Reavis’ bass-fishing coach’s Tony del Alcazar’s retirement party keeps flowing.
“I keep telling people I feel like I am in a Hallmark movie my last year,” he said.
Burbank is not a hotbed of tournament bass fishing. Yet sophomore Adrian Gasinski and freshman Cesar Peralta finished second (7 pounds, 10 ounces) in the Wolf Lake regional May 15 to reach the Des Plaines River sectional, where the Rams took ninth (7-15) May 22, qualifying Reavis for the state finals for the first time.
The state finals are Friday and Saturday, June 6-7, on Lake Shelbyville, first time the finals haven’t been on Carlyle Lake since the Illinois High School Association’s first state finals for bass fishing. Beside the bass fishing team reaching state the first time, the 2025 yearbook dedication is to Alcazar, who will teach science through the fall semester.
It’s been a journey to those smiles.
“When the IHSA brought [up bass fishing] in 2009, there were a handful of die-hard anglers on staff,” Alcazar said. “The administration was hesitant at first, but gave us the go-ahead. I had a packed classroom for my first fishing team meeting. We ended up with overwhelming support from the administration once they realized how popular it was.”
He does it differently.
“Tournament bass fishing is such specific way of fishing, I started a fishing club in the fall,” he said.
They fish at various places, such as nearby Maple Lake.
“From the group in the fall, we could tell who [had potential],” he said. “I try to keep four to six kids for the spring.”
Those are kids not only with fishing chops, but potential to focus on fishing all day.
“Cesar is kind of my phenom,” Alcazar said. “He came in with a love for bass fishing with artificial lures and has a dad who takes him out to Braidwood. Even after school on some days, he would tell me he caught them on soft plastics and ChatterBaits. For me, to have a student like that come into my high school, I was on Cloud Nine.
“Adrian is successful because he is super coachable. He listens and wants to do the right thing. He found the lane on our boat.”
As to anglers who stood out, Alcazar said, “My first ones. I remember Jacob Wileman and Matt Papciak. They were first serious tourney anglers who made me learn that I had to learn how to teach kids to tournament fish. They loved to fish, but to get them to tournament bass fishing is different. That was a realization for me.”
“[He was a] really great coach and teacher, very supportive and patient,” Papciak messaged. “[I] earned a lot about fishing and made me love the sport even more. Every time I’m out fishing I have memories come up than make me smile and remember what a great influence Mr. Del was.”
Most bass-fishing coaches are math or science teachers. A good number are history/social studies teachers; a surprising number, special education teachers. I only remember one English teacher as a coach. That bugs me as an old English major.
Alcazar, a science teacher, had an explanation.
“I think it is linear way of thinking,” he said. “It is a problem solving on the water. Who is good at problem solving? Science and math teachers.”
Oak Lawn coach/social studies teacher Chris Kuchyt, another OG, emailed, “Our relationship started at the boat ramps as we would back each other’s boats into the water and park the trailers for each other. When we passed each other on the water, we would always engage in some playful rivalry banter. The Oak Lawn Spartan Fishing Team has been very lucky to have been able to fish against Coach Tony for all these years.
“As a coach, there’s nothing more rewarding than seeing fellow anglers succeed — even when they wear a jersey from your school’s rival team. . . . We have coached against each other for the past 17 years, and the sportsmanship, dedication, and passion from his team truly reflects the best of high school fishing.”
Asked if any memories stick out, Alcazar recalled a Des Plaines regional, “We were going down a bank and another boat was coming down. I asked, `Do you mind if we fish this bank?’ [They said,] `No, you can’t go up there. There is a dead body.’ Of course, all the boys said, `Can we go see it?’ ”
As to retirement, Alcazar, who’s considering an outboard mechanic program, said, “I have ADD, I can’t sit still. My wife and kids roll their eyes. I am all over the place. My first six months I am not going decide. My ultimate goal is to be around water.”
