The Latin School (usually called "Latin") is a co-ed independent K-12 private day school in Chicago, Illinois. Its nickname is the Romans. The school currently competes as a member of the North Metropolitan Scholastic Bowl League (NMSBL). It also competes in Class A, the "small school" division, of the Illinois High School Association's (IHSA) State Championship Series. The current coaches are Dr. Matt Bardoe, Emily Warren, and Jonathan Legendre, although Emily Warren will no longer be an official coach after the 2009-2010 season. These three split the duties of coaching equally, as opposed to a specific Varsity and Frosh/Soph coaches.
History
Unquestioned as the dominant small school force in Illinois Scholastic Bowl, the program began under then Athletic Director Rob Grierson who was assisted by Dr. LeRoy Weinbrenner. Their first season was the 1991-92 season, the year in which the Romans also won their first IHSA Sectional Championship. The team cashed in on the Sectional Title, placing fourth at State. After that time, the Romans won 18 straight Sectionals until losing to Lisle in 2010. They have never failed to win a Regional since that level was enstated. Of their 18 trips to the State Championship Tournament, only thrice (1996, 99, 2001) did the team fail to place in the top four. Many strong Class A Chicago area teams have threatened Latin's dominance in their section such as Seneca, Lisle, and Timothy Christian. Their 2001-09 streak of 8 consecutive top four finishes is a record (also held by Wheaton North and Auburn).
Amazingly, while the team has been the single most consistent quizbowl team in Illinois, its coaching staff has undergone almost constant change, with ten either head or co-coaches over that time. Only Dr. Weinbrenner (as co- and later head coach) and Emily Warren have won two state titles over the run. Among the other coaches of note to have led the Latin School are Phil Blessman who later coached at the Conserve School of Wisconsin before moving on to Culver in Indiana. (Blessman may be among the few coaches to lay claim to state titles in more than one state, though with great irony is one of only two head coaches of the Romans over this stretch to fail to win at least one state title while with Latin). The team was also coached for a few years by Matt Bardoe, who moved to Connecticut in 2009.
Latin was a founding member of the NMSBL, where it can get competition from schools such as St. Ignatius, and more recently Carmel Catholic and St. Viator. Because of the small number of Class A schools in the Chicago area, Latin is often forced to play much larger schools. Despite this, its worst record over the recent years is likely its 39-14 season, when it finished third in the IHSA State Championship Tournament.
As of the end of the 2008-09 season, the Latin School's 7 State Titles are the record for Class A. Only The Illinois Math & Science Academy's eight State Titles are ahead of them. However, given Latin's continued success in recent years, Latin may soon eclipse this record. Their 18 Sectional Titles and 15 top-four finishes are records at all levels.
Tournament Hosting
Latin's Gold Coast location does not make it an ideal site for hosting tournaments. It has hosted numerous IHSA Sectional tournaments, and its perennial top seed in the sectional makes it a nearly annual Regional tournament host site.
Noted Team Accomplishments
- IHSA Regional Titles (9): 2001-09
- IHSA Sectional Titles (18): 1992-2009
- IHSA Championship Tournament Champions: 1994, 98, 2002, 04-06, 09
- IHSA Championship Tournament Runner-Up: 1993, 95
- IHSA Championship Tournament Third Place: 1997, 2000, 03, 08
- IHSA Championship Tournament Fourth Place: 1992, 2007
IHSSBCA Individual Awards
The following were honored by the Illinois High School Scholastic Bowl Coaches Association (IHSSBCA) for outstanding play through their All-Sectional/All-State Program. Each sectional comprises roughly 24 geographically concentrated teams, and thus roughly 125 starting players. Through the 2006-07 season, the top ten players were recognized in each sectional,(starting with 2007-08, the number was raised to 15) with teams restricted to no more than two nominations (three nominations starting in 2007-08). There are twenty All-State awards given each year (10 First Team, 10 Second Team) in each of Illinois' two classes.
Team Captains
- 2004-05 Jonathan Mayer
- 2005-06 Michael Karno & Ben Weiss
- 2006-07 Ben Wishnick & Andrew Friedman
- 2007-08 Andrew Friedman
- 2008-09 Alicia Singham Goodwin
- 2009-10 Alicia Singham Goodwin & Robert Volgman
All-Sectional Honorees
- 2001-02: Jim Davis
- 2002-03: Nick Buttrick, Ben Weiss
- 2003-04: Nick Buttrick, Ben Weiss
- 2004-05: Jonathan Mayer, Ben Weiss
- 2005-06: Michael Karno, Ben Weiss
- 2006-07: Andrew Friedman, Ben Wishnick
- 2007-08: Andrew Friedman, Nick Hybel
- 2008-09: Sam Mulopulos, Robert Volgman, Seth Perlman
- 2009-10: Sam Mulopulos, Robert Volgman, Seth Perlman
- Ben Weiss is the only Illinois player (as of 2008) to be named All-Sectional for four seasons.
All-State Honorees
- 2001-02: Jim Davis (1st team)
- 2002-03: Nick Buttrick (2nd team)
- 2003-04: Nick Buttrick (1st team)
- 2005-06: Ben Weiss (1st team)
- 2006-07: Andrew Friedman (1st team)
- 2007-08: Andrew Friedman (1st team)
- 2009-10: Robert Volgman (1st team)
- David Barnes (1999)
- Jim Davis (2001, 2002)
|
|
| Preceded by |
Year |
Succeeded by
|
| Stillman Valley |
2004, 2005, 2006 |
Lutheran Schools Ass'n (Decatur)
|
|
|
| Preceded by |
Year |
Succeeded by
|
| Petersburg PORTA |
2009 |
Lisle
|
