Catt.Co.-State champs-Olean

[gonerail]

Cheers erupted from nearly 1200 fans as the D&F Travel bus carrying the Olean Huskies boys basketball team pulled up in front of the Olean Municipal Building on North Union Street around 5 p.m. Sunday.

A welcome-home gathering, complete with police escort, was called by city officials for the team’s return from their 63-53 win over Malverne at the Glens Falls Civic Center Saturday night.

And the cheers grew louder as Coach Jeff Anastasia walked out of the bus carrying a plaque shaped like New York State stating that the Huskies had captured the New York State Public Schools championship, the first in school history.

The cheerleaders followed the coaches and led the crowd in a cheer for the championship basketball team. Each player smiled wide with pride as they walked off the bus and onto a podium on the municipal building lawn.

“A lot of people doubted this team but this team always believed in themselves,” Mr. Anastasia said. “I’m so proud of this team. They epitomize what playing as a team is all about. And because of the way they played, they were awarded the state Class B championship.”

The homecoming reminded Mr. Anastasia of when he watched the St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team return from the NCAA Final Four in 1970. He thanked the fans for their support and for coming out on a cold day to support the team.

“(The support) shows what the city is all about to come out here on a cold day waiting for us all hyped up,” Mr. Anastasia said later. “We have the best fans in the state.”

Mayor David Carucci said the team will be honored at an upcoming City Council meeting.

“It’s amazing for them to do something like this and bring the state championship back to Olean,” he said.

Superintendent Mark Ward said that the players, coaches and the fans are all a part of history.

“They will never, ever forget what they’ve accomplished and what they’ve seen,” he said. “This team right here will never forget that crowning moment when they put it to Malverne.”

Principal Barbara Lias thanked the team for their hard work.

“This is a memory I know I’ll never forget and Olean will never forget,” she said.

“This is a memory I know I’ll never forget and Olean will never forget,” she said.

Olean resident Rick Kennedy said the Huskies victory is great for the team and great for the city. While the team may have been an underdog, they pulled through, he said.

“I have never seen a team play so well together,” he said.

Olean resident Patty Lowry said, “This team is absolutely fantastic. What an honor. They deserve every moment of it.“

The team will return to Glens Falls a week from Friday for the New York State Federation Championships.

[Linda_D]

Well, geez! How'd I miss this? Actually, how did the Post-Journal miss this? Probably on purpose since I think there's a bit of a rivalry between Olean and Jamestown! The Clymer boys BB team won the state champ for their division, too, and I think the South Dayton girls BB team as well!

Congrats to all the teams that made regionals or state, as well as the coaches, cheerleaders, band members, bus drivers and chaperones, and, of course, the parents!