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Libertyville High School boys athletics history: Early years (1917-49)

Posted October 23, 2017 7:00 am

By Dale Eggert on behalf of Libertyville High School

The 1918 Libertyville High School Basketball Team with Coach R.C. Coleman. Courtesy of Libertyville High School

Early years feature LHS's first star athlete, legendary coaches (1917-49)

• The following is part of an ongoing series of articles in celebration of Libertyville High School's 100th anniversary.

When LHS opened up in the fall of 1917, basketball was the only sport in which the school participated interscholastically. Football was started the second year, in the fall of 1918. They won their first football conference title in 1925. Basketball won its first conference title in 1930.

The early LHS athletic star was Jim McMillen from the Class of 1920. He would become an All-American lineman for the University of Illinois, blocking for Red Grange. He played for the Chicago Bears from 1924-28. He was a pro wrestler in the off-season. He gave up football for pro wrestling since he was making more money in wrestling than football. He had a championship bout against Jim Londos before a sold-out crowd of 22,000 at Madison Square Garden in 1931 which he "lost."

LHS began track and baseball teams in the mid-1920s. Under the direction of Larry Crawford, the track program dominated the conference for well over a decade. They placed fourth in the state in 1932 behind discus State champion Vange Burnett, who also placed second in the shot put.

Baseball was only played for the 1926 and 1927 seasons. Since track was definitely the spring sport at LHS, baseball stopped being sponsored until 1951.

The Newsom award, awarded to the top male and female senior athletes, began in 1928. Robert Spellman and Erma Lyon were the first two recipients.

Arguably LHS's all-time top coach came to Libertyville in the fall of 1927. Jack Martin came from Wisconsin where his team won a 1925 Basketball State Championship for Eau Claire H.S. During his nine-year tenure at LHS, his football teams won seven conference titles and finished second the other two years. His basketball teams won five conference titles before Coach Martin left LHS for the same position at the much larger Lyons Township High School following the 1936 school year.

Art Bergstrom replaced coach Martin as head football and basketball coach. During his 11 year LHS career, his teams won four conference football titles. His basketball teams won the 1945 and 1946 District titles. These would be the only State Series Basketball titles LHS would win until 1974.

Coach Bergstrom left after the 1947 school year. He went to Bradley University to coach football and become their athletic director. He would finish his career as the chairman of the NCAA Enforcement.

Libertyville High School's first football team, in the fall of 1918. In the top row, third from right, is Jim McMillen, Class of 1920, who went on to become an All-American lineman for the University of Illinois and played for the Chicago Bears from 1924-25. Courtesy of Libertyville High School

The LHS track team were the conference champions in 1927. Courtesy of Libertyville High School

Libertyville's First Football Conference Championship came in fall 1927. Coach Jack Martin is in the back row, center. This was the last year Libertyville's colors were maroon and white and where without a nickname. They wore orange and black for the winter basketball season and became the Wildcats. Coach Martin's team won seven football conference titles and five basketball titles in his nine years at Libertyville High School. Courtesy of Libertyville High School

Vange Burnett, 1932 State Discus Champion and three-sport athlete. Courtesy of Libertyville High School

The LHS Fall 1933 Football Conference Champions were not only undefeated but unscored-upon. Courtesy of Libertyville High School

Fall 1938 Football Conference Champions. This was Coach Art Bergstrom's first of four titles in his 11 seasons as head coach. Courtesy of Libertyville High School

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