ETHS Plays Proviso West in First Home Football Game Friday

Evanston Township High School will be playing Proviso West in the first home football game of the season this Friday, Aug. 30, at 7:30 p.m. at Lazier Field. 

This year's inductees into the ETHS Sports Hall of Fame will also be honored at the game. They include baseball and boys soccer coach Ken McGonagle, the winningest coach in school history, as well as coach and broadcaster Dan Peterson, two-time football All-State Rommie Taylor ’64, All-State second baseman Jeff Carter '81 and girls water polo star Maggie Hatcher '04. Also included are the 1997 and 1998 back-to-back state champion girls track teams and the 2001 state and national champion boys swimming team.

More details on the Hall of Fame inductees follow, from the Athletic Department:

"The winningest coach in school history and a coach who achieved international fame heads the list of inductees for the Evanston Township High School Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2013.  Ken McGonagle, who achieved more than 600 victories as a baseball and boy soccer coach, and ETHS product Dan Peterson, a renowned coach and broadcaster in Italy, are just two of the individuals who will be recognized at halftime of Evanston ‘s football season opener on Friday, August 30th at 7:30 PM against Proviso West.

Other inductees include Rommie Taylor ’64, who was a two-time All-Stater in football, where he played running back and defensive back, and served as captain in both football and basketball as a senior.  He went on to play football at the University of Dayton, where he was selected as the team MVP in 1966. 

Jeff Carter ’81, an All-State second baseman at ETHS with a .335 batting average and an on-base percentage of .423 led the Kits’ offense.  At the University of Nebraska, he still ranks as the all-time stolen base leader with 103, with the single season record of 43 in 1984, and is second on the school’s career list for walks.  He was selected in the ninth round of the 1985 draft by the San Francisco Giants.  He played in their system for 7 years, and also played for the Oakland Athletics, Minnesota Twins, Florida Marlins and Colorado Rockies, all at the Class AAA level.

Maggie Hatcher ’04 led the Wildkits to back-to-back Elite Eight girls water polo appearances in 2003 and ’04.  All-American and All-State, she holds the school season record for assists (40) and steals (146).  At Marist College she was named Metro Atlantic Conference Defensive Player of the Year.  She played professionally in Australia and France.

Teams selected are the back-to-back State champions in girls track – the teams of 1997 and 1998, as well as National and State champions in boys swimming –  the 2001 team.

The community is invited to greet the inductees at the opening home football game Friday, August 30th.  The formal induction will take place at a luncheon at the school on Saturday.

The Evanston Athletic Hall of Fame was created in 1994-95."