Commissioner Brandon Johnson joined Coach Dorothy Gaters and Marshall High School’s Lady Commandos during a special event in the high school’s gymnasium to celebrate their historic state championship.
This past February, the dynamic team defeated Hillsboro, IL, Lady Hilltopers in a nail-biting game that saw the Lady Commandos come from behind to win 50-41 and capture the 2A state championship for the second season in a row.
“What Coach Gaters has done is nothing short of monumental—and she has rightfully earned her place in the history books,” Johnson said. “She is the most successful coach in the history of Illinois and perhaps one of the most successful, male or female, in the nation. These female student-athletes should have received a statewide parade. Instead, we celebrate them in our community and in our county for their accomplishments on and off the court.”
For the past four decades Gaters, 72, has directed a girl basketball dynasty at Chicago Marshall High School. Her Lady Commandos have won 1,131 games and nine state championships. The coach was inducted into the National Federation of High Schools Hall of Fame on July 2, 2018.
