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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, In the fall of 1957, a group of young men stepped
3 onto the fields at Eisenhower and MacArthur High Schools, for
4 the very first football practice under the direction of
5 legendary coaches John Alexander and Bob Matheson; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Despite several injuries on the first Eisenhower
7 Panthers football team, the team was able to finish with a
8 record 2 wins, 4 losses, and 1 tie in their first season under
9 Coach Alexander, who would go on to win another 103 games in
10 his 25-year career at Eisenhower High School; and
 
11     WHEREAS, The first MacArthur Generals football team under
12 Coach Matheson finished zero and 7 in their opening season, but
13 Coach Matheson would go on to build a winning program that
14 posted 73 victories in an illustrious 17-year career at
15 MacArthur High School; and
 
16     WHEREAS, The two schools have met on the football field 48
17 times, with the overall record of 31-17, in favor of the
18 MacArthur Generals; and
 
19     WHEREAS, Throughout the past 50 years, thousands of young
20 men have played football for MacArthur and Eisenhower and have
21 participated in a rivalry that divides the loyalties of friends

 

 

HR0725 - 2 - LRB095 13778 GRL 39523 r

1 and family and highlights both schools' tradition of producing
2 student athletes of the highest caliber; and
 
3     WHEREAS, The Eisenhower Panthers, led by Head Coach Don
4 Flowers, and the MacArthur Generals, led by Head Coach Derek
5 Spates, will meet on September 21, 2007 on the football field
6 at Eisenhower High School to renew their storied rivalry and
7 pay tribute to the coaches and players that have come before
8 them; therefore, be it
 
9     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
10 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
11 commemorate the 50th anniversary of the football feud between
12 the Eisenhower Panthers and the MacArthur Generals and wish
13 both teams the best of luck in future seasons; and be it
14 further
 
15     RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
16 presented to Eisenhower Panthers Head Coach Don Flowers and
17 MacArthur Generals Head Coach Derek Spates as a symbol of our
18 esteem and respect.