There's something New about Benet football
Benet's football coach is New and it's a dream come true.
That's Pat New, a former star receiver-cornerback-kick returner who graduated from Benet Academy in 1987 then earned four letters and a degree at Northwestern.
He gained Benet Principal Stephen Marth's approval to take over the Redwings program on Feb. 11.
"It's been something I've been looking forward to, quite honestly, since I graduated from college back at Northwestern University in 1991," said New, who said he's certified in history and will begin teaching at Benet in the fall.
"It's something I've always wanted to do, so to finally get the job is pretty much a dream come true."
New succeeds Gary Goforth, who at Benet's Feb. 9 boys basketball game at Wheaton Academy looked like he was keeping the world's best secret. The 22-year head coach had announced his football retirement Jan. 15 while maintaining positions as teacher and athletic director.
The 41-year-old New will employ his former Benet coach, Tim Cedarblad - a 2010 Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductee - as his offensive line coach. New coached backs and receivers at Naperville North from 1996-2000 and again in 2002 for another 2010 Hall of Famer, Larry McKeon.
He has assisted at Benet the last two seasons, the third of three stints with the Redwings since starting his coaching career at Oak Park in 1993.
"A coach really needs to do two things. He needs to instill discipline in his team and get his players to play at their very best. If a coach can do those two things, he's doing his job," said New, who received Northwestern's Robert Johnson Memorial Scholarship for citizenship and character, as well as its George Ballantine Award for leadership.
He said, "There is a mark of a championship team - they look a certain way, they act a certain way, and they practice a certain way.
"That's what I'm really trying to instill at Benet. Raise the bar and raise their play, in every area of their life."
DynastyRumor had it in Lake Park's early indoor track practices junior Jermaine Kline already had surpassed 66 feet in shot put. At the 2009 outdoor state meet, Kline finished third at 56 feet, 93/4 inches. Lake Park's Dan Block won the 3A shot put title a second straight year.In Monday's Oak Park-River Forest meet, Jeremy Kline, brother Jermaine and Greg Block, Dan's brother, all went more than 53 feet.'Fight Against Lymphoma'Around Week 6 of the football season, Glenbard North offensive line coach John Cassidy finally relented. He went to see a doctor about a growth in his neck that had been bugging him.It turned out to be a golf ball-sized mass, and tests disclosed Cassidy, 40, had non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. A nine-time letterman at Glenbard North himself, "Cass" decided to take the fight to cancer as intently as his Panthers linemen did to opponents on the field."He wanted no pity," said Panthers head coach Ryan Wilkens.On Feb. 26 Cassidy, his family, and friends like Nick Cosentino - fellow Glenbard North grad, current defensive line coach - are throwing a first-annual "Time Out West Sports Pub Fight Against Lymphoma Cancer" benefit at Venuti's Banquets in Addison. Cassidy is the owner of the Time Out West Sports Pub. He's also been a fixture in Carol Stream youth sports."This year's seniors have been coached by him from youth on up in baseball and football," Cosentino said. "He's touched Carol Stream pretty big."Cosentino said more than 400 people have already indicated they'll attend the benefit, which will donate a portion of its proceeds to the Alexian Brothers Foundation for cancer research. Plenty of sponsorship/donation opportunities are available for the event, which offers dinner and entertainment and live and silent auctions. For details visit the Web site, towcancerawareness.webs.com.Lee Top Rank-edLast we checked on 2005 Benet graduate Mike Lee he'd won the Chicago Golden Gloves light-heavyweight boxing title in April 2009. That came fresh off his third straight championship victory at Notre Dame's Bengal Bouts, which raises money for the Holy Cross Missions of Bangladesh.On Wednesday Lee officially kicked off his professional boxing career with two press conferences, one at Notre Dame in South Bend and one at Harry Caray's in Chicago, to announce his professional affiliation with Top Rank. Legendary fight promoter Bob Arum, Top Rank CEO, joined Lee at the press conferences."That's a big deal," Lee said. "Bob Arum's not going to mess around with things he doesn't have to."Lee called his actual signing on the dotted line "an incredible moment.""It was one of those 'I-made-it' moments, you know?" he asked. "Even though there's a long road ahead."Lee's pro boxing journey is on the right track. The Wheaton native is living in Houston and sparring against boxers seen on HBO and Showtime. Lee is being mentored by Ronnie Shields, trainer of heavy hitters Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Juan Diaz and Pernell Whitaker."The first thing Ronnie told me, which was a big deal to me, he said, 'I don't train anybody who I don't think can be a world champion,'" Lee said.Lee figures he'll open at light heavyweight but will eventually box as a 168-pound super-middleweight."With this Houston heat down here, losing weight is going to be a non-issue," he said.Friends from Benet and Notre Dame crowded St. Andrews Gym on Chicago's North Side last April to watch Lee's Golden Gloves bouts. They'll have another chance soon enough. Lee's first pro fight looks to be May 29 at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago. Lee said he intends to donate a portion of his boxing purses to Holy Cross Missions."I think it's really important to use the success I've had in the ring as a platform to aid this cause," he said.