Title
Recognizing and Honoring the Simon Gratz High School Bulldogs as the 2003-2004 Public League / PIAA Division XII Boys Basketball Champions.
Body
WHEREAS, Simon Gratz High School has a rich history of boy’s basketball and following the tradition of former coach Bill Ellerbee, the 2003-2004 Championship Bulldogs under head coach Leonard Poole, Jr. and assistants Roland Wharton and Keith Walls, finished the season with a twenty-five to three record, ranking number fifteen among the national high schools and a perfect thirteen to zero record in the public league; and
WHEREAS, The Simon Gratz High School Bulldogs outscored the Frankford Pioneers by a score of seventy-one to fifty three with Mark Tyndale, the Bulldog’s highly recruited star leading the team to victory with twenty-seven points; and
WHEREAS, Simon Gratz entered the Public League in 1931 and the program has produced players with “leading scorer” records, McDonalds “All American and Markward Player of the Year” winners.
WHEREAS, Since 1990, Simon Gratz High School has won seven out of fourteen Public League Championships and one of the championship teams produced current Detroit Pistons NBA player Rasheed Wallace and Aaron McKie of the Philadelphia 76’ers, the basketball program continues to produce skilled athletes that are recruited by college and university programs all over the country; and
WHEREAS, This year’s winning team is made up of seven seniors and seven underclassmen and all seven of the seniors have been recruited with senior player Mark Tyndale verbally committing to Temple University; and
WHEREAS, Seniors Mark Tyndale, Tyrone Smith and Jason Hickenbottom have been awarded “All Public” honors, senior Malcolm Wells received the Markward Academic Achievement Award for his fine academic achievements and Charlie Brown, Matthew Walden and Donald Curtis are all Markward Club Award winners.
WHEREAS, With seven underclassmen remaining on the roster, there remains little doubt that the other seven slots will be filled with fine young athletes who strongly desire to be a part of the rich tradition of the Simon Gratz High School Boys Basketball Program; now therefore
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That the Simon Gratz High School Basketball Team is honored for winning the 2003-2004 Public League/PIAA Division XII Boys Basketball Championship.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of the resolution is presented to members of the championship team, to the coach, assistant coaches and the leadership of Simon Gratz High School as an expression of recognition, gratitude and sincere appreciation of this legislative body.
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