Consider this roster encompassing one generation: Matt Grevers (‘03), a four-time Olympic gold medalist in swimming; Tommy Rees (‘10), a University of Notre Dame quarterback who now serves as the offensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns; Caleb Durbin (‘18), an infielder who competed in the 2025 playoffs for the Milwaukee Brewers before being traded to the Boston Red Sox; Rylie Mills (‘20), a Seattle defensive lineman who earned a sack during his squad’s recent Super Bowl win, and Sarah Spain (‘98), a former track and field captain at Cornell University who works for ESPN and hosts the first podcast devoted to women’s sports, Good Game with Sarah Spain. Go back further, and one can add former University of Michigan basketball player and present Los Angeles Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka (‘88) to the list, along with others.
Drafted in 2021 by the Atlanta Braves, Durbin believes his days at LFHS had a big impact in shaping the pro baseball player he is today. He gives special credit to two coaches for molding him — including one not involved with baseball.
“Baseball Coach Ray Del Fava gave me a chance to play varsity as a sophomore. He believed in my abilities — the first one to believe outside of my family.”
Durbin, a 5-foot-6 fireplug who has always been the shortest player on his teams, also credited wrestling: “Wrestling Coach Matt Fiordirosa coached my brother Regis, so I had a unique relationship with him before I got on a mat. I could relate to his journey and wrestling career.”
Spain echoed Durbin’s praise of school coaches.
“I had a great relationship with my coaches. My Track Coach Steve Clegg was so forward-thinking. He’d borrow a javelin from a nearby college for me to throw; I ended up doing javelin in college.”
High-school teammates also helped shape today’s players on the national stage. Durbin — a four-year letterman in wrestling — shared a story. As a senior, he had lost in the regional finals to an athlete from Deerfield High School, but he qualified for sectionals and beat him there to move into state.
All his teammates cheered him on, but the first one to congratulate him stands out: Joey Pasquesi. “He wasn’t able to wrestle his senior year because of injury, but he was always the first one at practice,” Durbin recalled. “Seeing how he was a good teammate even when he couldn’t wrestle was inspiring.”
Tim Burkhalter has served as the athletic director for the Scouts for 20 years. He wants to make sure teenagers can find a home playing sports.
“We try to find something for every kid. We try to spread a wide net at the freshman level. We want our kids to have a trusting adult in the building. For many, it’s a coach. We have a lot of kids who have used athletics to continue to support their dreams and passions. I’m super proud for kids at that national level who bring nothing but great credit to our school.”
Spain’s involvement in national sports media — ranging from appearing on SportsCenter to writing for ESPN.com — has given her the chance to witness high schools whose goal is to pump out athletes.
“People won’t change their address to claim they live in Lake Forest to try to get to the NBA. For Lake Forest High School, you can be great at sports, but you get all of the other benefits. I had to use time management in school to do what I wanted to accomplish. Those skills are so important to my life now.”
