1-1 Public League South Division Champs Coach John Boyle
1945 5-3 Coach
John Boyle
1946 5-3-1 Coach
John Boyle
1949 6-2 (good record!)
Coach Frank Vokac
1956 9-2-1 Public League Champs!
Coach Ted Zaynor
Lost to Leo 12-0 in Prep Bowl
1957 11-1 Public League Champs!
Coach Ted Zaynor
Lost
to Mendel 6-0 in Prep Bowl
1959 5-2 Public League White South Champs
Coach Ted Zaynor
1962 6-2 Public League White South Champs
Coach Ted Zaynor
1968 7-2 (good record!)
Coach Ted Zaynor
1971 8-2 Public League Blue-Green Division Champs! Coach
Ted Zaynor
Defeated South Shore 56-22
1972 5-3 Coach
Ted Zaynor
1993 6-2
Coach Johnnie Butler
1995 6-4 Class 4A Playoff Qualifier Coach
Johnnie Butler
Lost to Oak Lawn Richards, 45-0
2003 5-2 coach
unknown
Some information about the 1956-57 teams from David Haberkorn:
"Coached by Ted Zayner, the Indians finished second to Chicago
Dunbar in the South-Central Section White division standings. Calumet began its
playoff run by defeating Chicago Fenger 13-0 in opening-round action.
"In the quarterfinals, Calumet was tied by Chicago Austin 13-13,
but earned the right to advance in the playoffs by virtue of an advantage in all three tie-breaking statistical categories.
Calumet won its semifinal matchup from Chicago Schurz 13-7 and defeated Chicago Morgan Park 25-19 in the league championship
game at Soldier Field on Nov. 24th. Calumet returned to Soldier Field for the
Prep Bowl a week later, but lost to Chicago Catholic League champion Chicago Leo 12-0 before an estimated 66,000 fans.
"The following year, Calumet won the South-Central section
White Division title, then defeated Chicago Tilden 18-0, Chicago Lane Tech 12-6, Chicago Lindblom 26-6 and Chicago Fenger
6-0 before losing in the Prep Bowl to Chicago Mendel Catholic 6-0 on a last-second touchdown
pass."
BOYS' TENNIS
In the mid-to-late 1920's, Calumet had three fine singles players that made it the semifinal rounds of the
state tournament, bringing home a second, a third, and a fourth place finisher three times within four years. The
Indians also won two Public League team titles during that decade.
1924 Chicago Public League Team Champions coach unknown
1925 Chicago Public League Team Champions coach unknown
Individual Finish at
State Finals
Gordon Braudt 2nd
in singles
Lost
to George (Buster) Holloway of New Trier in finals, 6-2, 6-4
1927 Individual
Finish at State Finals
Lewis Shaffer
4th in singles
1928 Individual Finish at State Finals
(?) Shaffer 3rd
in singles
BOYS' BASKETBALL
Calumet fielded a boys' cage team with some success in the first half of the 1900's, taking second place
in the Public League four times, taking one lightweight title, and also capturing a state district tournament during
the 1931-32 season. Win-loss records and coaches' names are missing.
1908-09 Second in Public League Tournament
coach unknown
Finished
behind Lake View in round-robin format
1909-10 Second in Public League
Tournament coach unknown
1914-15 Second in Public League Tournament
coach unknown
Lost to Lane Tech in finals, 23-7
1929-30 Public League Lightweight Champions
coach unknown
1931-32 11-8 District Champs!!
coach unknown
Second in Public League tournament
Lost to Crane in finals, 25-21
GIRLS' BASKETBALL
We do know for a fact that Calumet did offer this sport to its young ladies as early as the 1900's, taking
second in the Cook County League in the winter of 1904-05. The sport was again offered in the 1970's when most schools
once again had girls' hoops action. Any information that you may have is greatly appreciated.
1904-05 Second in Cook County League
coach unknown
Lost to Hyde
Park in finals, 23-11
1986-87
Coach McGee
1987-88
Coach McGee
RIFLE TEAM
In terms of showing that they could hit the target with accuracy, Calumet was one of the schools that offered
a rifle team during the early 1930's, bringing home the Public League title in 1932-33. Very little is known beyond these
facts, and we would be curious to find out more about the sport itself when it was offered.
FAMOUS ALUMNI/FACULTY MEMBERS
--Paul D.
“Tony” Hinkle (class of 1916), became a long-time college basketball coach who eventually was elected to both
the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the Helms Basketball Hall of Fame. The fieldhouse at Butler University is named in
his honor, and he coached his basketball teams to a record of 560-392 from 1926-1970 with a break for World War
II.
--Earl Eby—attended
first Calumet and later Loyola Academy, and participated in the 1920 Olympic Games,
taking second for the USA in the 800 meters,
and getting a fourth as a part of the 1600 relay.
--Georgie Anne Geyer
(class of 1952)— became a world renown journalist and columnist who wrote about international affairs.
--Tommy Sands —actor
and teen idol hitmaker, notably with “Teen-Age Crush” in 1957.
--Mike Lind (class of
1958)— was an All-State football player, who went on to play for Notre Dame in college and for San
Francisco & Pittsburgh in the pros at
fullback.
--James Young (class of 1967 or 1968)-- after graduation, attended Illinois Institute of Technology
and helped form the band TW4. The band changed its name to Styx after signing to Wooden Nickel Records. Young
was a guitarist and songwriter, penning "Miss America" and "Snowblind" as two of the group's bigger hits. He still
continues to tour today with a current lineup of Styx.
--Chaka Khan (class of
1969)—attended Calumet under the name of Yvette Stevens, but later achieved fame in R&B music first as lead
singer of Rufus and then out on her own.
--Marsha Warfield (class of 1971)—
achieved fame as a standup comedienne and a television actress.
--Kirby Puckett (class of 1979) -- even though
there are no records of his career as a Calumet Indian, Puckett later went on to play 12 seasons in center field for the Minnesota
Twins and was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001, batting .318 and helping the franchise win two World Series
titles in 1987 & 1991.
--Ira Green -- was a long-time baseball coach, is the father of Shawn Green who played
with Toronto, Los Angeles, Arizona, and the New York Mets between 1993-2007.
MEMORIES
From Edwinna (Cook) Johnson (class of 1989)...
"My sister and I graduated from Calumet in 1989. My parents and other relatives (cousins) also, attended
Calumet. Both my sister and I were on the Pom-Pom team. In order to try out for the team, each person had to learn the school
song and choreography a routine. This is how, I remember the words (see facts section above). If you are in need
of photos from alumni, let me know. The class of 1987, 1988 and 1989 meet once a year."
From Jeane Stepp Cole:
"I went to Calumet from 1959 -1962 and I tried out for cheers as a freshman, though I didn't make the squad,
I do remember the the cheers I learned and the school song to this day.
The end of song (at that time)
went like this:
And we’ll run that ball right through that line
Calumet go win that game! (the
word game was dragged out)
Calumet! Calumet! Fear No Foe
Calumet! Calumet! Go team go!
C - A - L
- U - M - E - T!
CALUMET!!
Thanks for letting me give you my input.
From Larry Brown (class of 1975):
"Upon review of the football portion concerning Calumet, there is no mention of the Blue-Green Division
Championship between Calumet and South Shore High School. Calumet won that contest 56-22 and went to the White Division South.
Ted Zaynor was the head coach. I attended Calumet from 1971-75 and I had the honor of being coached by Coach Zaynor and later
by Coach Johnnie Butler."
From Jill King (daughter of Calumet alum Jimmy Featherstone, from 8/31/2018):
"My father, Jimmy Featherstone, I remember graduated from Calumet.
"He became quite famous, was with the Big Bands, then WGN-TV. He would have graduated around 1937-42. He
was on the wrestling team, played drums in the band, and sang. He also used a big megaphone to help cheer the sports teams."
