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| Bonfield HS Gym and Rear View |
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| Courtesy of Salinas Township History Book & Sherree Benoit |
Athletics and Extra-Curricular Activities
We believe the Bonfield High School boys competed with other schools in the area in sports. Boys basketball,
baseball, and track were offered. Girls competed in basketball as well. Other activities such as band, chorus,
FAA, GAA, FHA, and FFA may have been a part of the Bonfield High School experience. We would be happy to add
information on any part of the BHS life that once existed.
Boys Basketball
The boys basketball program at Bonfield High was a competitive one. We currently only have coach's names for a
few of the teams. Team records are welcome for these and other Bonfield teams.
1931-34
Coach Aloysius Taylor
1934-35
Coach James Laffey
1937-39
Coach Lester J. Soucie (and Principal)
1939-40 Junior Six Tourney Champs Coach
Edward Bossert (and Principal)
1940-41 Kankakee Valley Conf Tourney - 4TH Coach Edward Bossert (and Principal)
| Bonfield HS Varsity Basketball Team of 1931-32 |
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| Courtesy of Sherree Benoit |
Team of 1931-32 Pictured Above:
Back Row: Coach Al Taylor, Howrad Schwark, Billy Chapman, James Voight, Ira Wiggins, Art Jensen, Henry
Gerretse
Front Row: Frank Hansing, George Dahn, Emmerson Wenzelman, Edward Healey, Ted Tofari
| Bonfield HS Basketball Team 1937-38 |
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| Submitted by Sherree Benoit |
Team of 1937-38 Pictured Above:
Back Row: Paul Soucie, Les Soucie, Ed Kukuck
Front Row: Joe Antosz, Eddie Schutters, Clarence Jensen, Robert McGregor, Henry Walter
More Interesting Facts About Bonfield HS Boys Basketball:
*The boys of 1939-40 won the Junior Six Tournament held in Crete. Coach Edward Bossett's team was honored at a banquet
held at the Bonfield Evangelical Church after their great win in the championship game!
*The 1939-40 team also placed fourth in the Kankakee Valley Conference tournament, in spite of being the only three-year
high school entered!
*The 1939-40 team scored a total of 1,211 points averaging 34 points a game. The team had a record of 18 -
18, winning 13 of their final 15 games. The team was captained by Francis Winters, and at 5' 11" was the
team's tallest player. Francis scored 428 points which ranked him #9 in the entire state!! Francis also led
the Kankakee Valley Conference in scoring that year with 72 popints in conference games. Francis' brother
Dick was the team's second leading scorer with 345 points. Remember, Francis was only a junior but since Bonfield
was a 3-year high school, Francis played his last game at the school that year.
| Bonfield HS Basketball Team of 1940-41 |
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| Submitted by Sherree Benoit |
| Bonfield HS Basketball Team of 1939-40 |
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| Submitted by Sherree Benoit |
*The team of 1940-41 won its final three regular season games to go into the District Tournament with a lot of confidence.
*The team of 1940-41 beat Kankakee St. Patrick, a 4-year private school with a much larger enrollment than Bonfield,
26 - 19. This team started the season 4 - 1 under the leadership of team captain Dick Winters.
Girls Basketball
Bonfield High School did field a girls basketball team as well. The years and coach's names are not currently available.
Boys Baseball
We know that the Bonfield High School boys competed with other neighboring schools on the baseball diamond as well.
Information on this program's successes and coaches are needed.
Boys Track & Field
The boys competed in track & field as well. Information on their successes in this sport are needed.
| BHS Class 1930s - Charlotte Kinsella, Teacher |
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| Courtesy of Sherree Benoit |
Bonfield High School Principals
1922-25 Candace Bally Black
1925 Charlotte Kinsella
1926-29 Margaret Kinsella
1930 Ruth Cole
1931-36 Esther Callaghan
1937-38 Lester Soucie
1939-41 Edward Bossert
Extra-Curricular Clubs and Activities
From our good friend Sherree Benoit:
"The first year of the 3-year high school (1931) there were only 12 students and 1 teacher. This grew to 50 students
and 3 teachers in 1934.
There was a "Parent Faculty Club" started in 1939. There were movies shown, debates, programs with the grade school children
and a fund raising oyster
supper.
I have lots more info and photos on the early Bonfield community, clubs, 4-H,
churches, music, farming and sports programs and activities, but they are not directly related to the school."
Thanks Sherree!
MEMORIES
From a former Bonfield High School student:
"In 1935 there was no gym so they practiced basketball on the stone behind the school. They played games at other schools.
Players were Art Jensen, George Dahn, Edward Healy, Ralph DuBois and Ted Tofari. Coaching was Pete
Laffey. (the school) Had no telephone. Had an outside pump with water to drink and wash hands. Going in front door
went up to grade school. On each side were steps going to rest rooms. There were no flushing toilets. 3 stalls which had to
have chemicals poured in them. The furnace (area) was where students put their lunch on top of furnace pipes. On right side
of basement where they had freshman and sophomre classes. On the other side was not finished, walls were stone so they would
hide notes between the stones for playing hide and seek. In winter would go across the road and skate on the ice. Later the
junior grade was added."
Regarding a former Bonfield HS coach and a former player:
"Bonfield coach Pete Laffey, went on to coach at Kankakee St. Pats Catholic high school a few years
later. And Bonfield basketball player Lester "Les" Soucie went on the become the coach/prinicipal at Bonfield
some years later."
Need Your Assistance
If you have ANY further information to offer regarding Bonfield and its former high school please contact
us via e-mail at eganann@sbcglobal.net. Information can also be mailed to us at:
Illinois HS Glory Days
6439 N. Neva St.
Chicago, Il. 60631
| Bonfield HS Classroom - Early 1920s |
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| Courtesy of Sherree Benoit |
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