[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 2003]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING THE MIAMI NORTHWESTERN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL VARSITY FOOTBALL 
                                  TEAM

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. KENDRICK B. MEEK

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 12, 2008

  Mr. MEEK of Florida. Madam Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute and 
congratulate the Miami Northwestern Senior High School varsity football 
team on being crowned the 2007 National Champions voted by ESPN's High 
School Football Super 25 and winning the 2008 Florida Class 6A State 
title.
  The Bulls have concluded the 2007-2008 season with a 15-0 season 
record and a second consecutive Florida Class 6A State title. The Bulls 
won back-to-back State championships for the first time in the School's 
50-year history. They are only the fourth team from Miami-Dade County 
to achieve the feat since 1963.
  Since opening in the fall of 1955, Miami Northwestern Senior High 
School students and faculty have had a sense of pride unlike any other 
school in South Florida. The School opened its doors as a learning 
institution, and nearly 1,050 Black students who attended the School 
during its opening year were bused daily from Black communities 
throughout Dade County. Indeed, during this time period segregated 
schools were still existent and subsisting; thus, Northwestern became 
the first new high school for Miami African-Americans in a generation.
  Despite the trials and tribulations the School often fought long and 
hard to get past, the School won its first State title before 
integration in 1963. After court ordered desegregation of 1970, 
Northwestern continued to strive within its football program. In 1995 
and 1998 the School won two more State titles.
  Northwestern, which has the best record of any Dade team (68-13) 
since 2001, boasts at least seven major Division I recruits on its 
roster with several others who could go to mid-major programs. Five of 
those seven have committed to the University of Miami. Among those is 
senior quarterback Jacory Harris (6-4, 170). He led an offense that 
scored no fewer than 28 points during the team's winning streak. It is 
a known fact that the State of Florida produces one National Football 
League player for every three of its high schools. Northwestern has 
played a major part in this contribution with 20 notable graduates 
including: OT Vernon Carey (Miami Dolphins), DB Torrie Cox (Tampa Bay 
Buccaneers), WR Antonio Bryant (San Francisco 49ers), RB Vernand 
Morency (Green Bay Packers) and LB Nate Webster (Denver Broncos).
  William ``Billy'' Rolle, teacher and head football coach, graduated 
from Coral Gables Senior High School and later Florida A&M University. 
He began his teaching career in 1985 at Miami Edison Senior High School 
where he also began coaching football. Rolle guided Northwestern to its 
1998 State title, and also led Miami Killian Senior High School to a 
State title in 2004. Rolle is the only coach in Miami-Dade County 
history to lead two schools to State championships.
  Coach Rolle returned to coach the Bulls in 2007 and achieved 
compiling two of the three State titles the School held. He has been 
recognized as the 2007 Coach of the Year by American Football Monthly. 
Rolle is committed to preparing his team for post-secondary educational 
opportunities, and the world of work. The 2006 State Championship team 
featured seven stars that could sign with the University of Miami in 
2008, as well as infamous star running back Antwan Easterling (Southern 
Miss).
  To this day, there are still just as many devoted fans as there were 
when the School opened in 1955. Not only has the School's academic 
arena earned noteworthy and positive outcomes throughout the past 53 
years, but the School's football program has demonstrated and become 
the highlight in Miami-Dade County that has continuously produced the 
best crop of talent in the Nation.

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