[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E424]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     CONGRATULATING THE RIBAULT HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS' BASKETBALL TEAM

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CORRINE BROWN

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 12, 2016

  Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I, Congresswoman Corrine Brown, 
the representative of Florida's 5th congressional district, 
wholeheartedly congratulate the Ribault High School Trojan girls 
basketball team in defeating Riverdale Baptist at Madison Square Garden 
to bring home to Jacksonville the Dick's Sporting Goods High School 
National Championship trophy. I also would like to extend my 
congratulations to the coaches, the staff, and the administration and 
all of the friends of Ribault High School on this tremendous honor.
  Beyond a doubt, the Ribault High School girls' basketball team is a 
powerhouse in the state of Florida, and across the nation. Given that 
the team has won ten previous state titles and has been ranked as high 
as ninth in the country, they are a force to be reckoned with! 
Remarkably, the Lady Trojans made it through the regular season with 
just one loss. This did not deter them; however, as they Roared back to 
win the Florida state championship, and follow that up with a national 
championship victory in New York.
  This is now the 4th time a Florida girls team has won this event in 
the eight years it has been held! Ribault, 30-1 this season, led by 
their star players Rennia Davis and Nola Carter, along with Day'Neshia 
Banks, played a press defense which suffocated their opponents 
throughout the tournament. Indeed, Ribault Coach Shelia Pennick did an 
outstanding job in maintaining the team's extraordinary discipline and 
level of fitness throughout the season. Certainly, playing full court 
defense with that kind of intensity is exhausting, yet her players 
rarely exhibited any expression of slowing down.
  With each succeeding championship, the Lady Trojans basketball team 
climbs the list of schools with the most state titles in Florida high 
school athletics, now tied for seventh place with 11 state titles, the 
most of any girls' basketball team in the state, and a remarkable 
achievement for a public high school given the presence of so many 
private schools on the multi-championships list. Beyond a doubt, this 
outstanding achievement is tremendously exciting for the entire 
Jacksonville community and I am proud to say once again that on behalf 
of the constituents of Florida's 5th congressional district, I hereby 
honor the Ribault Trojans basketball team for their 11th state 
championship and this year's national title game in New York City's 
Madison Square Garden--Go Lady Trojans.

                          ____________________