HR0123LRB104 11957 MST 22050 r HR0123 LRB104 11957 MST 22050 r
HR0123 LRB104 11957 MST 22050 r
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The Chicago Christian school system was
3 established on October 22, 1900 in the southwest suburbs of
4 Chicago with preschool through 8th grade campuses in Oak Lawn
5 and Tinley Park and Chicago Christian High School in Palos
6 Heights; and
7 WHEREAS, On October 22, 2025, the Chicago Christian school
8 system will be celebrating its 125th anniversary; and
9 WHEREAS, The Chicago Christian school system is led by
10 Superintendent Mark Hamstra, Chicago Christian High School
11 Principal Michael Drury, Director of Athletics, Leadership and
12 Student Experience Michael Johnson, and Athletic Director Mark
13 Zylstra; and
14 WHEREAS, The 2024 Chicago Christian High School football
15 team is led by first-time Head Coach CJ Cesario, Offensive
16 Coordinator Michael Biasco, Defensive Coordinator Sam
17 Caldwell, and Assistant Coaches Joe Cabrera, Brendan Coughlan,
18 Bob DeCarlo, Curt Fiedler, and Jarrell Williams; and
19 WHEREAS, The Chicago Christian football team, the Knights,
20 also known as Team 57 and David's Mighty Men, is comprised of
21 35 players led by seniors Caden Boersma, Blake Denman,
HR0123 LRB104 11957 MST 22050 r
HR0123- 2 -LRB104 11957 MST 22050 r HR0123 - 2 - LRB104 11957 MST 22050 r
HR0123 - 2 - LRB104 11957 MST 22050 r
1 Christian Flutman, Demo Griggs, Niko Griggs, Jared Hall, Kenny
2 Jager, Brock Sperling, Chase Sytsma, Kerry Teague, Ed Van
3 Dellen, Caleb Vande Werken, and Jake Verstrate, juniors Jacob
4 Conners, Josh Crawford, Sean Fiedler, Tommy Gouwens, Joey
5 Loerop, Brendan O'Malley, Riley Samp, and Heath Sisk,
6 sophomores Tyce Hamstra, Henry Jager, Isaac Workman, and
7 Harrison Yonker, and freshman Ben Boersma, Jonathan Bonnell,
8 Levi Jager, Jake Kargol, Luke Kracinski, Spencer McCarthy,
9 Collin Swieszcz, Emmitt Van Dellen, Luke Verstrate, and
10 Nathaniel Walter; and
11 WHEREAS, The Chicago Christian Knights compete within the
12 Chicago Christian Conference and finished the regular season
13 with a record of 8-1 with the following Knights receiving All
14 Conference selections: Brock Sperling, Kenny Jager, Christian
15 Flutman, Niko Griggs, Chase Sytsma, Ed Van Dellen, Kerry
16 Teague, Jake Verstrate, and Caden Boersma and honorable
17 mention Caleb Vande Werken; and
18 WHEREAS, Quarterback and Defensive Back Christian Flutman,
19 senior and team captain, finished the 2024 season with, on
20 offense, 1,875 passing yards, 25 passing touchdowns, 610
21 rushing yards, and 11 rushing touchdowns and, on defense,
22 eight interceptions, six passing break-ups, and 35 tackles
23 with seven of those tackles for losses; he was named to the
24 all-area team and all-conference team and received an
HR0123 - 2 - LRB104 11957 MST 22050 r
HR0123- 3 -LRB104 11957 MST 22050 r HR0123 - 3 - LRB104 11957 MST 22050 r
HR0123 - 3 - LRB104 11957 MST 22050 r
1 honorable mention for the all-state team; and
2 WHEREAS, Running Back and Line Backer Kenny Jager, senior,
3 finished the 2024 season 3rd in the State of Illinois for all
4 offensive rushing classifications with 2,025 rushing yards, an
5 average of 8.0 yards per rush, 28 rushing touchdowns, 30 total
6 touchdowns and, on defense, finishing with 40 tackles, seven
7 tackles for loss, and one forced fumble and fumble recovery;
8 he was named to the all-area, all-conference, and all-state
9 teams as well as named Conference Offensive Player of the
10 Year, rushing for over 200 yards in the state championship
11 game; and
12 WHEREAS, Offensive and Defensive lineman Brock Sperling,
13 senior and team captain, finished the 2024 season with 77
14 tackles, 37.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, four forced fumbles
15 and two fumble recoveries, and over 60 "pancakes" on both
16 sides of the ball and led an offensive line that generated over
17 2,000 rushing yards; he was named to the all-area team for
18 three straight years, all-conference team, and all-state team;
19 and
20 WHEREAS, The 2024 Chicago Christian Knights averaged 38
21 points per game during its playoff run, defeating its playoff
22 opponents by no less than ten points per game; and
HR0123 - 3 - LRB104 11957 MST 22050 r
HR0123- 4 -LRB104 11957 MST 22050 r HR0123 - 4 - LRB104 11957 MST 22050 r
HR0123 - 4 - LRB104 11957 MST 22050 r
1 WHEREAS, On November 29, 2024, the 2024 Chicago Christian
2 Knights defeated the Maroa-Forsythe Trojans by a score of 47-0
3 to finish with a record of 13-1 and earn the title of 2024
4 Class 2A State Champions; and
5 WHEREAS, Highlights include Running Back Kenny Jager
6 running for 223 yards and a touchdown on 38 carries,
7 Quarterback Christian Flutman completing 12 of 16 passes for
8 132 yards, running for 86 yards and two touchdowns, and
9 passing for three touchdowns, one each to Niko Griggs, Jared
10 Hall, and Kerry Teague, another rushing touchdown by senior
11 Blake Denman, and Brock Sperling ending the game with a sack,
12 three tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and a fumble
13 recovery; and
14 WHEREAS, The Knights defense held Maroa-Forsyth to a 2A
15 championship game record-low 23 yards, representing a new
16 State of Illinois record for the lowest total yards allowed in
17 Illinois state history in a championship game among all
18 football classes; and
19 WHEREAS, This championship victory is the first in the
20 history of Chicago Christian football and the first state
21 title in Chicago Christian High School history for any male
22 sport; therefore, be it
HR0123 - 4 - LRB104 11957 MST 22050 r
HR0123- 5 -LRB104 11957 MST 22050 r HR0123 - 5 - LRB104 11957 MST 22050 r
HR0123 - 5 - LRB104 11957 MST 22050 r
1 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
2 HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
3 we congratulate the Chicago Christian school system on their
4 125th anniversary; and be it further
5 RESOLVED, That we recognize the achievements of the 2024
6 Chicago Christian High School football team, the Knights, on a
7 historic victory in becoming the Class 2A State Champions; and
8 be it further
HR0123 - 5 - LRB104 11957 MST 22050 r