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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to recognize the 1970-71 and 1971-72
4Thornridge High School Varsity Boys basketball teams, the
5Falcons; and
 
6    WHEREAS, In the fall of 1967, Thornridge High School became
7part of a plan to ensure that all students in District 205
8would have the opportunity for a quality education, regardless
9of color or zip code; it was determined that a small group of
10eighth graders would be bussed that fall to Thornridge,
11integrating the all-white campus; by 1970, the boys basketball
12team was a racially-diverse group of athletes; they would go on
13to win the 1971 and 1972 State Championships, the only
14championships in Thornridge High School history, and become
15known as the greatest high school basketball teams in Illinois
16history; and
 
17    WHEREAS, The 1971-72 Falcons compiled a season-record of 33
18wins and no losses, winning by an average of almost 33 points a
19game and defeating 16 conference champions; the score of the
20title game over Quincy of 104 to 69 remains a record for the
21largest margin of victory; and
 
22    WHEREAS, Over the 1970-71 and 1971-72 seasons, the Falcons

 

 

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1put together a winning streak of 58 games; and
 
2    WHEREAS, The starters for the 1970-71 and 1971-72 Falcons,
3Quinn Buckner; Boyd Batts; Greg Rose; Ernest Dunn; Mike
4Bonczyk; Michael Henry; Mark McClain; William "Nee" Gatlin;
5James Loggins; team Captain, Tony "Grubbs" Jackson; and head
6coach, Ron Ferguson, will be acknowledged at a jersey
7retirement ceremony and celebration of the greatest Illinois
8high school basketball teams in history on February 23, 2017 at
9Thornridge Gymnasium in Dolton; therefore, be it
 
10    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
11HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
12recognize the 1970-71 and 1971-72 Thornridge High School
13Varsity Boys basketball teams, the Falcons; and be it further
 
14    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
15presented to Quinn Buckner; Boyd Batts; Greg Rose; Ernest Dunn;
16Mike Bonczyk; Michael Henry; Mark McClain; William "Nee"
17Gatlin; James Loggins; team Captain, Tony "Grubbs" Jackson; and
18head coach, Ron Ferguson.