Wheaton Academy finds a former Naperville North player to coach

The philosophy of Wheaton Academy's newly hired softball coach is no surprise.

"For me offensively, it's just run production," said Sammy Marshall, the Naperville North graduate and former Western Illinois University star hired Oct. 8 to lead the Warriors.

Reaching base and going from there was Marshall's calling card in high school and college. The DuPage Valley Conference 2010 player of the year, the speedster graduated as the Huskies' season and all-time leader in batting average, hits, stolen bases and on-base percentage.

Western Illinois' female athlete of the year during her senior year of 2014-15, the shortstop twice earned Summit League player of the year. She set four Leathernecks career records, and league records with 134 stolen bases and a .456 batting average which ranks among the top 10 in Division I.

This summer she helped the Chicago Bandits win the National Pro Fastpitch Cowles Cup, and it was the Bandits connection that brought Marshall to Wheaton Academy. Athletic director Dave Underwood called Bandits general manager Aaron Moore to ask if there might be any coaching prospects on the club. Moore suggested Marshall.

"She just has a good ability to connect with kids," Moore said. "We noticed that with all the camps and things she did with kids from 8 and under all the way through high school. Sammy is always one to volunteer."

Not just kid-friendly, Marshall knows what's up on the diamond.

"She understands the game from playing at such a high level, so it just made sense," Moore said.

She'll also work three days a week in Wheaton Academy's Athletic Performance department with Geof Weisenborn, putting her college studies in exercise science and nutrition to good use. As well she aids the Bandits in everything from ticket sales to clinics.

"I just try to keep myself as busy as much as I can," said Marshall, who felt "excited and blessed" to get her first coaching position.

"My ultimate goal is one day to become a college coach, whether that's next year, three years or five years from now," she said. "I don't know, but I'm very excited to be working with Wheaton Academy right now and hopefully for a few years down the road as well."

More good news

Matt McCarthy, inducted into Wheaton Warrenville South's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2014 for his volleyball skills, on Wednesday was promoted to Lewis University's associate head coach from assistant coach.

McCarthy earned American Volleyball Coaches Association national assistant coach of the year last season, helping the Flyers to the Division I runner-up spot behind Loyola.

Courting the King

Representatives of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl visit Hinsdale South on Friday to officially invite the Hornets' Josh King to the annual East-West matchup in San Antonio on Jan. 9. King gets his jersey and gets to make a speech at about 5 p.m.

A 6-foot-6, 230-pound defensive end, King is the No. 1 recruit in the Illinois Class of 2016 per "Edgy" Tim O'Halloran of Rivals.com. All-American Bowl rosters aren't set, but the Michigan State-bound King and Loyola long snapper John Shannon are the only Illinois players invited.

Food drive, he said

Our pal Matt Miller - Waubonsie Valley graduate, international hoopster and founder of the M14 Hoops basketball skills development company - is finalizing reservations for his fifth annual Breast Cancer/Canned Food Drive Ball Handling Clinic.

After a 4 p.m. check-in Miller and assistants including Bobby Catchings (Neuqua Valley) and Nick Daniels (Waubonsie Valley) will conduct a clinic from 4:30-6 p.m. at the Illinois Basketball Academy, 460 Industrial Drive, Naperville.

Miller also lines up a DJ and raffle for this event, which draws not only players but parents and grandparents. Cost is $20 (plus handling fee for online reservation) and a canned food item.

This event typically sells out its 150 slots - on Wednesday Miller said he was about halfway there - so individuals must preregister and bring their own basketball. Visit m14hoops.com for details.

Doubles, anyone

Both the boys and girls high school tennis state championship series will go to a two-class system beginning with the 2016-17 school year.

The Illinois High School Association announced the change after the Board of Directors met at its regularly scheduled meeting at the IHSA office in Bloomington on Wednesday.

The switch from a single-class format was taken after the board reviewed a survey that indicated more than 76 percent of the 265 respondents favored the change.

The class enrollment break will be determined based on placing the smallest 50 percent of the participating schools in Class A and the remaining half in Class AA. Based on the 2014-15 entries, the classification cutoffs would have been 1,378 for girls and 1,427 for boys.

Commanding presence

Did Ryan Diem's mere presence in the Glenbard North locker room spur his alma mater to a 42-3 football victory over Lake Park?

It couldn't have hurt.

"It's something to see a guy walk in with a Super Bowl ring," said Panthers coach Ryan Wilkens. "And Ryan's stature alone, he's 6-foot-7."

The 1997 Glenbard North graduate threw around his 320-or-so pounds on the Indianapolis Colts' offensive line for 11 seasons, helping win a Super Bowl in 2006 and placing second in 2009 before retiring in 2012.

As such, Diem was at Glenbard North last Friday to deliver a Wilson "Golden Football" to the school as part of the NFL's Super Bowl High School Honor Roll initiative. Nationwide, nearly 3,000 players and coaches with Super Bowl experience and more than 2,000 schools will be recognized.

Glenbard North is among 81 high schools in Illinois that will receive a visit along with Naperville Central (New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton), Wheaton North (Denver Broncos tackle Jim Juriga) and Wheaton Warrenville South (Seattle Seahawks tight end Tony Moeaki).

As part of this effort the NFL Foundation will provide the schools with a character education curriculum and the possibility of up to a $5,000 grant to help support their football programs.

Wilkens thought Diem's visit hit the mark.

"He had some great, encouraging words for the kids about how to prepare and how to react in the locker room before the game," Wilkens said. "The kids were extremely attentive. The team really appreciated Ryan's time with us that night."

doberhelman@dailyherald.com