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glenviewlantern.com sports
the glenview lantern | December 28, 2017 | 27
Coach Talk
On the cusp of the new
year, a look at the first year
Jon ‘Coach’ Cohn
Contributing Columnist
Glenview Resident
You never know
where story ideas
may come from.
This one popped up on,
what for me, was a rarer
than rare retail shopping
expedition.
I ran into longtime
Glenview resident and
Junior Titan Football
founder Tom Thuresson.
Thuresson, a man of more
stories than the second
floor of the Glenview
Public library, talked
about a reunion this past
October, of the original
1953 born Glenbrook
High School.
I listened with interest
even though holiday anxiety
shopping mode held
my attention, I somehow
summoned my inner journalist,
and started asking a
few questions.
What was the first year
like from a sports perspective?
What was the school
spirit like? How successful
were the teams?
I did some research,
but to be honest, not a
lot is out there about the
old Glenbrook High on
the wondrous world wide
web. Talking to a few of
the folks from days gone
by, however, I pieced
together at least somewhat
of a picture.
In creating a new high
school, brand new boundaries
had to be drawn.
The new Glenbrook
High School would draw
students from Palatine,
Maine, Niles, New Trier
and of course Glenview
and Northbrook.
While administration
and adults had final say, it
was the eighth graders at
Northbrook Junior High
and at Glenview’s Springman
Junior High that met
during the year and help
select the school nickname
(the Spartans) the
school colors (forest green
and gold) and the school
fight song.
School spirit was extremely
high the first year.
Walt Sherman, the very
first football and wrestling
coach — now 91 years old
— recalls, “there was excitement
and enthusiasm
right away because everything
was brand new.”
The football team in
their first season? It was
an instant success: five
wins, two losses and one
tie. But check this out:
Year two, they went undefeated.
In fact, from year
two through four, they
had a streak of 26 straight
wins, which at the time
was a state record.
Overall, the sports
teams across the board
were strong right away.
Even though it was a
brand new school, Glenbrook
developed a high
level reputation. I talked
to Bill Schwanbeck, a star
athlete at Evanston High
School at the time who
went on to play football
for Northwestern, and
asked him how he remembered
the new Glenbrook
High School.
“We loved playing
them,” Schwanback said.
“They were talented and
had good athletes, and it
was a new experience going
up there to play. They
had our respect right from
the beginning.”
Glenbrook’s strongest
rival in the early years?
“Probably Palatine,“
said both Thuresson and
Sherman.
Were there girls Sports?
“I don’t think we had
any girls sports,” Sherman
said. “Maybe badminton.”
The girls did have what
was called the GAA (the
Girls Athletic Association)
which as best remembered
was basically a glorified
intramural program.
I would love to find out
more about sports in that
very first year. If we have
any readers out there that
may have been part of it,
or have any other additional
information feel
free to contact me at the
email address below.
I wouldn’t mind doing a
follow-up on this topic at
some point.
In the meantime, while
we all get ready to celebrate
the New Year.
Let’s not forget the first
year; apparently a very
successful one for the then
fledgling Glenbrook High
School.
Cohn has a new book published
called “Stuff People
Might Want To Know,” available
at Amazon.com or any
local bookstores. He can be
reached at jcsportsandtees@
aol.com.
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