Donatucci joining IHSFCA Hall of Fame

Mike Donatucci didn’t have to wait long into retirement to be honored for his successful career as the head football coach at Fremd.

Donatucci, who just finished his 19th and final season in charge of the Vikings, will be inducted into the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame on Saturday in Champaign.

Donatucci is part of a class of 16 inductees which includes Notre Dame’s Mike Hennessey and former Waubonsie Valley coach B.J. Luke.

Donatucci retired with a record of 137-63, the most victories by a football coach at a Mid-Suburban League school.

Fremd also set records during his tenure for consecutive playoff appearances (16) and successive division titles (eight) and Donatucci was named the MSL Coach of the Year four times.

Four of his teams reached the Elite Eight and he coached two All-Americans, four Daily Herald honorary captains, 11 first-team all-state players, eight MSL Defensive Players of the Year and seven MSL Offensive Players of the Year.

Handler heading to UCLA: Barrington senior wide receiver and all-area pick Sam Handler hopes to become part of UCLA’s return to prominence under new head coach Jim Mora Jr.

Handler has decided to join the program as a preferred walk-on and will enroll in school Monday with spring practice beginning Tuesday.

Handler caught 40 passes for 489 yards and 5 touchdowns this fall for Barrington. His brother Gus started this past season at center as a redshirt sophomore at Colorado.

Diegel catches on with Elmhurst: It took one semester of college for 2011 Fremd graduate Jeffrey Diegel to realize he missed playing football. Diegel has committed to play wide receiver for Elmhurst College in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin.

Diegel went to Illinois State for the first semester and is currently attending school at Harper.

Elmhurst’s receivers coach is Kyle Derickson, who starred at Barrington and was the Daily Herald’s 1998 Cook County honorary co-captain with Fremd’s Patrick Brown.

Diegel caught 32 passes for 494 yards and 5 touchdowns as a senior to help Fremd recover from a 1-4 start to make its 16th straight playoff appearance.

Belmonte to play soccer at Dubuque: Conant all-area soccer standout Billy Belmonte got a chance to play in Iowa during his sophomore year and got the attention of University of Dubuque coach Brad Johnson.

The all-sectional defender and hardworking team captain found what he wanted as well at Dubuque and made a commitment to play there.