Deerfield Warriors

With state championships in various sports, Deerfield athletes have a proud tradition to uphold. Front row: Ben Harris, Rachel Jason, Katie Haberman, Sarah Kawasaki and Billy Malmed. Middle row: Jamie Lavin, Rachel Blitz, Meredith Yellen, Matt Lieberman, Liz Heitzinger and Rachael White. Back row: Kiley Hierl, Lee Boshes, Andrew Rixon, Tom McGee, Joel Lopata, Jason Hendel, Jason Cohen and Brian Frankel.
(Tom Cruze/Sun-Times)

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Deerfield is the Sun-Times' Spotlight School of the Week. The Warriors have won eight state titles, including three in boys tennis. Notable alumni include Olympic diver Christina Loukas, former Kentucky guard Ryan Hogan and Scott Colton, a WWE wrestler.

TOP SPORTS MOMENTS

A future Olympian

1 In 2003, senior Christina Loukas ends her prep diving career with a third consecutive state championship and a record point total of 507.55. Loukas broke a 24-year-old record and ended the season as one of the most recruited high school divers in the nation. Loukas' first state title was in her sophomore year in 2001. She won again her junior year (2002).

Perfect on the gridiron

2 The 1975 football team wins the Class5A state title at Hancock Stadium in Normal. Paul Adams coached the Warriors to a 13-0 record, and Deerfield defeated Rockford Boylan 14-7 in the title game. The football stadium is named after Adams, who coached at Deerfield from 1966 to 1992 and led the Warriors to four appearances in state championship games.

Grappling to titles

3 Ted Parker wins back-to-back state wrestling championships in 1963 and 1964. Parker won his first title at 112 pounds and his second at 120. He ended his prep wrestling career with those titles and a third-place finish at 103 pounds in 1962. Parker went on to wrestle at Indiana State, where he placed fifth at 123 at NCAA nationals in 1967.

Courting a four-peat

4 Senior Mike Morrison wins his fourth consecutive state singles tennis championship in 1986. Morrison's reign started as a freshman in 1983. He was coached by his father, Chuck. Father and son won a team title in 1984 and finished second in 1983. Morrison's fourth title made him the first player to four-peat since Hinsdale's Marty Riessen did it from 1957 to 1960.

Back-to-back

5 The boys cross-country team wins consecutive Class AA state titles in 1976 over Wheaton North and in '77 over York. Len Kisellus coached both teams, and the titles were the only state cross-country crowns Deerfield's boys ever won. In 1976, Keith Hampton was the Warriors' highest finisher (15th), and Todd McCallister led Deerfield with a third place in '77.

WHAT DEERFIELD MEANS TO ME

By Christina Loukas: Loukas, a 2004 graduate, is a redshirt senior at Indiana and was ninth in 3-meter springboard diving at the Beijing Olympics.

My high school was a great place for me. I loved all the staff there, and they were so supportive. It was a great learning environment.

I loved high school. I had a great four years. Athletics was where I started with my success, and it was great how the school responded to it.

After winning [a third consecutive state diving title with a record 507.55 points, breaking the 24-year- old mark set by Evanston's Lona Foss in 1979], everyone was so excited. They put my name in the school announcements, and everyone congratulated me. They made me feel like a celebrity.

It would be cool if the state record stood for a while, but it would be neat, too, if someone else broke it.

When I first won a state title as a sophomore [in 2001], I did not have the Olympics in mind. But junior and senior years, I competed well at nationals, and that set the foundation for diving. [Indiana coach Jeff Huber] had said when recruiting me that I could make the Olympic team.

But I would like to mention [Deerfield coach] Doug Foerch. He has made a huge impact and is so supportive. We still keep in touch, and he sends me e-mails with motivational quotes. From the start, he always said what a great diver I could be, and he always told me "to compete with calm confidence'' before meets.

All the teachers I had were great. I didn't have a favorite teacher because I had a lot of them. I can't just name one. I think about Deerfield quite a bit. There was one teacher who made a CD for me when I broke the state diving record, and I still think about the music that was on it.

I have one year left at Indiana, so I'm considered a redshirt senior. This will be my fifth year.

Socially, I remember how several of my close friends and I would go to basketball games, and we also liked to go to the ice hockey games to support our friends.

NOTABLE ALUMNI

- Hub Arkush: WSCR (670- AM) football analyst.

- Scott Colton: WWE professional wrestler "Colt Cabana."

- Cory Everson: Miss Olympia 1984-89; author, actress, fitness-show host.

- Bryan Jurewicz: Starting tackle on Wisconsin's 1994 Rose Bowl team.

- Lindsay Knapp: Offensive lineman on Packers' Super Bowl XXXI champions.

- Alex Loukas: Stanford quarterback.

- Christina Loukas: Olympic diver.

- Aaron Moorehead: Wide receiver on Colts' Super Bowl XLI champions.

- Ryan Hogan: Kentucky guard for 1999 regional semifinalist; Lake County's all-time leading scorer.

- Hank Haney: Tiger Woods' swing coach.