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Following a stellar career in
three sports at Centralia Township High
School, Paul Downey found another in which
he excelled. A
member of the Class of 2014 of the Centralia
Sports Hall of Fame, Downey was a standout
in football, basketball and track at CTHS,
from which he graduated in 1961. But
some two decades later while teaching
mathematics in the Joliet School District,
he took up another sport in which he also
became proficient and it was golf. "Back
then, I never paid attention. I wasn't
even aware of the game," said Downey,
who was on the faculty at Joliet East High
School at the time. "Football,
basketball, that was it." But
after trying the game with colleagues, he
kept playing and in 1982 was named an
assistant golf coach at East. When
that school closed, Downey went to Joliet
West and in 1986 was able to resume his
coaching career. "I
got the right start," he said.
"I learned from guys who knew the game
and then I got hooked on coaching
golf." "I
had coached football and cross country but
it's a whole different mentality in
golf. You can yell in football but in
golf you've got to be positive and
encouraging. It really opened my eyes
as to how tough the game really is because
it's just you and the ball." In
six years at Joliet West Downey had at least
one sectional qualifier per season, and in
1992 the Tigers were undefeated in the South
Inter-Conference Association. But
West's athletic programs were absorbed into
Joliet Central, leaving Downey without a
coaching position until he became an
assistant at the nearby University of St.
Francis in 1995. Shortly
thereafter, he became the head coach and has
since guided the Saints to 17 conference
championships in 20 seasons and two
runner-up finishes. "I
didn't expect to coach as long as I
have," said Downey, who plans to keep
doing it for as long as he can.
"It's been quite an experience. I
started with a couple decent players and
kept building each year. "I've
had the privilege of coaching some great
young men and i'm excited about the start of
each season. We were relatively young
this year, won five of nine tournaments and
had a team average of 301 [per 18 holes]
which was pretty good." Last
year, in addition to taking the Saints to
the NAIA Finals in Oregon, Downey became the
first African-American inducted into the
Illinois Coaches Association Hall of Fame. "It
was a surprise. I never expected
it," Downey said of the honor.
"I could never have imagined being
where I am now. It's been
incredible." A
standout at CTHS, where he starred on South
7 Conference championship teams in the three
sports in the 1960-61 school year, Downey
may be best remembered for his role as the
defensive stopper on the Orphans basketball
team that went 29-2 and reached the
super-sectional before being edged by
unbeaten Collinsville in an epic contest. Facing
two scoring aces in Jerry Loew of Charleston
and Steve Cunningham of Bridgeport at the
sectional, Downey held both to under half
their seasonal averages in helping spark
Centralia victories. That
put the Orphans against the Kahoks in a game
that was considered the "real"
state championship after Collinsville
slipped past Centralia 66-64 and then
destroyed the field at Champaign. "That
was an unforgettable game," said
Downey. I remember coming out of the
locker room, looking around and realizing
the place was packed." "It
was just back-and-forth,
back-and-forth. You didn't really
think about it; you just played." In
football he received all-conference and
all-state special and honorable mention
while playing end and was the leading
receiver for the Orphans with seven
touchdown receptions in an 8-1-1 season in
1960. Three of those came in a 41-13
victory over West Frankfort. In
track he was a standout sprinter with his
specialty the 440-yard dash, in which he
qualified for state from the district meet
at East St. Louis his senior year. As
a junior he claimed both the 100 and 440 at
the South Seven Conference meet and ran the
anchor leg in the mile relay - which the
Orphans won to break a three-way tie for
first and take the title. While
an injury ended his football career in
college, Downey cam back home to play
basketball at Centralia Junior College where
he was on the 1964 club that took eighth in
the national tournament and set a scoring
record. Downey,
who also entered the HOF as member of the
1961 baketball team, plans to come back for
he ceremonies. "I
wouldn't miss it for the world," he
said of returning for the induction.
"I'm looking forward to it." list@morningsentinel.com
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