HR1041 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1041 LRB095 20268 KXB 47184 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to recognize milestone achievements in high school sports in the State of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, The Centralia High School Boys Varsity Basketball Team, the Orphans, won the school's 2,000th game on Friday, February 15, 2008 at Mt. Vernon High School with a final score of Centralia 45, Mt. Vernon 43; and

WHEREAS, The Orphan team consists of Brandon Buchanan, Evan Burmester, Myron Cunningham, Adrian Dabney, Keith Johnson, Justin Keef, Ben Kracht, R.J. Kwiatkowski, Mark McConnaughay, Jake Prosise, Stile Smith, Devan Wells, and Carlton Westbrook; the Head Coach is Lee Bennett; the Assistant Coaches are Brad Goewey, Ryan Blaha, and Doug Jack; and the video person is DeAndre Williams; and

WHEREAS, Centralia Basketball has come a long way in the past 102 years; Centralia High School Basketball started in 1906 and was played in the basement of "B" Building, which had a twelve foot high ceiling and supporting posts on the playing floor; in 1922, play was moved to a new gym which had seating only on the west side; in 1936, the current gym, named after legendary coach A.L. Trout, was dedicated; A.L. Trout served as coach from 1914 until 1950 and holds the Illinois High School Boys Basketball coaching record of 809 wins at one school; and

WHEREAS, The nickname of the "Orphans" came from a comment made by a Chicago sports writer in 1937 at the Pontiac Holiday Tournament after the team came out for warm-ups in bedraggled suits and warm-up jackets with no buttons; Coach Trout liked the saying and tagged the club Orphans, a tradition that continues to this day; and

WHEREAS, Centralia High School is the second high school in the nation and the first in the State of Illinois to reach this milestone; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the Centralia High School Boys Varsity Basketball Team on the school's 2,000th win and wish them continued success on the courts across Southern Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Head Coach Lee Bennett on behalf of the Centralia Orphans Basketball Team.