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Five graduates of Murphysboro High School were inducted into the MHS Athletic Hall of Fame last Saturday night during a banquet at the Murphysboro Elk's lodge.
Inducted were, Jim Reeves, Rick Attig, Dan Sullivan, Bill French, and Frank Congiardo.
Reeves, a scout for the New York Mets, said he would hot have ever guessed that he would be a Hall of Fame member.
"Like I told the crowd, I'm just honored to be considered,'' Reeves said. "It was unexpected. I am from the Class of 1973, and there were numerous great athletes in that class. I'm honored to represent that class. It was a wonderful experience."
Reeves earned seven varsity letters in baseball, football, basketball and track. He excelled on the baseball field, where, as a senior, he hit .555 as a shortstop and pitcher. Following high school, he played at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, where he was a member of two teams that played in the College World Series.
In his senior season at SIU, Reeves tied for the team lead with seven home runs, and led the squad with five triples. He was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 16th round of the 1977 draft.
After coaching baseball at Kishwaukie College from 1985-89, Reeves became a scout for the New York Yankees in 1987. In 1988, he moved over to the New York Mets, where he still scouts today in the Pacific Northwest.
Attig was a three-year letterman in track and football, and a two-year letterman in basketball at MHS from 1966-1970. He was captain of the football team his senior year, and held the SWE Conference record and school record in the pole vault.
He would go on to compete for Southeast Missouri State, where he earned All-American honors in both football and track and field. As a senior, he was the leading scorer and leading rusher for the football team, and he broke the school and MIAA record in the javelin. He has been inducted into the NCAA Division II Track and Field Hall of Fame, as well as the SEMO Athletic Hall of Fame.
Now he is a member of the MHS Athletic Hall of Fame.
"It's a real honor,'' Attig said of being inducted. "I grew up always wanting to be a Murphysboro Red Devil. I've had some similar inductions into other Hall of Fame's, but this meant the most to me."
Congiardo graduated from M.T.H.S. in 1949 after a stellar high school career. He earned eight varsity letters in football, basketball and track. During his junior year, he was a member of the 1947 undefeated, untied and un-scored upon football team. That team was inducted into the MHS Hall of Fame in 2010.
During his three years playing football, Congiardo and his teammates complied a record of 25-0-1, and outscored their opponents, 711-82.
Congiardo went on to play football at Iowa State University, and was a member of the U.S. Army from 1953-54. He would attend St. Louis Chiropractic School from 1954-1958.
Congiardo was represented by one of his sons, Tony, during the induction ceremony.
"He would have loved to have been there,'' Tony Congiardo said. "He always enjoyed going back to Murphysboro. (This) is a great accomplishment. He was proud of his accomplishments.
"I think more schools should have something like this. I come from a town in Missouri, and they don't do a thing. I know this (HOF) just started, but it's a great thing."
Sullivan graduated from M.T.H.S. in 1973, where he was a premier athlete in both football and basketball. As a football player, he led southern Illinois in receptions with 34 in 1972. Those 34 catches went for 538 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Sullivan's best sport, though, was arguably basketball. He was the leading scorer and leading rebounder on the 1972-73 team that finished 26-3 and won the conference, regional, and sectional titles. He was one of 15 players named to the Associated Press All-State Basketball Team.
After high school Sullivan continued his basketball career at John A. Logan College and Western Illinois University. At Logan, he led the Volunteers to the college's first conference title and a 25-4 record.
"(Being inducted) would have thrilled him to death,'' Sullivan's mother, June, said. "He would have said it was outstanding and great. He was a Red Devil at heart."
"Basketball was his true passion,'' Sullivan's wife, Randi said. "He truly loved it. He would be truly honored, and very pleased with this award."
French attended M.T.H.S, from 1945-1949. He was a captain of both the football and basketball teams during his senior year. He was a member of the 1947 football team that was undefeated, untied, and un-scored upon. He was a unanimous choice for First-Team All-State by the Chicago Daily News and the Champaign Gazette, as well as the recipient of 18 college football scholarship offers.
French would go on to play football at Notre Dame, where he graduated in 1953. He then attended the St. Louis University School of Law on an academic scholarship, and graduated in 1959. He would then earn a degree from Georgetown Law in 1962, before serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he was discharged as a Captain in 1966.
French had a long and distinguished career in law. He was a special assistant to Attorney General Robert Kennedy in the Organized Crime and Master Crimes Sections, and was the recipient of the Justice Departments Outstanding Prosecution Award in 1964. He would later practice law in Arizona, and in 2010 was inducted into the Maricopa County Bar Association Legal Litigator Hall of Fame.
Five graduates of Murphysboro High School were inducted into the MHS Athletic Hall of Fame last Saturday night during a banquet at the Murphysboro Elk's lodge.
Inducted were, Jim Reeves, Rick Attig, Dan Sullivan, Bill French, and Frank Congiardo.
Reeves, a scout for the New York Mets, said he would hot have ever guessed that he would be a Hall of Fame member.
"Like I told the crowd, I'm just honored to be considered,'' Reeves said. "It was unexpected. I am from the Class of 1973, and there were numerous great athletes in that class. I'm honored to represent that class. It was a wonderful experience."
Reeves earned seven varsity letters in baseball, football, basketball and track. He excelled on the baseball field, where, as a senior, he hit .555 as a shortstop and pitcher. Following high school, he played at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, where he was a member of two teams that played in the College World Series.
In his senior season at SIU, Reeves tied for the team lead with seven home runs, and led the squad with five triples. He was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 16th round of the 1977 draft.
After coaching baseball at Kishwaukie College from 1985-89, Reeves became a scout for the New York Yankees in 1987. In 1988, he moved over to the New York Mets, where he still scouts today in the Pacific Northwest.
Attig was a three-year letterman in track and football, and a two-year letterman in basketball at MHS from 1966-1970. He was captain of the football team his senior year, and held the SWE Conference record and school record in the pole vault.
He would go on to compete for Southeast Missouri State, where he earned All-American honors in both football and track and field. As a senior, he was the leading scorer and leading rusher for the football team, and he broke the school and MIAA record in the javelin. He has been inducted into the NCAA Division II Track and Field Hall of Fame, as well as the SEMO Athletic Hall of Fame.
Now he is a member of the MHS Athletic Hall of Fame.
"It's a real honor,'' Attig said of being inducted. "I grew up always wanting to be a Murphysboro Red Devil. I've had some similar inductions into other Hall of Fame's, but this meant the most to me."
Congiardo graduated from M.T.H.S. in 1949 after a stellar high school career. He earned eight varsity letters in football, basketball and track. During his junior year, he was a member of the 1947 undefeated, untied and un-scored upon football team. That team was inducted into the MHS Hall of Fame in 2010.
During his three years playing football, Congiardo and his teammates complied a record of 25-0-1, and outscored their opponents, 711-82.
Congiardo went on to play football at Iowa State University, and was a member of the U.S. Army from 1953-54. He would attend St. Louis Chiropractic School from 1954-1958.
Congiardo was represented by one of his sons, Tony, during the induction ceremony.
"He would have loved to have been there,'' Tony Congiardo said. "He always enjoyed going back to Murphysboro. (This) is a great accomplishment. He was proud of his accomplishments.
"I think more schools should have something like this. I come from a town in Missouri, and they don't do a thing. I know this (HOF) just started, but it's a great thing."
Sullivan graduated from M.T.H.S. in 1973, where he was a premier athlete in both football and basketball. As a football player, he led southern Illinois in receptions with 34 in 1972. Those 34 catches went for 538 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Sullivan's best sport, though, was arguably basketball. He was the leading scorer and leading rebounder on the 1972-73 team that finished 26-3 and won the conference, regional, and sectional titles. He was one of 15 players named to the Associated Press All-State Basketball Team.
After high school Sullivan continued his basketball career at John A. Logan College and Western Illinois University. At Logan, he led the Volunteers to the college's first conference title and a 25-4 record.
"(Being inducted) would have thrilled him to death,'' Sullivan's mother, June, said. "He would have said it was outstanding and great. He was a Red Devil at heart."
"Basketball was his true passion,'' Sullivan's wife, Randi said. "He truly loved it. He would be truly honored, and very pleased with this award."
French attended M.T.H.S, from 1945-1949. He was a captain of both the football and basketball teams during his senior year. He was a member of the 1947 football team that was undefeated, untied, and un-scored upon. He was a unanimous choice for First-Team All-State by the Chicago Daily News and the Champaign Gazette, as well as the recipient of 18 college football scholarship offers.
French would go on to play football at Notre Dame, where he graduated in 1953. He then attended the St. Louis University School of Law on an academic scholarship, and graduated in 1959. He would then earn a degree from Georgetown Law in 1962, before serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he was discharged as a Captain in 1966.
French had a long and distinguished career in law. He was a special assistant to Attorney General Robert Kennedy in the Organized Crime and Master Crimes Sections, and was the recipient of the Justice Departments Outstanding Prosecution Award in 1964. He would later practice law in Arizona, and in 2010 was inducted into the Maricopa County Bar Association Legal Litigator Hall of Fame.
