[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 186 (Thursday, December 6, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H14452]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    OHIO'S OUTSTANDING HIGH SCHOOLS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent the congressional 
district that has so many outstanding high schools. Not only do these 
schools excel in academics, but they are home to some of the most 
gifted scholar-athletes in the Nation.
  Just this fall, Cincinnati witnessed two of our young women's high 
school volleyball teams, Mother of Mercy and Mount Notre Dame, meet for 
the second State championship in the last 2 years.
  After spending much of the season at the top of the rankings, Mercy 
senior leadership kept them strong at the end. Seniors Missy Harpenau, 
Stephanie Vorherr, Michelle James, and Kelly O'Connor lead the charge 
during the final games. Though Mount Notre Dame's standout players, 
Rachel Adams and Abbie Rees, rallied teammates for wins in the first 
and third sets, the Cougars couldn't hold on for a repeat of their 2006 
success in winning the State championship.
  Mercy avenged last year's championship loss with a 15-11 victory in 
the last minutes to finish a great season for Mercy and Coach Denise 
Harvey, as well as Mercy's fourth volleyball State title in program 
history.
  In the interest of full disclosure, Mother of Mercy is near and dear 
to my heart because my wife, Donna, and my daughter, Erica, and my 
sister, Carol, are all Mother of Mercy graduates.
  A third Cincinnati area high school, the St. Ursula Academy Bulldogs, 
have become a mainstay in the State soccer tournament, advancing to 
their third finals in 7 years. Down 1-0 at the half, St. Ursula rallied 
with goals by Tori Huster and Alexandra Berry to beat Strongsville 2-1. 
St. Ursula finished with a remarkable 20-1-2 record and a third State 
championship, the other two coming back in 1991 and 1993.
  And, finally, I have the honor of congratulating St. Xavier High 
School for its second Ohio High School Division I State Football 
Championship in the last 3 years. On its way to a perfect 15-0 record, 
St. Xavier had probably the toughest schedule in the entire Nation, 
beating State champions from Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and national 
powerhouse DeMatha from locally here in Maryland. St. X also had the 
distinction of being the number one ranked team in the State the entire 
year and number one in the Nation in some polls.
  St. Xavier's victory gave the district that I have the honor to 
represent its fifth division I State football title in the last 6 
years, five out of the last 6 years, including Elder High School, who 
won it twice. I have two nephews, Joe Del Prince, who graduated last 
year, scored a number of touchdowns on the team last year, and his 
brother, my nephew, Mike Del Prince, who scored a touchdown against St. 
X. Unfortunately, when he scored that touchdown, he was hit pretty 
hard; and I ended up seeing him in the hospital a couple days later. 
But he's doing well, and he'll be great as a senior next year. And my 
brother, Ron, also is an Elder grad, played first singles tennis there 
some years ago, was on student council, and that kind of gave me my 
interest in politics, seeing my brother Ron succeed in that respect.
  But this also, this victory by St. X was their 38th State title in 
all sports, the most of any high school in the State. St. X was led by 
a senior class that compiled a record of 40 wins and two losses in 
their 4 years at the school, including Fred Craig, the Ohio defensive 
player of the Year, and Danny Milligan, the Ohio co-offensive player of 
the year, and running back Darius Ashley, who set a division I record 
by rushing for 271 yards and two touchdowns in the championship game. 
Just incredible.
  Kudos to head coach Steve Specht and the entire coaching staff for 
their tremendous accomplishments. Congratulations, St. X. And, again, 
in the interest of full disclosure, our son, Randy, is a senior at St. 
X and one of their great band field commanders under the leadership of 
Anthony Palm.
  All of these student athletes have learned invaluable lessons about 
commitment, teamwork and perseverance that will serve each of them well 
as they prepare for the future. Both on and off the field they have 
helped further the tradition of excellence at their schools for which 
all of Cincinnati can be proud. It is an honor for me to congratulate 
these young men and women on the floor of the United States House of 
Representatives.

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