Offered By: Senators Coppenrath, Illuzzi, Kitchel and Starr

NO. R-453Page 1

NO. R-453. House concurrent resolution congratulating former St. Johnsbury Academy basketball coach Layne Higgs on his 2008 induction into the Vermont Principals’ Association Hall of Fame.

(H.C.R.323)

Offered by: Representatives Crawford of Burke, Grenier of St. Johnsbury, Bostic of St. Johnsbury, Johnson of Canaan, Larocque of Barnet, Larrabee of Danville, Lawrence of Lyndon, Morley of Barton and Peaslee of Guildhall

Offered by: Senators Coppenrath, Illuzzi, Kitchel and Starr

Whereas, annually, a few extraordinary high school athletic coaches, whose contributions to their individual schools and sports competition in Vermont deserve special recognition, are inducted into the Vermont Principal Association (VPA) Hall of Fame, and

Whereas, one of the 2008 inductees is Layne Higgs, whose 35year tenure as the St. Johnsbury Academy basketball coach has few parallels among his peers, and

Whereas, as a SpauldingHigh School student, he played on the 1961 and 1962 state championship teams, and

Whereas, at the University of Vermont, his basketball star shone even brighter as he captained the undefeated freshman team, cocaptained the varsity team as a senior, was the school’s fifth leading all-time scorer at the time of his graduation, and still had time to apply himself academically and make the dean’s list, and

Whereas, after coaching basketball at Kingswood Regional High School in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire for several years, Layne Higgs earned a master’s degree from the University of Virginia and arrived at St. Johnsbury Academy in 1971 to work in the guidance department which he directed, and, of course, to coach basketball, and

Whereas, his teams’ success on the academy’s basketball court was phenomenal, earning three Division I state championships in 1981, 1982, and 1997, with trips to the final four on 11 occasions, and to the state championship game six times, and

Whereas, Layne Higgs’ players’ individual accomplishments were also noteworthy with seven of his Hilltoppers reaching the 1,000point mark including the all-time Vermont high school high scorer Henry (Bruce) Dalrymple who sent the ball through the basket for 2,477 points, and

Whereas, in 2006, his final season on the coaching bench, Layne Higgs ended his career on a spectacularly high note, winning his 450th game, the third highest number of victories for any Vermont high school basketball coach, and

Whereas, this outstanding coach most deservedly has earned his place in the VPA Hall of Fame, now therefore be it

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives:

That the General Assembly congratulates Layne Higgs on being inducted into the Vermont Principals’ Association Hall of Fame, and be it further

Resolved: That the secretary of state be directed to send a copy of this resolution to Layne Higgs and to St. Johnsbury Academy Athletic Director Tom Conte.