|
| | HR0786 | | LRB104 21424 LAW 36463 r |
|
|
| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
|
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of |
| 3 | | Representatives wish to congratulate the Herrin Junior High |
| 4 | | School girls basketball team, the Lady Tigers, on winning the |
| 5 | | 2026 Southern Illinois Junior High School Athletic Association |
| 6 | | (SIJHSAA) Class L State Championship; and
|
| 7 | | WHEREAS, The 2026 SIJHSAA State Tournament featured eight |
| 8 | | games across three rounds at Rend Lake College, with Round 1 |
| 9 | | covering the quarter-final games on January 29, Round 2 |
| 10 | | presenting the semi-final games on January 31, and Round 3 |
| 11 | | showcasing the final games on February 3; and
|
| 12 | | WHEREAS, In keeping with the Herrin Junior High School |
| 13 | | girls basketball program's undefeated streak during the |
| 14 | | 2025-2026 season, the Lady Tigers defeated Harrisburg Middle |
| 15 | | School 50-47 in the quarter-finals, beat DuQuoin Middle School |
| 16 | | 50-29 in the semi-finals, and ultimately faced Wesclin Middle |
| 17 | | School in the state final for the championship; and
|
| 18 | | WHEREAS, The Lady Tigers, invigorated by the team's own |
| 19 | | second place finish in the 2025 SIJHSAA Class L State |
| 20 | | Tournament, rallied for an incredible victory; and
|
| 21 | | WHEREAS, The Lady Tigers gained a lead through Olivia Wade |
|
| | HR0786 | - 2 - | LRB104 21424 LAW 36463 r |
|
|
| 1 | | scoring 7 unanswered points, which the team maintained the |
| 2 | | entire game; the team was further led in the championship game |
| 3 | | by Amayah Simelton, who scored 24 points, 9 rebounds, 4 |
| 4 | | blocks, 3 assists, and 1 steal, and Olivia Wade, who trailed |
| 5 | | with 18 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists; and
|
| 6 | | WHEREAS, The Lady Tigers finished the state final 56-35, |
| 7 | | concluding its 2025-2026 season undefeated with a record of |
| 8 | | 25-0 and as the champion-winning team of the Big 7 Conference |
| 9 | | Tournament, the SIJHSAA Class L Basketball Regional |
| 10 | | Tournament, and the SIJHSAA Class L State Tournament; and
|
| 11 | | WHEREAS, The Lady Tigers are led by Coach Matt Zaranti, |
| 12 | | Assistant Coaches Layla Wade and Makayla Starkweather, and |
| 13 | | Managers Molly Duppong and Gracelyn Evans; and
|
| 14 | | WHEREAS, The 2025-2026 Lady Tigers include eighth graders |
| 15 | | Rylin Cravens, Blakly Faulkenberry, Brynlee Fortner, Emma |
| 16 | | Patalano, and Amayah Simelton, seventh graders Elle Hall, Lexi |
| 17 | | Henard, Bryleigh Holland, Ainsley Rich, and Olivia Wade, and |
| 18 | | sixth graders Gracie Menesse, Betty Moore-Coleman, and |
| 19 | | Caterina Zaranti,; therefore, be it
|
| 20 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE |
| 21 | | HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that |
| 22 | | we congratulate the Herrin Junior High School girls basketball |
|
| | HR0786 | - 3 - | LRB104 21424 LAW 36463 r |
|
|
| 1 | | team, the Lady Tigers, on winning the 2026 Southern Illinois |
| 2 | | Junior High School Athletic Association (SIJHSAA) Class L |
| 3 | | State Championship and on achieving a 25-0 undefeated season; |
| 4 | | and be it further
|
| 5 | | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be |
| 6 | | presented to the coaches and players of the Lady Tigers as a |
| 7 | | symbol of our esteem and respect. |