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Coach Jerry Verde talks to the Crete-Monee football team during a November practice before the Class 6A title game. The IHSA enacted some changes on Wednesday regarding practice limits in preseason.

Parents petitioning to get former athletic director reinstated

CRETE | Crete-Monee High School parents are leading a petition drive to pressure School Board officials to reinstate Gene Cahan as athletic director.

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Crete-Monee freshman Adrianna Vera is ranked No. 1 in her freshman class.

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Crete-Monee freshman Adrianna Vera.

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Crete-Monee freshman Adrianna Vera is one of the Warriors' top players.

Crete Woman's Club begins scholarship application process

CRETE | The Crete Woman's Club will award $6,000 in scholarships this spring.

Welcome to Crete, home of the state football champions

Members of the state champion Crete-Monee football team visited Village Hall to accept a new sign for their school. Pictured from left are Village President Mike Einhorn, Anthony Cephus, Travelle Smith, Lance Lenoir, coach Jim Jensen, Marcus Terrell and Kyle Lewis.

Welcome to Crete, home of the state football champions

CRETE | The Crete-Monee football team won the Illinois Class 6A championship this past fall. To commemorate the occasion, the village of Crete created eight signs and installed them at the various entrances to the village.

Alumnus Verde named Marian football coach

Less than one month after coaching Crete-Monee to an undefeated season and a Class 6A state football championship, Jerry Verde is leaving to become the head football coach at Marian Catholic High School.

A house turned upside down

I knew it was coming. My wife, Marie, was working a lot of overtime. A large expenditure must be looming.

Crete-Monee celebrates its state champs

Fans cheer a movie made of their team during the championship game as they attend a pep rally celebrating the Crete-Monee football team's Class 6A state title win in Champaign, Ill., this past weekend. The rally took place at the high school on Wednesday.

Crete-Monee celebrates its state champs

Josh Bailey, center, leads the team in a dance for the cameras during a pep rally celebrating the Crete-Monee football team's Class 6A state title win.

Crete-Monee celebrates its state champs

CRETE | Chants such as “C-R-E-T-E, M-O-N-E-E, Fight! Fight! Fight!” echoed through the gymnasium Wednesday while some 1,600 students and about 100 area residents of Crete-Monee High School celebrated the football team's first state championship.

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Crete-Monee players listen to coach Jerry Verde on Monday. The Warriors face Cary-Grove this afternoon for the Class 6A title. Both teams are 13-0.

Crete-Monee coach Jerry Verde talks to his team during practice Monday

Crete-Monee coach Jerry Verde talks to his team during practice Monday. The Warriors face Cary-Grove this afternoon for the Class 6A title at the University of Illinois' Memorial Stadium.

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Crete-Monee offensive line, from left, Jim Walsh, Joshua McCaskel, Austin Rosenfeldt, Anthony Cephus, Justin Boswell, and Eric Parker have allowed just three sacks this season.

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Crete-Monee players celebrate DeShaun Smith's touchdown in Crete-Monee's 35-32 win over Peoria Richwoods on Saturday in a Class 6A playoff game. The Warriors have won a program-record 11 games and face Ottawa Saturday in a quarterfinal game.

A big celebration in Crete

Crete-Monee's players celebrate a stop in Crete-Monee's 35-32 win over Peoria Richwoods on Saturday in the IHSA playoffs.

Crete-Monee moves on in dramatic fashion

Crete-Monee players celebrate their 35-32 win over Peoria Richwoods in Saturday's IHSA playoffs.

Darius Thomas, Crete-Monee

Crete-Monee's Darius Thomas runs the ball agasint Peoria Richwoods's Mikail Davis in the Warriors' 35-32 win over Peoria Richwoods at home in Saturday's IHSA playoffs.