Dixon HS Athletic Hall of Fame

04/02/2026

03/05/2026

Rob Willey (Football) Class of 2000 - Inducted February 7, 2026

As a two-year starter at both running back and as punter, Rob Willey was the offensive engine behind the powerful DHS football team of 2000 and the emerging team of 1999. During his junior season, he was the Dukes’ leading rusher with 630 yards and helped return Dixon football to a winning 5-4 record. Following that season, he was selected by NCIC coaches as the first team all-conference punter and a second team choice at running back. However, it was the following year as senior in 2000 when Willey burst into Dixon football history breaking Roger Coleman’s 30-year-old single season rushing mark by carrying the ball for 1,646 yards and helping lead the Dukes to a 9-2 record, the program’s most wins since 1936. He also set a new single game rushing record with 306 yards on just 17 carries versus Ottawa. His five touchdowns that night also helped him in setting a new single season touchdown record by season’s end with 22 total scores. Willey also put up a 210 yard effort on the ground versus LaSalle-Peru. Capping it off, on October 27, 2000, Willey helped lead Dixon High School to its first ever playoff win in school history – a 34-8 trouncing of Rochelle at A.C. Bowers Field.

After his senior season, he was named a first-team all-conference selection at both running back and punter as well as the NCIC Conference Co-Player of the Year and his team’s Most Valuable Player. As of 2026, Willey stands at #6 on Dixon's all-time leading rushing list with 2, 276 yards. Willey also participated in track for three years and at the NCIC meet his junior year, took second in the triple jump and was a member of the conference champion 800m relay team. After high school, he played football briefly at the University of Kentucky in the Southeastern Conference.

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03/03/2026

Diane Biggs (Volleyball/Basketball) Class of 1984 - Inducted February 7, 2026

Diane Biggs was a standout two sport athlete in both basketball and volleyball during the early 1980’s. She was a four-year player on the Duchesses varsity basketball team and helped lead Dixon to one of its best stretches in program history going 95-16 during her career including NCIC conference titles her freshman, sophomore, and senior seasons. As a freshman, she was a contributor to the Duchesses first ever Sweet 16 team. As a sophomore, she was a starter and key member of the 1981-82 team which took third place in the IHSA Class AA State Finals in Champaign. She was voted as a second team choice for the 1982 Class AA All-Tournament team. The following year as a junior, Biggs helped lead Dixon to an 18-6 record. As a senior, after leading Dixon to a 23-4 mark and averaging 16 points per game and 12 rebounds per game, she was selected as a unanimous first team all-conference choice, a member of the Rockford Register Star all-area team, and chosen as her team’s MVP. Biggs finished her basketball career as Dixon’s third leading scorer in program history at that time - just shy of 1,000 career points. On the volleyball court, she was a three year varsity starter and as a senior in the fall of 1983 helped lead the Duchesses to Regional, Sectional, and Supersectonal titles enroute to the only appearance in program history at the IHSA State Class AA State Volleyball Finals in Springfield. Following high school, Biggs received a scholarship to play basketball at the University of Illinois – Chicago.

Visit the Dixon HS Athletic Hall of Fame online at 61021.touchpros.com

03/02/2026

Mike Swinton (Football) - Class of 1978

In an era when the run game still dominated high school football in Illinois, Mike Swinton was setting passing records as the quarterback for the Dukes from 1975 to 1977. As a sophomore, Swinton took a few snaps as the varsity signal caller but it was during his junior year where he took over as varsity starter and begin to establish himself as one of the better throwers in northern Illinois. Just weeks into the ’76 season, Swinton burst onto the scene passing for almost 400 yards over Dixon’s first three games. He then passed for 224 yards in a week four game against Streator. At the time, it was the second best single game passing total in school history behind only John Wooten’s 246 yard effort set twenty years earlier in 1956. Swinton also threw for 173 yards later in the season vs LaSalle-Peru and finished his junior year with a then single season Dixon passing record of 1,192 yards, bettering the mark of 1,177 set by Skip Jones in 1967. His single season record went on to stand for 25 years until finally broken in 2001. He was voted by coaches as a unanimous first team NCIC all-conference selection at QB. The following year as senior and Dukes’ co-captain, Swinton threw for 845 yards and was again unanimously chosen as the first team quarterback in the all-conference voting. His final three year varsity total of 2,085 yards also lasted as the Dixon career passing record for nearly 25 years. Swinton also was a member of the 1977-78 Regional championship Dukes’ basketball team which went 19-10 and advanced to the Sectional final.

Visti the Dixon HS Athletic Hall of Fame online at 61021.touchpros.com

02/26/2026

Brad Kipping - Football/Basketball (Class of 1971) - Inducted February 7, 2026

Brad Kipping was one of the finest multi-sport athletes in Dixon High School history leading the Dukes to success in both football and basketball in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. As a sophomore, after helping the sophomore basketball team win a conference title, he was called up to the varsity squad in February late in the 1968-69 season. He scored 19 points in his first varsity start and went on to play a key role as a varsity starter in Dixon’s amazing post-season run helping the 10-13 Dukes rattle off five straight post-season wins to finish 15-14, claim the school’s first Sectional title in basketball since 1942, and a berth in the single class IHSA tournament’s Sweet Sixteen. As a junior, Kipping started at both linebacker and end for the 1969 football Dukes and was one of only two players (along with teammate Roger Coleman) to be selected to the NCIC all-conference team as juniors. Later that year, Kipping continued to shine on the basketball court leading the Dukes in scoring with a 16.4 points per game average and being selected as an all-conference choice in basketball as well.

The following year as a senior, Kipping as a two way starter again helped the football Dukes to a 7-1 mark, their best season at the time since 1936. He was a unanimous first team all-conference selection at end and was voted as “Toughest” and as a co-captain at the season ending awards banquet. He also received Honorable Mention recognition on the 1970 Sunkist All-American high school football team. Just weeks later, he began a stellar senior season in basketball again leading the Dukes in scoring with 472 points, again earning first team all-conference honors, and being named the team’s Most Valuable Player, captain, and claiming the Free Throw award. He finished his career as the #3 leading scorer in Dixon history at that time with 905 career points - long before the introduction of the three point shot to Illinois high school basketball. Following high school, Brad earned a scholarship to play football at Northern Illinois University.

Visit the Dixon HS athletic Hall of Fame online at 61021.touchpros.com

02/26/2026

Jim Mercer - Basketball (Class of 1951) - Inducted February 7, 2026

Jim Mercer made history in the winter of 1951 by becoming the first 1,000 point career scorer in Dixon basketball history. He went on to finish his DHS career as the all-time leading scorer in Dixon basketball history at that time with 1,035 career points scored. His 480 points scored as a senior during the 1950-51 season were also a new DHS mark at that time for most points scored in a single season. Both of these scoring feats were accomplished more than 35 years prior to the introduction of the three point shot to Illinois high school basketball. Mercer played on the varsity team for all four years of high school and was the leading scorer for the Dukes in both his junior and senior seasons helping Dixon to a 30-19 mark over those two seasons. Mercer was the NCIC conference’s leading scorer as a senior, was a unanimous first team all-conference selection, was named a large school Northern Illinois All-Star by the Consolidated News Service, an honorable mention all-state selection by the Chicago Daily News, and an all-state selection by the Champaign News-Gazette. After his senior season ended, the Telegraph stated, “He will go down in history as one of Dixon’s all-time greats.”

Following his high school career, Jim attended and was on the basketball squad at Northwestern University before finishing his college career playing basketball and baseball at Monmouth College where he graduated from in 1955. Following college, Jim served in the United States Navy before entering the business world with stops in Chicago, back home in Dixon, Galesburg, and eventually Baltimore, Maryland before retiring to Tennessee.

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02/20/2026

John Crabtree - Football (Class of 1933) - Inducted February 7, 2026

John Crabtree was the leading vote getter amongst all linemen as an offensive guard in the Telegraph’s 1951 All-Time Dixon Football Team selection. He was a unanimous All-Conference and honorable mention All-State selection at guard during his 1931 junior season in which Dixon took home the NCIC conference championship with an unbeaten record of 6-0-2. At the end of the season banquet that year, Crabtree was named the team captain for his senior season of 1932. Additionally, after his junior season the Dixonian yearbook stated, “In his three years of competition, Crabtree has become one of the most feared linemen in this area”. As a senior, he led Dixon to a solid 5-3-1 record and again earned All-Conference and All-State honors while anchoring the line. He was a varsity starter in football all four years of high school. The 1933 Dixonian yearbook proclaimed Crabtree as “the best lineman Dixon has ever had”. The Telegraph described him in 1951 as “a short, broad defensive stalwart. He wasn’t fast, but he didn’t have to be.” Crabtree also served as Class President his senior year.

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02/19/2026

Lucy Roe (Early girls sports pioneer) - Inducted February 7, 2026

Lucy Lawton Roe was a 1932 graduate of Dixon High School. After graduating from the University of Illinois, she volunteered to serve her country in the United States Navy’s WAVES program (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) during World War II. After the war, she began teaching in Dixon in 1947 and continued in that role until her retirement in 1977. From 1957-1976, she was chiefly responsible in most of those years for the organization and administration of the Girls Athletic Association (GAA) at Dixon High School. Prior to the enactment of federal Title IX legislation in 1972, the GAA was the precursor to interscholastic sports for females and was described at the time as “an excellent opportunity for all girls to become involved in working and playing with others, improving on or learning new skills in enjoying hours of enjoyable recreation.” Through the GAA, Roe and eventually assistant Candi Stapleton offered opportunities for DHS girls to compete amongst themselves in volleyball, basketball, tennis, bowling, table tennis, softball, badminton, gymnastics, and track & field. At one point, membership in the GAA at DHS topped over 300 female athletes.

When the IHSA adopted interscholastic competitions between schools starting with tennis in 1972-73 and then other sports in 1973-74, Roe became head coach or co-coach with Stapleton for all of these very first Dixon teams. Very quickly, Dixon girls’ competitive athletics were successful as the 1973-74 year saw Roe help coach the volleyball team to a conference title, a second place finish in basketball, and a district title and 10th place finish at the second-ever IHSA girls tennis State Finals in 1973-74. The Dixon girls tennis team repeated as District Champs in 1974-75 under Roe. Also that year in volleyball, Roe and Stapleton coached Dixon to a 17-7 record, it’s first ever Sectional championship, and an appearance at the Super-Sectional where they fell to Rockford West in three games. When Roy Bridgeman took over as head coach of the girls basketball program for the 1975-76 season, Roe remained on to coach the sophomore team for the next two seasons. She was also the head DHS girls track coach until she retired. In a May 1977 article from the Telegraph on Roe’s retirement, she commented, “I’m appreciative of the awards and compliments the girls have given me. I enjoy working with kids. I like kids and coaching them.”

Following her death in 1981, Dixon Superintendent of Schools Stanley Weber remarked, “All of us knew her as a fine teacher and an admirable person. During her 30 years of full-time teaching in Dixon, Mrs. Roe exhibited the best of those qualities that make for a great teacher -- a genuine caring for other people and a willingness to give of her energy and time beyond what is normally expected in order to teach youngsters effectively.”

02/18/2026

Pat Lessner (Golf Coach) - Inducted February 7, 2026

Pat Lessner was a long time coach for both the Dixon High School boys and girls golf programs for parts of five decades. During this era, he served as the head coach, assistant, and volunteer contributor. As a high school student at DHS, Pat was a member of the golf team prior to graduating in 1965. He came back to the school as a teacher in the 1970-71 school year. After a few years of helping with the intramural sports program, Lessner took the helm of the DHS golf program in the fall of 1978. In his first year, he led the girls to an IHSA district championship and a state finals appearance where Dixon finished in 16th place. Just two years later in 1980, the Dixon girls captured third place at the IHSA state finals, their highest finish ever. The Duchesses again returned to the state finals in 1983 capturing seventh place.

On the boys side, his Dukes also advanced to the state finals in 1982 finishing in 11th place and went 17-0 in dual meets the following year in 1983. Following the 1986 season, Lessner stepped away from head coaching duties and provided lessons to local youth and adult golfers in the community for many years. He returned as Dixon’s head coach for the 1998 season where he remained as the leader of the DHS program until retiring from coaching after the 2013 season. In his second stint as head coach, the Dukes won multiple conference and Regional championships, had an defeated dual meet season again (in 2004), and qualified as a team for State twice more - finishing ninth in 2008 and seventh in 2009. The Dukes also claimed a Sectional title in 2009. Over his time as head coach, Lessner coached five different golfers to a total of eight state medals inlcuding third place finishes by Cecilia Rydbeck (1980), Tek Osborn (1983), and Duke Franklin (1985). Lessner indicated that the highlight of his career was coaching Mitchell Homb to the 2010 IHSA individual state championship. Following his title, Homb said of Lessner, “I’m honored to be his first state champ. He taught me how to be mentally strong. I try to reflect how calm he always is – sometimes it’s almost unsettling to see him so calm all the time – but it really helps in the long run.” Lessner was an accomplished golfer himself winning two Lincoln Highway Tournament championships (1976 & 1992).

The Dixonian yearbook summed up Lessner in 1984 writing, “There aren’t enough ways to say thank you to Mr. Lessner. This man has dedicated many hours not only during golf season but during the summer months to shape the exceptional teams Dixon has had year after year…Mr. Lessner does more than just make sure the teams get to meets. He works on the mechanics of the swings plus the mental aspects of golf. Again, a thousand thank yous to you, Coach Lessner.” Twenty-eight years later in 2012, the Dixonian again praised Lessner stating, “Through thick and thin, he is always there for his players. Not only is he well-versed in the game of golf, but he also has very valuable life lessons to share.”

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02/12/2026

1974-75 Volleyball (Team) - Inducted February 7, 2026

Just two years after the IHSA introduced interscholastic girls sports in Illinois high schools, the 1974-75 Dixon High School volleyball team made history as the first ever DHS girls athletic team to reach the state’s Sweet 16 by winning a Sectional championship. After a 12-6 record during the regular season, the Dixon girls entered the first ever IHSA postseason volleyball tournament in January of 1975 by participating at the Oregon District Tournament - the opening round during that era of only one enrollment classification. Dixon defeated Oregon 15-11, 15-3 to advance to the championship game against Ashton who had upset heavily favored Byron in the other semifinal. DHS defeated Ashton in two games 15-6, 15-11 to win the District title and advance to the IHSA Sectional tournament to be held at Lancaster Gym in Dixon the following week. In the Sectional semifinal, Dixon dropped Game 1 to Dekalb 17-15 and were trailing in the second game 11-1 before mounting a furious comeback to win 15-13. Dixon then took the deciding third game 15-7 to advance to the Sectional title game where they would meet Mendota. In the championship game, Dixon again dropped the first game 15-4 but won the second game 15-10, and a thrilling Game 3 by a score of 16-14 to claim the first Sectional title in DHS girls athletics history. Coincidentally, the IHSA had months earlier also awarded the following week’s Supersectional contest to DHS and Lancaster Gym. As such, Dixon was now set to take on 18-2 Rockford West on their own home floor for a trip to the first ever IHSA State Volleyball Finals at Eastern Illinois University. On Tuesday night, January 25, 1975, likely the largest crowd to view a girls athletic event in Dixon prior to that time watched as DHS hosted the Warriors in a Sweet Sixteen matchup. Dixon got off to a hot start winning the first game 15-10 behind seven service points from Kathy Cook. Unfortunately, West proved to be too much as the Warriors took the next two games 15-6 and 15-7 to end Dixon’s state tourney hopes. The trailblazing ‘74-75 squad was coached by Candy Stapleton and Lucy Roe. The team was led by seniors Jacci Bogott, Diane Langenfeld, Colleen Smith, and Toni Wasson. Junior contributors were Cook, Rosemary Smith, Mary Gridley, Donna Pinegar, and Sylvia Freeman.

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02/11/2026

1979 Football (Team) - Inducted February 7, 2026

The 1979 Dixon Dukes football team, coming off a winning 5-4 record in the prior 1978 season, had high hopes entering the ’79 campaign. Under fourth year head coach Mike Berentes and senior quarterback Jim Drew, Dixon looked to contend in the always tough NCIC conference’s Northeast division. In its preseason preview, the Telegraph noted, “Considering the schedule, going undefeated is unlikely. On the other hand, for the first time since almost anyone can remember, it’s not impossible either”. The Dukes did indeed jump out to a quick 2-0 start to open the season with non-conference wins over Riverside-Brookfield (29-14) and a thrilling 21-14 double-overtime win over DeKalb. After stumbling in week 3 with a disappointing 24-6 loss to Rochelle, Dixon then ran off three straight conference wins including a 28-20 win over archrival Sterling and a 22-6 Homecoming win over Ottawa. The victory over the Pirates moved the Dukes record to 5-1 and set up a NCIC title showdown in Dixon the following week against two-time IHSA state runner-up LaSalle-Peru. The Telegraph stated that week, “When this year’s seniors entered DHS in the fall of 1976, they saw the varsity football team go 1-8. Now, they are playing for a championship.” In the highly anticipated matchup, L-P struck first to go up 8-0 but an apparent touchdown catch by Dixon’s Lester Ruffin that could have tied the game was ruled out of bounds by the officials before halftime. The Dukes fought and scored with 1:51 remaining in the game on a pass from Jim Drew to Bill Miller to cut the L-P lead to 8-6. However, the two point conversion failed and the Cavs scored in the final seconds giving the Dukes a heartbreaking 16-6 loss to the eventual state runner-up. “I’m very proud of this team”, said Coach Berentes after the game. “They really showed something the way we came back at the end. As far as I’m concerned, we have 32 all-conference players and I wouldn’t trade any of them.” Dixon went on to easy wins over Streator and Rock Falls in their final two games to finish with a 7-2 record. However, in the early days of the IHSA playoff system, being the conference runner-up was not enough to secure an at-large playoff bid. Following the season, Jim Drew, Bill Miller, Dave Floray, Rick Reubin, Arex Coleman, and Dave Smith were named All-Conference selections. Special Mention honors also went to Kevin Oswalt, Lester Ruffin, Dale Tornow, and Mike Smith. Drew became the third QB in Dixon history (at that time) to throw for over 1,000 yards in a season finishing with 1,041. At the end of season banquet, Drew was named the squad’s MVP while Dave Smith was named Top Defensive Player and Pat Jones Most Improved. Berentes noted that night, “We knew we would be good. And we knew we could be great.”

Visit the Dixon HS Athletic Hall of Fame online at 61021.touchpros.com