HAMMOND – Among the Bishop Noll Institute faithful, spirits were high, and not dampened by the rain, at the christening of a new football, soccer and track facility on Aug. 15.
After an all-school Mass on the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a group of student representatives, school administrators and coaches gathered at the new stadium for a blessing by Bishop Robert J. McClory.
The original plan called for an outdoor Mass, where the nearly 700-student body would be seated in the new 1,400-seat stadium. Instead, the liturgy was hosted in the fieldhouse.
Though the rain picked up, the student-athletes did not run and hide their heads; instead, they foisted their umbrellas and looked curiously around the stadium and stepped on to the newly installed FieldTurf.
“Well, there’s nothing better than getting a new field,” said senior Gavin Knight, a free safety for the Warriors. “Facilities like this can be used not only for high school sports, but also for things like youth sports. That’s how you also really bring in more people.”
Knight added, “We’ve been waiting for this and hearing about this for years, so the fact that we actually get it – we’re going to be the first class to play on it – that’s just going to be another special feeling.”
A similar sentiment of enthusiasm for the future of the Warriors was expressed by BNI alumni. The often quoted movie line, “If you build it, they will come,” was repeated by Class of 1991 member Dave Padilla, who was a member of the 1989 state championship football team.
Padilla was not referring to a baseball diamond carved into an Iowa cornfield which was visited by the spirits of the 1919 Chicago White Sox. Instead, he suggested that the completion of the new BNI football and track facility was an investment in the dreams of untold student-athletes.
“When we had our first practice out on the new field it was just awesome,” said Padilla, who is BNI special teams coach and facilities manager. “And I think moving forward – obviously in recent years, we haven’t been as successful – (head coach Tyler Milby) is doing a great job getting this program turned around and it’s heading in the right direction.”
In his seventh year as a coach, Padilla said the athletic facilities upgrades will help attract student-athletes who may be on the fence regarding their school choice.
The Warriors still have some ground to cover. The program has been in rebuilding mode since at least 2018, when the school was forced to suspend varsity play due to a declining roster. A season of junior varsity play in 2019 was followed by pandemic-affected season play until a return to a regular schedule that showed just four wins over as many seasons.
Moving to Class 3A and adjusting to the realignment of the Greater South Shore Conference, Padilla is not anticipating this group of Warriors to reach the 13-1 mark that his squad did in 1989. But tallying some wins is a definite goal. “This year, our goal is to get to five wins … hopefully that happens because the kids are working hard,” Padilla said.
Padilla, who donned Warrior blue and gold as a free safety in the late 80s and early 90s, believes camaraderie on the field can translate to a lifetime of connectedness.
“As far as our state (championship) team, what comes to mind are the memories that we made as far as the friendships we built back then,” he explained. “When we get together for a tailgate party or to see a game it’s just like we pick up right where we left off.”
According to BNI president and class of 1977 alumnus Paul Mullaney, the stadium construction was propelled by support from the Warrior family through the “Fielding Our Future” capital campaign, as well as a large contribution from the Diocese of Gary and proceeds from the annual Mary Whelan Memorial Golf Outing.
In June 2023, ground was broken, and, in recent months, the shiny new athletic edifice and regulation track that encircles the field neared completion. Construction continues on the ticket office and concession windows.
Visible from commercial thoroughfares and the Indiana Toll Road, the stadium development parallels another rebuild – that of the Warriors football program.
“Being a part of last year and now having a new field built from the ground up, it is just better seeing the kids so happy,” said second-year head coach Milby, who is also the health and wellness instructor and teaches physical education and strength training. “They are extraordinary young men who own up to everything.”
Noll senior Julian Ramirez, a middle linebacker, scoped out the field. “I’m really impressed. I’m really grateful to be able to experience it. From our stands before this is a big improvement; there’s a lot more quality and seating.”
An Our Lady of Grace School, Highland, graduate, Ramirez said he feels like the BNI gridiron program will become successful again. He said younger student-athletes will realize the advantage of the facilities enhancements.
It’s a kind of generous attitude that he seeks to return for the mentorship he experienced. “I just try to help out as many people as I can,” explained Ramirez. “I know when I first came in, I was kind of shy and didn’t know what I was doing. Any guidance I can give and try to make it easier for someone else, I try to do. That’s how it was when I was younger – people helped me – so I want to do the same thing for someone else.”
The varsity football squad’s first home game is versus the Whiting Oilers on Friday, Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. For more information about Bishop Noll Institute athletics, visit bishopnollathletics.org.
Caption: Bishop Robert J. McClory (front) whisks holy water as he offers a blessing before Bishop Noll Institute student-athletes at the Warriors' new football, soccer and track facility in Hammond on the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Aug. 15. Rainy conditions precluded a back-to-school liturgy at the school's new 1,400-seat stadium, so the faithful gathered in the fieldhouse. (Anthony D. Alonzo photo)