Remembrances: Gumz, Kuehn Recall Memorable Encounters with Dave Butz
Ibach Moving Up in Rays' Ranks, Guth Wins 100th Game, Big Week for O'Connell
Jim Gumz and Steve Kuehn each had interesting encounters with Dave Butz that were separated by more than a half-century.
For Gumz it was in a basketball regional final for Prospect against Maine South. For Kuehn it was a chance to finally talk with the legendary prep, college football and NFL star at a family wedding.
Both shared those memories of Butz, who passed away Nov. 4 at age 72.
Gumz was a senior starter for Prospect when it hosted the 1968 regional championship against Maine South and Butz, who was listed at 6-foot-6 and 245 pounds. Gumz said the game plan of Hall of Fame coach Dick Kinneman, in what turned out to be his final game before moving to Hersey as athletic director, was to get the ball to big men George Timson and Butch Leonard to try and get Butz and 6-4 teammate Gary Lange in foul trouble.
Gumz helped Prospect score 8 of the game’s first 10 points.
“Things went downhill from there,” Gumz said in an email of what turned into an 89-55 loss where Butz scored 18 points.
Gumz, who has coached for 50 years and is retiring after this spring’s boys tennis season at Rolling Meadows, scored 8 points and Leonard led the Knights with 14. Gumz also learned first-hand what a lot of guys in the Big Ten Conference and NFL discovered when they went up against Butz.
“I remember Butz grabbing a rebound in front of me, bringing the ball down to his waist and turning to face me for an outlet pass,” Gumz said. “I took the opportunity to punch down on the ball to knock it loose. It never even moved in his hands! Truly a strong guy!”
Kuehn played football at Hersey and Eastern Illinois and has been coaching football and the throwers in track at his alma mater. His uncle married Butz’ sister and at a wedding involving the family in 2019, Kuehn wound up seated at the same table as Butz.
“Growing up, my whole life I would hear about Dave Butz, Dave Butz, Dave Butz,” said Kuehn, who was 5 when Butz retired after spending 14 of his 16-year NFL career in Washington. “He let me pepper him with questions for three hours. He’d finish answering, pause, and say, ‘What else do you want to know?’”
Kuehn said Butz was very generous showing him all his rings, which included two from Super Bowls and one from his All-Pro selection, but the one Butz was proudest of was from the College Football Hall of Fame and Purdue. Kuehn recalled that Butz told him one of the keys to rarely missing a game in his career was being the first defensive lineman to tape every joint on all his fingers.
“He was such a nice guy,” Kuehn said. “I asked him what it was like to tackle (Bears legend) Walter Payton. He was so funny. He said, ‘I had no problem when I could get him.’”
Ibach Moving Up with Rays
Kevin Ibach, a 1996 Hersey grad, continues to move up the ladder with the Tampa Bay Rays as it was announced Friday he is their new Vice President for Player Personnel. Ibach was the Rays’ Senior Director for Pro Personnel and Pro Scouting and has been in an executive role with the organization since late 2015.
Ibach also worked as a scout for the Rays for four years and was a scout for the Miami Marlins and Baltimore Orioles. He was a standout in baseball at Hersey and for the Arlington Heights American Legion before playing collegiately at LaSalle.
Guth Opens Loyola Tenure with Milestone
Not only did Allison Guth start her tenure in charge of the Loyola women’s basketball program with a 60-51 victory at Western Michigan last Monday but it was also the 100th of her career. Guth, who came to Loyola from Yale and starred for Buffalo Grove’s 2000 state champions, was sprayed with water and silly string by her players in the postgame locker room celebration.
“This team played together, each and every single one of you, and stepped up in moments when we needed you,” Guth said to her players in the locker room. “Bench was outrageously into it. This was a team effort and team win against a veteran team.”
Then she laughed about the aftermath of the celebration and said, “This was aggressive guys!”
Loyola is 1-1 under Guth after a 76-66 loss to Milwaukee on Thursday.
Big Week for Purdue’s O’Connell
Stevenson grad Aidan O’Connell capped a big week by leading Purdue to a 31-24 win at No. 21 Illinois on Saturday. O’Connell threw for 237 yards and 3 touchdowns to put the Boilermakers and Fighting Illini into a four-way tie for the Big Ten West lead at 4-3 with Minnesota and Iowa.
The sixth-year quarterback was also invited to play in the 2023 East-West Shrine Bowl on February 2 in Las Vegas. O’Connell was named 1 of 10 semifinalists for the Burlsworth Trophy given to the outstanding FBS player who began his career as a walk-on and he’s 1 of 12 semifinalists for the Wuerffel Trophy for the player who provides exemplary community services and leadership on and off the field. O’Connell helps with Special Olympics and a special needs summer baseball program and he has gone on two mission trips to South Africa.
The Burlsworth Trophy is named after Brandon Burlsworth, who went from a walk-on to All-American at Arkansas. The Wuerffel Trophy is named after Danny Wuerffel, who quarterbacked Florida to a national title in 1996.
Minutes Increasing for Max
Los Angeles Lakers rookie Max Christie played only 11 total minutes in his first four NBA games. But the 2021 Rolling Meadows graduate saw a significant increase in time in his last 3 games with averages of 20 minutes, 6 points and 3.3 rebounds.
Christie had 8 points and 2 assists in 29 minutes against Utah, 3 points and 5 rebounds in 14 minutes against the LA Clippers and 7 points and 4 rebounds in 17 minutes against Sacramento.
“Max is just a guy that’s a great sweetheart of a kid, works his tail off every day, tries to get it right defensively, has some really good natural physical gifts,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said in a story on Lakers Nation. “He’s athletic, pretty good shooting touch, and now it’s just a matter of him getting game reps and building that confidence up to where he can be impactful.
“But he is a smart enough player where you can throw him out there regardless of his lack of experience or his age and he can make it work for you. He can blend right in and do his part and not try to do too much, play within himself and be a good source of production for us.”
Brunson Keeps Getting Better
Jalen Brunson has adjusted well to life in the Big Apple after signing a four-year, $104-million contract with the Knicks in the offseason. Brunson, who led Stevenson to a state title and Villanova to two NCAA crowns, is averaging career-highs of 19.8 points and 6.8 assists as the Knicks are 6-6 heading into Sunday’s game with Oklahoma City.
Brunson had 26 points and 7 rebounds in a win Friday over Detroit. The fifth-year pro averaged 16.3 points and 4.8 assists last year for Dallas.
Ex-Oakton Player, Boomers Coach Shomon Headed to Show
Derek Shomon, who played at Glenbrook South, Oakton College, Judson University and the University of Illinois-Springfield, was promoted to assistant hitting coach for the Minnesota Twins. Shomon spent the last two seasons as hitting coach in the Twins organization with Class AA Wichita this past season and with Class A Fort Myers in 2021.
“Today is a proud day as I just found out that one of my former players at Oakton, coach Derek Shomon, has been brought up to big leagues as the assistant hitting Coach for the Minnesota Twins,” Oakton head coach Bill Fratto said on Facebook. “Derek is an example that hard work, determination and dedication can make dreams come true. He is one of those individuals that will go extra miles to help and this promotion is well-deserved.”
Before joining the Twins organization, Shomon spent nine years coaching in a variety of capacities in the independent minor leagues. Most of Shomon’s time was with the Schaumburg Boomers and also included a stint with the Lake Erie Crushers.
Shomon played baseball and basketball at Glenbrook South and also played for the late Mitch Stewart on the Northbrook American Legion team.
Remembering Two Basketball Coaching Legends
Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) Hall of Fame coaches Bob Basarich of Lockport and Bob Sterr of Naperville Central passed away last week.
Basarich was 496-99 in 21 years at Lockport and his 1978 Class AA state champion led by Scott Parzych (North Carolina State) and Terry Green (Northern Illinois) finished 33-0 when it beat St. Joseph and Isiah Thomas 64-47 in the state championship game. Basarich never had a losing season, only two with less than 20 wins, finished fourth in the state in 1973 and won 16 conference, 15 regional and 7 sectional titles.
Sterr won 523 games with 379 at Naperville Central and 144 at Kankakee McNamara. Sterr’s 1993 team led by future Bradley star and NBA player Anthony Parker made the Sweet 16 where it lost to Fremd and his teams were typically strong at the Wheeling Wildcat Hardwood Classic. He also led three golf teams to the state tournament.