It's Roberts' turn for IHSFCA Hall of Fame

Rich Roberts was in his early years as a football coach at Buffalo Grove in the mid-1970s when he attended his first Illinois High School Football Coaches Association clinic with Grant Blaney.

The speakers included legendary coaches who would become IHSFCA Hall of Fame members such as Sam Samorian (Glenbrook North), Chick Cichowski (New Trier), Bill Mack (Crystal Lake) and Phil Salzer (Peoria).

"Hearing those guys talk, you think, 'Boy, wouldn't that be something some day,'" Roberts said.

That day will arrive April 4 in Champaign for Roberts as he will be inducted into the IHSFCA Hall of Fame.

"I'm very humbled by it," Roberts said. "It's very exciting.

"One of the first things I said was how time flies. How quickly it's gone."

Roberts had a 109-85 record in 20 years as head coach at Prospect from 1982-83 and Buffalo Grove from 1990-2007.

His BG teams won three Mid-Suburban League division titles and made seven playoff appearances. He was also the defensive coordinator for Blaney, his Hall of Fame predecessor, when BG won an undefeated Class 6A state title in 1986 and was the 5A state runner-up in 1978.

Roberts was one of three future head coaches on Blaney's first staff with Jon Hittman (Wheeling) and Dennis Riccio (Augustana and Frostburg State).

Roberts' staff also included former BG player Mike Staudt, Tony Jungblut, Dick Wiseman, Ed Cheatham and Kip North.

"I've been so fortunate to work with coaches of that stature," Roberts said. "I think about all the coaches and the relationships we had. I was just so fortunate with the players we had during my tenure there."

Those included stars such as Tommy Zbikowski, who just finished his rookie season with the Baltimore Ravens, former Big Ten MVP and Illinois star Don Thorp, Jim Wagner and Brendan Doyle.

Retirement hasn't diminished Roberts' passion for the game. He'll be going into his second season as an assistant to Joe Sanchez at Barrington next fall.

"That's been super, too," Roberts said.

Basketball

Kylie Castans (Schaumburg) and Nikki Preston (Wheeling) played in successful high school programs. Now they're helping Illinois Wesleyan's rise to the top Division III women's program in the country.

The undefeated and top-ranked Titans have won a school record 18 consecutive games. Castans, a freshman, scored 18 points in a 79-47 win over Wheaton and is averaging 7.5 points and 3.5 rebounds a game.

Preston, a sophomore, is second in the CCIW in 3-point percentage (38.9) and is averaging 7.1 points and 3.2 rebounds.

Freshman Amy Burton (Vernon Hills) has also played in 7 games.

•Senior Melissa Gorski (Buffalo Grove) continues to move up the career scoring list at Monmouth College and was also named Midwest Conference Performer of the Week.

Gorski had 25 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists in an 85-55 win over rival Knox and 17 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists in a 91-62 win over Grinnell. She is now the fourth-leading career scorer in Monmouth women's history.

•Shana Lieberman (Hersey) scored 13 points for Carthage in a 64-38 win over Augustana.

•Sean Dwyer (Hersey) had 10 points for Illinois Wesleyan in an 81-64 win over Millikin. Dwyer is third in the CCIW with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.19 and is sixth in assists at 3.7 per game.

•Lewis University freshman Chris McClellan (Wheeling) scored 4 points in an upset of Bellarmine, ranked eighth in Division II.

Swimming and diving

Katelyn Prorok (Hersey) scored a personal-best 269.05 on the 1-meter board to finish second for Illinois State in a double-dual meet and qualify for the NCAA Zone C Diving Regional for the second time.

Prorok also took second on the 3-meter board (264.35).

•Carthage freshman Mike Moravek (Fremd) won the 200 breaststroke (2:20.97) at the Wisconsin Private College Swimming Championships.

Track and field

North Central freshman Kala Bingham (Barrington) won the 800 meters with a 2:22.28 in the Wisconsin-Oshkosh Quadrangular. Freshman teammate Amy Schwent (Hoffman Estates) was fourth.

In the men's meet, freshman John Wood (Fremd) was second in the pole vault and cleared a provisional Division III national-qualifying mark.

•Stephanie Moy (Maine West) of Carthage was second in the pole vault at 11 feet in her school's Tadd Metzger Invite.

•Arthur Baptist (Prospect) of the University of Chicago ran the mile anchor leg in a men's distance medley relay win (10:32.28) at his school's Duals Meet.

Baseball

Leyden High School varsity head coach Gary Wolf will hold hitting and pitching clinics at the West Leyden campus field house in Northlake.

The hitting clinics for sixth through eighth graders are Feb. 18 and 25 from 7:30 p.m.-9 p.m. Cost is $25, athletes need to bring a bat and will get pizza after the second session.

The pitching clinic for fourth through eighth graders is Feb. 23 from 7:30 p.m.-9 p.m. Cost is $10, athletes need to bring their glove and will have pizza afterward.

For information contact Wolf at (847) 451-3134 or Jan Martinelli at (847) 451-3137.

Basketball officiating

Mid-Suburban League boys basketball officials assignment chairman Ed Curtin will hold two- and three-person mechanics camps for officials this summer.

The three-person camp will be July 9-11 at the Niles North High School Shootout. It will be conducted by Curtin and Fred Allman, Jeff Curtin, Jim Bernardi and Randy Steen will be clinicians. The fee is $85.

Ed Curtin will also conduct two-person camps at Schaumburg High School on June 10-11, June 17-18 and June 24-25 with sessions from 5 p.m.-7:15 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.-9:45 p.m. The fee is $80 in advance and $85 at the door.

For information call Curtin at (847) 991-3144 or FAX to (847) 934-5861.

Sports Notes items can be sent by e-mail to mmaciaszek@dailyherald.com or FAX to (847) 427-1173.