There were good, comforting and familiar stories all across the board when Homestead High School inducted its second class into its Athletic Hall of Fame, Sept. 28.
Athletic director, coach and all-around servant to the school Phil Puerling; legendary baseball coach and ground zero for a large family of successful Homestead athletes Don Rennicke; basketball scoring machine Larry Hisle Jr.,and all-around stars Dallas Kroll and Dennis Quinlan.
But the most interesting person to be inducted was the man who wasn't there, the late Bruce Bahlman, who may have been as gifted an all-around athlete as has ever graced the school.
"All I know about his is what I learned the last few months," Homestead boys track coach Dan Benson said. "Everyone I talked to said 'Oh my God what a tremendous natural athlete.' He could pick up anything and do it well. I talked to Andy Friesch and Jim Klug (former Homestead stalwarts in their own right) and they went on and on about what he did in the one year he went out for track (set a Braveland Conference record in the high jump at 6-6), and then I talked to the Rennickes about his exploits in baseball (he was a shortstop and pitcher, who once struck out 17 in a game for the 1974 state champions)."
"Just amazing."
Athletic Director Charlie Gross said Bahlman was an easy choice, but finding recent information about him was difficult at best. There are few or no relatives remaining in the Mequon/Thiensville area, and Gross had to track down a brother using an old obituary.
A relative was on hand to collect the plaque for Bahlman, who also led the 1974 basketball team to an 11-8 record while leading the team in scoring and rebounding and who also played football.
Benson grew more and more astonished each time he discussed Bahlman with coaches, competitors and classmates.
"You look around at the other schools who are doing this (Halls of Fame) and you try to find people who pop out at you," Benson said. "You find your one-sport wonders and then you look around some more and find people like him."
That was also the case for Quinlan and Kroll. Kroll, famous for his horn-rimmed glasses and red and white striped knee socks when he led the boys basketball team to a share of the Braveland Conference Northern Division title in 1963 (he's still the school's fifth all-time leading scorer with 1,085 points and still holds school records for games played and career free throws made), was also an all-around star in his own right.
He earned 11 letters in four sports including football, track and baseball. He looked as natty and prim as ever when he was introduced with the others on the track at halftime of the Highlander football team's victory over Port Washington on Sept. 27.
Quinlan cut an even more amazing figure. One of two state champion wrestlers in school history (2007 inductee Vince Farina is the other), he came out to the track in his 1970 letter jacket, looking like he could still get down on the mat and hit someone with a headlock.
He went 30-0 in 1970 and was 96-13 overall in his career, but that was part of his story. He was also a member of the 1967 state cross country championship team and he still holds the school record in the 800 meters in track (1:56.5). He was team captain for cross country, wrestling and track.
And the others in the class were just happy to smile and wave to the overflow homecoming night crowd and to be acknowledged and remembered. Hisle Jr., who averaged 28 points a game his senior year in earning the AP's state player of the year honor in 1989 (he is the school's all-time leading scorer) tousled his small son's hair and laughed when his name was called.
While Rennicke and Puerling could also stand tall. Rennicke has 321 career baseball wins to his credit as well as state titles in 1974 and 1978, not to mention that little storied field with his name on it on the border of Mequon and Thiensville.
While Puerling, whose honor came under the well-earned title of distinquished service, well, describing all the things he did in 31 years and still continues to do in retirement would take more space than reasonably allowed. Suffice it to say that his 14-year career as athletic director was a productive one and included vast renovations to the athletic plant, new standards for athletes to aspire to (and not just athletically) and just a few moments of success.
Such as 14 state team titles and 94 conference championships for the school.
It's like Benson said about Bahlman, you look for people who pop out at you.
