Inductees The unbeaten 1967 Spalding High School football team, coached by the late Merv Haycock, was the only team in the school's history to finish 10-0. 
The Irish outscored its foes 261-87 and had nine all-conference players and 12 who rated all-state first team, special mention or honorable mention. Highly successful Manual coach Ken Hinrichs, beaten 54-20 by Spalding, said the Irish were "the best team he ever coached against."
Named to the Mid-State Nine all-conference team were end Pat Atkins, tackles Bryant Welch and Mike Nauman, guards Bob Mishler and Larry Mishler, quarterback Joe Gilfillan, halfback Jim Moore and fullback John Voorhees.
Middle guard Dave Stickelmaier was named an "outstanding specialist" while end Dave Trinite and halfback Jim Hinton rated Special Mention and center Ken Schaftnit honorable mention.
Voorhees, the Mishler brothers, Nauman, Moore and Marty McGann went on to play for Northwestern, while Trinite went on to Dayton U.; Atkins and Hinton to Wyoming; Gilfillan and Bill Lucas to Utah; Stickelmaier to Illinois State; Moore to Western Illinois and Welch to the Naval Academy.
THE 1967 SEASON
Spalding 12, Limestone 6
Spalding 54, Manual 20
Spalding 27, Danville 0
Spalding 21, East Peoria 6
Spalding 20, Richwoods 6
Spalding 27, Pekin 6
Spalding 26, Central 6
Spalding 26, Chicago St. Pat 21
Spalding 41, Woodruff 6
Spalding 7, Bergan 0
| GARY TROTTER Gary Trotter began working with youth sports as early as his college days at Bradley University, when he coached boys' basketball at St. Marks grade school in the late`5Os. He continued by next working with freshman baseball at Peoria High School. Upon graduation in 1958, he entered the service and in 1960 he began working at Pleasant Hill grade school where he taught and coached the boys' sports. He holds great pride in the fact that he was able to coach a state championship basketball team during his stay at Pleasant Hill. |  |