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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

  
 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 
3Representatives are pleased to congratulate Derek and Ken 
4Leonard on becoming the first father-son head coaching duo to 
5win championships in the same season in the 40-year history of 
6Illinois' high school State football finals; and
  
 
7    WHEREAS, Rochester High School  head coach, Derek Leonard, 
8won his fourth consecutive Class 4A Illinois High School 
9Association State football championship after his Rockets 
10achieved a 16-8 victory over Geneseo High School on November 
1129, 2013; he was joined on the sidelines by his brother, 
12Assistant Coach Brad Leonard; the Rockets were the first public 
13school in Illinois High School Association history to win 4 
14straight State football titles; and
  
 
15    WHEREAS, Sacred Heart-Griffin head coach, Ken Leonard, 
16captured his fourth State title after his Cyclones defeated 
17Montini Catholic High School 38-28 on November 30, 2013 in the 
18Class 5A championship game; the Cyclones went  14-0 in winning 
19their first State title since 2008; and
  
 
20    WHEREAS, Derek Leonard's teams have gone 63-5 the past 5 
21seasons; he was as assistant coach for Fairbury's Prairie 
22Central High School team that placed 2nd in Class 4A in 2003, 
 
 
HR0735- 2 -LRB098 15904 MST 50950 r

1the same year Ken Leonard's team placed 2nd in Class 5A; and
  
 
2    WHEREAS, Sacred Heart-Griffin coach, Ken Leonard, was a 
32006 inductee into the Illinois High School Association 
4Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame and has an overall 
5record of 324-66 in 34 seasons; he coached for 4 seasons at 
6Cheona High School and is now 292-57 at Sacred Heart-Griffin; 
7he ranks 3rd in all-time wins; and
  
 
8    WHEREAS, Derek Leonard's Rochester Rockets and Ken 
9Leonard's Sacred Heart-Griffin Cyclones captured their State 
10championships at Northern Illinois University's Huskie 
11Stadium; therefore, be it
  
 
12    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
13NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
14we congratulate Derek and Ken Leonard on becoming the first 
15father-son head coaching duo to win State championships in 
16Illinois high school football in the same season, and we wish 
17them both many years of continued success; and be it further
  
 
18    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be 
19presented to Derek and Ken Leonard as an expression of our 
20esteem and respect.