Grizzly Greats

Billy Aguillard ’70 was a stand-out, two-sport star for the Bears in the late 1960s and 1970. An anchor on the 1969 Bears’ defensive unit in Football, Aguillard and his teammates would set school and city records giving up only 46 points total over the twelve-game season which included seven shut-outs. This ferocious defense led the Bears to a Catholic City Championship and individual All-City honors for Aguillard. He would continue amass honors in the Winter of 1970 with the Catholic High School Wrestling team. In the first Baton Rouge City Wrestling tournament ever held, Aguillard secured the championship at 165 lbs. and was named the City’s Most Outstanding Wrestler. In his senior season, Billy pinned every single opponent that he beat – a rare accomplishment in the sport. Following his graduation, Aguillard would go on to play football at the Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond. Billy remains active in the Catholic High School community through alumni events – chairing the 50 Year CHS Wrestling Reunion and several 1970 Class reunions – and supporting his grandsons, Thomas Parker ’21 and Michael Aguillard, a rising sophomore. Aguillard will join his teammates Warren Capone ’70 and David DiVincenti '70 as members of the Athletic Hall of Fame.

Phil Schmitt '91 is the most prolific golfer in Catholic High School history and will be the first athlete from the sport inducted into the Grizzly Greats. As a senior, Schmitt would lead the Bears to an undefeated season and LHSAA State Title in 1991 while securing individual State Runner-Up honors that same year. He was named the Most Valuable Golfer at Catholic High School in both 1990 and 1991 and won an LHSAA Regional title and the Louisiana Junior Golf title in 1990. For his efforts, Schmitt received a scholarship to attend LSU and was a three-year letterman for the Tigers. In 1995, Schmitt won the Louisiana Amateur Championship before turning pro that next year. He is the only CHS alumnus to ever play on the PGA Tour, competing in 15 events. Following his professional career, Phil stayed close to the Catholic High School community becoming a lifetime member of the CHS Men’s Club and volunteering as an assistant golf coach in 2022 where he helped the Bears to State Runner-Up honors. For his philanthropic efforts, he was named the 2019 Mancuso Outstanding Volunteer of the Year by Sacred Heart Parish and Church. Phil is married to Allie Schmitt and their son, Carter, is a current sophomore on the CHS Golf team. He will join David Dellucci, Kurt Dietrich, Ryan Jumonville, and Wesley Salmon as Grizzly Greats from the 1991 graduating class. 

Tommy Prochaska ’92 has cemented the Catholic High School wrestling program as a State and Regional powerhouse in the sport. Under his leadership, Catholic High School won two LHSAA State Titles in 2008 and 2010 and Prochaska was named the Louisiana Coach of the Year both times. In his twenty-four years as Head Coach, his Catholic Bears have won twenty Baton Rouge City Titles. He has coached over thirty individual LHSAA State Champions and over forty individual LHSAA State Runners-Up. Nine of his wrestlers have gone on to win All-American Honors. As an athlete, Prochaska was a Baton Rouge City Champion in 1991 and was the LHSAA State Runner-Up at 152 lbs. in 1992. Prochaska has been a full-time faculty member at Catholic High School since 2000 and has chaired the Health and Physical Education Department for over a decade. He is married to Lori Prochaska and father to Brooke, Mignon, and Mason, a current CHS sophomore. He will join Kevin Ainsworth, Tim Lanier, Jonathon Pixley, Stephen Sterling, and Kevin Kleinpeter as members of the 1992 CHS Class in the Athletic Hall of Fame.