Foley Calcagno’s family roots run deep within IC Catholic Prep athletics.

His father Mike starred in football and played linebacker at Bowling Green. His older sister Kennedy, an IHSA state qualifier in both track and cross country, was TCU’s first women’s triathlon signee in school history. His older brother Mikey won two IHSA state wrestling titles and competes at North Carolina.

Even his mother, Dawn, coached girls cross country at IC Catholic Prep and led the Knights to multiple IHSA regional championships.

Now? It’s Foley’s turn to establish his legacy at the school. A three-time IHSA state medalist and a two-time All-CCL honoree in wrestling, Calcagno is a senior and a two-way standout on the football team, playing inside linebacker and running back.

“I think I have a unique opportunity to have one of the greatest legacies here,” said Calcagno, who helped IC Catholic Prep win the 3A state football championship as a freshman before leading the Knights to the 2A state wrestling championship as a junior. “A lot of my family members went here. IC is different than any other school because we’re able to play against the bigger schools and we’re a small school, so you know everyone at school.”

Inspired by his father to play linebacker, Calcagno has been a tackling machine throughout his varsity career with the Knights. After playing in three games as a freshman, Calcagno led IC Catholic Prep in both tackles (122) and tackles for loss (12) as a sophomore in 2023, helping the Knights finish 9-3 and reach the IHSA 4A state quarterfinals, where they lost to St. Laurence.

“I love linebacker and running back because they bring different things to the table,” Calcagno said. “I have different strengths and weaknesses at each position. I may be slightly undersized at linebacker, whereas I’m pretty well-sized at running back.

“...Something that’s very special about our team is being able to play both ways. On bigger teams, those guys only get one opportunity on offense or defense, whereas we’re playing on both sides.”

Calcagno’s role on offense became more prominent as a junior in 2024, when he rushed for 210 yards and a team-high eight touchdowns while averaging 5.3 yards per carry. Through seven games this season, Calcagno has rumbled for 187 yards and six scores on 5.7 yards per carry. Calcagno has compiled 132 tackles and seven tackles for loss since the start of his junior year.

“Something that helps me be successful at running back is not stopping, no matter what,” said Calcagno, whose father Mike and older brother Mikey are his biggest role models. “I keep my legs pumping and I keep driving. At linebacker, it’s about going until the end of the whistle. I could get through a block and the running back could break a tackle, so I have to keep going.”

After missing the playoffs last season for only the second time since 2014 under head coach Bill Krefft, IC Catholic Prep is primed for a return to the postseason. The Knights (5-2, 1-1 CCL/ESCC Green) rolled over Marmion 57-14 on Friday to earn their fifth win and move one step closer to clinching an automatic playoff bid. With young players emerging and seniors, including Calcagno, providing leadership, the Knights want more than just the playoffs.

“We’re all here to win a state championship,” said Calcagno, who has been a team captain since his junior year. “The coaches have set us up greatly with their play calls. Nate Lang and Grant Bowen have been making plays and that isn’t possible without the O-line. Coach Krefft has been making great calls on defense and we’ve just been flying around and not playing too passively.”

Calcagno made his varsity debut as a freshman, when his brother Mikey was a junior. He was on the field when the Knights knocked off Williamsville 48-17 to finish 13-1 and claim the 3A state title. Three years later, Calcagno said he sees similarities between that state championship team and this year’s squad. The team’s culture is one strength that Calcagno highlighted, specifically.

“It’s been an amazing ride over the last four years and we’re ready to get after it,” said Calcagno, who credited Krefft and former teammate J.P. Schmidt, who now plays collegiately at Yale, for his growth since starting his high school career. “I’m planning on going out how I started and that fuels the fire a lot. There are only so many guys who’ve experienced a state championship. I want the juniors, sophomores and freshmen to experience what I experienced.”

Like his father and two older siblings, Calcagno aspires to play sports at the collegiate level. An All-CCL/ESCC honoree in football over each of the last two seasons, Calcagno has achieved success on the gridiron and in the mat room, where his goals for this winter include winning both individual and team state wrestling titles. That success has stemmed from his selflessness, as Calcagno contributes wherever he’s asked, whether it be on offense or defense.

“For a couple of years, I was just a player on the team,” said Calcagno, whose highlights from this season include a 4-yard touchdown run against Nazareth and a big sack during a win against St. Francis. “I was a captain my junior year and my senior year, so I’ve been trying to lead by example. I’m just here to do whatever the coaches ask me to do. Sometimes they need me to run the ball, but I’m playing linebacker a majority of the time. Our potential is unmatched and we truly believe that we can play with the best teams in the state.”

Growing up in Elmhurst, Calcagno started wrestling around 8 years old and his first football experience came in fifth grade. Calcagno, who played for both the Elmhurst Bears and the Visitation Vikings, was inspired to follow in the footsteps of his father and older brother. From grade school to high school, Calcagno has played many positions including fullback and offensive lineman.

“It was my dream to play football,” Calcagno said. “Seeing my brother play and knowing my dad played at Bowling Green, they were both big role models for me. The most fun thing is hanging around with a group of guys who I’ll be friends with for the rest of my life and creating those relationships.”

One of five children in the Calcagno family, Foley’s younger sister Hayden is a sophomore who’s qualified for the IHSA state meet in both track and cross country at IC Catholic Prep. His younger brother, Pasquale, is in eighth grade and his older cousin Joe Marzano, who played football at IC Catholic Prep, now competes at DePauw. Whether he’s wrestling or playing football, Calcagno’s focus is and always has been on doing whatever it takes to win.

“I can’t thank [Foley] enough for what he’s done throughout his four years,” Krefft said. “I remember watching him play in seventh and eighth grade. He’s family to me and when you look at what he’s done... We’ve had great inside linebackers and running backs, but none of them have done what he’s done against who he’s done it against. Seeing that against this level of competition, I think that makes him one of the best inside linebackers we’ve ever had.”