Richards HS inducts new class in Athletic Hall of Fame

Richards High School will induct a new class into its Athletic Hall of Fame on Sunday, October 14 at Gaelic Park in Oak Forest. Those selected for induction include:

Jim Jones, Football, Class of 1996
Among all the great athletes who have worn the black and gold, it’s difficult to find any with a longer list of honors and accomplishments than Jim Jones.
He remarkably earned first team All-State on both offense and defense as a senior from the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, and the Champaign News-Gazette. Star Newspapers named him Player of the Year in 1995 (senior season when he served as Richards team captain.)
Recruited by many Division I schools, Jim chose the University of Notre Dame. He started for the Fighting Irish for two seasons. He played in all 12 games as a senior, including the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl against Oregon State, earning All-Independent honors in 2000.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in sociology, Jim played several seasons in the NFL (Baltimore Ravens, 2001 to 2003; NFL Europe, 2003; Pittsburgh Steelers, 2004-2005; and, Washington Redskins, 2006.)
Today Jim, whom you can find back at Richards several times each year, coaches the offensive line at Northwest Mississippi Community College (a three-time National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association national champion, most recently in 2015.)

Brendan Styler, Volleyball, Class of 2007
Years ago it was easier to find athletes like Brendan Styler: Those who played a sport in every season. Brendan golfed in the fall, played basketball in the winter, and became best known for his spring sport of volleyball.
A three-time all-conference volleyball player, Brendan earned SouthtownStar All-Area and first-team All-State honors in 2007. He became a devastating offensive player for Richards.
In fact, of the 11 matches with the highest number of kills in the state that season, Brendan had four (including 35 in one match.) He ranked in the Top 15 all-time for most kills in a season with 517.
“Brendan was a great leader in all three sports,” wrote HLR volleyball coach Troy Grevengoed in his letter of nomination for the Hall of Fame. “He is really the guy who brought volleyball back to Richards.”
Brendan earned an athletic scholarship to Loyola University Chicago, a Top 10 program in men’s volleyball. He would earn five varsity letters for the Ramblers.
Today Brendan works as an account executive in software sales for LinkedIn.

Dwight Zivo, Basketball, Class of 1982
A three-year varsity basketball player at Richards, Dwight Zivo (in the pre-three point era) set many scoring records for the Bulldogs. And he won so many accolades:
· Team captain.
· Voted #3 player in the SICA North.
· Worth-Palos Reporter Player of the Year.
· All-State Honorable Mention.
Dwight earned an athletic scholarship to play at Illinois Wesleyan University and his success continued there. A starter for the Titans beginning freshman year (one of only four players in school history to do so), Dwight would earn four varsity letters, serve as team captain as a senior, and qualify as an Academic All-American nominee.
The highlight of his college playing days no doubt came during the 1982-83 season: Dwight played on the IWU team that beat the University of Arizona (in Tucson) by a score of 67-64.
Voted by his teammates as ‘Most Likely to Succeed,’ Dwight earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting and became a certified public accountant. He worked for PriceWaterhouse, becoming a senior manager, and today owns DDZ Brokerage in Chicago.

Jeff Kortz, Baseball, Class of 1988
While many will know Jeff Kortz best as a Richards coach (and one with no off season), he also starred for the Bulldogs as a student.
Jeff played baseball all four years, as well as a year of basketball, at Richards. After graduation he continued his athletic career at the University of Mississippi where he played baseball for four years and earned his bachelor’s degree.
Since 1993 he has worked at Richards and coached four different sports: As an assistant coach for baseball, football, and boys basketball, and for the past17 years as head coach of the varsity girls basketball team (he appears with the 2017 team below.)
“Jeff is probably the most recognizable coach at Richards. Through camps and volunteering with various athletic organizations in our feeder communities, there aren’t many athletes at Richards who don’t know Coach Kortz,” said Brian Wujcik (a fellow HLR graduate, coach, and HoF member) in nominating him for the honor.

Jim Baker, Coach, Wrestling
In the 1970s the Richards wrestling program built what could only be described as a dynasty. Coach Jim Baker comprised a huge part of that success.
Along with fellow HoF member Tom Heniff and the rest of the wrestling staff, Baker helped lead the Bulldogs to a pair of state championships. They also place second, third, fourth and sixth in other years, a remarkable record of achievement.
An accomplished athlete himself, Baker earned an athletic scholarship to the University of New Mexico (an injury ended his playing days sophomore year.) He earned a bachelor’s degree from UNM and a master’s degree from the University of Illinois.
While most may know him for his coaching achievements, he also set standards as an industrial technology teacher.
In 1994 he won the Teacher of the Year Award in the State of Illinois in Industrial Technology — the following year he was one of 25 teachers in the United States selected to study at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

1978 Wrestling Team, Third place in State
During the 1970s few, if any, athletic programs produced the kind of success found in Richards wrestling. Owners of two state championships and a runner-up finish, the 1978 team added to the Bulldogs’ legacy by taking third place in the IHSA. It was the fourth straight season the Bulldogs finished with a top three placement.
No program it the history of Richards, a school with so much athletic tradition and success, enjoyed a stretch of achievement like it. Season highlights for the Bulldogs, who would finish just three points behind second place Joliet West, included:
· 14 individual championships across five tournaments.
· Second place at the Buffalo Grove Dual Meet Tournament.
· Fifth straight SICA North championship, including four individual conference champions.
· Fourth straight District championship, including five individual district champions.
· Fourth straight Sectional championship.
· Six wrestlers qualified for the IHSA Class AA state finals, with three placing: Jerry Kelly won his second straight individual championship; Bill Kelly won fourth place; Josh Washington won fifth place.

1984 Softball Team, State runner-up
Coached by Larry Layne and Bob Franklin, the 1984 varsity softball team produced a season that ranks with the finest in Richards history. Already conference and IHSA regional champions, the Bulldogs advanced to face Morton West, ranked #1 by the Chicago Tribune, in the sectional final.
Facing a pitcher who had not lost all season, Richards led by a score of 5-4 heading into the final inning. With a runner on and two outs, HLR shortstop Jill Justin fielded a grounder and threw out the runner to send Richards downstate for the first time.
At Mineral Springs Park in Pekin, Richards beat Casey by a score of 3-0 in the quarterfinals. The Bulldogs won their semifinal over Arlington by a score of 3-2 before losing 6-0 in the championship to Quincy Notre Dame.
· 22-4 record overall.
· SICA West, regional, and sectional champions.
· Ranked #4 in the state by Chicago Tribune heading into the state finals.
· Jill Justin, Melissa Krolak, Jill Larson, and Sandy Skowronek earned All-SICA West honors.
· Jill Justin earned All-State, an honor she would achieve all four years; she would earn a scholarship to Northern Illinois University and would play for Team USA.
· Jill Larson earned All-State honors and an athletic scholarship to St. Xavier University.
· Melissa Krolak earned an athletic scholarship to play for Colorado State University.

2008 Boys Basketball Team, State champions
Richards ended the south suburbs’ 30-year drought when the Bulldogs capture the IHSA Class 4A boys basketball state championship in 2008. After winning the regional crown, the Bulldogs beat Hinsdale South to open sectional play — and then edged Brother Rice 67-61 in the final.
Richards dispatched Lyons Township by a score of 70-57 to advance to state. After defeating Lockport (the last south suburban team to win state in 1978) in the semifinal 58-41, the Bulldogs faced Zion-Benton in the championship. Tight throughout, the Bulldogs prevailed 67-63.
More season highlights:
· The Bulldogs won 30 games, the most in HLR history.
· Carl Richard, an Indiana State recruit, earned All-State honors; Shaun Pratl, an Eastern Illinois recruit, earned All-State third team; Tommie Thomas, who played football at Purdue University, and Eliud Gonzalez, an Illinois Wesleyan recruit, were named to the All-State honorable mention team.
· Head coach John Chappetto won IHSA, IBCA, SouthtownStar, and City Suburban Hoops Report Coach of the Year awards.