RAB's for Red And Blacks. Rockford East continues to use the nickname, adding an E to the front, creating the word "E-Rabs". The school song: "Let us voice our loy-al-ty, in a stir-ring, ring-ing cheer. For the team that fights so splen-did-ly. For the colors we re-vere - Hoorah! Rah! Go Rockford go! Right at the foe! Go, Rockford go! Hoorah! Rah! So go Rockford go! We're cheering you nearing the goal line, Rockford go! Plunging, advancing, the ball never yield Victory we must know (Rah! Rah! Rah!)" Athletics Rockford was considered a very large school for the IHSA and because of their size, they had a tremendous amount of athletic success. The RABS overall won eight state championships, including three in boys basketball (1911, 1919, 1939), four in track and field (1896, 1927, 1933, 1935), as well as a swimming championship in 1933. Rockford became the first school to win three IHSA championships in Basketball. Boys basketball Based on the IHSA Website (www.ihsa.org), Rockford saw more success from 1910 to 1940 than any other school in the state. During that 30-year span, the RABS not only won three championships, they qualified for the state tournament 12 times.. The IHSA began hosting a statewide championship for basketball in 1908. Rockford chose not to participate in the inaugural IHSA State Tournament because they were already considered "Champions of the State" and did not want to defend their title in this new tournament. More of what can be expanded on this topic is mentioned in a chapter of the book "100 Years of March Madness" by Scott Johnson, among others. Football Rockford first fielded a football team in 1893. During the history of the school, 405 football games were played with the RABS winning 262 of them. Boys track & field Besides basketball, Rockford's track and field team excelled above all others. The RABS won four of the school's eight state championships in the arena of track and field. Between 1895 and 1940, Rockford placed in the top 10 of competing schools 11 times, all with the same head coach, Charles E. Beyer. Notable alumni John Bayard Anderson (1939), 10 term member of the U.S. House of Representatives, 1961–1981. Barbara Hale (1938), an American actress best known for her role as legal secretary Della Street on more than 250 episodes of the long-running Perry Mason television series. Lawrence Walquist (1918), a professional