Argo
- Thread starter mc140
- Start date
What's the culture at Argo like? Is it favorable to football? Is there potential for the new coach to build a winning program?
Annually, the conference championship must "go through" Richards. Every once in a while a Shepard, Reavis or Eisenhower (Evergreen a few years ago) will threaten, but then come back to the rest of the pack after a season or two. Outside of Richards, most of the schools in that league pad their records with soft CPS non-cons and then exit the playoffs early, if qualifying. Not an indictment, just a series of factual observations. Nevertheless, good luck to the new HC.
I'm no expert but gee where do I start? Argo has for years been the victim of bad luck.I know I've had issues with them so I'll tell my story & lay it to rest.They played for years in the rugged Illini 8 with the likes of Lockport,Joliet Catholic & Marian Catholic & where they were rivals with Joliet East.They finally left for much less travel in the Sica in 1977.They had a damn good team in 1977.Started 2-0(ironically vs 2 Illini 8 schools) but lost 4 starters which equals to 8(both ways) in those 2 games.Finished 4-5 losing 5 very close, winnable games.Could very well have been a playoff team.Argo was probably along with the Joliets,The Kankakees and Bloom Trail the bottom of the Sica though the afore mentioned schools killed Argo & even had some success.Argo was the victim of the Southtown who picked on the community & football team with a vengeance for year(Joe Predicto) who would make fun of the school/town due to poor football teams & the Corn Products smell that would heavily be present at football games(Would even reach as far as Reavis & Morton High) until people in the area starting cancelling their subscriptions,anyway Argo always had lower numbers than most Sica schools(though in 86 Tinley won state with 27 players) but you could not argue their heart.They would get beat fairly bad despite some pretty good players.Tom Tomlinson & Lou Weber among others who set at the time many records.Example.Sandburg a playoff power would drum Argo.Numbers killed them.The scores would be close at half into mid 3rd quarter than they would wear out
Last edited:
I also remember them losing 35 to 0 in 80 to Reavis but were tied at 0 mid in the 3rd.Sometimes they'd beat Stagg,Reavis,Lincoln Way but numbers killed them.In 85 they had a great Frosh team.Wiped out Reavis,Sandburg went 8-2(school strike win over Tinley and beat Rich South replacement) only lost close games with Stagg & Lincoln Way(had moved up 5 Frosh to sophomore squad late in year).Had big numbers.The next year Big numbers & finished 6-3.Had some kids moved up to Varsity.Well it looked great for them.They lost a few players who had moved & some did not go out for some reason & the 87 team went 1-8 with every one of those games being very winnable(they were called the best 1-8 team/non playoff team in the state) but low numbers & bad breaks cost them.The Coach quit.Jim Innis came in & they fought bad numbers.They always continued to play tough & would pull a upset or 2 off.Nobody else wanted to come there.John Dagres who was a great football player at Reavis was the Soph Coach.He would always have good numbers & teams that were in the top half of the Sica.He would have made a great Varsity Coach.He was well liked a great football mind & teacher in the classroom & on the field.Many guys did not go out for Varsity.Many did not like the Coach.I was at a game for example where the kids were down 32 to 0 vs Richards in the 3rd & ended up tying them.Richards fans even stood up & gave Argo a awesome standing ovation.I said that QB & WR are awesome!! A woman said my son is QB.He isn't playing next year.I'm not letting him play for ........... Another said my son is the other guy you bragged on he isn't either nor is some other guys!! The area is not well off $$$$ wise & in fairness & sadness some of the kids who really want to play football instead have to work as much as they can to help their families.
Last edited:
In fairness Innis did lead Argo to the playoffs in 98 where again with low numbers & most of the kids stuck together after a 6-2-1- Frosh season they finally did it.Had more kids stuck it out they could have been 8-1.They did get killed by Mt.Carmel in round 1.However Argo after making the Caravan work to go up 7-0 scored on a 93 yard triple reverse.They then faked the extra point & made a 2 point conversation & were up 8-7 for a short time.That pic of the scoreboard with Argo up made their yearbook.2001 they got in again but lost a tough played game in round 1.Finally in 2013 they had a great team to beat all.They hosted a round 1 game & were 7-2 should have been 8-1.They were beat up but on a rainy night hosting first time ever playoff game they beat Oak Forest before playing Richards tough again in round 2.Numbers & injuries caught up with them.On the flip side he had some teams(95,96,97,2002,2004,2005,2007,2008,2010) who had the talent to make the playoffs but low numbers & poor coaching cost them.One year the kids went against the coaches & called the shots & ran a very good conference champ Rich East off the field.I was there.The parents told me if they let the kids do their thing they could have had a great team.They also got luck & landed Bobby Pettis.Bobby had been dismissed from 2 CCL schools & ended up @ Argo 2 years.With great Coaching they could have made a big run in the playoffs both years.They even beat Richards one of those years!!! Instead losses to St.Joe's & Bremen & Oak Lawn cost them each year.
To finish up they had a decent Coach except then back out a few years back that played football at Providence.The talent is there but something has to be done to get numbers up there.Argo did not even field a Frosh team last year.They had a winning record on the Soph level & Varsity was poor at best.A s stated Richards is king,Reavis is well Coached & Shepard is on the upswing.Eisenhower has been tough in recent years so they are behind the 8 ball.Nobody really wants to Coach there.The field is nice & WARG I believe has restarted broadcasting games like they did so great a job of back in the 70's,80's early 90's.People call Argo a glorified CPS school with better $$$$ & facilities.The people there with a exception or 2 are super.It's a unique place to watch a game.I also recall they had those neat looking old light towers(Argo was one of the first to have night football as was Reavis) that even up to the 90's had some relics of flags flying from them.Joliet East,Kankakee Westview,Kankakee Eastridge still had their flags flying from the light towers with their logo & colors from when they played Argo back in the day!! One windy night during a severe thunderstorm a loud crash was reported but police found nothing after looking on Harlem Avenue.The next morning all the old light towers had toppled over onto the field & Argo had to play day football for awhile which they also did due to behavioral problems in the 70's.The Summit Rebels are a good crew & was hoping they'd help Argo more but many fans tell me a bunch of their stars get picked by Laurence & Rita & MC.I also met a kid who was a star at Richards a few years back who had played at Argo.He said he learned more in a month at Richards than he did in 3 years at Argo.Thanks to Portillo's owners(Argo grads) & the Chicago Fire the upgrades there & facilities are great.One of the first schools to get turf which was just refurbished this year
Last edited:
As far as my issues with a few people there well here it is.One away game I was at I was helping a very polite elderly lady up the stands.She was struggling & came to see her grandson.I walked up to the Coaches box & was getting ready to walk back down when the coach yelled at me.I said I was on my way down & he said you're not a coach that is the coaches box don't be there.I tell you that every week.I said really? I live over 500 miles from here so that would be hard.People were taking up for me.I told him look I know I'm not the coach.Because if I was I'd be running a different Offense than you & not losing to garbage teams like St.Joe's & Bremen with the talent you have.Another time I had been coming off working 17 straight days.Worked 40 hours in 2 days so I could have the rest of the week off than drove sick to Indiana for a funeral for my grandpa.Well thanks to bad weather I got to see many games while I was there.I got to see Argo play on Saturday.I shouldn't have went but made friends with the parents so I went with a high fever.It started to rain & the 1 person in the press box wouldn't let me in so I stood in the shed a few minutes.Innis sent the police after me who thought it was funny.But he lit me up after the game.I said man I came over 500 miles to support you,I'm sick & what did you think I was going to do in your shed? I just got out of the rain.He said lucky I didn't have you arrested.I said lucky they don't arrest you for impersonating a football coach.You are garbage & the only reason you coached here that long is because nobody else wants to come here.Thanks for your time.I'm no saint on here but I am passionate about football & what I believe in.Thanks for putting up with me.I have been to many places & games & never had a issue like I did for those 2.Thank You for your time & putting up with me.I think I'll just take a back seat & read all you guys have to say & chill out
Last edited:
Nice post superac777! Well, back in the early 2000s, I went and watched Argo host Oak Lawn on a Saturday and it was their homecoming. I hadn't been there since I was in high schools as I went to Morton West up north of Summit, and we played on Saturdays (no lights), and Argo had lights. We used to go watch Argo home games on Friday nights. So anyway, I wanted to kind of do a little interview with the AD at the time (no longer there), and before we started he asked me, "Why in the world would you come and watch our football team play?" "I can think of many better things to do." I was kind of stunned as he had a serious look on his face...But we talked about the school in general, and realistically, the football program goes all the way back to the 20s, and they've really never had any success...They battled hard that day, but lost the game to Oak Lawn in the closing minutes. IIRC they won 7 or 8 games in Jim Innis's last season. I don't think the school has ever won a state title in any sport. Their most famous Alum is Ted Kluszewski who played on the '59 White Sox team. They draw students from Bedford Park, Bridgeview, Justice, Summit, and the east side of Willow Springs. I'm sure good youth players end up at Laurence, or other private schools.
The 1-8 team that you are speaking of, was coached by Tim Feigh. He left after that season, never to coach again. I believe he went to York, then Hinsdale South where he eventually became AD
Similar threads
