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Football: Johnny Lattner hosts football family reunion at Fenwick
Fenwick's quarterback Danny Lattner throws a pass in pre-season practice Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2012 at the Dominican Priory in River Forest. | Rob Hart~Sun-Times Media
This Week
Fenwick
FOOTBALL
Saturday
At Hales Franciscan, 1:30 p.m.
BOYS GOLF
Today
At Prov. Cath./St. Laurence, Green Garden C.C., 3:45 p.m.
Saturday
Hosts Irish Invite at Kankakee Elks C.C., 1 p.m.
Tuesday
At DeLaSalle Inst. at The Meadows G.C., 4 p.m.
BOYS SOCCER
Today
At Windy City Invite, TBD
Saturday
At Windy City Invite, TBD
Tuesday
At Windy City Invite, TBD
GIRLS TENNIS
Saturday
Hosts ESCC Quad w/Bishop McNamara, Carmel, Joliet Cath., 8:30 a.m.
Wednesday
Hosts Nazareth, 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday
Hosts Nazareth, 4:30 p.m.
GIRLS SWIM/DIVE
Tuesday
Hosts Regina/Marist, 5 p.m.
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Today
At St. Ignatius, 6 p.m.
Wednesday
Hosts Q. of Peace, 6 p.m.
Updated: September 24, 2012 6:42AM
OAK PARK
Fenwick legend Johnny Lattner has four very good reasons to watch Friars football this fall.
The 1953 Heisman Trophy winner from Notre Dame has been a regular in the stands at Fenwick football and boys basketball games. He probably won’t miss a single game this year with four grandsons playing together for Gene Nudo, who takes over after previously working as a coach and administrator in the Arena Football League.
Of the four cousins, one of Fenwick’s top players is returning senior safety John Lattner, from Hinsdale, whose twin brother Luke is a standout basketball player at the school, but does not play football. John is joined by cousins Robert Spillane, a junior running back/linebacker, quarterback Danny Lattner, a senior, and junior tight end/defensive lineman Ryan Smith.
Danny is competing with junior Gino Cavalieri for starting quarterback for Saturday’s season opener at Hales.
Spillane and Luke Lattner will be two of the top players returning to the boys basketball team.
Johnny Lattner, 79, lives in Melrose Park, but the 1953 Heisman Trophy winner visits Oak Park every week to have coffee with some friends.
“Offensively, we will try to be a balanced team,” Nudo said. “We’ll try, hopefully, to be 60/40 run-to-pass. We have two kids in the backfield that are 215 pounds (Spillane) and 230 pounds (Patrick Hart). We would be foolish not to run the ball.”
Another player in the mix at running back is senior Bobby Somers.
Nudo has brought in a whole new staff that includes Fenwick’s dean of students Wally Pembleton, who played college football at Akron. At one practice, 76-year-old Don Heldman, who has coached for 51 years, worked with linemen.
Heldman is a holdover from former coach Joe DiCanio’s staff and has worked as a defensive coordinator at Fenwick for many years. A two-time hall-of-famer, he has been enshrined by the Catholic League and East Suburban Catholic. ~.
