Maine South football is the No. 2 boys high school sports dynasties
Editor's note: The Daily Herald is counting down the Top 10 boys and girls high school sports dynasties over the past 20 years, two at a time. We continue today at No. 2 with Maine South football and Rosary girls swimming.
DVRs weren't a thing yet.
To capture history and a memory of his favorite team, Sean Price fired up his VCR and found a new VHS tape to put inside.
He hit record and glued himself to the television.
"I was about 8 years old and my goal was to be a Maine South Hawk," Price said. "I was in the Park Ridge Falcon youth football program and I was so excited to watch Maine South in the state championship game."
Maine South, led by quarterback John Schacke, who passed for an unheard of 3,000 yards that season in an era of run-heavy offenses, won the 1995 IHSA Class 5A state championship under coach Phil Hopkins that day with Price gleefully watching and cheering from home.
That championship, Maine South's first in football, set into motion what would become one of the most dominant football dynasties in Illinois high school football history.
Maine South has played in a total of eight state championship games since 2000 and has won five titles, including three straight in 2008, 2009 and 2010 with three different quarterbacks - Charlie Goro, Tyler Benz and Matt Alviti, all of whom passed for more than 3,000 yards for the season. The Hawks have also earned a playoff berth every year since 1992, the longest consecutive playoff streak in the state.
"I think if you're talking dynasties (in Illinois high school sports), Maine South football has got to be in the equation, if not at the top of the list," said David Inserra, the head football coach at Maine South since 2001 and winner of four state championships. He has a 203-34 record in 20 seasons.
"We've done some really special things at Maine South and we've had a great consistency in our coaching staff, and the community just loves Maine South football. It's like a small town in Texas. You walk into any shop in Park Ridge and everyone is talking about Maine South football."