Officially half through the countdown now and the next two teams featured seem like a perfect fit to land at number five. Because not only did these two programs win a bunch of hardware, but they didn’t stop until they had one for the thumb.
5. Whitney Point Field Hockey
The village of Whitney Point is so small that you might not know you’re in the town when you’re passing through.
With a population of around 900, the village is known as “The Best Town by a Dam Site” but really it should read “The Home of the Best Field Hockey Team in NY State.”
And that’s saying something when it comes to this sport. Section four boasts some of the best programs in the state. But no one in the area has done what the Eagles have… win five straight state championships. That’s almost unheard of in any sport. Whitney Point had some players who played five years in the program, from 8th grade to senior year, and they always came away with hardware.
Some of them even came away with more, Head Coach Nicky Huston has landed players at Ohio State, Albany and UMass – not to mention other quality field hockey programs across the country.
Leanne Bough, a former WP-captain, and Buckeyes-star, is now chasing her Olympic-dream. Bough has been selected to play for Team USA three times in her career – most recently with the under-21 team this past February.
Winning championships and getting players to the next level are a sure-fire way to get a spot on this countdown.
Whitney Point’s Resume
- Five State Championships in the Spectrum News Era
- Won All Five State Titles-in-a-Row from 2014-18
- WP has Placed Numerous Players at D-I FH Programs
- Leanne Bough has Played for Team USA in International Competition
5. J-D Boys Basketball
Under head coach Bob McKenney, the Jamesville-Dewitt boys' basketball program reached unprecedented heights, and that's why it's the highest-ranked boys' basketball program in our countdown.
The Red Rams not only won the NYS championship in our first year of existence, they also went undefeated behind future Syracuse star Andy Rautins, and won the Federation title as well. Rautins and company were denied another title in 2005 when they were ousted in the sectional final. But the Rams came roaring back in the Brandon Triche/Dajuan Coleman/Tyler Cavanaugh era, winning five consecutive Section III crowns and four straight NYS titles.
Before J-D, no Section III team had even won back to back state championships. Then the Red Rams ran off four in a row and were denied a fifth straight title when Tappan Zee upset J-D in the 2012 state semis.
After McKenney's departure for Bishop Grimes, Jeff Ike took the reins and has led J-D to two more Section III titles behind stars Buddy Boeheim and Peyton Shumpert.
Jamesville-DeWitt’s Resume
- Eight Section III Titles in the Spectrum News Era
- Five NYS Championships in the SN Era
- Sent 3 alums to Syracuse University (Rautins, Triche, Coleman) and another to Wake Forest/George Washington (Cavanaugh)
