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Football History

Tail Power Golf Classic 2022

The football program's Tail Power Golf Classic returned on Saturday, Aug. 20 with more than 115 participants at Deer Creek Golf Club. The event, which honors the late Dave Mattio '66, Patrick Murphy '81 and Ed Ziltz '80, is hoping to return stronger than ever as a friend- and fund-raiser for the Spartan athletic programs. Founders Jim Dee '80 and Tim Swanson '86 were on hand Saturday and will strive to maintain and bring back the great Marian Catholic football tradition and honor its alumni.

Tail Power Classic is an organization created by Football Alums to keep in contact and raise funds for the football program and other athletics at Marian.

In 2002 Tim Swanson, Jim Dee, and Ed Ziltz started the Tail Power Classic Golf outing. At the time, it was organized to supplement and inform on A.I.M. (Athletic Initiative at Marian). It was also seen as an opportunity (or as you get older and life gets more busy- excuse) for football alums who shared the same special experience that is Marian Catholic Football to get together. Since that humble beginning, TPC (as it is now endearingly referred) has raised about $150,000 dollars for MCHS Athletics through the golf outing and Texas Hold’em Event. After a decade of success, the leadership of this group is now being passed down to its Alums.

Football History Web Site

Welcome to the Football History Archives for the Marian Catholic football program from 1960 to the present day. This archive reflects the painstaking work of late Coach Dave Mattio '66, who served as an assistant coach starting in 1971 and became varsity head coach in 1976. During his tenure, Coach Mattio sorted thousands of pages of team rosters, records, news clippings, and achievements in the football program.

We are making progress restoring the entire archive, also preparing to add photo galleries originally prepared by Coach Dave Mattio. Athletic Director Kevin Kelly '80 (who originally gained archives from the Chicago Heights Library as a student) and Mattio comrade Gary Kopycinski are committed to continue updates and keep alive a great passion of Dave Mattio.

Thank you for taking the time to visit!