Triumphant Althoff and East St. Louis football teams recognized on floor of U.S. House
A pair of conquering metro-east high school football teams were recognized on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday for winning Illinois state championships.
Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (D), representative of Illinois 13th district which includes most of the region, formally recognized the Althoff Crusaders and East St. Louis Flyers for their triumphs on championship weekend on the campus of Illinois State University in Normal, Nov. 27 and 28.
“Your dedication to the game of football and our local community is an inspiration,” said Budzinski, who stood before two enlarged photos of the team in action taken by BND contributing photographer Chris Johns.
Althoff won the IHSA Class 1A title by defeating Lena-Winslow, 55-14, their fourth championship overall and first since 1990. Budzinski also praised Dierre Hill Jr., who set a state title game record with seven touchdowns in the game. He was named the Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year for the second season in a row and is headed to the University of Oregon next fall.
The Flyers were the only public school team to win a championship in 2024. They beat Geneva, 48-28, in the 6A title game at ISU’s Hancock Field.
It’s their historic 11th state championship and fifth under head coach Darren Sunkett. East Side entered the game having routed their playoff competition with a combined score of 221-14.
Here is the full text of Budzinski’s remarks in the House chambers:
“I rise today to recognize two state champion football teams in my district - the East St. Louis Flyers and the Belleville Althoff Crusaders.
“Under Coach Darren Sunkett’s leadership, the Flyers went 13 and 1 this season, winning their eleventh State Championship on November 28th with a 48 to 28 victory over Geneva.
“I also want to congratulate the Crusaders football team for winning the 2024 1A Illinois State Championship and running back Dierre Hill Jr. on being named the 2024 Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year.
“What an incredible accomplishment!
“I know that each and every player, coach, and staffer put in hours of practice and preparation to help the Flyers and the Crusaders achieve their goals on and off the field this season.
“Your dedication to the game of football and our local community is an inspiration.”
This story was originally published December 12, 2024 at 12:22 PM.