GRANITE CITY – One of the sports that have helped put Granite City on the map has been wrestling.
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The coach who helped make Granite City High School's wrestling program one of the top programs in the nation died Saturday afternoon.
William “Red” Schmitt, who coached Granite City High School (and Granite City South during the two-school era from 1973-83) from 1950-85, died Saturday, Aug. 27, 2016, at Alton Memorial Hospital after a brief illness, aged 94. A memorial celebration will take place from 2-4 p.m. Oct. 9 at Hatheway Gallery at Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey, where Schmitt lived.
Schmitt came to Granite City in 1950 after a three-year stint coaching the wrestling team at the old Western Military Academy in Alton; he graduated from Alton High School in 1940. During his 35 years at the helm of the Warrior wrestling program, Schmitt coached four individual state champions – George Nemeth in 1957 and 1958 at 103 pounds, Bill Fuchs in 1967 at 103 pounds and Bob Miller in 1969 at 103 pounds – and led the Warriors to the 1965 state co-championship with Burbank Reavis.
Schmitt won 24 IHSA District or Regional titles, 26 Sectional championships and 18 Southwestern Conference and Gateway East Conference championships; the Warriors finished in the top 10 at the IHSA state wrestling tournament 15 times and 47 times, Warrior wrestlers placed in the state tournament. His all-time Granite City record was 589-70-5 and finished his career with an all-time record of 605-82-5.
Schmitt is a member of several Halls of Fame in wrestling and throughout the area, including both the Granite City Sports Hall of Fame and the Alton High School Sports Hall of Fame.
“He was an iconic figure in Granite City and in wrestling,” said current Warrior coach George Kirgan. “He cared about the kids who wrestled for him and when I started coaching, he helped mentor me. I learned a lot of positives from him and we were very fortunate to have him here as a coach.”
“Schmitty' touched so many lives here,” said Granite City school superintendent Jim Greenwald. “He was very friendly and had time for everyone; he led a full and active life.” Schmitt remained active following his retirement, running in half-marathons and 10-kilometer races, and then hiking La Vista Park and The Nature Institute. He was a well-known area football referee and starter for track and field meets and continued as an IHSA wrestling rules interpreter and was on the executive committees of the Illinois and National Wrestling Coaches Associations following his retirement from coaching.
“He had a full and wonderful life,” Greenwald said.
Schmitt's impact is still felt by the wrestlers who wrestled for him, even many years away from the mat. “He never lost his temper; no matter what the situation was, he'd seen it,” said Wally DeShon, a 1978 Granite City South graduate who won the 119-pound championship at the 1977 Granite City Holiday Tournament – a tournament that was later renamed in Schmitt's honor. “He was very knowledgeable about wrestling; it was the job he was meant to do. He was in his late 50s when I wrestled for him and he could still get on the mat and show exactly how things were done.
“We knew that when we did well, it was what was expected of us. We knew what we needed to do when we were out on the mat.”
“He was a big influence in my life when I needed it,” said Mike Garland, who was one of three brothers – along with Steve and Greg – who wrestled for Schmitt in Granite City. “He really motivated me to do the best that I could, no matter what. He was one of the great coaches in the nation and we realized how lucky we were to have him coaching here.
“He was an iconic figure in the state and the nation in wrestling and helped bring Granite City wrestling to prominence nationwide. He taught us to always look forward and when it came to making decisions in a match, he had a sixth sense; he always knew what decision to make.
“He will be missed; I won't forget him.”
“We were always aware (of Schmitt) and what he and his teams accomplished,” said Alton wrestling coach Eric Roberson, who wrestled at Roxana. “He would come to our matches (at Alton's gym) and he'd sit in the same place. Southern Illinois was lucky to have a coach like him; he was a very humble man and a great coach.
“You could go up to him and ask him anything; he had a great memory and great knowledge of the sport. No doubt, he was an icon of the sport in Illinois.”
Memorials may be made to The Nature Institute, 2213 South Levis Lane, Godfrey, Ill., 62035, or to Granite City High School, 3101 Madison Ave., Granite City, Ill., 62040, designated to the William “Red” Schmitt Holiday Wrestling Tournament. Elias, Kallal & Schaaf Funeral Home of Godfrey is in charge of arrangements.
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