COLEMAN (NBC 26) — A Cougar great was in attendance for an intense wrestling match between Luxemburg-Casco and Coleman.
Wisconsin Wrestling Hall of Famer Roger Pillath, a 1960 Coleman graduate, is a two-time individual state heavyweight champion, winning titles in 1959 and 1960. He was also a member of Coleman’s first state championship team in 1960.
Pillath attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 1960 to 1964, excelling in both football and wrestling.
He won Big Ten heavyweight wrestling titles in 1962 and 1964 and finished as the NCAA national runner-up in 1962 at Oklahoma State University.
In addition to his wrestling success, Pillath was the left tackle for Wisconsin’s Big Ten championship football team in 1962 and played in the 1963 Rose Bowl against USC.
After college, he was selected 39th overall in the third round of the 1964 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams, where he played until 1965. He then spent the 1966 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers before injuries cut his professional career short.
Following his playing days, Pillath transitioned to coaching, becoming the head wrestling coach at Port Washington High School. He led the Pirates to a WIAA state runner-up finish in 1970 and guided them to a state championship in 1971.
In recognition of his achievements, Pillath was inducted into the Wisconsin Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1991.
Before Coleman's match, the school honored Pillath by displaying his original high school football jersey.
"I'm proud to be part of the Coleman athletic scope," Pillath said. "For a small school, athletics has always been really important. I was totally honored by this, and I'm just thankful that I was able to take part in it."
Principal Douglas Polomis hopes hanging Pillath's jersey in the hallways will inspire student-athletes.
"There have been so many great wrestlers who have gone through this program, and he kind of laid the foundation for it," Polomis said. "Hopefully, it will inspire some of our kids to realize that, huh, a small-town kid can make it big. Have a dream, have a passion, and go for it. And looking around our hallway saying, wow, even a kid from our school can accomplish that."
Before the match, Coleman also recognized a community member, Stephanie Meyer, who is battling stage 4 colon cancer. Meyer, who began chemotherapy immediately after her diagnosis, attended the match with her husband, three children, and extended family.
Community members wore "Team Steph" shirts to show their support and remind Meyer that she is not alone in her fight.
The match between Luxemburg-Casco and Coleman ended in a 35-35 tie.
