Walnut High School "Blue Raiders"
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Walnut High School
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Photo Courtesy of Gerry Halpin

The History of the Blue Raiders

Walnut High School
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Home of the Blue Raiders 1923 - 1996

Walnut is located in the northwestern portion of Illinois in Bureau County on Illinois Route 92 approximately 27 miles west of Interstate 39.   Walnut's current population is 1,500. 
 
The Walnut school system traces its roots back to 1890 when the high school was officially established. The first graduating class of two students recieved their diplomnas in 1894.  The brick high school building pictured above was built for $90,000 and was first occupied by students in 1923. The high school served the community proudly until 1995 when, for various reasons, the high school was deactiviated.  The high school districts of Walnut, Manlius, Wyanet, and Buda-Western all consolidated to form what is now known as Bureau Valley High School. 
 
BVHS is located near Manlius, however Bureau Valley North Grade School is in operation in Walnut in the old grade school building.  The Walnut High School building was demolished and the land it sat upon was sold for residential lots.  The old football field, filled with the cheers of some GREAT games of the past, is now known as Raider Park and is used for the city's youth soccer program.

Walnut HS Pressbox 2013 - At Raider Park
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Photo by Owen Pulver

Walnut HS Athletic Field 2013
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Photo by Owen Pulver

To view a GREAT web site on the history of Walnut and its school system please check out   http://www.crunchygods.com/walnut/ .  Excellent information and old photos to enjoy.  Congratulations to Mr. Joel Bass for his efforts to honor Walnut. 
 
Walnut High School "Quick Facts"
 
Year high school opened:    1890
Year high school closed:     1995
School nickname:               "Blue Raiders" , "Lady Raiders"
School colors:                    Royal Blue and White
High school building status: Demolished - late 1990's
High school football field:     Utilized for youth soccer program
School Fight Song:             Sung to the Ferris State University fight song tune.
                                        
                                         "Cheer on those Raiders, watch them fight.
                                         Boost those Raiders, they're alright.
                                         We'll stand by the Blue and White.
                                         FIGHT!  FIGHT!  FIGHT!
                                         Raiders of Walnut High.
                                         Steer that Raider varsity.
                                         Cheer that team to Victory.
                                         Fight you mighty Raiders and
                                         Gain another victory!!
                                         R, R, R-A-I.     D, D, D-E-R-S
                                         R - A - I     D - E - R - S
                                         RAIDERS!!!"
                                         (Special thanks to Clay Haurberg)
To hear the Raider's fight song tune please click on the following Ferris State University web page:    http://www.ferris.edu/htmls/sports/fight.au
 
Athletics
 
The Walnut Blue Raiders competed in the Blackhawk Conference from 1942 to 1977. For more information on the Blackhawk Conference check out John Ballentine's article on the GREAT CONFERENCES page of this site. They then competed in the Indian Valley Conference from 1977 to 1995.  What defined Walnut more than other schools of its size was the number of sports it offered for its student athletes. Though known for their great success in football over the years, the Walnut High School athletes were consistently competitive in any sport they participated in.
 
 

Walnut HS Football Press Box
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Football
 
The Walnut Blue Raiders were known for their excellent football teams, especially in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s. The WHS football teams qualified for the IHSA state playoffs an incredible 10 straight seasons (1979-88), a streak in which they went 98 - 17!. The highlight of Walnut High School sports occurred during the 1982 football season when the Blue Raiders finished second in the IHSA State Football Playoffs for Class 1A.  
 
As pointed out by Clay Haurberg, the Blue Raiders won 14 Blackhawk Conference Championships and 9 Indian Valley Conference Championships!! Below are listed some of the greatest of the Walnut Blue Raider football seasons.
 
 
1922       6 - 2                                                                        Coach Julius Steffen
1928       6 - 1 - 2                                                                   Coach J.R. Ingels
1938       6 - 1 - 1                                                                   Coach Noel Mosher
1943                       Blackhawk Conference Champs
1945                       Blackhawk Conference Champs
1946                       Blackhawk Conference Co-Champs
1948                       Blackhawk Conference Champs
1949       6 - 0         Blackhawk Conference Champs             Coach Steven LaRussa     
1950       7 - 0 - 1    Blackhawk Conference Champs             Coach Steven LaRussa
1951       7 - 1         Blackhawk Conference Champs             Coach Steven LaRussa
1952       8 - 0         Blackhawk Conference Champs             Coach Steven LaRussa
1953       6 - 1 - 1    Blackhawk Conference Champs             Coach Steven LaRussa
1954       4 - 3         Blackhawk Conf. 3rd Place                     Coach Steven LaRussa 
1959       8 - 0         Blackhawk Conference Champs             Coach Charles Vail
1962       8 - 1         Blackhawk Conference Champs             Coach Bob Johns
1965       9 - 0         Blackhawk Conference Champs             Coach Charles Lane
1968       8 - 1         Blackhawk Conference Champs             Coach Charles Lane
 
1979       8 - 2         Indian Valley Conference East Champs  Coach Charles Lane
                              IHSA Class 1A Playoff Qualifier
                              Lost to Alexis 28 - 6
 
1980       8 - 2         Indian Valley Conference East Champs  Coach Kim Courtwright
                              IHSA Class 1A Playoff Qualifier
                              Lost to Freeport Aquin 19 - 6
                              Aquin lost in Final 4 Rd. 
 
1981       9 - 2         Indian Valley Conference East Champs   Coach Kim Courtwright
                              IHSA Class 1A Quarterfinalist
                              Beat Annawan 21 - 13
                              Lost to Freeport Aquin 38 - 0 
                              Aquin won State Championship
 
1982       12 - 1       Indian Valley Conference East Champs    Coach Kim Courtwright 
                              IHSA CLASS 1A RUNNER-UP!!
                              Beat Stockton 24 - 6
                              Beat Durand 16 - 13
                              Beat Kewanee Wethersfield 19 - 14 
                                        Lost Championship game
                              7 - 6 to Zeigler-Royalton
 
1983       11 - 1       Indian Valley Conference East Champs    Coach Kim Courtwright
                              IHSA Class 1A Semi-Finalist
                              Beat Alexis 27 - 3
                              Beat Mt. Carroll 25 - 0
                              Lost to Maroa Forsyth 9 - 6
                              Maroa-Forsyth fiinished 2nd 
 
1984        9 - 2        Indian Valley Conference East Champs    Coach Mick Peterson
                              IHSA Class 1A Quarterfinalist
                              Beat Bradford 21 - 0
                              Lost to Carthage 52 - 19
                              Carthage finished 2nd
 
1985       11 - 1       Indian Valley Conference East Champs    Coach Mick Peterson 
                              IHSA Class 1A Quarterfinalist
                              Beat Annawan 20 - 6
                              Beat Milledgeville 24-21
                              Lost to Durand 30 - 6
                              Durand Finished 2nd
 
1986       10 - 2        IHSA Class 1A Quarterfinalist                    Coach Mick Peterson 
                              Beat Mooseheart 24 - 17
                              Beat LaMoille 14 - 7
                              Lost to Freeport Aquin 24 - 13
                              Aquin Won State Championship  
 
1987       10 - 2       Indian Valley Conference East Champs     Coach Mick Peterson 
                              IHSA Class 1A Quarterfinalist
                              Beat Manlius 7 - 0
                              Beat LaMoille 26 - 0
                              Lost to Freeport Aquin 27 - 8
                              Aquin lost in Final 4 Rd.
 
1988       10 - 2       Indian Valley Conference East Champs     Coach Mick Peterson
                              IHSA Class 1A Quarterfinalist
                              Beat Rockford Lutheran 34 - 6
                              Beat Marseilles 20 - 8
                              Lost to Orangeville 22 - 14
                              Orangeville lost in Final 4 Rd.  
 
As part of the Walnut/LaMoille Co-op Team:
 
1993        6 - 4        IHSA Class 1A Qualifier                               Coach John McKenzie
                              Lost to Cambridge 20 - 14 (O/T) 
 
Blue Raider Football Stats By The Numbers:
 
-34 - Yardage accumulated by the DePue offense against the strong Blue Raider defense in 1987.
4 - Touchdowns scored on reception by Jay Payne against Manlius in 1985.
20 - Total interceptions by Walnut-LaMoille's Brett Thompson in his career from 1989-1991, which is good for tenth in Illinois H.S. Football history.
99 - Yards ran by Chuck Woolley after recoving a fumble going all the way for a touchdown against Tampico in 1981, fifth longest in Illinois H.S. Football history.
2,137 - Total passing yardage thrown by the Walnut offense in 1985.
 
 
Boys Basketball
 
1936-37                  IHSA District Champs
1937-38                  Reached IHSA Sectional
                              Lost to Fulton 46-36
1940-41                  Bureau County Tournament third place finishers
                              Defeated Bureau Township H.S. for third place
1950-51                  Blackhawk Conference Champs
1952-53   17 - 10     Blackhawk Conference Co-Champs
1954-55   14 - 12     Blackhawk Conference Co-Champs             Coach Charles Vail
1958-59   18 - 6       Blackhawk Conference Champs                  Coach Charles Vail
1959-60   26 - 3       Blackhawk Conference Champs                  Coach Charles Vail
                              (Best Record in School History)
 
1961-62   18 - 10     IHSA Regional Finalist                                    Coach Charles Vail
1977-78   17 - 8                                                                           Coach Dave McFadden
1981-82   18 - 8                                                                           Coach Dave McFadden
1982-83   18 - 8       Indian Valley Conf. Tournament Champs    Coach Dave McFadden
1984-85   14 - 11     IHSA Regional Runner-up                                Coach Dave McFadden
1990-91   19 - 7       Indian Valley Conference Runner-Up                Coach Dave McFadden 
1991-92   20 - 6       Indian Valley Conf. Tournament Champs    Coach Dave McFadden 
 
In a March 7, 1957 Regional Tournament game against Mendota, the Blue Raiders scored on 33 straight free-throw attempts and finished 45-for-53 overall in the game. That is a state record! Ronnie Gloden scored 22 of the 45 made.
 
Girls Track and Field
 
The Blue Raider girls faired well in track and field during the early 1980s bringing home 6 medals from the IHSA State Track Meet.  Their accomplishments are listed below.  
 
1980  Michele Perino    400 Meter Run                 7th Place
1981  Mitzi Perino         400 Meter Run                 7th Place  
1981  Team Relay         800 Meter Med. Relay      8th Place
1882  Mitzi Perino         400 Meter Run                 8th Place
1982  Team Relay         800 Meter Med. Relay      8th Place
1984  Teri Atwell           200 Meter Run                 4th Place
 
Girls Basketball
 
1991-92      N.R.A.       Regional Champs          Coach John DeMay
 
Girl's Bowling 
 
1976-77     N.R.A.        District Champs             Coach Marcia (Swanson) Glaser
                                  State Meet Qualifier 
1978-79     N.R.A.        District Champs             Coach Marcia (Swanson) Glaser
                                  State Meet Qualifier
 
Boy's Golf
 
1979-80     N.R.A.        District Champs             Coach Roger Schule
 
Boy's XC
 
Although there are no team results available at this time, we know that one athlete made his mark with the team by medaling at the State Meet:
 
1992-93                       Joel Eckberg                State 25th Place
1993-94                                                           State 17th Place
 
Boys Baseball
 
Walnut's Blackhawk Conference baseball championship teams are listed below from research conducted by John Ballentine.
 
1958-59    9 - 1       Blackhawk Conference Champs             Coach Lyle Bruss
1966-67                  Blackhawk Conference Champs
1967-68                  Blackhawk Conference Champs
1968-69                  Blackhawk Conference Champs
1969-70                  Blackhawk Conference Champs
1970-71                  Blackhawk Conference Co-Champs
1971-72                  Blackhawk Conference Co-Champs 
1974-75                  Blackhawk Conference Champs
1975-76                  Blackhawk Conference Champs
 
Boys Track and Field
 
Conference championship teams of the Walnut HS thinclads are listed below as provided by John Ballentiine:
 
1950-51                  Blackhawk Conference Champs
1951-52                  Blackhawk Conference Champs
1952-53                  Blackhawk Conference Champs
1955-56                  Blackhawk Conference Champs
1958-59                  Blackhawk Conference Champs
1961-62                  Blackhawk Conference Champs
 
Great Players
 
Dan Kolb      Major League Baseball Pitcher   MLB American League All-Star - 1994  Milwaukee Brewers
                            Currently pitching for the Atlanta Braves (2004)    
Ron Bohm    National Football League  St. Louis/Arizona Cardinals - 1987
 
Great Coaches
 
Steven LaRussa      Football 1949 - 56             41 - 11 - 2
Charles Vail            Football 1958 - 61             28 - 6
Charles Lane          Football 1965 - 79             75 - 45 - 1
Kim Courtwright     Football  1980 - 83            40 - 6
Mick Peterson         Football 1984 - 88             50 - 9
Dave McFadden     Basketball 1970 - 94          292 wins
 
Extra-curricular Acivities
 
Walnut had an excellent music program within the school, as it's program won the Class D championship in the IHSA Music Sweestakes in 1995, their final year of existance.
 
Distinguished Alumni
 
*Don Marquis (Class of 1894) - Popular author and columnist. Read more about Marquis at the following link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Marquis
 
Seeking Further Information
 
If you have any more information you would like to share regarding the Walnut High School Blue Raiders, please complete a message at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net ..  You may also write us at: 
 
Illinois HS Glory Days
6439 N. Neva St.
Chicago, Il.   60631

Walnut HS Backstop
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On Former Football Field

Walnut HS Football Field
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Pressbox on the Right - Picture Taken Facing West

Walnut High School
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Different Angle

Walnut Grade School
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Currently Bureau Valley North Grade School