Honoring GPSHOF Class of '08
Reprint from Journal Star By Greg Stewart
Peoria has a rich sporting history; but it's perhaps best known for its rich basketball history. And among those who have made history on the hardwood, Manual's David Booth has enjoyed a highly decorated career as a prep, collegiate and professional basketball player.
So it's probably fitting that Booth, a 1988 graduate of Manual High School, is being inducted into the Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame on his first opportunity. Booth leads the Class of 2008 inductees, which also includes six individuals and three football teams.
The 2007 athletes and coaches of the year, as picked by the GPSHOF board are John Ehrgott (male athlete); Allison McGlaughlin (female athlete); Jim DeRose and Pat Ryan (male coaches) and Jennifer Mallicoat (female coach).
Ehrgott is being recognized for a standout 2007 season on the links. The former professional golfer from Notre Dame won the Illinois State Mid-Amateur championship, finished second at the Illinois State Amateur and advanced to match play at the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship.
McGlaughlin, a volleyball player from Morton, set state records for kills in a single season (674) and a career (1,697). She has signed with Northern Illinois.
Ryan coached Metamora to the Class 5A state football championship, while DeRose guided the Bradley soccer team through a season that spanned tragedy and triumph.
Mallicoat coached the volleyball team from Deer Creek-Mackinaw to the Class 1A state finals and brought home a fourth-place trophy; the first state trophy ever won by a Dee-Mack girls team.
Booth was a unanimous all-stater as a senior at Manual, then earned a scholarship to DePaul, where his 1,933 points are second to Mark Aguirre on the school's all-time scoring list. He was undrafted by the NBA, but had a 13-year pro career and played in almost 20 countries on four continents. Today; he lives in Atlanta and works at a scout for the Memphis Grizzlies.
The following individuals and teams also are part of the GPSHOF Class of 2008:
Already a member of the Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame, Jack Ehresman completed a 43-year career at the Journal Star when he retired in 1997. Author of more than 7,500 stories and columns, Ehresman was well known throughout the Midwest and widely regarded among his peers as one of the most knowledgeable and talented outdoors writers in the country.
Raised in Kingston Mines, Bill Hancock attended Glasford High and became a talented hurdler and high jumper. As a junior he finished second in the high jump in the 1970 state finals and won the event as a senior. Hancock attended Southern Illinois, where he became a world-class decathlete. He earned all-America honors in 1975, and in `76 finished second to Bruce Jenner at the US Olympic trials.
John Helmick coached at four high schools in his 31-year career; but his nine-year stint at Metamora is defined by winning the 1975 Class 3A state title Helmick's teams qualified for 16 playoff appearances, and at the time of his retirement he had the best career record of any active coach in the state (192-68-1).
Brooke Monroe is one of the best softball players ever produced by one of the JS area's top softball schools. At Morton, she was a two-time all-stater and still holds seven career records. At Indiana, she was a four-year starter behind the plate and set school records for home runs (24), games played (201) and fielding percentage (.984). Monroe currently is an assistant coach at Purdue.
Widely regarded as one of the best athletes ever produced at Manual, Bobby Humbles was an all-state basketball player in 1974. He went on to play at Bradley, where he was co-captain of the 1976-77 team. Humbles' 1,262 career points ranks No. 19 on Bradley's all-time scoring list. Currently, Humbles is one of the area's top tennis players, having won several titles in the annual Tri-County Tennis Championship.
Jim Cusack was regarded as one of the finest three-sport athletes ever to play for a Peorla high school. In the early 1950s, he earned 10 varsity letters in three sports (football, basketball and baseball) and was named to seven All-City teams at Spalding.
Metamora had undefeated football teams in 1966 and 1968, but the Illinois High School Association didn't adopt a state playoff format until 1974. The `66 team, coached by Marty Stromberger and Joe Steiglitz and Morton boys basketball coach Steve Schupp, outscored its opponents 244-49 on the way to a 9-0 record. The `68 team, led by Dick Schertz and Rick Hodel, went 8-0 by outscoring its foes 283-74.
Richwoods High School annually fields high-quality football teams, but the 1988 squad is considered one of its best ever. Rod Butler coached the `88 Knights to the Class 5A state title game, where they completad an unbeaten 14-0 season with a 29-26 victory over Belvidere and the last state football championship for a Peoria high scho
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