SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 469 Offered January 31, 2007 Commending the Deep Run High School football team. ---------- Patron-- Stosch ----------

WHEREAS, Deep Run High School in Glen Allen opened in 2002 and began competing in varsity football in 2003 with Lenny Pritchard, a former University of Virginia offensive lineman, as the head coach; and

WHEREAS, in its first year of competition, the young Deep Run Wildcats struggled, finishing with a 1–9 record, but in their second year they improved to 5–5; and

WHEREAS, in 2005, the Wildcats' third year, they continued improving, compiling a 8–2 record and qualifying for the regional playoffs, where they lost to Huguenot High School; and

WHEREAS, taking their play to a new level in 2006, the Wildcats went undefeated in the Colonial District, beat Huguenot High School, 34–7, in the opening round of the regional playoffs, and defeated heavily favored, top-ranked Matoaca High School, 41–38, in overtime in the Central Region championship game after trailing, 35–7, at halftime; and

WHEREAS, the Deep Run Wildcats advanced to the Group AAA, Division 5 state semifinals where their amazing run was stopped by Edison High School in a 20–3 loss; and

WHEREAS, Deep Run High School placed 22 players on all-district squads, including five on the first-team offense and three on the first-team defense, and six players on the first-team all-Central-Region team; and

WHEREAS, wide receiver Matt Snyder made second-team all-state, linebacker Daniel Astrop was named Colonial District Defensive Player of the Year and made first-team all-state, while Coach Lenny Pritchard was named 2006 Colonial District Coach of the Year and 2006 Central Region Coach of the Year; and

WHEREAS, the outstanding performance of the 2006 Deep Run Wildcats is a tribute to the talent, dedication, and perseverance of the players; the leadership of Coach Lenny Pritchard and his staff; and the support of the students, faculty, and parents of Deep Run High School; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend and congratulate the Deep Run High School football team on its great strides over the past four years and its 2006 Central Region championship; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Coach Lenny Pritchard as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for the Wildcats' great success.