SBA salutes Hall of Fame class of 2007

Don Carlson

E-mail this story

Print this story

Share

SPRING VALLEY — St. Bede Academy has announced its newest members into their Hall of Fame, and those new members will be recognized in a ceremony, at noon, Saturday, in the Abbott Vincent Gymnasium.

The Hall of Fame class of 2007 includes the 2001 football team and seven individuals — Richard Callahan, Bob O’Keefe, Bernie McGraw, John Torri, Michelle Stuart Kelley, Neil Piacenti and Don Carlson. Of the seven, all but O’Keefe are still living.

Richard Callahan

In 1952, when Richard Callahan graduated from the Academy, he left a lasting image that has not been forgotten. Callahan was a captain his senior year when the football team finished with a 5-3 record, having played a very tough schedule. He played tackle for the Bruins, and helped defeat rival Marquette 33-13, and L-P. Callahan also was a three-year member of the basketball team and a four-year member of the Bruins baseball team.

“Bron Bacevich was my uncle,” Callahan said. “I got to travel with the team, which was a lot of fun. As freshmen, we got to hold these bags, with equipment in them, for the varsity team. We would always laugh because we were barely as tall the bags.”

The Champaign Gazette named him All-state honorable mention for his play on the field. Callahan was the type of player that coaches loved, as he showed, time and time again, that he was versatile enough to play any position that the coaches asked him to. Callahan could drive the ball far on the baseball field and was the team’s cleanup hitter. After graduation at St. Bede, he played football and basketball for LPO junior college, and then, on an athletic scholarship, he played football at Iowa State University. During his junior year, Callahan was second in the nation in point after kicks. In 1959, Callahan began a teaching and coaching career at Roger Bacon High School, in Cincinnati, Ohio, before moving to Lyons High School in LaGrange.

Callahan has three sons and two grandsons. He is now retired, living in Western Springs.

Bob O’Keefe

Bob O’Keefe came to the Academy from the big city of Peoria, in 1926. In 1929, he started at end for the Bruins. St. Bede played a 10-game schedule, but also had one of the strongest teams in the state.

O’Keefe was well known for his world class speed, which often gave opponents tons of trouble. O’Keefe was the center and captain of the basketball team and proved to be a solid player. He stayed in the area after graduation, in 1930, and attended St. Bede College where he, once again, played basketball. O’Keefe was the leading scorer, and many publications voted him the best player in the Illinois Valley.

St. Bede coach Bron Bace-vich hired O’Keefe to assist on the football field, and then he coached football and basketball until graduating from the college. O’Keefe was also named the president of the Monogram Club and held that position until graduation.

He is deceased.

Bernie McGraw

Bernie McGraw was one of several lettermen returning for legendary coach Harold Gaffney on the 1956-57 team, which was facing one of the toughest schedules in recent memory, for the Bruins, with teams such as Ottawa, Hall and L-P, as well as many tournaments. McGraw was the starting point guard and helped the Bruins to a second- place finish in the Peoria Diocesan tournament.

McGraw averaged 10 points per game and always drew the attention of his opponent’s top player, such as Ottawa’s Fran Clements and Steve Frost of Bloomington, who are now both part of the IHSA’s Hall of Fame. McGraw gives a lot of credit to coach Gaffney and says he always knew how to treat his players.

“I absolutely loved playing for coach Harold Gaffney, McGraw said. “He is a legend at St. Bede and throughout the area. He knew who to give a pat on the back and who he needed to kick in the rear.

“I only heard the man say one word that was even close to a swear word, and that was when he called me a jackass,” McGraw said laughing. “You know what, he was right when he said that.”

McGraw was also a part of Gaffney’s baseball team, and led the Bruins batting at .323, and was a solid defensive player. After graduating from SBA, McGraw played basketball at DePaul University.

After joining the Marines, he was on the all-star team that advanced to the West Coast Interservice Champion-ship round of the National AAU tournament. Later, he was the starting guard for the Prince William County All-Star team that won the 1995 Virginia State Seniors Basketball tournament.

McGraw now lives in Dumfries, Va. with his wife of 39 years, Lydia, and is the director of special projects for Defense Services Industry for MTC Technologies Inc.

John Torri

Torri won 10 letters, in all sports, during his four years at the Academy. Ottawa’s legendary coach Bill Novak was a member of the All-state board and rated Torri as the best quarterback in the area. Torri received All-State honorable mention. Torri earned three letters in basketball and another four in baseball. He led the team in batting with a .355, and also led in several other statistics. Torri graduated from the Academy and attended Bradley University, where he earned his BA in Business Administration. Following his graduation from Bradley, Torri continued to play baseball as well as coach various teams.

Torri, now retired, is married to Judy Oresar, and lives in Naperville. They have three children and four grand kids.

Michelle Stuart Kelley

When Michelle Stuart Kelley started at the Aca-demy, she had to practice with the boys, as a freshman, because there was not a girls’ team yet. Later, the girls’ team started to grow and became well known throughout the area. Kelley was awarded the girls’ MVP during her sophomore, junior and senior seasons. She was undefeated in the 100 yard dash, long jump, 80 and 100 low hurdles. Kelley jumped 17-10, which still holds as a Bureau County record.

Kelley devoted her time to her studies and then her family. She attended St. Mary’s College of Notre Dame, then continued her studies at medical school at the University del Noreste in Mexico. She received her master’s degree in Anesthesia from Columbia University and is currently an anesthetist at St. Margaret’s Hospital in Spring Valley.         Kelley has four sons who are all St. Bede graduates. Her brothers, Mike and Mark, are also members of the St. Bede Hall of Fame.

Don Carlson

Don Carlson started his teaching and coaching career at Henry High School, in 1963. Carlson was the head of the math department, and his freshman basketball teams had a record of 41 wins and 10 losses, and he sent the school’s first qualifier to state in track. After Henry, Carlson went to Octavia High School where he was head of the math department for 13 years. During that time, he coached football, baseball, track and was the head boys’ basketball coach. He compiled a record of 224 wins and 93 losses.

He came to St. Bede, in 1978, and was once again the head of the math department, for 19 years. Carlson was the boys’ basketball coach for four years. He was the school’s first basketball coach, in 1982. His teams won four regional titles. He sent several qualifiers to state, in boys’ and girls’ track, bringing home nine medals and several sectional titles. Before leaving the Academy, Carlson was also the school’s athletic director and Dean of men.

Carlson, who taught and coached at Princeton High School from 1997-2005, is now enjoying his retirement with his wife, Patty, in Florida. Their daughter, Dawn Williams,was inducted the Hall of Fame in 2004 and now  teaches at St. Bede.

Carlson is modest when it comes to receiving accolades, but admits to being very humbled by this honor.

“It is great that both my daughter and I will be members,” he said. “I bled St. Bede green for 19 years, and I still have great memories of those times.”

The Carlsons will be making the trip to Illinois for Saturday’s ceremonies.

Neil Piacenti

Neil Piacenti was a co-captain on John Bellino’s 1991 football squad and was awarded the team’s Most Valuable Player. He also earned two letters in basketball as well, but his best sport was baseball.

The 1991 baseball team started out 2-9, and then won 16 games in a row. Piacenti batted a team best .569, that season, and had a 26-game hitting streak. In 1992, the Bruins had another shot at going for a state title. The Bruins made the Elite Eight, but fell to Harrisburg in the quarterfinals.

Piacenti will be coming back for his 15th reunion at SBA and can’t believe how the time has flown by. He has so many memories from his Academy days, he said it’s hard to pinpoint just one.

“The smell of fresh cut grass brings you back to two-a-days and getting ready for football. And getting a chance to go to Springfield and playing in the state tournament, just things like that,” he said.

“There are so many stories and great experiences coming out of St. Bede. Being such a tight community at a small school and everybody participating in extra-curriculars and usually playing three sports. There are a lot of guys you spent four years with, and gone through all the practices and game and highs and lows.”

Piacenti earned a scholarship to Northwestern Univer-sity where he was a four-year letter winner and captain during his senior season. He signed a free agent contract with the Chicago White Sox and played until 1998. He then moved to Chicago and began his career in the insurance industry. Though he was oft-injured in baseball, Piacenti is thankful to have had an opportunity not many have, he said.

He married Bridgett Caw-ley (a ’95 SBA graduate) and now lives in Evanston with their son, Rocco Angelo, 2. He’s already teaching his son to use his left-hand, he jokes.

Piacenti is the chief operating officer for the Echelon Property and Casualty Insur-ance Co. in Chicago.

Kevin Hieronymus contributed to this article.

Comment on this story at www.bcrnews.com.