advertisement

District 214 celebrates 100 years of touchdowns, baskets and finish lines

As black-and-white images of leather-helmeted football players commemorated Northwest Suburban High School District 214's past in a video, two top girls' basketball teams kicked off a celebration of its present Saturday.

The district's Centennial Classic featured matchups between girls and boys' teams from Hersey, Prospect, Buffalo Grove, Wheeling, Elk Grove and Rolling Meadows high schools.

"Last night it was fine arts; today we're watching basketball," school board President Bill Dussling said.

The district recognized 100 years of education Friday and Saturday with a fine arts showcase, the basketball tournament and a two-room display of historical photos and artifacts at Forest View Educational Center.

Sports took center-stage Saturday as Dussling reminded cheering alumni, parents and students that two former athletes - Jimmy Garoppolo from Rolling Meadows High School and Mike Zimmer from Wheeling High School played in this year's Super Bowl for the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, respectively.

Before the competition, the crowd watched a Daily Herald video detailing 100 years of sports in District 214, narrated by the newspaper's renowned retired prep sports writer, editor and columnist Bob Frisk.

Dussling paid tribute to Frisk, noting for 50 years, "Bob's been the voice of high school athletes in the Northwest suburbs."

Frisk is a part of District 214's history, moving to Arlington Heights in 1946 at age 10 and working as a former sports editor for the student newspaper at Arlington High School, which closed in 1984.

He remembers milestones like the construction of seven new high schools and the introduction of Title IX in 1972.

"Girls coming in was a tremendous addition," Frisk said. "It started slow but now everybody thinks that girls are good athletes and enjoys watching them play."

Frisk understands the district's philosophy that high school athletics are educational and "offer opportunities for kids to learn outside the classroom," Hersey assistant principal John Novak said.

  Before the start of the Centennial Classic, Northwest Suburban High School District 214 school board President Bill Dussling recognizes Daily Herald prep sports legend Bob Frisk on Saturday at Forest View Educational Center in Arlington Heights. George LeClaire/gleclaire@dailyherald.com
  A video about 100 years of sports in Northwest Suburban High School District 214, narrated by Daily Herald prep sports legend Bob Frisk, plays Saturday at Forest View Educational Center in Arlington Heights. George LeClaire/gleclaire@dailyherald.com
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.