[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 160 (Wednesday, December 14, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2530]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      CONGRATULATIONS TO ALCOA HIGH SCHOOL'S TORNADO FOOTBALL TEAM

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. JOHN J. DUNCAN, JR.

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 14, 2005

  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, on December 2nd of this year, the Alcoa High 
School Tornado football team finished its season as the 2005 Class 2A 
Tennessee state champions after defeating Goodpasture High School of 
Nashville, 55-13, at this year's championship game in Murfreesboro, TN. 
This is Alcoa's second straight state championship and the seventh 
state title in Alcoa High School's history.
  This victory capped off an outstanding season for Head Coach John 
Reid's Tornados as they amassed a record of 14-1. They did so behind 
the leadership of only nine seniors and a dominant offensive attack led 
by outstanding play of Quarterback Joei Fiegler, Brandon Warren, 
recipient of the Mr. Football award as the state's finest player, and 
Dustin Lindsay, also a finalist for the Mr. Football award and a future 
University of Tennessee Volunteer.
  The Tornado offense lit up scoreboards this season as they scored 40 
or more points a remarkable ten times this season, had an amazing five 
game stretch in which they scored 68, 52, 55, 69 and 91 points 
respectively and became the first team in Tennessee High School 
football history to average more than 50 points a game throughout the 
playoffs.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask the readers of the Congressional Record and my 
fellow colleagues to join me in congratulating Head Coach John Reid and 
the Alcoa High School Tornado football team for their outstanding 
victory. I also include the following news article printed in the 
Maryville Daily Times. The team's leadership, strength, and 
determination should be recognized by all, and their sportsmanship and 
dedication are at a level that should be followed by every high school 
team in this Country.

             [From the Maryville Daily Times: Dec. 3, 2005]

                     Shiverdecker, Hicks Named MVPs

                          (By Kelly Franklin)

       Shooting fish in a barrel would be similar to the job faced 
     by TSSAA officials in choosing Most Valuable Players after 
     Alcoa's state championship victory over Goodpasture on Friday 
     night.
       For the record, the offensive hardware was won by Chris 
     Shiverdecker and Bart Hicks took the defensive trophy. Both 
     were well deserved.
       Shiverdecker finished with three touchdowns including a 
     back-breaking, 86-yard kickoff return, and ran for 126 yards 
     on 13 carries.
       Hicks led the stiff Alcoa defense with nine tackles, 
     including five solo stops. Using a new 5-2 formation with 
     Hicks roaming from sideline to sideline, the defenders didn't 
     allow Goodpasture to crack the end zone until Alcoa was 
     already up 34-0 late in the third period.
       But there was no shortage of other candidates.
       As Claude Rains said in the classic movie Casablanca, 
     ``Round up the usual suspects.''
       Start with Dustin Lindsey, just as the Tornadoes did. 
     Perhaps feeling snubbed by missing out on the Mr. Football 
     award, the future Volunteer scored Alcoa's first two 
     touchdowns and added another on a 47-yard catch-and-run to 
     give his team a 34-0 halftime lead.
       He also added 55 rushing yards, contained the Goodpasture 
     run game from his defensive end-linebacker position, and 
     added a fumble recovery for extra measure.
       Then consider how often a quarterback is going to tie a 
     state championship record for touchdown tosses and not be 
     chosen.
       Joei Fiegler tied that mark in one quarter, as he went 4 
     for 4 in period two.
       That's four completions, four scores. He finished with nine 
     completions on 11 attempts for 140 yards. Only a pass 
     interference call against Goodpasture early in the fourth 
     quarter prevented the mark from being his alone. As in many 
     Alcoa games this year, the left-hander basically shut down 
     his passing attack at the half once the lead was firmly 
     established.
       Fiegler, whose current short-list of colleges includes 
     Louisville, North Carolina State and Southern Miss, also 
     punted for a 41-yard average. His first boomer was mishandled 
     by Goodpasture, recovered by Logan Love (speaking of unsung 
     heroes) and converted into the first Alcoa score of the 
     night.
       Throw in Kyrus Lanxter, with two touchdown receptions, and 
     Brian Sommer, who picked off his 12th interception of the 
     season to set up Lanxter's first score.
       Alcoa head coach John Reid even offered up a dark-horse 
     entry for MVP status, the offensive line.
       ``What about the O-line?'' asked Reid when queried about 
     the heroes.
       ``Everyone said they (Goodpasture) were too big and we 
     couldn't move them out, but our line was just tremendous and 
     without them Chris doesn't get those yards,'' said the third-
     year skipper.
       Shiverdecker and Hicks, both juniors, send a strong signal 
     to future Alcoa opponents that the graduation of Lindsey, 
     Fiegler, Love, Martin White, Brandon Warren and others 
     doesn't mean there's going to be a drop-off.
       ``They'll be back here next year,'' said Lindsey. ``This is 
     not just us, this is a dynasty.
       ``We expected the seniors to get those awards,'' said 
     Shiverdecker, ``but it's all just one team working together 
     anyway.''
       A team, made up of unselfish and talented individuals. And 
     sporting one more championship trophy now.

                          ____________________