HR1141 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

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HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Jim McDonald has announced his retirement after 25 years as head football coach at Deer Creek-Mackinaw High School in Mackinaw; Coach McDonald is also retiring from 32 years of teaching at the end of the current school term; and

WHEREAS, Coach McDonald began his career at Deer Creek-Mackinaw High School in 1974, after graduating from Eureka College with a physical education degree; he was an assistant football coach under Larry Young for five years before becoming the head coach at the age of 27; and

WHEREAS, Coach McDonald's 25 year record was 178-84; his tenure was highlighted by playoff appearances in 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005; and

WHEREAS, The Chiefs were Midstate Conference champs in 1985, 1987, 1988, 1994, 1995, 2003, 2004, and 2005; in 1987, 1995, 2003, 2004, and 2005, the Chiefs were undefeated in the regular season; they were Class 2A Runners-Up in 1987; and

WHEREAS, Coach McDonald was inducted into the Illinois High School Association Football Coaches Hall of Fame in April of 2004; he was also honored as the Peoria Football Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 1987, 1992, and 2005; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Jim McDonald on his retirement as head coach of the Deer Creek-Mackinaw High School football team and on his retirement as a teacher at the end of the current school term, and we wish him continued success in his future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Coach Jim McDonald as an expression of our esteem.