Driscoll Catholic High School
Encyclopedia
Driscoll Catholic High School was a private college preparatory high school
in the village of Addison
, Illinois
. It had been accredited by the State of Illinois and the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
.
Founded in 1966, Driscoll brought Catholic secondary education to Addison, Illinois
. Its primary claim to fame is in the field of athletics. The Driscoll Catholic football team has won 8 state championships, including seven in a row (2001–07) which stands as a high school record in the State of Illinois.
Driscoll was a member of the Lasallian Schools Association
and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet in Illinois. Athletically, Driscoll competed in the Suburban Catholic Conference
. Driscoll's football team won seven consecutive state championships from 2001 to 2007 (six being 4A and one as 3A) to establish a state record.
, and as a member of the Illinois High School Association
(IHSA), which sponsored State Championship tournaments in many sports (generally in the smaller or middle classes of competition).
The school sponsored interscholastic teams for men and women in basketball
, cross country
, golf
, soccer, and track & field. Men would usually compete in baseball
, bowling
, football
, ice hockey
, and wrestling
. Women would usually compete in cheerleading
, dance
, softball
, and volleyball
.
Driscoll has placed in the top four of the following IHSA State Championship Tournaments:
Notably, in football, Driscoll's 8 state titles was the fourth most in Illinois high school history. The string of seven consecutive state titles was by far the Illinois high school record, with no other team winning more than four in a row.
Driscoll students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends worked to raise funds and keep the school open. On April 19, 2009, the Chicago Tribune
reported that even if fund raising efforts are successful, there was a concern that the school could fall short of the minimum enrollment needed to keep the school open.
On April 28, 2009, the Chicago Tribune reported that the De La Salle Christian Brothers of the Midwest had sent an e-mail to students and families announcing that even if enough money were to be raised to keep the school open, it would be closing at the end of the year.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in the village of Addison
Addison, Illinois
Addison is a village located west of the Chicago Metropolitan Area, in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. The population was 35,914 at the 2000 census. The estimated population was 36,378 as of 2002.The Village of Addison lies on Salt Creek...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. It had been accredited by the State of Illinois and the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools , also known as the North Central Association, is a membership organization, consisting of colleges, universities, and schools in 19 U.S. states, that is engaged in educational accreditation...
.
Founded in 1966, Driscoll brought Catholic secondary education to Addison, Illinois
Addison, Illinois
Addison is a village located west of the Chicago Metropolitan Area, in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. The population was 35,914 at the 2000 census. The estimated population was 36,378 as of 2002.The Village of Addison lies on Salt Creek...
. Its primary claim to fame is in the field of athletics. The Driscoll Catholic football team has won 8 state championships, including seven in a row (2001–07) which stands as a high school record in the State of Illinois.
Driscoll was a member of the Lasallian Schools Association
Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools
The Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools is a Roman Catholic religious teaching congregation, founded in France by Saint Jean-Baptiste de la Salle and now based in Rome...
and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet in Illinois. Athletically, Driscoll competed in the Suburban Catholic Conference
Suburban Catholic Conference
The Suburban Christian Conference is a system of Christian schools in Chicago's suburbs organized to compete against each other athletically.-History:...
. Driscoll's football team won seven consecutive state championships from 2001 to 2007 (six being 4A and one as 3A) to establish a state record.
Athletics
Driscoll competed in the Suburban Catholic ConferenceSuburban Catholic Conference
The Suburban Christian Conference is a system of Christian schools in Chicago's suburbs organized to compete against each other athletically.-History:...
, and as a member of the Illinois High School Association
Illinois High School Association
The Illinois High School Association is one of 521 state high school associations in the United States, designed to regulate competition in most interscholastic sports and some interscholastic activities at the high school level. It is a charter member of the National Federation of State High...
(IHSA), which sponsored State Championship tournaments in many sports (generally in the smaller or middle classes of competition).
The school sponsored interscholastic teams for men and women in basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, soccer, and track & field. Men would usually compete in baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, bowling
Bowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
, football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
, ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
, and wrestling
Scholastic wrestling
Scholastic wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the high school and middle school levels in the United States. This wrestling style is essentially Collegiate wrestling with some slight modifications. It is currently...
. Women would usually compete in cheerleading
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
, dance
Competitive dance
Competitive dance is a popular, widespread activity in which competitors perform dances in any of several permitted dance styles—such as acro, ballet, jazz, hip-hop, lyrical, modern, and tap—before a common group of judges...
, softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, and volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
.
Driscoll has placed in the top four of the following IHSA State Championship Tournaments:
- Baseball: 3rd place (1990–91, 2005–06); 2nd place (1999–2000); State Champions (1991–92, 93-94, 96-97)
- Basketball (girls): State Champions (2008–09)
- Football: State Champions (1991–92, 2001–02, 02-03, 03-04, 04-05, 05-06, 06-07, 07-08)
Notably, in football, Driscoll's 8 state titles was the fourth most in Illinois high school history. The string of seven consecutive state titles was by far the Illinois high school record, with no other team winning more than four in a row.
Closing
It was announced on April 2, 2009 that Driscoll Catholic would close its doors at the end of the 2009 school year due to low enrollment and a lack of funds.Driscoll students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends worked to raise funds and keep the school open. On April 19, 2009, the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
reported that even if fund raising efforts are successful, there was a concern that the school could fall short of the minimum enrollment needed to keep the school open.
On April 28, 2009, the Chicago Tribune reported that the De La Salle Christian Brothers of the Midwest had sent an e-mail to students and families announcing that even if enough money were to be raised to keep the school open, it would be closing at the end of the year.