Glenbard W. lineman Watt shoulders setback amiably
You can't say Glenbard West senior Chris Watt isn't grateful for his accolades.
The captain of the Daily Herald DuPage County 2008 All-Area Football Team had surgery Friday to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder.
No. 66 injured the shoulder in the fourth quarter of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Jan. 3. Playing offensive guard, his extended left arm was hit from the side while pass blocking. Initially Watt thought it was a dislocation, but after returning from San Antonio an MRI found it was indeed a tear in the back of his left labrum.
The two-time all-state selection had no regrets about playing in the game.
"If I knew this were going to happen I'd still do the same thing because the experience was so great," he said.
A Notre Dame recruit, Watt said the principals know about the injury.
"They were a little disappointed for me," he said, "but they're great people and they're honoring my scholarship. It's actually a pretty common injury for an offensive lineman."
Watt, who said he tweaked the same shoulder as a junior, said surgery wasn't necessary but was done for stabilization purposes.
He anticipates a complete recovery and will begin the rehabilitation process in three weeks. He was told recovery time is six months, which leaves some time before Notre Dame's June workouts.
"I think it might be a blessing that it happened now," Watt said. "If it happened in college, it might be worse."
Waiver waved off
On Jan. 8 the Illinois High School Association reported that IHSA schools rejected a proposal that those schools affected by the 1.65 enrollment multiplier could petition for a waiver. The vote was 218-197 against, with 53 percent of member schools participating in electronic voting.
Coming to a middle school near you
It's been reported that, for men's basketball only, the NCAA has voted that seventh-graders are now officially classified as prospects.
Formerly the cutoff was ninth-grade. The prevalence of college coaches working camps for younger kids without NCAA regulation caused the collegiate body to lower the bar.
Packed Hall
It promises to be standing room only at Immaculate Conception this Friday, if not in the stands then on the court at halftime of the Knights' 6:30 p.m. boys basketball game against Marmion. Eleven people will be inducted into IC's Athletic Hall of Fame.
The third annual induction class includes: Bob Cozzi, Edward Hodges (Class of '55), Rick Klein (1965), Anne Quinn Reedy (1977), Ed Hagerty (1978), Karen Devereaux Ricobene (1979), Cheryl Martino Butler (1981), Tom Ryan (1981), Gerry Dvorak Reid (1982), Andy Laux (1984) and Michael Calcagno (1987).
Two of the most recognizable names are those of Cozzi and Butler.
Cozzi, the only inductee not to attend Immaculate Conception (he went to York), led the Knights to their first state football title, in 2002. The lovable coach died last year.
Since her own volleyball career ended, Butler has influenced a generation of young players with her husband, Rick, as club director of Sports Performance and owner of the Great Lakes Volleyball Center.
Another HoFer
Wheaton Academy graduate Art Stueber will become the first tennis player inducted into the Judson College Athletic Hall of Fame this Friday at a ceremony in Elgin.
Stueber, raised in Glen Ellyn, was Judson's male athlete of the year for 1991-92. He was a four-time team MVP and twice was the player of the year in the Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference.
doberhelman@dailyherald.com