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92_HR0712
LRB9216214RHrh
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives wish to recognize milestone dates in high
4 school sports in the State of Illinois; and
5 WHEREAS, The Alden-Hebron 1952 Basketball Team, the Green
6 Giants, will be honored at half time at the Illinois State
7 Basketball Tournament on March 9, 2002 in Peoria in
8 recognition of their 50th anniversary as Illinois State High
9 School Basketball Champions; and
10 WHEREAS, At a time when all Illinois boys high school
11 basketball teams competed in a single classification,
12 Alden-Hebron High School was a small, rural school with an
13 enrollment of 98 students that overcame many odds in their
14 rise to the State championship in 1952; their amazing story
15 struck a chord with so many fans across the State and the
16 nation; and
17 WHEREAS, The Green Giants were rated No. 1 in the AP or
18 UP polls in 9 of the 13 weeks that polls were taken during
19 the 1951-52 season; and
20 WHEREAS, The Green Giants accomplished their amazing feat
21 by beating Quincy High School in the championship game by the
22 score of 64 to 59; the championship game with Quincy was the
23 first championship game ever to go to overtime; it was also
24 the first overtime varsity game that Russ Ahearn had ever
25 coached and that the Hebron players had ever played; and
26 WHEREAS, The members of the 1952 Green Giants included
27 Paul Judson, Ken Spooner, Joe Schmidt, the late Don
28 Wilbrandt, Phil Judson, Jim Bergin, Bill Thayer, Bill Schulz,
29 Jim Wilbrandt, and the late Clayton Ihrke; the team's coaches
30 were the late Russ Ahearn and the late Phil Hadley; and
31 WHEREAS, The cheerleaders for the Green Giants included
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1 Shirley Schroeder Ihrke, Helen Borgeson O'Dierno, Joan
2 DeYoung Peterson, Judy VanderKarr Siwkowski; and Miss Sweet
3 Sixteen, Helen Evers Burgermeister; and
4 WHEREAS, On March 10, 2002, Alden-Hebron High School will
5 hold an Open House honoring the 1952 Green Giants,
6 cheerleaders, and their families, the coaches families, who
7 include Judy Ahearn Benda, Bill Ahearn, and Craig Hadley; Don
8 Peasley of the local media, and the many friends of the team;
9 and
10 WHEREAS, Desire, devotion, and dedication came together
11 for the Green Giants in 1952; they did what it took and won
12 it all; therefore, be it
13 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
14 NINETY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
15 we honor the 1952 Alden-Hebron Basketball Team, the Green
16 Giants, as they celebrate the 50th anniversary of their
17 stunning 1952 Illinois State High School Basketball
18 Championship; and be it further
19 RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
20 presented to the members of the 1952 Alden-Hebron Green
21 Giants as an expression of our esteem.