Four student-athletes from Fenwick signed their letter of intent on National Signing Day (Feb. 5).
Fenwick’s Rich Schoen and Ryan Smith both signed to play football at Miami (Ohio), while teammate Robert Spillane is headed to Western Michigan University. Schoen, Smith and Spillane played major roles for the Friars (9-2), who won the Chicago Catholic League White Division championship and advanced to the second round of the Class 7A playoffs. The Friars cruised past Hersey 28-6 in the opening round of the playoffs this season before losing in stunning fashion, 32-31 to Wheaton North in the following round of the playoffs.
Fenwick flourished during the regular season as well under head coach Gene Nudo with a solid victory at Bishop Lynch in Dallas, along with road wins over Brother Rice and De La Salle.
Schoen, from Riverside, did it all for the Friars as a ball-hawking safety and big-play wide receiver. Schoen starred defensively, in particular with a whopping nine interceptions and 66 total tackles. He also showed a penchant for big plays on offense with 36 catches for 795 yards and four touchdowns. Smith (44 catches, 786 yards) served as a big target at tight end for quarterback Gino Cavalieri. Spillane (208 carries, 1,562 yards, 17 touchdowns) provided physical play as a bruising running back/linebacker but also provided deceptive speed and elusiveness out of the offensive backfield. He earned recognition as an all-state player in Class 7A.
Cairo, who led the Fenwick softball team to a deep run in the playoffs last spring, signed with Lewis University to play softball. Led by Cairo, who hit .402 with 28 runs scored, Fenwick (21-16) won 12 of its last 16 games under skipper Mike Marrese en route a supersectional appearance.
