Publications & Sites 
Swimmers will salute Don Watson during Hinsdale Central Hall of Fame weekend
Updated: October 21, 2012 1:59PM
HINSDALE
Hinsdale Central’s large group of swimming alums would follow renown coach Don Watson to the ends of the pool.
Some from an e-mail list of over 150 swimmers will salute Watson at a reunion dinner at 6 p.m. Sept. 29, at Scapa Italian Kitchen at 1 Walker Ave. in Clarendon Hills, after the afternoon homecoming football game with Hinsdale South. Greg Scott is the dinner organizer.
Watson is coming in from Austin, Tex., to salute Sandra Bucha Kerscher, Dr. Brian Moran, Mary Ryan Buddig, Bob Dudley and Paul Chapman, all who will be inducted into the Central Foundation Hall of Fame the previous night at the Hinsdale Golf Club.
John Carver (Class of 1973) passed a message on to Sue Dudley, who will be accepting for brother Bob, who is unable to attend.
“I’d love to be there, but I’ll be in Singapore,” Carver emailed. “Get your brother to our 1973 reunion next year. We need him on the relay team. I will, of course, be an alternate on the ‘B’ or ‘C’ team.”
Defense rests
Central’s 58-year-old football record of allowing just 26 points in an eight-game 1954 season, when coach Harvey Dickinson’s squad finished 7-1, was officially preserved for another year Friday when the Red Devils lost 28-23 to Glenbard West.
“The guys are so proud of that record,” said G.R. Thomas, Class of ‘55 president and a team captain.
Passing time
Think of former Central football coach Mike DiMatteo if Chicago Bears’ backup quarterback Matt Blanchard gets into a game. DiMatteo coached Blanchard for three seasons at Lake Zurich (2003-2005) before coming to the Red Devils, where DiMatteo was 35-20 in five years.
“Matt has that knack for winning,” DiMatteo said. “It’s something you can’t put your finger on. He’s absolutely fearless, not afraid of a challenge. He’s a tough kid, very impressive.”
DiMatteo remembers Blanchard throwing an interception as a Lake Zurich sophomore to send a game into overtime with 1:30 to go against Crystal Lake South.
“Matt didn’t even flinch,” DiMatteo said. “He engineered us right down the field. We scored and won the game.”
The in-crowd
Hinsdale’s Sam Stout, who for decades was one of the state’s best amateur golfers, has moved with wife Suzy Bodmer Stout (Class of ’55) to Michigan. They have a winter home in Florida.
I attended grade school with Suzy in Riverside where she was part of the in-crowd.
Me? I was part of the fringe-crowd.
Keeping score
Dick Biondi, a revered Chicago radio disc jockey, turned 80 last week. He gave baseball scores this way: “6-5, 3-1, 4-2, 7-0. Here’s a score just in: 12-9.”
That was it. No teams, just scores.
The quote
White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski, on why an umpire threw him out of a recent game:
“We were discussing pizza. He said thin crust and I said deep dish.” ~.
