Last fall marked the first time in eight years that the Driscoll Catholic High School football program failed to win a state championship.

The Addison school suffered a far more severe defeat Thursday when it announced that it would close its doors at the end of the school year.

Former head coach Tim Racki was the original architect of the Highlanders’ football dynasty. He said he received the news from former assistant Dan Cepek, who was still a member of Driscoll’s varsity football staff last fall.

“It hit me like a ton of bricks,” said Racki, also a 1986 Driscoll graduate. “I’m in shock wondering what happened. It’s a surreal feeling and it’s sad.”

Racki compiled a 76-13 record for the Highlanders from 1998-2004 and led his teams to four consecutive state championships (2001-2004) before taking over as dean of students and varsity football coach at Nazareth in 2005.

The Highlanders went on to win state titles the next three seasons under former head coach Mike Burzawa. The IHSA-record seven straight football championships far surpassed the previous best run of four.

Just over a month ago, Racki returned to Driscoll for the first time since resigning from the school, to speak to members of the student body.

“I was thinking of teachers and people I worked with,” Racki said. “So much tradition and family. It felt like home.”

Driscoll head girls basketball coach Steve McCuiston said he learned about the decision while in Arizona on business. His team won the first state title in program history in February and would have been the favorite again in Class 2A next winter.

“I am devastated right now,” McCuiston said. “Speechless, devastated, shocked. I am so disappointed for the kids. And not just for my kids, but for all the kids that loved to go to Driscoll. Everybody has to change schools midstream. Most people when they look back at their four years of high school they want to go to the same place and be together.”

GiGi DiGrazia helped highlight the final season for Driscoll athletics. In addition to being a major contributor for the championship basketball team, the senior also captured the Class A girls golf state title in October.

But McCuiston said the memories go well beyond the school’s impressive trophy case.

“It has been amazing,” he said. “It has been a lot of fun. We love Driscoll because of the people there. Maybe we didn’t have three gyms or the state-of-the-art weight room, but just being with that group of people made it fun.”

Staff writer Ryan Long also contributed to this report.