Inducted 1998. 7-1 Season Highlighted by First Victory Over QHS in Nine Years.
A victory over Quincy High School in the season’s second game was Notre Dame’s first over the Blue Devils after eight previous losses, and it sparked the Golden Streaks to a memorable football season in which they finished with a 7-1 record.
Notre Dame entered its last game of the season as just one of nine undefeated and untied teams in the state. The Golden Streaks’ loss in the last game, called by some the “Catholic Bowl,” gave powerful Spalding its third undefeated season in six years.
The Golden Streaks’ top player was Bob Hoebing, who played end and was the team captain. He scored seven touchdowns and eight extra points to finish with 50 points. Hoebing was named third-team All-State. Quarterback Bill Killen led the team in scoring with eight touchdowns and seven extra points for 55 points, and left halfback Henry Constantino scored four touchdowns, three of them coming in the victory over Hamilton.
Hoebing, Constantino, Charles Waterkotte and Jack Finigan were all nominated to the Champaign NewsGazette’s All-State team.
Team members included Hoebing, Waterkotte, Finigan, Constantino, Killen, Dick Meissen, Art Kunkel, Kenneth Klingele, Vernon Deege, Alvin Harmon, Jim Tushaus, Tom Robey, Don Musolino, Nick Kohl, Richard Scholz, Wayne Powers, Jerry Klingele, Al Dierkes, Harold Stark, Bill Brink, Bill Kipping, Charles Ebbert, John McGee, Les Brink, Ray Doellman, Pete Maloney, Wayne Six, George VonderHaar, Richard Hoffman, Greg Holthaus, Charles Beding, Richard Horbelt, Paul Gordon, Bob Gordon, Jim Clarkson, Jerry Landwehr and Ken Brink.
The Golden Streaks were coached by Pete Affre, with Father Will and Father Huck serving as assistants. The manager was Dave Mayfield. The cheerleaders were Kathy (Yates) Miller, Donnie Broeker, Charles Blaesing, Danny Murphy, Patricia (Bernhardt) Hibbeler. Mary (Dugan) Sinovic, Rosanne (Hyslop) Szidon, Eugene Eisenbeiss, Rita (McCaughey) Koetters and Dottie Klingele.
1944 Football Schedule:
- Notre Dame 20, East St. Louis Catholic 6
- Notre Dame 14, QHS 6
- Notre Dame 40, Springfield St. James 6
- Notre Dame 26, Carthage 0
- Notre Dame 20, Springfield Cathedral 0
- Notre Dame 39, Hamilton 12
- Notre Dame 47, Palmyra (Mo.) 6
- Peoria Spalding 20, Notre Dame 0