[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 60 (Thursday, April 6, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E475]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        IN RECOGNITION OF THE I.C. NORCOM BOYS' BASKETBALL TEAM

                                  _____
                                 

                     HON. ROBERT C. ``BOBBY'' SCOTT

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 6, 2017

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise with great pride to call 
attention to a group of young students who have distinguished 
themselves, their school, their community, and the city of Portsmouth, 
Virginia. The I.C. Norcom Greyhounds boys' basketball team had a 
remarkable season and I believe the Greyhounds deserve formal 
recognition for their accomplishments.
  On March 10, 2017, the I.C. Norcom Greyhounds beat the Northside 
Vikings of Roanoke, Virginia, to win the Group 3A boys' state 
basketball championship, becoming the first basketball team, boys or 
girls, to win four consecutive state championships. The Greyhounds 
completed their 2017 season with an impressive 22-8 record.
  I.C. Norcom won the championship in dramatic fashion, with a steal in 
the last six seconds of the game leading to a two point victory of 67 
to Northside's 65. I.C. Norcom's boys' basketball team has had a 
consistent run of excellence in recent years, and has become a dominant 
force in Virginia high school sports.
  I.C. Norcom was founded in 1913 as the High Street School, the first 
public high school for black students in Portsmouth. It was later 
renamed in honor of its first supervising principal, Israel Charles 
Norcom, a businessman, fraternalist, and leader in the Portsmouth 
community. Now, more than 100 years after its founding and three 
locations later, I.C. Norcom High School is still striving to ensure 
academic excellence for its students.
  In addition to excelling on the basketball court, the Greyhounds are 
also doing great things in the classroom. I.C. Norcom has been 
nominated for Steve Harvey's Neighborhood Award and has partnered with 
community businesses to help tutor students.
  I.C. Norcom students have been participating in the First College 
program--attending Tidewater Community College this semester and taking 
up to 14 college credits before they graduate. I.C. Norcom is doing a 
great job cultivating excellence both on and off the athletic field.
  I would like to extend my enthusiastic congratulations to the I.C. 
Norcom players, their families, Principal Dr. Laguna Foster, Coach Leon 
Goolsby and the rest of his coaching staff on this most recent State 
Championship and on the team's continued excellence. On behalf of the 
citizens of the Third Congressional District of Virginia, I commend the 
team for this historic win, this historic run of championships, and 
wish the program years of continued success.

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