JCA’s Samantha Quigley Smith, Dave Douglas, 2013 baseball team inducted into East Suburban Catholic Hall of Fame

A pair of Joliet Catholic Academy legends and a state champion Hilltoppers team were among the inductees to the East Suburban Catholic Conference Hall of Fame Class of 2023.

In all, 12 individuals and three state championship teams were selected for induction, highlighted by current Houston Rockets NBA player Frank Kaminsky, a Benet Academy graduate, and women’s basketball star/current Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville head women’s basketball coach Samantha Quigley-Smith, a 2006 Joliet Catholic graduate.

As a high school senior, Quigley-Smith starred in basketball, volleyball and softball at Joliet Catholic. She was a member of the 2003 JCA girls volleyball state championship team, the first in school history.

Quigley-Smith went on to an illustrious playing career at DePaul University, where she was a two-time All-Big East selection and was named an honorable mention WBCA All-American in 2011 and a finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Award as a senior.

She served four seasons as head coach at Lewis University and had a five-season stint at the University of St. Francis in Joliet, winning accolades and finding success at both posts.

Dave Douglas, a 1975 JCA graduate, has been a mainstay at Joliet Catholic since 1985.

Over a 37-year coaching career, Douglas has been a part of ten IHSA football state championships (1987, ‘90, ‘99, 2000,’01, ‘03, ‘04, ‘07, ‘18, ‘21). Douglas served as a lower-level assistant head football coach from ‘85 to ‘86 and joined head coach Jim Boyter’s varsity staff in 1987. From 1989 until 2012, he served as the offensive line coach for head coaches Bob Stone and Dan Sharp. In 2013, Douglas was elevated to associate head coach and still serves in that capacity under current head coach Jake Jaworski. His offensive lines have paved the way for one of the most formidable rushing attacks in IHSA history. The 2007 Hilltoppers set an IHSA record with 6,609 rushing yards in a season.

Douglas has served as head girls basketball coach, sophomore head baseball coach, varsity badminton coach and most notably head softball coach over his 37-year career. Douglas guided the JCA Angels softball program from 1990 to 2016, posting a 527-367 overall record. The Angels won nine regional titles, reached a sectional final and won 20 or more games in 16 of his 26 seasons at the helm.

The 2013 Joliet Catholic baseball team posted a 25-14 record, defeating Wheaton St. Francis 5-0 for the IHSA Class 3A state championship.

Coached by Jared Voss assisted by Jake Jaworski, Leo Michalak, Tony Giese and Bart Kemp, the roster included Jon Trotto, Ben Figura, Kyle Polaski, Keegan Tyrell, Matt Testa, Rylan Bannon, Danny Weis, Alex Voitik, Zach Jackovich, Cam Grubisich, Chris Tschida, Cal Placher, Brock Pluth, Ryan Peter, Ira Hughes, John Bylina, John Kalisik, Mitch Boe, Aaron Markley, Brady Kostecki, Nick Morrison, Nick Dalesandro, Sam Couch, Sean Chamberlin, Brandon Kaminski and Matt Testa.

The East Suburban Catholic Conference Hall of Fame Class of 2023 also includes: from Benet — Frank Kaminsky and Dave Sobolewski; from Marian — Melissa Gergel and the 2012-13 girls basketball team; from Marist — Mary Pat Connolly; from Nazareth/St. Viator — Mike Manno; from Notre Dame College Prep — Kevin Clancy and Mark Heidersbach; from St. Patrick — Sam Maniscalo; from St. Viator — Loryn King Kromrey and Lauren Weber Gaeger; and from Bishop McNamara — the 2013 softball team.

— Shaw Local regional sports editor J.T. Pedelty contributed to this story.